Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to thank all co-organizers for hosting this Special Session, focusing on the post-COVID-19 world from the aspect of water and disasters. Indeed, this topic is critical to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other related international goals.
Many of our distinguished speakers today expressed concerns regarding the multiple challenges faced by the world today. Including the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, escalating climate change impacts, alongside continuing environmental degradation.
As a result, we are witnessing major setbacks in achieving global targets for more equitable, inclusive and sustainable development.
Last year, millions of people were doubly hit by climate-related disasters, like floods, droughts and storms, on top of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic put an extra burden on emergency disaster management – such as evacuation procedures to allow for safe social distancing, as well as limited personnel and material support.
Speakers also shared that most of the water-related SDGs are off track. We must significantly accelerate progress if we are to meet the global targets.
Dear participants,
We are in the midst of the Water Decade, from 2018 to 2028. We must seize the opportunities available to us to ensure that its objectives are met.
Resilient recovery from the pandemic and disasters is key to this success – through synergized and holistic initiatives towards disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable development.
To this end, we must make risk-informed development policies and build a high-resilience society to prevent and reduce future risks. We must expand cross-sectoral cooperation – for example between the disaster and health sectors – to prepare for compounded risks.
Further investment in resilient infrastructure and climate change adaptation, from a long-term perspective, will contribute to the achievement of many of the SDGs. Particular attention should be paid to the situation of those most vulnerable, for example, in their safe evacuation or swift recovery. We must align disaster recovery policies with policies that will enable the overall planning and coordinated development of blue-green economies. This, in turn, will advance the 2030 Agenda.
Resilience is one of the guiding principles of United Nations SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework, to better adapt to the impacts of climate change, population growth, migration, and urbanization. It would be important for all stakeholders to share their best practices and what has helped to accelerate progress towards SDG 6. There are many such opportunities to share your ideas.
For example, in March 2023, the Midterm Review Conference on the Water Action Decade is scheduled in New York at UN Headquarters. A number of meetings towards the Conference have been announced that are already contributing towards the preparatory process. Discussions during these important events, including today’s, can contribute to the 2023 Conference. Particularly, in the area of building resilient societies when recovering from the pandemic, climate change, and water-related disasters.
With the support of all stakeholders, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN DESA, remains committed to pursuing the goal of a safer and more resilient society.
I thank you.