UNICEF: 600m Children To Face Water Shortage By 2040

Some 600 million children – or one in four children worldwide – will be living in areas where water demand far outstrips supply by 2040.

These are contained in UNICEF report released on World Water Day, which is marked on March 22.

The report, ‘Thirsting for a Future: Water and Children in a Changing Climate’, looks at the threats to children’s lives and well-being caused by depleted sources of safe water and the ways climate change will intensify these risks in coming years.

“Water is elemental; without it, nothing can grow. But around the world, millions of children lack access to safe water — endangering their lives, undermining their health, and jeopardising their futures. This crisis will only grow unless we take collective action now,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

According to the report, 37 countries including Nigeria are currently facing extremely high levels of water stress, which occurs when more than 80 per cent of the water available for agriculture, industry and domestic use is withdrawn annually. Warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, increased floods, droughts and melting ice affect the quality and availability of water.

For Nigeria, the challenge is not a lack of water resources such as rainfall or ground water but the availability of physical infrastructure to harness these water resources effectively. There are major differences in rainfall between the north and south making it all the more important to better plan and manage water resources to minimise the impact of flood and drought.

“As we work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of reaching every Nigerian with access to safe, functional, affordable and accessible water, we must manage water resources more efficiently to meet the needs of Nigeria’s growing population and economic development,” said Kannan Nadar, UNICEF’s Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Population growth, increased water consumption, and higher demand for water largely due to industrialisation and urbanisation, are draining water resources worldwide. Conflicts in many parts of the world also threaten children’s access to safe water.

All of these factors force children to use unsafe water, which exposes them to potentially deadly diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. Many children in drought-affected areas spend hours every day collecting water, missing out on a chance to go to school. Girls are especially vulnerable to attack during these times.

The poorest and most vulnerable children will be most impacted by an increase in water stress, as millions of them already live in areas with low access to safe water and sanitation. The report also notes that:

Two hundred and sixty million children live in areas where the risk of floods is extremely high and open defecation is widespread, threatening to contaminate water sources with human waste;

Over 800 children under the age of five die every day from diarrhoea linked to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene.

Globally, women and girls spend 200 million hours collecting water every day.

The impact of climate change on water sources is not inevitable, UNICEF said. The report concludes with a series of recommendations that can help curb the impact of climate change on the lives of children. Such measures include:

Consequently, the report recommended that governments need to plan for changes in water availability and demand in the coming years; Above all, it means prioritising the most vulnerable children’s access to safe water above other water needs to maximise social and health outcomes.

Similarly, it stated that climate risks should be integrated into all water and sanitation-related policies and services, and investments should to target high-risk populations.

Also, it added that businesses need to work with communities to prevent contamination and depletion of safe water sources.

Furthermore, communities themselves should explore ways to diversify water sources and to increase their capacity to store water safely.

“In a changing climate, we must change the way we work to reach those who are most vulnerable. One of the most effective ways we can do that is safeguarding their access to safe water,” Lake said.

New Telegraph