UNESCO has admitted that world will face a global water shortage by 2030

According to the organization's annual report, efforts being made to conserve water resources around the world are not sufficient.
Efforts being made to conserve water resources around the world are not sufficient so the actual issue of the correct assessment of their value is rather acute. This is stated in the annual report of UNESCO, published on Monday on the occasion of World Water Day.

“Water is our most valuable resource, a "blue gold", to which more than 2 billion people do not have direct access. It is necessary not only for survival, but also plays a sanitary, social and cultural role in human societies,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

This issue is detailed in a 200-paged report, which emphasizes that the value of water must be measured not only depending on its market price, but also in terms of the possible benefits of its distribution. At the same time, it is recognized that a generally accepted model making such assessment possible is currently unavailable.

Researchers mention a whole range of aspects that affect this indicator, classifying them into five categories: assessment of water sources, water resources and ecosystems, assessment of water infrastructure for storage, use, reuse or improvement of the water supply, assessment of water supply services, mainly for drinking water, sanitation and related aspects of human health, assessment of water as a factor of production and socio-economic activity, other socio-cultural values ​​of water, including recreational, cultural and spiritual attributes.

According to independent estimates included in the report, "by 2030 the world will face a global water shortage of 40%", and the situation will be exacerbated by other global problems, including the pandemic consequences. Authors of the report emphasize that in the light of the current sanitary crisis, the problem of providing the world population with water to meet their hygiene needs is becoming more actual than ever.

“While monetary valuation is convenient and easy in agriculture and industry, it has the disadvantage of underestimating, even excluding other aspects that are more difficult to monetize. How can we measure the cost of the 443 million school days children miss every year due to water-related illness?" the researchers ask. "Nevertheless, an integrated approach that allows to consider different aspects of water resources jointly can be developed to identify appropriate policy options," UNESCO added.

Source: tass.ru
Image source: mk.ru