The SDGs comprise of 17 Goals set by the United Nations in 2015 and signed up to by 193 countries. These goals define a road map to end the global challenges the world faces, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, peace and justice.
The Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
Water resources, and the range of services they provide, underpin economic growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. From food and energy security to human and environmental health, water has been shown to contribute to improvements in social well-being, affecting the livelihoods of billions. Progress towards the achievement of most sustainable development goals requires significant improvement of water management across the globe.
The 2015 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) clearly demonstrates how water is critical to nearly every aspect of sustainable development, and how a dedicated SDG for water would create social, economic, financial and other benefits that would extend to poverty alleviation, health, education, food and energy production, and the environment.
Water and poverty
- Water and poverty are inextricably linked. Lack of safe water and poverty are mutually reinforcing; access to consistent sources of clean water is crucial to poverty reduction.
Water and Health
- Approximately 289,000 children under the age of 5 years old die every year from disease caused by drinking dirty water. Access to clean drinking water saves lives. It brings health and happiness to children and their families.
Water and Education
- Kids stuck with diseases from unclean water, and girls who must walk miles each day to collect water, both miss out on their education. Less time collecting water means more time in class for children.
Water and Gender Quality
- Women and girls walk miles every day to collect water for their families, missing out on opportunities to escape the cycle of poverty. When a community get water, women and girls get their lives
Water and Jobs
- ‘The 2016 UN World Development Report (Water and Jobs), illustrates that nearly 3 out of 4 jobs of the global workforce (3.2 million people) are moderately or highly dependent upon access to water and water-related services and therefore states that “water is essential to decent jobs and sustainable development”. Water stress and the lack of decent work can exacerbate security challenges, force migration and undo the progress made in the fight to eradicate poverty.’
Water, War and Environment
- The 2018 World water volume 9 shows an increasing trend of water-related conflicts and violence against natural or build water systems, where water is a trigger, weapon, or casualty of conflict and war. War is a miserable thing. It kills and maims soldiers and civilians. It destroys infrastructure, cultures, and communities. It worsens poverty and development challenges. It contributes to population displacement. And it damages and cripples vital ecological and environmental resources.
Water, Overpopulation and
Global Warming
Child mortality rate and Overpopulation
- 3.4 million people, mostly children die annually as a result of water related diseases, making it the leading cause of disease and death around the world.
- The longer it takes to end extreme poverty. the faster population will grow. Data from the UN research shows the solution to overpopulation is saving poor children from avoidable death (UN World Pop). The only way to stop the excessive population growth is to improve child survival to more than 90% (UN / WHO / Gapminder / Prof. Rosling TED talk)
Overpopulation and climate change
- A 2009 study of the relationship between population growth and global warming determined that the “carbon legacy” of just one child can produce 20 times more greenhouse gas than a person will save by driving a high-mileage car, recycling, using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, etc. The study concludes, “Clearly, the potential savings from reduced reproduction are huge compared to the savings that can be achieved by changes in lifestyle.” (Elsevier: Global Environment Change 19 (2009) 14-20)
- ‘Time is short, but it not too late to stop runaway global warming. Economy-wide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to a level that brings atmospheric CO2 back from 386 parts per million to 350 or less, scaling back first-world consumption patterns, and long-term population reduction to ecologically sustainable levels will solve the global warming crisis and move us to toward a healthier, more stable, post-fossil fuel, post-growth addicted society.
