The report on water insecurity presented by United Nations experts highlights that the situation is far from achieving the goals set by the international community. According to the report, three out of every four inhabitants of the world live in countries with some level of water insecurity, with only 33 countries having an adequate situation, mainly European states and a few in other regions such as Canada and the United States, Japan, Israel, New Zealand or Australia.
The report examines a whole series of factors such as access to drinking water, sanitation, health, water quality, and availability or stability of supply to assess the situation of each country. It identifies that more than 70% of the world’s population does not have access to safely managed water and 10% still do not have basic access to drinking water. One of the main problems identified by the report is that the abundance of water in a country does not necessarily equate to water security and gives the example of many countries in Africa, Asia, or Latin America with a lot of water, but with poor quality or little access to sanitation.
Charlotte MacAlister, the paper’s lead author, emphasizes that “without water security, countries are simply unable to support freshwater ecosystems, livelihoods, and human well-being.” Ending this situation was one of the great goals included in the Sustainable Development Goals agreed upon by the international community in 2015 with a view to 2030.
The report’s presentation took place within the framework of the UN-Water Conference, which sought commitments from countries and companies to act in the face of the global water crisis. The conference was the first event of its kind in almost 50 years and aimed to address the urgent need to tackle the water crisis being experienced globally. The report underscores the importance of collective and coordinated action to address the water crisis, as it affects not only individuals and communities but also ecosystems and the global economy.