Despite improvements in the provision of basic water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, billions of people still lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Water scarcity has become an increasingly serious issue in many regions of the world, and conflicts and climate change have further exacerbated this problem. In addition, water pollution poses significant challenges to human health and the environment in many countries.
To achieve universal coverage by 2030, the current global progress in drinking water needs to increase sixfold, sanitation facilities need to increase fivefold, and hygiene needs to increase eightfold. Increasing infrastructure investment, improving cross-sectoral coordination, and addressing climate change are key to getting this sustainable development goal back on track.
At least 3 billion people rely on water resources whose safety cannot be determined due to a lack of monitoring
This means that nearly a third of the world's population may be drinking or using contaminated water without knowing it. Inadequate water quality monitoring is a major public health issue because unclean water sources may contain harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical contaminants that can cause illness and other health problems.
Over the past three hundred years, more than 85% of the earth's wetlands have disappeared
This massive loss of wetlands has a significant impact on ecosystems and biodiversity, as wetlands are important habitats for many species and act as natural water filtration systems, playing a key role in maintaining water quality and preventing flooding. The loss of wetlands not only affects wildlife, but also has a negative impact on the human communities that rely on these ecosystems. Protecting existing wetlands and restoring wetlands that have been damaged is vital to protecting our natural environment and biodiversity.
More than 733 million people worldwide live in countries with extremely high water stress
The so-called water stress refers to the ratio between the demand for water and its availability. Water stress occurs when a region or country's water demand approaches or exceeds its sustainable supply. High-stress conditions often mean the region faces severe water shortages, potentially affecting drinking water supplies, agriculture, industry and the health of ecosystems. The situation calls for urgent measures to manage water resources and seek sustainable solutions to reduce stress.