Why does Water matter to everyone?
Today, a quarter of the global population – 2 billion people – use unsafe drinking water sources. Half of humanity – 3.6 billion people – live without safely managed sanitation. Over 80% of wastewater is released to the environment without being treated or reused. Almost three quarters of all recent disasters are water related, having caused economic damage of almost US$700 billion in the past 20 years. With growing populations, increasingly water-intensive agriculture and industries, and worsening climate change, guaranteeing a well-functioning water cycle for all people everywhere is essential to ensure human health, environmental integrity and a sustainable, equitable future. At the same time, through its close inter-linkages with climate, energy, cities, the environment, food security, poverty, gender equality and health, water can be an accelerator of sustainable development across our societies. ​
Access to water and sanitation is a human right. A well managed water cycle underpins progress across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly in relation to hunger, gender equity, health, education, livelihoods, sustainability and ecosystems.​
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Water is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the climate system, human society and the environment. Without proper water governance, there is likely to be increased competition for water between sectors and an escalation of water crises of various kinds, triggering emergencies in a range of water-dependent sectors. ​
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​The physical world of water is closely bound up with the socio-political world, with water often a key factor in managing risks such as famine, epidemics, inequalities and political instability.
The United Nations has long been addressing the global crisis caused by unsafe water and sanitation and growing demands on the world’s water resources to meet human, economic and environmental needs.
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In December 2017 UN Member States adopted United Nations General Assembly resolution 71/222 on an International Decade for Action on ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028. Commencing on World Water Day, 22 March 2018, and concluding on World Water Day 2028, the Decade builds on the achievements of the previous “Water for Life” Decade, 2005-2015.
The resolution states that the objectives of the Decade should be a greater focus on:
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the sustainable development and integrated management of water resources for achievement of social, economic and environmental objectives;
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the implementation and promotion of related programmes and projects; and
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the furtherance of cooperation and partnerships at all levels to achieve internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Previous United Nations initiatives included The United Nations Water Conference (1977), the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981-1990), the International Conference on Water and the Environment (1992), Earth Summit (1992) and the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015.
Recent milestone agreements include the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2015-2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, and the 2015 Paris Agreement within the UN Convention Framework on Climate Change.
Water Action Agenda
The Water Action Agenda represents the collective voluntary efforts to expedite advancements during the latter half of the Water Action Decade (2018-2028) and the 2030 Agenda. Leveraging the political engagement spurred by the Conference, this set of voluntary commitments aims to catalyze actions among Member States and stakeholders to fulfill global water and sanitation objectives and to transform the momentum generated by the UN 2023 Water Conference into concrete, ambitious actions to keep progress on track. 8.
The Water Action Agenda was founded on three key principles to help ensure its success moving forward:
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Commit to action: The mobilization of voluntary commitments from countries, sectors and stakeholders for swift and effective actions to reach SDG 6 and other water-related targets.
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Sustain and scale up implementation: All stakeholders are essential in driving the Water Action Agenda and ensuring the replication and expansion of successful practices through partnership follow-ups.​
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Follow-up and review process: Through both a dedicated online platform8 and the High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) and other intergovernmental, private sector and NGO fora, the Water Action Agenda, its commitments and achievements will be highlighted and lessons learned shared. Regular reviews of the Water Action Agenda, such as this report, will be carried out to monitor progress.
Through a continuous process of commitment, implementation, and review, and by facilitating peer learning, the Water Action Agenda aims to replicate effective strategies and elevate successful solutions to a global level. This may be spearheaded by the UN-Water Task Force on Water Action Decade Implementation, building on the expertise of the UN system, in collaboration with Member States.
Explore these resources to learn more about why protecting and valuing water is important for everyone: