Ecology: a conference on water at the UN to avoid a "global crisis"

Louise Sallé 09:55, March 22, 2023

This Wednesday, March 22, a meeting is organized at the UN as part of World Water Day, to raise awareness about its use, but especially to remedy the shortages that humanity could face in the future. A report published on Wednesday by the United Nations serves as a basis for discussions, warning of the imminent risk of a "global water crisis".

Two billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion lack safely managed sanitation. Alarming figures, while the demand for water in cities is expected to jump by 80% by 2050. Half of the world's urban population could run out of water. The impacts would then be multiple, warns Richard Connor, lead author of the report. "When you run out of water, you can run out of food and electricity, because the majority of electricity production depends on water," he said.

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Affordable and secure supply through cooperation

"Thermal power plants, which run either on coal or gas, and even nuclear, need water for cooling systems," the researcher continues. "Broadly speaking, three-quarters of the world's jobs depend directly or indirectly on water."

The UN therefore advocates cooperation between villages and cities to ensure the supply of affordable drinking water even in the most remote places. This cooperation is also necessary between countries, which share access to transboundary rivers and canals. Around the Nile, for example, this would avoid a major political destabilization of the region in the coming years.