Access to Water remains a Major Global Problem

The theme of the Dakar World Water Forum will be “Water Security”. Why is this subject so central today?

We should remember one important fact: water is central to the balance of ecosystems and societies. It is a key factor for biodiversity, food security, health, human dignity and peace. Water security is the capacity to ensure this resource is available in sufficient quantity and quality, both for human uses, such as agriculture, industry and drinking water, and for ecosystems and the needs of the environment.

This resource is under threat due to excessive withdrawals and pollution: At present 80% of wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment. In this context it is not surprising that since the 1970s there has been an 84% drop in the number of freshwater animal species.  Global warming exacerbates and will continue to exacerbate these tensions. It is often stated that water is its first victim; it is, in any case, a significant vector. Higher temperatures will further accelerate the water cycle, increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme events such as floods and droughts. They will also increase the spread of bacteria where access to drinking water and adequate hygiene are not guaranteed. Everything undertaken to protect the resource will make us more resilient.

See also: Our special series for the World Water Forum

A fundamental human right recognized by the United Nations, access to water is still far from being guaranteed everywhere in the world: a quarter of humanity does not have access to enough good quality water at home. The situation is even worse for sanitation: almost half the world's population does not have access to a proper service. In some capitals there are no sewage treatment plants installed. This has health, social, economic and environmental consequences.

What can we expect from this World Water Forum?

We expect it to re-mobilize the international community on these water and sanitation issues. Today we are far from the required pace of improvement: the UN estimates that we need to act four times faster to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 [Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all] by 2030. This topic must be a priority for governments.

In the absence of a dedicated UN convention or institution, the World Water Forum is the main international event on fresh water issues. It has been held every three years since 1997, and this year's event is the first to be held in sub-Saharan Africa, where water issues are the most important. It will also be a stage prior to the UN Water Conference scheduled for 2023, a first since 1977!

See also: World Water Forum: AFD Group's action in 12 flagship projects

AFD Group will contribute messages on improving water resource governance, including cross-border and the interest of nature-based solutions. It will also highlight the need for financing and the role that public development banks can play. It will also reiterate its ongoing commitment in Africa on these issues. We need to show that there are answers to these problems. The situation in which we find ourselves is not inevitable. The solutions exist, but the subject must be tackled head on.

Which solutions does AFD Group support?

Water is a historical sector of intervention for the Group. In 2021, AFD Group committed around €1 billion to this sector, including €160 million in grants [see the Water and Sanitation 2021 Activity Report]. Nearly 300 water-related projects are currently being implemented worldwide. They benefited 4 million people last year. Our priorities are multiple: develop access to services, support governance reforms and improve ecological resilience.

In 2021 we formalized a loan of €80 million to the Iraqi government for the construction of 200 kilometers of sanitation infrastructure and a sewage treatment plant in northwest Baghdad. This will serve nearly 110,000 inhabitants. In Djibouti, we are financing technical assistance to the National Water and Sanitation Office to help the operator improve network management, maintenance and customer relations. A grant of €6 million from AFD Group will also help implement a project to protect water resources and improve water table replenishment in Senegal through nature-based solutions. Nearly 60,000 market gardeners (half of whom are women) will be trained in ways to make better use of water.