November 05, 2024 13:32 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Pakistan's Lahore has become world's most polluted city with an AQI of 1900 on Sunday | Indian Army 'successfully completes' patrolling to a key point in Ladakh's Depsang region | US presidential election: Donald Trump ahead of Kamala Harris in swing states, poll survey predicts | 'I strongly condemn Hindu temple attack, intimidation of our diplomats': PM Modi amid Canada row | 'I strongly condemn Hindu temple attack, intimidation of our diplomats': PM Modi amid Canada row
 UN and World Bank chiefs announce members of joint high-level panel on water

UN and World Bank chiefs announce members of joint high-level panel on water

| | 22 Apr 2016, 08:23 am
New York, Apr 22 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim announced on Thursday the appointment of 10 Heads of State and Government, as well as two Special Advisors, to the High-Level Panel on Water.

The panel, which was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, aims to mobilize effective action to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6), which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, at a time of unprecedented challenges.

The newly appointed panel members are:

Ameenah Gurib, President of Mauritius (Co-Chair)
Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico (Co-Chair)
Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia
Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
János Áder, President of Hungary
Abdullah Ensour, Prime Minister of Jordan
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa
Macky Sall, President of Senegal
Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan
Han Seung-soo, Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (Special Advisor)
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Minister of State for the Environment of Peru (Special Advisor)

“Ensuring water and sanitation for all is crucial for reducing poverty and achieving other Sustainable Development Goals,” said  Ban in a statement issued by his spokesperson, through which he urged all partners to mobilize behind SDG 6 with political, financial and technological support.

On Thursday , more than 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation and at least 663 million do not have access to safe drinking water. Poor sanitation, water, and hygiene lead to about 675,000 premature deaths annually, and estimated annual economic losses of up to seven per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in some countries.

Floods and droughts already impose huge social and economic costs globally, and climate variability will make water extremes worse. If the world continues on its current path, projections suggest that the world may face a 40 per cent shortfall in water availability by 2030. The consequences of such stress are local, transboundary and global in on Thursday s interconnected world.

The panel will provide the leadership required to tackle these challenges and champion a comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative way of developing and managing water resources, and providing improved access to clean water and sanitation.

“Growing cities and populations, as well as a changing climate, are placing unprecedented pressures on our water resources,” said  Kim. “Addressing this challenge, and ensuring that we can provide clean water and sanitation for all, requires the kind of global action, strong leadership and commitment shown by the members of the High Level Panel on Water.”

Photo: World Bank/Arne Hoel
 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia 22 Mar 2023, 02:56 pm
Related Videos