The United Nations has warned that global demand for water is projected to increase by roughly 50 per cent during the first half of this century.
It has therefore urged Member States to make water conservation and the promotion of renewable energy central to their Post-2015 Development Agenda.
To avert this looming problem, the world body called for the eradication of poverty through sustainable economic growth, as a main a top priority, in a message released at the United Nations headquarters, New York by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. John W. Ashe to mark World Water Day, which falls on March, 22 each year.
“Governments, civil society and other stakeholders must work together to meet these pressing needs without further depleting the planet’s natural resources” the message said.
Furthermore, it predicted that the global energy demand was expected to grow by more than one-third by 2035, reminding the developing countries that they were expected to account for the bulk of this growth.
Despite the remarkable achievements made in the development agenda in recent years, the UN said that much more needed to be done.
“It has become clear that in order to eradicate poverty, developing countries need to grow their economies in a sustained and inclusive manner. We all know that industrial development relies heavily on extensive use of resources, including water and energy.
“We all now recognize that in order for our Post-2015 Development Agenda to be success we must find creative solutions that allow economic growth and environmental protection to be mutually supportive rather than mutually exclusive:”.
The message called for a renewed commitment to protect the world’s water supply—the one natural resource without which no country can flourish.
Source: ISD (R. Harry Reynolds, Ghana Mission, New York)
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