UN launches "Water for Life 2005-2015", International Decade for Action

Sumber:www.wateraid.org - 22 Maret 2005
Kategori:Air Minum
World Water Day on 22 March 2005 sees the dawn of the UN International Decade for Water. The theme of the decade echoes what WaterAid has been saying for years: water for life.

The 'Water For Life' decade is aimed at helping ensure that the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are met by focussing on the fundamental place of water in poverty reduction. The MDGs aim to halve world poverty by reducing the proportion of people without access to safe water and sanitation by half, reducing child mortality by one third and ensuring that all of the world's children gain access to primary education by 2015.

UN Resolution 58/217 highlights how important water and sanitation are to achieving all of the goals, stating that:

"water is critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the eradication of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable for human health and well-being

The goals of the Decade should be a greater focus on water-related issues at all levels and on the implementation of water-related programmes and projects, while striving to ensure the participation and involvement of women in water-related development efforts."

With over 5000 children dying each day due to water-related diseases, and many millions more having to spend large parts of the day fetching and carrying water, the impact that reliable sources of clean water can make towards the MDGs is clear.

With a secure, close supply of clean water and the health benefits this brings, children have time to go to school, health costs are reduced, women have time to work and families can begin to help themselves out of poverty.

Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General said:

"We shall not finally defeat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking-water, sanitation and basic health care."

WaterAid's five year strategy aims to enable a further 500,000 people to gain access to water and 500,000 people to gain access to sanitation every year by 2010. Our extensive experience in the delivery of basic water services to developing countries means that we are in a unique position to speak about and advise others on water provision.

WaterAid welcomes the goals of the 'Water for Life' decade for action and will be working hard to ensure that these valuable basic services reach those who need them most.

We will continue to put pressure on the UK Government to provide more and better funding to improve water and sanitation for the world's poorest people.

Our new report 'Getting to boiling point turning up the heat on water and sanitation' , exposes the financial waste and underinvestment which are currently trapping millions in poverty. The report, also published on World Water Day, shows how the MDGs will not be met unless there is urgent action. The report proposes a way forward on the world's water and sanitation crisis and a means by which progress can be effectively measured.

Post Date : 22 Maret 2005