Planete Constructions on World Water Day. Water crises threaten world peace
2.3 billion people still live without access to drinking water.
What if a company in Valais and Switzerland had the solution …
On the occasion of World Water Day, March 22, the UN is reminding us of the urgent need to manage this essential resource sustainably and equitably. 2.2 billion people still have no access to safe drinking water. To make matters worse, climate change is seriously disrupting the Earth’s water cycle.
In its World Water Development Report 2024, published this Friday, March 22 by Unesco, the United Nations sounds the alarm.
First of all, the figures: demand for water is increasing by 1% a year worldwide. This increase is due to the industrialization of countries, the settlement of more and more populations in cities, and our diets. Demographic growth, on the other hand, has little impact on water demand. The fastest-growing populations are those with the lowest per capita water consumption. There are 2.2 billion people in the world without access to a drinking water supply; 80% of them live in rural areas. The UN recognizes that « the goal of guaranteeing access to drinking water for all by 2030 is far from being achieved. It is even to be feared that inequalities will continue to grow in this area ».
Climate change is disrupting the planet’s water cycle. While some regions of the world are suffering devastating floods, such as those that hit Pakistan in August 2022, others are experiencing prolonged droughts, and still others are confronted with the salinization of their freshwater reserves due to rising sea levels, as in Bangladesh. In 2022, almost half of the world’s population faced severe water shortages for at least part of the year, with a quarter experiencing « extreme » levels of water stress. Today, 10% of the world’s displaced populations have been forced to leave their homes due to water shortages.