COMMITTEE: HUMANITARIAN COMMITTEE
ISSUE: Ensuring Access to Clean Drinking Water and
Sanitation
STUDENT OFFICER: Arda AKSAKAL
POSITION: Co-Chair
Basic Overview of the Issue
Clean water is vital for all forms of life on this planet. Life cannot be existed on earth if there
is no clean water. Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. In our world, 96.5% of the
planet's crust water is found in seas and oceans. Only 2.5% of this water is freshwater, and
98.8% of that water is in ice (excepting ice in clouds) and groundwater. Less than 0.3% of all
freshwater is in rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere, A greater quantity of water is found in the
earth's interior.
Also due to bad economic conditions, many people cannot access to clean water and die
because of diseases and inadequate sanitation. Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent
of people around the World.
Explanation of Important Terms
WATER FOR FOOD
Water is the primary need for growing plant. The food we eat needs more than 66.6% of our
total water footprint. Also water is the key to food security.
Globally, there is enough water available for our future needs, but this world picture hides
large areas of absolute water scarcity which affects billions of people, many of whom are
poor and disadvantaged. Major changes in policy and management, across the entire
agricultural production chain, are needed to ensure best use of available water resources in
meeting growing demands for food and other agricultural products.
The world population is predicted to grow from 6.9 billion in 2010 to 8.3 billion in 2030 and
9.1 billion in 2050. By 2030, food demand is predicted to increase by 60% by 2050 according
to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
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WATER AND ENERGY
According to the UN WATER, water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent.
Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for
hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy sources. Recent interest in biofuels also creates
an incremental demand on water resources; the latest World Water Development Report
(2012) predicts that even a nominal increase in biofuel demand (say 5% of road transport by
2030, as predicted by International Energy Agency) could push up the water demand by as
much as 20% of the water used for agriculture worldwide. Additionally, biofuel production is
linked to increases in water pollution through increased used of fertilizers and agricultural
chemicals. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping,
treating and transporting water to various consumers. Co-production of water and energy,
as is the case for geothermal energy generation, offers interesting opportunities to energyand water-scarce countries.
WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE
According to the UN WATER, adaptation to climate change is closely linked to water and its
role in sustainable development. To recognize this reality and to respond accordingly
presents development opportunities. Various necessary adaptation measures that deal with
climate variability and build upon existing land and water management practices have the
potential to create resilience to climate change and to enhance water security and thus
directly contribute to development. Innovative technological practices and implementation
of strategies are also needed at the appropriate levels for adaptation as well as for
mitigation.
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
According to the UN WATER, though the world met the MDG target for drinking-water, 768
million people do not use an improved source of drinking-water.
In developing regions, 87% of the population uses an improved source of drinking-water
while 2.5 billion people, or almost one third of the population, do not use improved
sanitation. Within the developing world (without counting India and China) in 2011, 870
million people have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990, but there is a 12%
increase of population using unimproved facilities in this region for the same 21-year
period.
Worldwide, 1 billion people practise open defecation, a decline of 244 million since 1990.
With only 47% of the rural population using improved sanitation, rural areas lag far behind
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urban areas where the rate is 80%. Seven out of ten people without improved sanitation live
in rural areas. Some 2.4 billion people – one-third of the world’s population – will remain
without access to improved sanitation in 2015.
Detailed Background of the Issue
Water is becoming more scarce throughout the world making this threatened commodity a
hugely relevant issue of the present; upon which the future of humanity hinges.
For those of us living on the shores of the world’s largest supply of fresh water, the Great
Lakes, and in particular Lake Superior, we need to consider ourselves guardians against
threats to our water supplies.
Throughout history water has shaped many other aspects of our lives beyond basic bodily
functions.
Our species has continually sought out and created it’s own sources of warm water for
relaxation and health benefits; from the mineral rich waters of naturally occurring hot
springs, to the purifying steam that pours off heated rocks in Finnish saunas and native
sweat lodges, to our modern day hot tubs. Even fragrant salts poured into a steaming
bathtub is a welcome respite from the anxieties of the world and a means to refresh our
spirits soaking away our physical aches and pains.
Throughout history people have evolved their communities and civilizations around water
sources. Water provided the basic needs of drinking, washing, and agriculture and was
always at the core of social interactions.
Water pumping, in many countries was a traditional role of women and it was by these wells
that conversations and local gossip were shared. In many ancient cultures such as Japan,
Arabia, and the Roman empire public baths and spas were social centers for bathing and
interactions within the community.
Major Parties Involved
ETHIOPIA
Similar to many African countries, parts of Ethiopia face water shortages, poor sanitation,
and a lack of access to clean water sources. Ethiopia is located in Africa's Horn where
drought and politics are two leading causes of water shortage. In a study conducted by
Water.org they found that "42% of the population has access to a clean water supply" and
only "11% of that number has access to adequate sanitation services". In rural areas of the
country, these figures drop even lower, resulting in health problems in the villagers as well
as their animals.
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In the past twenty years, droughts have affected several areas of the country, leading to
ponds, wells, streams and lakes drying up or becoming extremely shallow. Many people
living outside of the cities collect water from these shallow water sources, which are often
contaminated with human and animal waste, worms, or disease. During months and
sometimes years of drought, disease runs rampant through small villages and towns.
Frequently there is not enough water for people to bathe, leading to infections and sickness
in children. Water borne illnesses, such as cholera or diarrhea, are the leading cause of death
in children under five years old in Ethiopia.
In addition to illness, many Ethiopian children, especially girls, face problems with school.
Statistically only 45% of kids attend primary school. The others are put to work collecting
water each morning and helping their families earn money.
Ethiopia is a nation full of beauty and culture. However it is being severely affected by water
shortages. Fields are drying up and farmers are fighting over irrigation resources. Also,
children in villages are losing out on education and instead are spending their days collecting
water for their families. In the coming years, outside organizations will be of great need to
help alleviate the country's water shortages.
IRAN
Water crisis in Iran refers to the problems which due to the water scarcity occur in Iran.
Water scarcity can be a result of two mechanisms: physical (absolute) water
scarcity and economic water scarcity, where physical water scarcity is a result of inadequate
natural water resources to supply a region's demand, and economic water scarcity is a result
of poor management of the sufficient available water resources.
Water pollution is caused by industrial and municipal wastewater, as well as by agriculture.
Concerning municipal wastewater, the bulk of collected sewage is discharged untreated and
constitutes a major source of pollution to groundwater and a risk to public health. In a
number of cities without sanitary sewerage, households discharge their sewage through
open rainwater drains
INDIA
India’s water crisis is rooted in three causes. The first is insufficient water per person as a
result of population growth. The total amount of usable water has been estimated to be
between 700 to 1,200 billion cubic meters (bcm). With a population of 1.2 billion according
to the 2011 census, India has only 1,000 cubic meters of water per person, even using the
higher estimate. A country is considered water-stressed if it has less than 1,700 cubic meters
per person per year. For comparison, India had between 3,000 and 4,000 cubic meters per
person in 1951, whereas the United States has nearly 8,000 cubic meters per person today.
The second cause is poor water quality resulting from insufficient and delayed investment in
urban water-treatment facilities. Water in most rivers in India is largely not fit for drinking,
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and in many stretches not even fit for bathing. Despite the Ganga Action Plan, which was
launched in 1984 to clean up the Ganges River in 25 years, much of the river remains
polluted with a high coliform count at many places. The facilities created are also not
properly maintained because adequate fees are not charged for the service. Moreover,
industrial effluent standards are not enforced because the state pollution control boards
have inadequate technical and human resources.
The third problem is dwindling groundwater supplies due to over-extraction by farmers. This
is because groundwater is an open-access resource and anyone can pump water from under
his or her own land. Given how highly fragmented land ownership is in India, with millions of
farmers and an average farm size of less than two hectares, the tragedy of the commons is
inevitable. India extracted 251 bcm of groundwater in 2010, whereas the United States
extracted only 112 bcm. Further, India’s rate of extraction has been steadily growing from a
base of 90 bcm in 1980, while this rate in the United States has remained at more or less the
same level since 1980.
Evaluation of Previous Attempts to Resolve the Issue
The United Nations is the main activist regarding the clean water issue, in MDG7 year 2000
they have decided to halve the number of people without reach to clean water, clean water
is considered a human right; therefore the UN is taking serious action regarding the issue.
There are a lot of originations contributing and working alongside with the UN to solve this
global problem, they have a lot of programs and projects such as UN Water and UN Water
Decade Program on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC).
Water filtration is commonly the most effective way to reach clean water and can be
considered a permanent solution and accessible to everyone in these kinds of areas,
nanotechnology has developed this sector vastly by using membrane chemistry, which can
be really efficient in removing bacteria, dirt, saltwater and microbes a perfect example for
that is the (life straw) which can filter the water almost free of any Bacteria and make it
suitable for drinking.
Possible Solutions
Firstly, to access to clean water is surprisingly simple and inexpensive. Long-lasting water
projects can be built in communities for relatively small amounts of money. These water
projects include wells, dams and rain catchment systems, which provide a reliable source of
water that is safe to drink. Water conservation has the policies, strategies and activities
made to manage fresh water as a sustainable resource, to protect the water environment.
Improving water conservation techniques are really crucial for saving water so focusing on
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these kinds of solutions will help us to solve the problem. Strategies for Reducing Water
Consumption at Homes such as but not limited to water tap user changes, purchase a more
efficient clothes washer, stall rain barrels to collect rainwater for reuse will reduce the
consumption.
Finally, raising awareness and informing people is the key to solve the issue and increase the
donations.
Bibliography
(1) UN.ORG, “Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all”,Accesed 16.04.2016
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/
(2) WIKIPEDIA.COM, “Water”,Accesed 16.04.2016
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water
(3) UNDP.ORG, “Ensure access to water and sanitation for all”,Accesed 16.04.2016
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sdgoverview/post-2015-development-agenda/goal6.html
(4) UNWATER.ORG, “WATER FOR FOOD”,Accesed 16.04.2016
http://www.unwater.org/topics/water-and-food/en/
(5) UNWATER.ORG, “WATER AND ENERGY”,Accesed 16.04.2016
http://www.unwater.org/wwd14/about-world-water-day/world-water-day-2014-water-andenergy/en/
(6) UNWATER.ORG, “WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE”,Accesed 17.04.2016
http://www.unwater.org/topics/water-and-climate-change/en/
(7) UNWATER.ORG, “WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE”,Accesed 17.04.2016
http://www.unwater.org/topics/water-sanitation-and-hygiene/en/
(8) MARQUETTEMAGAZINE.COM, “Facts For World Water Day”,Accesed 23.04.2016
http://www.marquettemagazine.com/water-past-present-future/
(9) THEWATERPROJECT.ORG, “WATER IN CRISIS - ETHIOPIA”,Accesed 23.04.2016
https://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-ethiopia
(10) WIKIPEDIA.COM, “Water crisis in Iran”,Accesed 24.04.2016
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_crisis_in_Iran
(11) NBR.ORG, “India’s Water Crisis: Causes and Cures”,Accesed 24.04.2016
http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=356
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(12) TRIPLEPUNDIT.COM, “The Problems and Solutions to Safe Water in Africa”,Accesed 01.05.2016
http://www.triplepundit.com/podium/problems-solutions-safe-water-africa/#
(13) WIKIPEDIA.COM, “Water conservation”,Accesed 01.05.2016
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_conservation
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