Introduction

The Cairo/Rio Survey

Population Growth and Dirty Water

Traveling Down the Same Road?

Toward a New Paradigm

- The Big Five

- The Sliders

- The Population Bombers

Recommendations for a New Approach

Sources

Acknowledgments

Appendix 1: The Cairo/Rio Survey Form

Appendix 2: Country Reports Overview

It is estimated that over 1 billion people - about one-fifth of the world’s population - lack access to safe drinking water. A child dies every eight seconds from contaminated water, with total deaths each year of over 5 million people. As the human population continues to grow, the problem of availability of adequate supplies of safe drinking water is projected to worsen. Moreover, failure to address this water problem may actually exacerbate population growth by encouraging families to offset low child survival rates with increased fertility.

Over the 25 years, there have been a series of global conferences, declarations, agendas, and action plans to provide safe drinking water for all. The United Nations declared the 1980s as The International Drinking Water Supply Decade, during which a $100 billion were spent on water supply projects. Nonetheless, the United Nations warned in 1997 that in 30 years population growth may result in as many as 5.5 billion people living in areas that suffer from severe water stress.

Our research, including consultations with leading water experts, indicates that the problem is not a lack of appropriate language or adequate funding. There is already ample international recognition that fresh water is a precious commodity which must beefficiently managed and conserved. Also simply throwing more money into water projects is not a solution. The real problem appears to be the lack of sustained, effective political commitment and implementation.

We are suggesting a new paradigm. There has to be a focus on national actions in three sets of key countries: countries that have greatest number of people without access, countries where access has decreased, and countries whose high rates of population growth will lead to severe access problems in the near future. Just five countries - China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Nigeria - account for 50% to 80% of all the people without access to safe drinking water. Thirty-three other developing countries have seen their either their urban or rural percentage of population with access to safe drinking water decline. Nineteen countries are experiencing population growth rates of more than 3 percent; and many are already unable to meet their people's needs for safe drinking water.

The United Nations should not adopt yet another detailed abstract plan on safe drinking water nor encourage all nations to develop their own such plans. Instead, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development should establish a forum to review the prospects for making real progress, particularly in these key countries. The governments of each of these countries should be invited to make presentation on its efforts and plans to address safe drinking water and population issues, including identification of barriers and needs so that serious progress can be achieved. Each Head of Government would be expected to make a clear commitment to increased attention and investment in regard to safe drinking water. At the same time, the multilateral and bilateral development agencies should review their current water sector activities within each one of these key countries with an aim to improved coordination and performance. With this approach, the essential political will can be generated and the scarce resources targeted to assure that there is real progress in addressing this need.