26 % of world’s population does not have safe drinking water: UNESCO report

26 % of world’s population does not have safe drinking water: UNESCO report– A report presented by UNESCO at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York reveals that a significant portion of the world’s population still does not have access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. According to the report, 26% of the global population lacks access to safe drinking water, while 46% lack access to well-managed sanitation facilities.

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Furthermore, the report highlights that between two and three billion people experience water scarcity for at least a month every year, which can lead to severe consequences for livelihoods, particularly in terms of food security and access to electricity.

About the UN 2023 Water Conference:

It will be the second UN Conference on Water after the one held in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. UN has launched a global campaign called ‘Be the Change’ to mark World Water Day 2023.

The Report: UN World Water Development Report 2023:

The WWDR is published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water and its production is coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme. Every year on World Water Day (March 22nd), an annual report is released.

The report’s principal discoveries:

Global Findings:

According to statistics, a significant portion of the world’s population, specifically two billion individuals, lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion people do not have access to well-managed sanitation facilities.

Water scarcity is expected to affect nearly half of the world’s urban population by 2050, up from one-third in 2016. In this regard, India is expected to be one of the most severely affected countries.

South Asia:

80% of people living under water stress lived in Asia; in particular, northeast China, as well as India and Pakistan.