Where on Earth is a Water-Secure World?

Water scarcity affects several African countries. The UN estimates that the number of people with insufficient access to water at least one month a year will surpass 5 billion by 2050. Credit: Orazgeldiyew / Creative CommonsBy Vladimir SmakhtinHAMILTON, Canada, Oct 7 2021 (IPS) It is not uncommon for a water-centric research, policy or development organization or network to declare its long-term vision of the “water-secure world”. It reads nicely and feels great. And it is intuitive and logical to perceive that a water-secure world is the one where “water security” is ensured. In every country. The concept of “water security” has emerged on the global stage primarily over the last two decades. Its shortest and most elegant definition says water security is a “tolerable level of water-related risk to society.” A conceptual framework of water security based on a more comprehensive definition encompasses various needs and conditions that should be taken into account — water for drinking, economic activity, ecosystems, hazard resilience, governance, transboundary cooperation, financing, and political stability. Hence water security is not just about how much natural water a country has, although this matters a lot, but also how well the resource is managed. Water security is considered a unifying concept that can help coordinate efforts towards a common goal. This common goal, however, remains unclear. Absolute water security simply does not and will ne...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aid Climate Change Economy & Trade Food and Agriculture Global Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies TerraViva United Nations Water & Sanitation Source Type: news