Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick signed an agreement Tuesday committing the US government and the bank to fighting the effects of poor sanitation and trying to ensure safe drinking water in developing countries.
The memorandum of understanding directs the resources of 17 US agencies and the bank to addressing water scarcity (mangel) and water quality, managing water resources, and reducing risks from floods, climate change, and drought.
Access to water has reached crisis levels across the globe, Clinton said at a public meeting at the World Bank, where she signed the agreement.
She told the gathering of water advocates, representatives of the United Nations and South Africa, US officials, and bank employees that the “water crisis” needs to be addressed now.
She said it is “a health crisis, it is a farmers’ crisis, it is an economic crisis, it is a climate crisis and increasingly it is turning into a political crisis”.
Water is essential not only for drinking but also for agriculture, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said, noting the need for NGOs, civil society and governments to be on the same page regarding this issue.
Hillary Clinton stressed that water is a matter of ‘human and national security’ that can become a source of conflict and instability in the world.
– It is important that countries draw together to bring more clean water and sanitation to more people to avoid a potential crisis, she added.
In related news, the World Bank stated that the poor are paying ten times more for water than the affluent (velhavende). Slum dwellers receive water through indirect means, making the commodity more expensive than fuel.
– While the rich enjoy tapped water in their houses, the majority of slum-dwellers rely on water kiosks, vendors and private sources. Apart from paying more, they expose themselves to ailments, said Japheth Mbuvi, World Bank water and sanitation specialist.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
