800 million lack safe drinking water says Ban Ki Moon

(March 22.2012) Let us reaffirm our commitment to ending the plight of the more than 800 million people who, in a world of plenty, still do not have the safe drinking water or sanitation they need for a life in dignity and good health” pleads United Nations Secretary General at the end of his message for World Water Day 2012. As the world charts a more sustainable future, the crucial interplay among water, food and energy is one of the most formidable challenges we face, says Ban Ki Moon. Without water there is no dignity and no escape from poverty. In little over a generation, 60 per cent of the global population will be living in towns and cities. Thus the theme of this year's observance of World Water Day -- "Water for Cities" -- highlights some of the main challenges of this increasingly urban future. Over the past decade, the number of urban dwellers who lack access to a water tap in their home or immediate vicinity has risen by an estimated 114 million, and the number of those who lack access to the most basic sanitation facilities has risen by 134 million. This 20 per cent increase has had a hugely detrimental impact on human health and on economic productivity: people are sick and unable to work. Water problems will figure prominently at the forthcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, in 2012. My High-level Panel on Global Sustainability and UN-Water, continues the Secretary General, are examining ways in which we can connect the dots among water, energy and food security, with the aim of reducing poverty and inequality, generating jobs, and minimizing the risks of climate change and environmental stress. He urged governments to recognize the urban water crisis for what it is - a crisis of governance, weak policies and poor management, rather than one of scarcity.