High-Level Event on Interlinkages Between Water And Climate

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73^rd Session of the UN General Assembly

27 March 2019

Excellency, the Right Honourable Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji,

Excellency, Mr. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan,

Excellency, Ms. Nezha El Ouafi, Secretary of State for Sustainable Development of Morocco,

Excellencies, Permanent Representatives of Japan, the Russian Federation, Singapore and Switzerland,

My dear friend, Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit,

Ms. Norma Kassi, Director of Indigenous Collaboration at the Arctic Institute of Community-Based Research of Canada,

Mr. Vladimir Smakhtin, Coordinator of the UN-Water Task Force,

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I am truly delighted to deliver remarks at this important event on the interlinkages between water and climate. I would like to thank our hosts and champions of the water agenda: Canada, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland and Tajikistan – and, of course – UN DESA and UN-Water.

Excellencies,

Since 1990, over 2.6 billion people have gained access to an improved drinking water source. Over 2.2 billion have gained access to improved toilets or latrines.

We have made great progress.  But we are still a long way from realizing our promise to leave no one behind.

Globally, one in three people lacks access to safe water in their homes, schools and workplaces. More than a quarter of the world’s people live in countries with high water stress. More than half experience water scarcity for at least one month a year.

As is often the case, the poor and the marginalized are disproportionately affected. Eighty percent of people using unsafe water live in rural areas. Over 700 children under five die every day from diarrhea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Meanwhile, data from 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa showed that women and girls spend 16 million hours every day collecting water. Hours that could be spent on education. On developing water solutions. On generating income for their communities. On leading their communities.

Dear friends,

Water is central to sustainable development, from health to nutrition, gender equality to tackling poverty. Water stress, meanwhile, is linked to poverty, displacement and conflict. And these challenges are getting worse because of climate change.

For example, by 2030, as many as 700 million people could be displaced due to water scarcity – that is more than ten times the total number of people who are currently displaced.

Water is the lifeblood of our world. It is the vessel through which we feel and see the effects of climate change: from drought to disasters.

So, there is no question: we need action on water to:

• Achieve the 2030 Agenda,
• Address the worst impacts of climate change, and
• Prevent further conflict and displacement.

Excellencies,

We must ensure that our actions reflect the level of urgency. It is deeply worrying, for example, that funding commitments to the water sector dropped by more than 25 percent from 2012 to 2016.

Let us make sure that the period 2018 to 2028 really is a Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development.

Next year will be decisive. 2020 is the first major milestone for several SDG targets. It is also the point of no return for climate change – emissions must peak by 2020 if we are to avoid the worst impacts of global temperature rise.

So, I am grateful that today’s event will focus on integrated approaches to managing water and climate action, and on implementation and lessons learned.

I welcome the inclusion of indigenous peoples in the dialogue. Not only are they disproportionately affected by climate change, they also have much to teach us about environmental stewardship.

And I am delighted that – having focused on Sustainable Development Goal 6 this year – World Water Day next year will highlight the intersection of climate and water issues.

Dear friends,

All day tomorrow and Friday, I will host a High-Level Meeting on Climate Change and Sustainable Development for All. Your discussions today will provide valuable input for this meeting, and I encourage you all to join us, tomorrow and on Friday.

I also hope you will support my campaign against single-use plastics, which are polluting our water systems – and, through them – our planet and our health. It was fantastic that the UN Environment Assembly adopted a strong resolution on single-use plastics only two weeks ago.

In June, I will hold a festival in Antigua to generate further momentum on this issue, in partnership with the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Norway. I am also working with colleagues here to help us – at the UN – lead by example. Again, I invite you all to take part of this initiative.

Excellencies,

I want to end with a proverb ascribed to the Cree:

“When all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money.”

Let us heed this advice and work together to protect our planet’s lifeblood: water.  

I thank you.