Global Water Crisis: 2.2 Billion People Lack Access to Clean Water

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Water Affairs, Retno Marsudi, has issued a stark warning: the state of global water resources is far from stable. The escalating water crisis is becoming increasingly alarming, posing a significant threat even to the agricultural sector, which serves as the world’s primary food provider.

During the PYC Food Security Dialogue on Wednesday, November 26, Retno highlighted the severity of the issue, stating, “2.2 billion people worldwide live without safely managed drinking water services. One out of every four people globally lacks access to safe drinking water.”

She further elaborated on the dire situation, revealing that 3.5 billion people still lack access to safe sanitation, while another 702 million reside in countries grappling with high or critical levels of water stress. This pervasive crisis, she stressed, directly imperils the agricultural sector, the very foundation of global food supply.

Reinforcing this point, Retno added, “Approximately 3.2 billion people globally reside in agricultural regions confronting high or very high water scarcity.”

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Without immediate and significant improvements, the fragility of global food security will persist. Retno underscored that out of all the water on Earth, a mere 0.5% is freshwater that can be sustainably utilized. Compounding this scarcity, she noted, is the detrimental impact of fragmented, sector-by-sector (siloed) policymaking, which only exacerbates the complexity of the problem.

Lamenting this long-standing issue, Retno stated, “Unfortunately, despite these enormous challenges, for decades we have consistently designed separate policies. For example, food policies are crafted without considering water balance, energy policies are developed without hydrological impact assessments, and water policies are made without factoring in food and energy needs, and so forth.”

She emphatically stressed that water is a pivotal determinant of successful development. Illustrating its fundamental role, she pointed out that 72% of all freshwater is allocated to agriculture, and a staggering 90% of global power generation relies on water for both production and cooling processes.

Retno concluded this critical assessment by affirming, “Water is the foundational pillar supporting food and energy security. Without safe, stable, and sustainable water management, neither of these crucial sectors can truly thrive.”

Strategies to Address the Water Crisis

To remedy this pressing situation, Retno articulated the vital importance of global, cross-sectoral cooperation and the establishment of integrated governance frameworks. She then proposed four core strategies, aptly termed the 4I approach, as follows:

1. Investment

   This entails developing climate-resilient water infrastructure, including nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration and watershed protection. Retno also highlighted the severe underfunding in the water sector. A significant 91% of infrastructure development still relies on government funding, with developing nations allocating a mere 0.5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to water infrastructure. Yet, water investments are not just environmentally sound; they are also economically beneficial. Citing World Bank data, Retno noted, “For every dollar spent on water, it yields a return of US$ 4.5.”

2. Technological Innovation

   This involves advancements ranging from improving irrigation efficiency and developing water-saving crop varieties to promoting wastewater reuse and digitalizing monitoring systems.

3. Integrated Governance

   This calls for water governance that is coordinated across various policies and founded upon unified, data-driven insights.

4. Inclusivity

   The transformation of water management must engage all stakeholders, fundamentally placing communities at the core of policy formulation. Retno emphasized this principle, stating, “Always place the people at the center of our policies.”