Science for Water
– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at “Science for Water” – an event convened by UNESCO and Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
Thank you Madame Chair, Good afternoon Excellencies and Friends
Scientists predict that on June 4th Cape Town will have to start rationing water. As we approach this imminent “Day Zero”, human health and life hang in the balance. We cannot turn back the hands of time, but we can use science to act before it is really too late.
So, I will state the obvious – we need water to survive. We can all agree on this. It is not by accident that ancient civilizations grew along the banks of rivers – from the Nile and the Yellow River, to the Tigris and the Euphrates. Technology has enabled people to settle further away from these cradles of civilization. But water will always be the lifeblood of humanity.
In the 2030 Agenda we agreed to make sure that there is water and sanitation for all.
And we recognize that water is critical for achieving all Sustainable Development Goals.
Yet we are not doing enough, collectively, to achieve SDG 6 on water.
This brings me to my first point – our planet. We are putting tremendous pressure on our environment, including water sources.
Climate change is making the water shortage worse – from droughts to torrential rainfall, our water sources and systems are being destroyed.
Water pollution is turning rivers into hotbeds of disease. As you said Madame Chair, over 80% of the world’s wastewater is released without treatment.
This is not sustainable. We lamented this at COP 23 in Bonn, at UNEA in Nairobi. But we need to take urgent action.
My second point is about people.
The facts are startling: 4 out of 10 people worldwide are affected by water scarcity. And by 2025, it is estimated that 1.8 billion people will be living with absolute water scarcity.
Behind these statistics are real people. And focusing on people means understanding their plight. We have to bridge the gap between science and policy – and the gap between policy and people.
It means walking in the shoes of the woman who must travel miles for a drink of water every day.
The child who goes to bed thirsty.
The family that has to drink, bathe and wash clothes in dirty water.
Scientists predict that on June 4th Cape Town will have to start rationing water. As we approach this imminent “Day Zero”, human health and life hang in the balance. We cannot turn back the hands of time, but we can use science to act before it is really too late.
My third point is that we need science for solutions.
- Science now helps us to calculate how population growth and climate change will affect the availability of water;
- It helps us track the shifting of rivers in order to help predict floods;
- In India there is a project where farmers use solar-powered pumps to access groundwater for crop irrigation;
- In Nairobi I met a young lady from Burkina Faso who has created a plant-based purification system to help manage fresh water; and
- An 11-year-old girl in Flint Michigan has developed a device to quickly detect lead levels in water.
These examples are science for water – in action.
So to conclude, let me stress that water runs through every SDG, every pillar of the United Nations and every person. And it affects us all – from Cape Town to Flint, Michigan.
Today’s meeting is particularly timely as we prepare for the launch of the Decade of Water for Sustainable Development. On March 22nd I will convene a high-level event to launch this Decade, with participation from all stakeholders. It will be an opportunity to share best practices and provide a platform for networking and building partnerships.
We need to take urgent action to ensure that there is water and sanitation for all. Today is an opportunity to learn more, so that we can do more.
I thank you.
