2013: a year for better water cooperation

(Vatican Radio) Did you know that every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related illness? More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world. Statistics show that the water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. Pope Benedict XVI has exhorted public and private sectors to work together to ensure all people, especially the poor, have access to clean, potable water. In a message in 2011 to an international exposition dedicated to water and sustainable development, the Pope said “ Water is a universal and unalienable right" for all people, and its use must take into account the "growing and perennial needs of people who live in poverty." What's more, lack of water is often the reason for conflict as well as it is at the heart of environmental issues. And water and water management, of course, is at the heart of climate change, sustainable development, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. That’s why the United Nations has declared 2013 as the United Nations "International Year of Water Cooperation".

UNESCO has been called upon to spearhead the event because of its unique multidisciplinary approach which blends the natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication.

So, events and celebrations throughout the Year are wide-ranging and are organized by various stakeholders around the world seeking to promote actions at all levels in relevant areas including education, culture, gender, the sciences, conflict prevention and resolution, ethics, and more.
An internet search reveals that there are many charities and organizations across the globe that focus on water as a fundamental human right. Some of them are dedicated to empowering the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water and sanitation.

One such organization is “WaterAid”, an international NGO whose mission it is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. Ross Bailey is a campaigner working on water and sanitation at WaterAid. Speaking to Vatican Radio's Linda Bordoni, he says WaterAid welcomed the UN declaration of a year dedicated to water cooperation. Listen to the interview...

Bailey explains that WaterAid is an international NGO working in 27 countries across the world. Its mission is to enable the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water and sanitation. He says that together with improved hygiene, these basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods.

He explains that the organization works with local partners, who understand local issues. WaterAid provides them with the skills and support to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects that meet their needs.

WaterAid also works locally and internationally to change policy and practice and ensure that water, hygiene and sanitation's vital role in reducing poverty is recognized.

"One charity on its own can't solve a crisis of the magnitude of water and hygiene and sanitation" so cooperation is essential.

Bailey says he was pleased to hear that water cooperation has been chosen as the theme for 2013 by the UN. He says his organization looks at the issue through a specific lens: "we want to make sure that countries cooperate to make sure that the poorest people in the world have access to water and water-related services".

When we think about cooperation - Bailey says – “it is important to stress cooperation between those who have water and those who don't”.

Water management is all very well, he points out, but the key issue to remember is that there are 800 million people around the world who don't have access to safe water to drink, and nearly 1 in 3 people around the world don't have a safe place to go to the toilet which means that the water then gets contaminated.

So whilst the UN and other organizations this year will be talking about how countries can cooperate to ensure there are water sources, “we need to be making sure that in countries where poor people don't have access to water - because of poor infrastructure, or poor service delivery, countries cooperate to make sure that doesn't happen”.

He says that nearly 2000 children die every day because of diarrhea and poor sanitation, and “we are really hoping that 2013 can be a year that galvanises the international community into cooperating to ensure that these numbers are reduced”.

Bailey also says that this is a particularly important time as last year the Millennium Development Goal for water was met. But there is still much to be done so now is the time to start looking to the future and setting up new goals for water management.

He says climate change has an impact on how communities manage water. And new services are needed.

“One charity, one company, one country can't solve this massive crisis on its own”. We need countries to work together - high income countries to keep to their promises to provide water and sanitation to low income countries. And we need countries to really work together and come up with ambitious targets for whatever comes after the Millennium Development Goals.

“If you have had a glass of water today – Bailey points out - you are better off than a huge number of people around the world”. And water is a basic building block: if children are thirsty they can't concentrate in school; if there is no water to wash crockery and dishes people get sick; and if there is no water to give to young children, they can die.

It is an easy issue to understand.

If you want to find out more about how water makes a difference to people's lives across the world, visit www.wateraid.org.

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