A developing crisis

This booklet is the first in a series of 3 publications resulting from the Ministerial Conference on Drinking Water and Environmental Sanitation. Based on the paper, "Putting Agenda 21 to Work", presented at the conference, it seeks to bring home the urgency of the conference's call for action, the validity of the new approaches proposed, and the scale of the potential benefits if prompt and concerted action is taken. It outlines the main problems of pollution, waste and mismanagement of water and emphasizes the necessity of promoting sanitation along with efforts to provide clean water, and of involving women in the planning and upkeep of water and sanitation projects. It also stresses that water supply and sanitation problems are political and educational as well as technical, especially in health and hygiene issues. Since 70% of water used per day throughout the world is for irrigated agriculture, improved irrigation efficiency is advocated. The booklet stresses five main points for government attention: fresh water is a finite, vulnerable and endangered resource; access to water is an economic necessity and a human right; inadequate human sanitation is a major threat to fresh water; governments have an important role in encouraging cooperation among all concerned; and although financial resources are limited, they can be made to go further than they presently do.

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