UNEP Information Note. For information
only. Not an official document.
22 MARCH, WORLD WATER DAY 1997
Statement by Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Executive Director,
United Nations Environment Programme
THIRSTY HUMANS AND WATER SCARCITY
"All the water on Earth is all the water there is...."
Nairobi, 20 March, 1997 -=20
"Freshwater is indeed the most precious of our=20
planet's
natural resources. It is the ingredient that is fundamental=20
for
supporting terrestrial and aquatic life systems, as well as=20
the
fundamental natural resource constraint for socio-economic
development and the resulting improvement of human
livelihoods.
Because freshwater is fundamental to human existence,
one would expect humans to go to great lengths to ensure a
sustainable and readily-accessible supply of this critical
resource. The unfortunate reality, however, is that humans
only seem to appreciate what they have when it is gone. =20
Sustainable freshwater supplies represent a complex,
scientific, technological, economic and political issue that=20
cuts
across national, regional and international borders. Thus,=20
it is
not too dramatic to suggest that dwindling water supplies in
some regions can provide the basis for future armed conflicts
between nations.
At first glance, such warnings of water scarcity may
seem melodramatic. As seen from space, the Earth is a rich,
blue globe, suggesting abundant presence of water. Yet, more
than 97 percent of this water is in the salty oceans, leaving
only about 2.5 percent as freshwater. If we subtract the
freshwater that is not readily available to human use (e.g.,
glaciers, deep groundwater), we are left with less than one
percent of the total volume of water on this planet upon=20
which
all life depends. =20
Even this relatively small amount would be adequate=20
for
human uses, except that it is not distributed evenly around=20
the
world. In many places, water is not available in sufficient
quantities either when or where it is needed by humans. This
is abundantly evident in the large
-2-
belt of desert that extends virtually unbroken from northwest
Africa to China, as well as many other arid and semi-arid
regions. This brings home one clear point--many people
around the world already lack adequate supplies of=20
freshwater,
and increasing population growth and associated water needs
will only exacerbate this situation.
Water scarcity often invokes dramatic television=20
images
of drought victims and dead livestock in parched=20
surroundings.=20
But, even though drought can be terrible in its impacts, it=20
is
nevertheless a cyclical natural phenomenon that comes and
goes. The far greater threat to meeting human water needs is
posed by the ever-increasing and often reckless water
consumption by the world's expanding population. Each year,
global water consumption rises by two to three percent. Yet,
the total supply of the Earth's freshwater remains constant.=20
As
a result, rivers and lakes are continuously being polluted=20
and
water tables are falling because groundwater is being=20
consumed
faster than nature can replenish it.
Anyone who has ever been thirsty knows the quenching
and satisfying sensation of drinking a big glass of cool,=20
clean
water. With this vision, one must characterize freshwater as
precious, finite and irreplaceable. It is precious because=20
of its
fundamental role (i) in meeting our human survival needs, and
(ii) as the most basic commodity of economic development. It
is finite because we only have a fixed quantity of water on
Earth, and we cannot create more of it. Rather, we can only
use and degrade it, discharge it, extract and treat it when=20
we
need it again, in a continuing cycle of human use and reuse;
one that is growing increasingly expensive to maintain as we
find ever more ways to pollute and otherwise abuse our
available water resources. Finally, it is irreplaceable in=20
that
there is virtually no substitute for it in our many human=20
uses.
It is estimated that one-third of the world's=20
population
will suffer from chronic water shortages by the year 2025,=20
due
to (i) increasing freshwater demands by growing populations,
(ii) decreased quality of existing water resources because of
pollution, and (iii) accelerating requirements of expanding
industries and agriculture. Water shortages already exist in
Africa, the Middle East and parts of North America, Asia and
Europe. Eighty-eight developing countries, containing close=20
to
half of the world's population, already experience=20
significant
water deficits, as well as water-related constraints on their
development potential.
The associated human and environmental costs are
significant. Approximately 80-90 percent of all diseases,=20
and
more than one-third of all deaths in developing countries are
believed to be related to contaminated water. And absolute
scarcity is not the only water constraint. Pollution of=20
existing
water resources also limits the range of possible human uses,
without necessitating expensive, and often time-consuming
treatment, thereby constituting a water "scarcity" of a=20
different
type, but with similar consequences.
Nature also has its water needs. Both terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems typically need a minimum inflow of water
to maintain their internal structure and function. Yet, when=20
we
allocate our available water resources among competing use,
we seldom consider the water needs of natural ecosystems,
many of which are vital for our own existence.
=0C -3-
Given its fundamental importance to our continuing existence
and well-being, it is ironic that we continue to treat our
freshwater resources as a cheap, abundant, and perpetually-
available resource. We have unwisely accorded water issues
a low priority on our national and international political
arenas. In fact, our efforts to locate and refine oil and
precious metals typically far exceed our efforts directed to
ensuring sustainable freshwater supplies.
To attempt to address this worsening situation, Agenda
21 - the Global Plan of Action that resulted from the 1992
Earth Summit - called for integrated national and=20
international
action for (i) the protection of water resources from=20
depletion
and pollution, (ii) the efficient and equitable allocation of
water, (iii) the strengthening of institutions and laws, and=20
(iv)
the enhancement of public participation and access to=20
sanitary
services.
Recognizing the serious nature of the global water
issue, UNEP has worked with Governments, its parter UN
agencies and international and non-governmental organizations
in developing and initiating a number of major programmes
aimed at alleviating the looming water crisis. The
programmes include the following:
o As Chair of the Water Working Group of the UN
System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, UNEP is
working with other UN agencies to implement water
objectives regarding sustainable water use, drinking
water and sanitation, food security and develop
accurate knowledge bases on water resources.=20
Recognizing that a high proportion of the population=20
in
cities, urban centres and rural areas in developing
countries get far less than their "fair share" of=20
available
water, UNEP also is working to implement an equity-
led strategy for sustainable water management and use,
meant to ensure everyone and every sector does get
their fair share of this vital resource.
o UNEP's strategic approach to sustainable management
and use of water resources ("Environmentally-Sound
Management of Inland Waters", EMINWA)
addresses such complex, interrelated factors as
institutions, law, economics, cultural norms,=20
domestic,
agricultural and industrial water supplies and needs,
and water-related topics in an integrated and holistic
manner, and on the scale of the drainage-basin (the
basic hydrologic management unit). In cooperation
with Governments, UNEP seeks to strike a balance
between water's role as a resource for human welfare
and economic development on one hand, and its
environmental value on the other hand.
o As Secretariat for the Global Programme of Action
for Protection of the Marine Environment from
Land-Based Activities, and recognizing the
fundamental hydrologic linkages between the quality of
coastal and marine waters and their associated
freshwater drainage basins, UNEP's integrated
approach also allows it to address sustainable
management and use of freshwater and coastal
resources in a single water management continuum, in
contrast to the traditional sectoral approach. This
effort is being done in cooperation with Governments,
UN agencies, and international and non-governmental
organizations.
=0C -4-
o UNEP's GEMS/Water Programme, in cooperation
with other UN agencies and regional collaborating
centres, continues to address water quality monitoring
and assessment projects at the global, regional and=20
sub-
regional level, including (i) freshwater pollution=20
issues,
(ii) global pollution and its movement via rivers to=20
the
oceans; and (iii) strengthening of national water=20
quality
monitoring activities in developing countries. The=20
goal
is to develop reliable information bases both for
identifying significant water issues and for making
scientifically-sound policy and management decisions.
o UNEP also works to develop and assess innovative
methods and techniques, including practical economic
tools to allow Governments to foster efficient and
effective use of available water resources. UNEP has
also compiled and analyzed alternative regional
technologies for augmenting freshwater resources on a
regional basis in developing countries, and in=20
countries
with economies in transition.
UNEP and its partner UN agencies are acutely aware
of the existing global, regional and sub-regional problems of
scarce or misused water resources, and continue to assist
Governments to address these problems. The current situation
of unsustainable human water use cannot continue indefinitely
without globally and regionally-disastrous results. If we
foolishly choose to continue to ignore these problems, we can
rest assured that they will not ignore us. Indeed, in the
absence of human efforts to address the problems, nature=20
itself
will eventually take care of it for us. Unfortunately,=20
nature
can also be a cruel taskmaster, and we may well not be
pleased with the results as they relate to our continued
survival and well-being!
***************************
--- Begin Included Message ---
=FFWPC=DE=032LLY CONSISTENT DIGITAL
TOPOGRAPHIC
=20
DATABASE COMPLETED FOR ENTIRE EARTH
SURFACE
=20
Collaborative effort results in success
NAIROBI/SIOUX=20
FALLS, March 1997 - An international collaborative
effort=20
involving the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)a
nd
leading research and governmental institutions in the=20
UnitedStates, Japan,
Mexico and New Zealand has led to the=20
development of thefirst-ever
topographic database of the=20
entire planet. It is available atno cost on the
Internet to=20
interested users around the world.
One of the major=20
constraints in conducting scientifically soundglobal
environmental assessments is the lack of high quality,=20
accurateand
consistent spatial data sets over large areas. =20
UNEP, through itsnetwork
of Global Resource Information=20
Database (GRID) centres, has beenactive
in assembling such=20
databases for environmental assessments forover a
decade.
This new globally consistent 1 km. resolution (1:1 million=20
mapscale)
digital topographic database is called GTOPO 30=20
(GlobalTopography at
30 arc/second). It is the product of a=20
three-year internationalcollaborative
effort involving UNEP,=20
the US Geological Survey (USGS), the US
National Aeronautics=20
and Space Administration (NASA), Japan's
Geographical Survey=20
Institute (GSI) and Mexico's NationalInstitute for
Statistics, Geography and Information (INEGI). Additional=20
datawere also
provided by New Zealand's Manaaki Whenua=20
Landcare Research Ltd.and
the Antarctic Digital Database.
What is unique about this effort is that data from differents
ources and
resolutions have been brought together and a=20
consistent producthas been
generated using new algorithms=20
and software developed byscientists of the=D4ormation is=20
elevation data, which is used to yield derivedattributes=20
such
as slope, aspect, relief drainage and insolation. =20
DigitalElevation Models
(DEMs) provide a digital=20
representation of a portion of theearth's
topography over a=20
two-dimensional surface.
DEMs are used in many applications=20
in the earth and environmental
sciences such as drainage=20
basin boundary delineation,hydrological runoff
modelling,=20
and landform simulation and classification. Theamount and
rate of flow in surface and sub-surface water systems, fori
nstance, can be
modelled using elevation data towards=20
improving the informationbase for
water assessments.=20
Combined with other data, such as soil, landcover and
climate variables, the data can be used for a range ofa
pplications, for
example, predicting soil erosion, and flood=20
impacts and forintegrated
water resources planning and=20
management.
Notwithstanding the enormous size of the=20
database, consisting of933
million pixels, over 8,000 users=20
around the world have alreadydownloaded
data from the=20
Internet site. In the words of the RegionalCoordinator=20
of=20
UNEP's Environmental Assessment Programme in North=20
America, Dr.=20
Ashbindu Singh "unprecedented demand for the=20
data have exceededour
all expectations. Obviously, serious=20
users are=20
- 2 -
discovering=20
that such critical data sets are needed to providea sound
scientific basis for sustainable development decision=20
making."
For further information, please contact:
Dr.=20
Ashibindu Singh
Regional Coordinator
UNEP Environmental=20
Information and
Assessment Programme-North America
USGS-EROS Data Center
Sioux Falls, SD 57198 USA=D4
--- End Included Message ---
For more information:
Mr. Walter Rast =20
Mr.
Robert Bisset
Deputy Director, Water =20
Media
and Information Officer
UNEP =20
UNEP
P.O. Box 30552 =20
P.O.
Box 30552
Nairobi, Kenya =20
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254-2-62-3244 =20
Tel:
254-2-62-3084
Fax: 254-2-62-4249 =20
Fax:
254-2-62-3692
Email: Walter.Rast@unep.org =20
Email:
Robert.Bisset@unep.org
UNEP Information Note 1997/8
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