A man from the Twic Dinka tribe drinks water from a gourd at the Dinka cattle camp in Abyei, Sudan. The Twic Dinka with around 5000 head of cattle moved north from Warrap State into the Abyei area after floods hit their grazing area, according to UNMIS. (AP Photo/File)
ISTANBUL- The World Water Forum, a seven-day arena aimed at addressing the planet’s deepening crisis of fresh water, was launched here Monday amid a violent protest broken up by riot police using tear gas. The forum, held only every three years, will address growing water scarcity, the risk of conflict as countries squabble over rivers, lakes and aquifers, and how to provide clean water and sanitation to billions. Anti-riot police dispersed some 300 demonstrators against the forum as they headed to the venue buildings, detaining at least 15. The protesters, whose rally had been called by unions, environmentalists, and leftist organisations, responded to tear gas by hurling rocks and beating officers with sticks.
They chanted slogans such as “water is people, it’s life, it’s not for sale,” and “we want to crush this forum which wants to take our water”. Heading an appeal for the globe to husband its water resources, Loic Fauchon, president of the World Water Council staging the conference, said humanity was squarely to blame for wasting the precious stuff of life. “We are responsible,” he said. “Responsible for the aggressions perpetrated against water, responsible for the current climate changes which come on top of the global changes, responsible for the tensions which reduce the availability of freshwater masses so indispensable to the survival of humanity.”
He added: “At this very time in the history of water, we are faced with a major challenge to use more water resources but at the same time to protect, enhance the value of and even reuse these waters.” The world’s population, currently more than 6.5 billion, is expected to rise to 9 billion by mid-century, placing further massive demands on water supplies that are already under strain.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicts a rise in the number of people living under severe water stress to 3.9 billion by 2030, amounting to nearly half the world’s population. Most of these will live in China and South Asia.
World Forum seeks answers to deepening catastrophe
That tally does not include the impacts of climate change. Global warming may already be affecting weather patterns, changing the time and place where rain and snow fall, say some experts. Around 2.5 billion people today do not have access to decent sanitation, defying one of the targets of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Hydrologists say the crisis is rooted in excessive irrigation, leakage of urban water supplies, pollution of river water and unbridled extraction of water from nearly every type of source. The need for better management of water “is becoming more urgent,” the head of the OECD, Angel Gurri, warned in a report to be issued on Tuesday.
That tally does not include the impacts of climate change. Global warming may already be affecting weather patterns, changing the time and place where rain and snow fall, say some experts. Around 2.5 billion people today do not have access to decent sanitation, defying one of the targets of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Hydrologists say the crisis is rooted in excessive irrigation, leakage of urban water supplies, pollution of river water and unbridled extraction of water from nearly every type of source. The need for better management of water “is becoming more urgent,” the head of the OECD, Angel Gurri, warned in a report to be issued on Tuesday.
“We witness increasing pressure, competition and, in some regions, even conflict over the use of water resources. Poor governance and inadequate investment are resulting in billions of people not having access to water and sanitation services.” The Water Forum, running in Istanbul until Sunday, began with a mini-summit of a small number of heads of state and government, invited by host Turkey. It concludes with a large ministerial gathering aimed at crafting guidelines for smarter management of water and resolution of water conflicts.
Outside the political dimension, the conference is also a gathering place for companies involving in the multi-billion water industry. Between 92.4 billion and 148 billion dollars are needed annually to build and maintain water supply systems, sanitation and irrigation, according to a major document, the third World Water Development Report, that was issued in the run-up to the Istanbul forum. China and developed countries in Asia alone face financial needs of 38.2-51.4 billion dollars each year.
How this investment is mustered -- and the accountability of corporations in water, a key ingredient for life -- are among the big questions facing the conference. More than 27,000 people are expected to attend the conference, beating the record of the previous four events, the organisers said.
Some Facts on the world’s water
• There are 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water on the planet but almost 97 percent is salt water. Most freshwater is locked up in glaciers or deep underground, leaving only a fraction available for human consumption or use.
• Most experts believe there is still enough water to go round, but its distribution is uneven. According to the Pacific Institute for Studies on Development, Environment and Security, North Americans have access to over 6,000 cubic meters per person per year stored in reservoirs. But the poorest African countries have less than 700 and Ethiopia has less than 50 cubic meters per person per year of water storage.
• Agriculture accounts for 66 percent of human water consumption, industry 20 percent, domestic households 10 percent, according to the World Water Council. About four percent evaporates from man-made reservoirs.
• Providing clean drinking water to the poor is one of the biggest development challenges. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals pledged at the start of this decade “to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.” The U.N. says that since 1990, 1.6 billion people have gained access to safe water. But nearly a billion people still lack safe drinking water.
• There are 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water on the planet but almost 97 percent is salt water. Most freshwater is locked up in glaciers or deep underground, leaving only a fraction available for human consumption or use.
• Most experts believe there is still enough water to go round, but its distribution is uneven. According to the Pacific Institute for Studies on Development, Environment and Security, North Americans have access to over 6,000 cubic meters per person per year stored in reservoirs. But the poorest African countries have less than 700 and Ethiopia has less than 50 cubic meters per person per year of water storage.
• Agriculture accounts for 66 percent of human water consumption, industry 20 percent, domestic households 10 percent, according to the World Water Council. About four percent evaporates from man-made reservoirs.
• Providing clean drinking water to the poor is one of the biggest development challenges. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals pledged at the start of this decade “to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.” The U.N. says that since 1990, 1.6 billion people have gained access to safe water. But nearly a billion people still lack safe drinking water.
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