People line up at a water collection point in a slum in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 21, 2023.

Every March 22nd is World Water Day, which aims to emphasize the importance of fresh water.

(Associated Press)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] On the eve of the opening of the "United Nations Water Resources Conference" held for the first time in 45 years, UNESCO released the latest report on Tuesday (21st), saying that the problem of water shortage will intensify in the next few decades, especially Urban areas are likely to be even more severe.

According to the "Associated Press", UNESCO's "2023 World Water Resources Development Report" stated that 26% of the world's population does not have access to safe drinking water, and 46% of the population cannot use basic sanitation facilities; all countries in the world should work together to Achieve the goal of universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.

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Achieving the goals will be expensive, estimated at between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year.

The UN is forging partnerships with investors, financiers, governments and climate change groups to ensure that the environment is well funded.

According to the report, over the past 40 years, global water consumption has grown at a rate of about 1% per year.

Much of the actual increase has occurred in developing countries and emerging economies, driven by rapid industrial development and, in particular, growing urban populations.

In addition, since agricultural water consumption accounts for 70% of the world's total water consumption, improving irrigation efficiency has become the primary goal. For example, some countries and regions use "drip irrigation" technology to save water, which will make urban water supply more abundant.

The report also stated that due to climate change, “seasonal water scarcity will intensify in regions where water is currently abundant, such as Central Africa, East Asia, and parts of South America. African Sahara Desert and other places”.

On average, about 10% of the world's population lives in countries with severe water shortages, that is, as many as 3.5 billion people live in water-scarce environments for at least one month every year.

As for water pollution, the biggest source of pollution is untreated wastewater.

80% of the world's wastewater is discharged without any processing procedures, and in most developing countries, this proportion even reaches 99%.

Co-chaired by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, the 3-day "United Nations Water Resources Conference" will discuss the above issues, including "aquatic ecosystem conservation", Projects such as "Improving Water Resource Management", "Increasing Water Reuse" and "Promoting Cooperation in the Use of Transboundary Water Resources".

A total of 171 countries attended the meeting, including more than 100 ministers and ministers and representatives of more than 20 non-governmental organizations.