World Water and Climate Development Report 2020

As the world is facing harsh impacts of climate changes one of which is the water crises and availability of fresh drinking water the UNESCO published a report on behalf of UN- water in coordination with UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.

Theme of the Report

Water and Climate Change

Highlights of the Report 

• Climate changes around the globe have affected the availability, quality and quantity of the water required for fulfilling the basic human needs and thus have deprived the population from enjoyment of their basic rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

• The exploitation of the water resources has increased sixfold over the past century and is rising at an alarming rate of 1% every year.

• The data published in the report shows that 2.2 billion people around the world currently do not have access to safe drinking water and 55% of the population are living without safely administered sanitation. 

• The report warns the decision makers around the world that poor management of water will increase the impacts of climate change not only on water resources but also on the society.

Impact of Climate Change on  Water Resources 

•  Health Impacts – Poor management and less availability of safe drinking water deteriorate our health by making us prone to various water borne diseases such as Typhoid, Cholera, Jaundice, Malaria, Dysentery, Amoebiasis and Parathyroid Fever.

• Threat to the environment- Water crisis has not only a threat to population but also the ecosystem specifically forests and wetlands .Which in turn will affect the water supplies around the globe not only for agriculture but also for the various other sectors such as industry, energy production and even fisheries.

• The geographical areas where the impact of climate change on water resources is concentrated are the topics where most of the developing countries of the world are located.

Solutions Suggested by the Report

The report puts forward two complementary solution-

Adapation–  It suggests the adaptation of the combination of natural, technical and technological options to reduce the damage and to tap the few left positive impacts of climate change.

Mitigation– It brings out the importance of human efforts required to reduce the greenhouse gases(GHSs) and look for various options such as carbon sinks to reduce the amount of CO2 and other harmful greenhouse gasses.