This portion of human population suffers first during droughts in poor and rural areas
Stress on water resources – substantially exacerbated by the raging climate change – and overuse and pollution of our freshwater systems is a large source of conflict across the globe, according to the latest UN World Water Development report.
Women and girls are the first portion of the population to suffer when droughts hit poor and rural areas, the UN noted in a plea to countries to mend conflicts over water resources. It stressed the need for water strategies to reflect the concerning scenario.
It’s no surprise that women and girls carry the primary responsibility for water collection in poor and rural areas, and that a lack of sanitation is a major factor in girls dropping out of education. Stress on natural resources makes them more and more vulnerable.
Access to water a vital issue in Israel-Hamas war
Audrey Azoulay, director general of Unesco, the UN agency behind the report, said: “If we want to preserve peace, we must act swiftly not only to safeguard water resources but also to enhance regional and global cooperation in this area.”
The brutal Israel-Hamas war has been raging for six months now. It erupted on October 7 as Hamas militants launched an attack on Israeli cities, killing some 1,200 people. Israel’s retaliatory strikes have, in turn, killed nearly 32,000 people and injured many others.
Access to water is a vital issue in the conflict engulfing the besieged Gaza Strip. Some observers have raised concerns over Israel allegedly “weaponising” access to fresh water, as the Palestinian enclave is reliant on Gaza for most of its water supply.
The several notorious impacts of water shortages and tensions over water include food insecurity, forced migration and other health threats and particular dangers for women and girls, as per the aforementioned report from the UN agency.
Global freshwater demand to outstrip supply by 40%
Tensions over water are exacerbating conflicts globally. While the substantial role of water in war has often been talked about, too little attention has been paid to the prospect of cooperation over water to preserve peace and cooperation in different countries.
When managed “sustainably and equitably”, water can be a source of peace and prosperity, noted Alvaro Lario, the president of the International Fund for Agriculture Development and also the chair of UN-Water, adding water is also the “literal lifeblood of agriculture”.
In 2022, about half of the global population experienced severe water scarcity for at least part of the year. Global freshwater demand will outstrip supply by a staggering 40% by the end of the decade, according to a notable report due to be published this September.
