This month, water once again takes center stage at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City. It is an opportune moment: While much of the world's attention has been fixed on issues of energy supply and security, hundreds of millions of people in the developing world continue to see the supply and security of fresh water as equally, if not more, important.
Surveys undertaken by the World Bank in developing countries show that when poor people are asked to name the three most important concerns they face, "good health" is always mentioned. And a key determinant of whether they will have good health or not is access to clean water.
More than a billion people around the world today do not. As a result, they are increasingly vulnerable to poor health. The World Bank estimates that by 2035, as many as 3 billion people, almost all of them in developing countries, could live under conditions of severe water stress, especially if they happen to live in Africa, the Middle East or South Asia. This will cause obvious hardship, but it will also hold back the economic growth needed for millions of people to escape poverty.
In Latin America, about 15 percent of the population -- roughly 76 million people -- do not have access to safe water, and 116 million people do not have access to sanitation services. The figures are worse in Africa and parts of Asia.
This is a situation that few people in rich countries face. Generally, these countries' citizens enjoy services that provide for all water needs, from drinking to irrigation to sanitation. In addition, other water-related issues, such as the risks posed by flooding, have been reduced to manageable levels.
Rich nations have invested early and heavily in water infrastructure, institutions and management capacities. The result, beyond the health benefits for all, has been a proven record of economic growth; one only has to look at investment in hydropower to see the positive impact of water management projects on many economies.
Granted, rich countries have a certain advantage: They benefit from generally moderate climates, with regular rainfall and relatively low risks of drought and flooding. Even so, they are not immune to water-related disasters, as Hurricane Katrina's destruction of New Orleans taught us.
But the impact of such events on poor countries is much greater. Extreme rainfall variations, floods and droughts can have huge social and economic effects and result in the large-scale loss of life. The Gulf coast of Mexico and Central American countries have repeatedly experienced such tragedies, with poor communities the most vulnerable and the least able to cope.
Ethiopia and Yemen are equally stark examples. Ethiopia's development potential is closely tied to seasonal rains, so high rainfall variation, together with a lack of infrastructure, has undermined growth and perpetuated poverty. A single drought can cut growth potential by 10 percent over an extended period. Yemen, for its part, has no perennial surface water; its citizens depend entirely on rainfall, groundwater, and flash flooding.
To move forward, developing countries need new water infrastructure and better management. Any approach must be tailored to the circumstances of each country and the needs of its people, but there is no fundamental constraint to designing water development investments that ensure that local communities and the environment gain tangible and early benefits.
In some countries, new water infrastructure may mean canals, pumping stations and levees. Other nations might need deeper reservoirs, more modern filtration plants or improved water transport schemes. These can all potentially be designed to improve and expand water supplies for power generation, irrigation, and household and industrial use, while providing security against droughts and protection from floods.
The key to successfully increasing investment in water infrastructure is an equal increase of investment in water institutions. Badly managed infrastructure will do little to improve peoples' health or support economic growth, so water development and water management must go hand in hand. Water infrastructure can and must be developed in parallel with sound institutions, good governance, attention to the environment and an equitable sharing of costs and benefits.
A water investment policy that reduces the vulnerability of the poor and offers basic water security for all will require customized planning and an effective partnership of donor countries, developing country governments, the private sector and local communities.
Delegates to the World Water Forum will have ample opportunity to forge and/or strengthen these partnerships. If they succeed, the rewards for the world's poor will be immense.
Katherine Sierra is vice president for infrastructure at the World Bank.
Copyright: Project Syndicate
With escalating US-China competition and mutual distrust, the trend of supply chain “friend shoring” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fragmentation of the world into rival geopolitical blocs, many analysts and policymakers worry the world is retreating into a new cold war — a world of trade bifurcation, protectionism and deglobalization. The world is in a new cold war, said Robin Niblett, former director of the London-based think tank Chatham House. Niblett said he sees the US and China slowly reaching a modus vivendi, but it might take time. The two great powers appear to be “reversing carefully
As China steps up a campaign to diplomatically isolate and squeeze Taiwan, it has become more imperative than ever that Taipei play a greater role internationally with the support of the democratic world. To help safeguard its autonomous status, Taiwan needs to go beyond bolstering its defenses with weapons like anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. With the help of its international backers, it must also expand its diplomatic footprint globally. But are Taiwan’s foreign friends willing to translate their rhetoric into action by helping Taipei carve out more international space for itself? Beating back China’s effort to turn Taiwan into an international pariah
Typhoon Krathon made landfall in southwestern Taiwan last week, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding, cutting power to more than 170,000 homes and water supply to more than 400,000 homes, and leading to more than 600 injuries and four deaths. Due to the typhoon, schools and offices across the nation were ordered to close for two to four days, stirring up familiar controversies over whether local governments’ decisions to call typhoon days were appropriate. The typhoon’s center made landfall in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District (小港) at noon on Thursday, but it weakened into a tropical depression early on Friday, and its structure
Since the end of the Cold War, the US-China espionage battle has arguably become the largest on Earth. Spying on China is vital for the US, as China’s growing military and technological capabilities pose direct challenges to its interests, especially in defending Taiwan and maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific. Intelligence gathering helps the US counter Chinese aggression, stay ahead of threats and safeguard not only its own security, but also the stability of global trade routes. Unchecked Chinese expansion could destabilize the region and have far-reaching global consequences. In recent years, spying on China has become increasingly difficult for the US
RSS