UN World Water Development Report Releases

New Delhi :- Water Resources Minister Prof. Sanwar Lal Jat has said that effectively managing the available water resources to meet growing demand is a big challenge. Releasing the United Nations World Water Development Report-2015 titled “Water for a Sustainable World” here today the Minister said “Water is sacred and worshipped as God in Indian civilization. The National Water Policy adopts an integrated approach to water management which is vital for poverty reduction, environmental sustenance and sustainable economic development.” He said reviving the environmental health of one of the country’s largest and most important river, the Ganga is an important priority for the country since 45 percent of the country’s population depends on this river for livelihood and well-being.
Speaking on the occasion UNESCO Director-General, Ms. Irina Bokova said “Water resources are a key element in policies to combat poverty, but are sometimes themselves threatened by development. Water directly influences our future, so we need to change the way we assess, manage and use this resource in the face of ever-rising demand and the over exploitation of our groundwater reserves.”
Mr. Michel Jarraud, Chairperson of UN-Water and Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation said that water and sanitation are essential to the achievement of many sustainable development goals. They are inextricably linked to climate change, agriculture, food security, health, energy, equality, gender and education. In 2000 India had nearly 19 million mechanised or tube wells, compared to less than a million in 1960. This technological revolution has played an important role in the country’s efforts to combat poverty, but the ensuing development of irrigation has, in turn, resulted in significant water stress in some regions of the country, such as Maharashtra and Rajasthan. This example alone illustrates the complex relationships between access to water and development. While water is essential for economic growth and the fight against poverty, it is also itself directly affected by economic development. To find a solution to this conundrum, we must seek a balance between water supply and demand.
United Nations World Water Development Report is the result of collaboration between the 31 agencies of the United Nations system and the 37 international partners that make up UN-Water. It is produced by the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), hosted by UNESCO. The report presents an exhaustive account of the state of the world’s water resources and, up until 2012, was published every three years. Since 2014 it has become an annual publication, devoted to a specific theme. Its publication is now timed to coincide with World Water Day, whose theme is also aligned with that of the report. The Report is published by the World Water Assessment Programme, which is hosted by UNESCO, on behalf of UN-Water. It stresses the urgent need to change the way we use and manage this vital resource, as the United Nations prepares to adopt new Sustainable Development Goals.