Context

• Recently, on the occasion of World Water Day, the United Nations released the 'World Water Development Report 2024'.

Key Points

• This report emphasizes that, on the one hand, sustainable and fair management of this invaluable resource can promote peace and prosperity.
• On the other hand, increasing pressure on water resources due to the deepening climate crisis can become a cause of conflict.
• The title of this report also highlights this important link between water management, prosperity and peace.
• The report further highlights the role of water in meeting basic human needs as well as promoting prosperity by supporting health, livelihoods, economic growth, food, energy security and environmental protection.
• Developing and sustaining a secure and fair water future is essential to guaranteeing prosperity and peace for all.
• However, the report also said that poverty, inequality and various types of conflicts can increase water insecurity.
• The report presents worrying figures about the current water situation in the world.
• Currently, conflicts over access to water are leading to shortages and tensions over essential resources, leading to increasing conflicts around the world.
• The demand for fresh water is increasing at the rate of about one percent annually.
• In the most vulnerable countries, 80 percent of livelihoods depend on water, while in rich countries the figure is 50 percent. Which shows increasing dependence on water.
• According to the report, where currently 220 crore people are without access to clean and safely managed water. At the same time, more than 350 crore people lack proper sanitation facilities.
• Apart from this, it is also mentioned in this report that water scarcity could be linked to a 10 percent increase in migration globally.

Challenges

• It is noteworthy that out of 153 countries currently sharing transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers, only 32 have operational arrangements to cover 90 percent or more of the shared waters.
• Africa has the highest percentage of transboundary basins compared to other continents, covering about 64 percent of the continent.
• Despite this, only seven of the 72 mapped transboundary aquifers in Africa have formalized cooperation agreements.
• Over the past 60 years, Lake Chad, located in west-central Africa, has shrunk in size by 90 percent, posing economic and security challenges to nearby countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger and Nigeria.

Some positive examples presented in the report

• The report also highlights the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin in Southeastern Europe as a positive example.
• This agreement was signed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia in 2002.
• It serves as an example of promoting geopolitical coordination, conflict management, and stability in a region torn apart by the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
• Additionally, the report also notes that the Lake Chad Basin Commission has made efforts to ensure efficient water use.
• The purpose of these efforts is to coordinate local development and prevent disputes between the countries concerned and local communities.
• These examples in the report show how promoting prosperity with water helps achieve peaceful outcomes.

Ways to deal with this problem

• It is noteworthy that globally more than 300 crore people are dependent on water flowing beyond the borders.
• Due to population growth, increasing demand for water, damage to the ecosystem and climate change, the pressure on this water is increasing.
• According to the report, multilateral cooperation on transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers can yield many economic, social, environmental and political benefits that, over time, can promote prosperity and peace at the local, national, regional and global levels. 

Important Facts For Exam 

World Water Day

• Celebrated every year on 22 March.
• Theme 2024 -‛Water for Peace'
• The United Nations General Assembly adopted this resolution in 1992 and declared that 'World Water Day' should be celebrated every year on 22 March.