United Nations University / UNESCO
5 March, 2003
First UN system-wide evaluation of global water resources
Faced with “inertia at the leadership level”, the global water crisis will reach unprecedented levels in the years ahead with “growing per capita scarcity of water in many parts of the developing world”, according to a United Nations report made public today. Water resources will steadily decline because of population growth, pollution and expected climate change.
The World Water Development Report – Water for People, Water for Life – is the most comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the state of the resource. Presented on the eve of the Third World Water Forum (Kyoto, Japan, March 16 – 23), it represents the single most important intellectual contribution to the Forum and the International Year of Freshwater (www.wateryear2003.org), which is being led by UNESCO and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
To compile the report, every UN agency and commission dealing with water has for the first time worked jointly to monitor progress against water-related targets in such fields as health, food, ecosystems, cities, industry, energy, risk management, economic evaluation, resource sharing and governance. The 23 UN partners constitute the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), whose secretariat is hosted by UNESCO.
New release in full, click here
Example coverage (UNU’s Ralph Daley quoted in Canadian media):
CBC Television, The National, click here
National Post, click here
Hamilton Spectator, click here
The Canadian Press, click here