LOC16:45
13:45 GMT
PARIS, March 22 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Friday that tensions over water are exacerbating conflicts worldwide, calling for boost international cooperation and transboundary agreements.
In its report: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2024, the UNESCO said as water stress increases, so do the risks of local or regional conflict, stressing that its message is clear: "if we want to preserve peace, we must act swiftly not only to safeguard water resources but also to enhance regional and global cooperation in this area".
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said that water, when managed sustainably and equitably, can be a source of peace and prosperity. It is also the literal lifeblood of agriculture, the major socio-economic driver for billions of people.
For his part, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Chair of UN-Water Alvaro Lario said 2.2 billion people still live without access to safely managed drinking water and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation.
The UN goal of ensuring this access for all by 2030 is therefore far from being attained, and there is reason to fear that these inequalities may continue to rise, according to the report.
Between 2002 and 2021 droughts affected more than 1.4 billion people, he said, adding that as of 2022, roughly half of the worldآ’s population experienced severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, while one quarter faced "extremely high" levels of water stress, using over 80 percent of their annual renewable freshwater supply, said the report.
Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of these phenomena, with acute risks for social stability, it added. (end)
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