Topic: Access to Safe Drinking Water
Country: France
Delegate Name: Rebecca Michelson
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All France position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
One fifth of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water. Over 1.2 billion people suffer the consequences of water scarcity on the planet. The EU each year spends the equivalent of 6 billion euros on water access development programs. The East African nations, for example Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Somalia to name a few, suffer tragically from water scarcities, as do the North African nations of Egypt, Libya, and Algeria. By 2025, it is expected that two thirds of the Earth will not have access to safe water. The issue of water scarcity on our planet is one of the most severe and threatening to our civilization.
The global rate of water consumption rose more than double the rate of population between 1900 and 2000, and more than five million people die from diseases caused by unsanitary water sources. This is more than three times the number of people who die fighting wars each year. 70% of the water supply in Africa goes to agriculture. Drip irrigation is a more productive way of saving water, and more cost-efficient. The World Commission on Water, backed by the UN, has reported an additional $100 billion will be needed in the coming year to get access to safe water in Africa. This is on top of the already astronomical $60 billion necessary to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS. The conflict of funding both of these major projects creates tension among economically strong areas; unsafe water can lead to diseases like cholera, malaria, typhoid fever, dysentery, and dengue fever. The numbers of Africans infected with HIV is rising dramatically. In order for aid to be given to both of these problems, enormous amounts of funding must come from the US, Europe, and Asia.
The nation of France supports the UN in their actions toward fighting water scarcity. France encourages the ideas of the WFD (Water Framework Directive) and its tools of river basin management, intersectoral systems, and transboundary coordination. France believes providing water to areas in dire need should be the first priority, before irrigation growth and the financial incentives of these actions. Water saving measures are key to the success of this plan, as is adopting a long-term plan in addition to the necessary immediate agenda. The final important aspect to the fight against water scarcity is increased cooperation and coordination between EU members. As an area not as directly affected by lack of water, Europe is crucial to providing aid to those nations who are less fortunate economically. European nations play an essential role in getting more of the world’s population access to safe drinking water.
