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Bonn (pte029/26.02.2003/16:29) - Under the leadership of UNESCO, twenty-three United Nations agencies are publishing the first 'World Water Development Report'. Participating in the study are organizations such as FAO, WHO, UNICEF, UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank.
The report provides an extensive overview of the world's water reserves and starts with the statement: "The world is facing a water crisis at the beginning of the 21st century. It is a crisis of water management largely brought about by our improper rationing of water ..."
The main aim of the project is to measure progress since the Rio summit, when the international community pledged to halve the proportion of people who are unable to reach or afford safe drinking water by 2015 and stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources.
In addition to facts and figures on freshwater resources, the study deals with eleven "tasks for the securing of life and well-being", ranging from a right to health and water supply in cities to the demand for a clean industry and the expansion of energy sources. It also stresses the need for a sound water regulation policy to promote sustainable development.
The problems of water resource management are illustrated with seven pilot case studies in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2003 the "International Year of freshwater" http://www.wateryear2003.org . One of the main goals of the year is to protect the world's drinking water resources. UNO member states and NGOs are expected to promote sensible water management with their own reports and campaigns throughout the year.
The German UNESCO Commission http://www.unesco.de will present the German version of the study in Bonn on 5 March. The complete report in English can already be pre-ordered at UNESCO Publishing http://upo.unesco.org .
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