Everywhere in the world, water is still a key issue. Source of inequalities when scarce or difficult to access, of geopolitical conflicts when shared, of public health problems when polluted or even of humanitarian disasters when provoking natural catastrophes: whatever challenges the water issue raises, the most affected are always the most vulnerable people.
2.1 billion human beings do not have access to safely managed domestic drinking water. Population growth increases the pressure on the resource and extreme climate events are more and more frequent. Today, water is more than ever a global challenge: a common good to share, a vital resource to sustainably manage, a human right to uphold.
With this document, Ideas for Development gives a voice to ten experts who are mobilized, on a national or a global level, on water issues and challenges. Fight for a universal access to drinking water and sanitation, anticipation of extreme shortages, reduction in inequalities, adaptation to climate change, technologic innovation, hydro-diplomacy…
Even though the challenges are enormous, works and actions of women and men featuring in the following pages demonstrate every day that solutions do exist. They all unanimously agree on one point: only a strong commitment of the international community and proactive public policies will improve resource management and conservation, mitigate the impacts of climate change and make the right to water a reality.
Have a good reading!
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Head of AFD’s Water and Sanitation Division
Councillor, City of CapeTown, South Africa
Researcher, specialized on water, rural development and gender
Director General of Hydraulic and Electrical Resources, Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water
Executive chair of the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership
Tanzanian engineer, Director of Gongali Model
Senior Advisor, Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates
Senior Advisor WASH, Action contre la faim
Distinguished Professor of Law, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
