PARIS,(UNESCO): 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 last week. 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, 16-23 March), it represents the single most important intellectual contribution to the Forum and the International Year of Freshwater ( http://www.wateryear2003.org ), which is being led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
To compile the report, every United Nations 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 United Nations partners constitute the World Water Assessment Programme, whose secretariat is hosted by UNESCO.
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, 16-23 March), it represents the single most important intellectual contribution to the Forum and the International Year of Freshwater ( http://www.wateryear2003.org ), which is being led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
To compile the report, every United Nations 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 United Nations partners constitute the World Water Assessment Programme, whose secretariat is hosted by UNESCO.