 Shortages
of water and related services and increasing pollution
are to a large extent socially and politically induced
challenges. This means that they can be addressed
by changing water demand and use through, for example,
increased awareness and capacity and water policy reforms.
The water crisis is thus increasingly about how we,
as individuals, and as part of a collective society,
govern the access to and control over water resources
and their benefits.
More than 1.1 billion people lack sustainable access
to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion people lack
access to basic sanitation. Much water is wasted due
to inefficient irrigation and poor operation and maintenance
of water works. In many parts of the world, a staggering
30-40 percent of water or more goes unaccounted for
due to water leakages in pipes and canals and illegal
tapping. A basic insight - yet to catch on - is that
the insufficiency of water, particularly for drinking
water supply and sanitation, is primarily driven by
an inefficient supply of services rather than by water
shortages. Mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate
institutions and a shortage of new investments in building
human capacity and physical infrastructure contribute
to the inefficiency. |
