Blog of Janet Hall Schempf, from SI Anchorage, Alaska.
The second World Water Day 2024 event held in New York, Water as a Driving Force for Peace and Stability focused on “how water can serve as a vehicle for peace and cooperation.” The presentations and comments were brief, and we were referred to the new World Water Development Report and other online resources.
During a panel on the topic Concrete Actions and Success Stories, participants described examples of successful cooperative water resource management across country boundaries. Transboundary waters comprise about sixty percent of freshwater flows; more than three billion people depend on these waters. Weaponisation of water degrades basic rights of people and the natural environment on which we depend.
During a second panel, Tools for Improved Cooperation, attendees were introduced to several initiatives, including Women for Water Diplomacy Network’s strategy “A Path Forward for Women, Water, Peace, and Security”, ICUN’s Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) project , and the Brazilian approach to cooperating with Amazon Basin countries.
The last portion of this event included interventions from the floor. The representative of one member state stressed that the vernacular used in these discussions and concepts about “water for peace” should instead be “water and sustainable development” and not “water and conflict.” The representative reiterated a comment that he had made during earlier in the day that water management cannot restrict sovereignty and that the United Nations (UN) does not need new programs or new staff for water related work.
UN Press Conference
A press conference was held with Mr. Rick Connor about World Water Development Report 2024: Water for Prosperity and Peace. He explained the serious state of freshwater resources and spoke about water uses, including the energy footprint of Artificial Intelligence. He drew attention to the cost of treating wastewater, and the attitude of users that paying for domestic water is okay, but once the toilet is flushed, people have less interest in paying for wastewater treatment and treatment infrastructure, which together are five times greater than the cost of water. A recording of the press conference is available here.
Why is World Water Day Important to Soroptimists?
Soroptimists recognise the importance of an adequate supply of high-quality water for domestic and other uses. In various venues, we are often reminded that billions of people live without safely managed water and sanitation, and that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for everyone by 2030. Because we know that access to clean water is necessary for good health and for education and employment opportunities, we promote the concept that water is a fundamental human right, and we recognise that achieving SDG 6 is foundational to ending extreme poverty and protecting the planet.
World Water Day draws attention to the obstacles in reaching every sustainable development goal that intersects with water and sanitation; in the context of CSW68, we focus on the cost of infrastructure and financing, especially for those living where more of government budgets are dedicated to interest payments than to health and education.
World Water Day inspires us to continue our water related projects, so that the lives of women and girls, their families, and their communities may be transformed for the better.