Geneva, 15 March 2007 - Every year on 22 March the world celebrates World Water Day: an invitation from the United Nations to its Member States to devote the day to increasing public awareness of the challenges related to the conservation, development and management of water resources. Coping with Water Scarcity has been chosen as this year's theme to highlight the consequences of water scarcity world wide, one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

Since global freshwater consumption is increasing at more than twice the rate of population growth, it is estimated that by 2025 more than 60% of the world's inhabitants will be living in regions experiencing significant water stress. (Stockholm Environment Institute)

The term water scarcity is a relative concept and can mean either an absolute shortage of water, or a lack of access to safe water supplies. These are conditions affecting people on every continent. However, these scarcity conditions often have their roots in water shortages and are most acute in arid and semi-arid regions affected by droughts, combined with high population growth and economic development. Water scarcity is also a political issue: even in places that appear to have enough water for all, the poorest and disadvantaged people often have the least access to water.

At this very moment, more than one in six people worldwide - or 1.1 billion - do not have access to a safe and affordable water supply. Two out of every five people - or 2.4 billion - lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. Being deprived of access to clean water and proper sanitation has catastrophic impacts on people's lives and determines a person's health, education, economic productivity and income - all key factors in escaping poverty.

Jon Lane, Interim Executive Director of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), an organization hosted by the World Health Organisation and whose programmes focus on improved sanitation and hygiene service delivery, emphasizes the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene for development: 'A lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation facilities and poor hygiene strongly interferes with basic human development. Water-related diseases, including diarrhoea, are a major cause of death amongst young children and each year they kill more children worldwide than HIV/AIDS. In India child mortality due to HIV/AIDS counts for 0.7 % while 20% die from diarrhoeal diseases. In Malawi, where 14% of the children under 5 years of age die due to HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal diseases are a bigger killer and are responsible for 18% of the child deaths.'

On 22 March, Jon Lane will attend a series of national events related to World Water Day organized by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry of the Government of South Africa. The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council has a strong presence in South Africa and recognises the active leadership that the government provides on these issues. Water scarcity is a very important topic in South Africa and indeed in many neighbouring countries.

On the occasion of World Water Day, the WSSCC has produced a pamphlet on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) & Water Scarcity, emphasizing that even where water resources are scarce, sanitation and hygiene need to be given due priority. The pamphlet is available online and intends to support the local partners in their advocacy efforts.

Useful weblinks:
Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
Current world health statistics
World Water Day 2007
International Water and Sanitation Centre

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Saskia Castelein, Programme Officer, WSSCC, Geneva,
Tel +41 22 917 8481, Fax +41 22 917 8084,
E-mail: casteleins@who.int

SECRETARIAT FOR THE WSS COLLABORATIVE COUNCIL
9 Chemin des Anemones, Chatelaine, CH-1219, Geneva, Switzerland.
Tel. + (41 22) 917 8657; Fax: + (41 22) 917 8084;
E-mail: wsscc@who.int;
Website: www.wsscc.org