Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
23 April 2022
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to join you today at the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit under the theme, “Water for Sustainable Development – Best Practices and the Next Generation.”
Congratulations to the Mayor of Kumamoto City, Japan, the President of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (“the APWF”) and partners, for organizing this important event.
Omedetou gozaimasu!
Excellencies,
Six years ago (2016), the city of Kumamoto was hit by massive earthquakes that led to loss of life and significant damages to critical infrastructure, particularly in water, electricity, and gas.
Today, the City of Kumamoto stands as a beacon of hope and resilience for its outstanding recovery efforts.
The world should take note of these recovery efforts. The world can learn from them.
Colleagues,
The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered us from achieving the targets of SDG-6 on Clean Water and Sanitation.
According to UNICEF data, “around 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030. By 2040, roughly 1 in 4 children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high-water stress.” (Source: www.unicef.org).
Access to water is a right for all. As has been said, “water unites us”; threats and barriers to access to water affect us all.
Access to clean and fresh water is essential to support an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges the vital relationship between sustainable development and water resources. It is clear that better drinking water, sanitation and hygiene leads to a number of benefits in other areas, including education, health and poverty reduction.
Global concrete actions with greater political will must therefore be taken to ensure water sustainability.
Excellencies,
Over the coming years, our water-related challenges will become even more pressing.
Poor access to water and sanitation for domestic uses is compounded by higher demands of a growing population and rapidly developing global economy, along with the adverse effects of climate change.
An unpredictable supply of water could constrain socio-economic progress in the future.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” to galvanize efforts towards addressing water-related challenges.
Access to safe water and sanitation as well as the sustainable use and management of water resources are key drivers of economic growth and productivity, ultimately providing significant leverage for existing investments in health and education.
My dear friends,
The world needs to transform the way it manages its water resources.
As the City of Kumamoto has demonstrated, it is a matter of city planning, education and public health, as well the responsibility of the service providers. It is often best served with a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Colleagues,
Climate change remains the most significant and most existential threat of our times.
Embracing science and technology, building a resilient system to multi-hazards, and implementing evidence-based policy making, will help address the challenges that climate change presents.
The urgency to build an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the context of the Water Decade of Action (2018-2028) and sustainable development has never been greater.
Let me reiterate:
Water is Hope. Water is Life. Water is our Future.
The choice is ours to make.
I wish you every success at this year’s Water Summit.
I thank you.
Domo arigato gozaimasu
