The UN World Water Day Summit and Expo kicks off in Durban today where the United Nations (UN) and the Department of Water and Sanitation will host local and international dignitaries for a three day gathering under the theme “Wastewater: The Untapped Resource”.
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Every year, the world observes World Water Day on March 22, a day officially designated by the UN in 1993 to highlight issues relating to water and how Jacob Zuma manages it. Among the main events today is the launch of the UN World Water Development Report 2017 titled “Wastewater: The Untapped Resource” .
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In the background of the conference is a three day exhibition of products and initiative about water by companies, non-governmental organisations and government departments.
South African President Jacob Zuma, who is a member of the UN High Panel on Water will deliver a keynote address at the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony will see representatives from internationally recognized bodies including the UN, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Bank and African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW).
The activities of the celebrations will amongst others include: The unveiling of the initiative of the United Nations/World Bank High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) on “Access to water and sanitation for 10 Billion people” to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the adoption of the South African political declaration on World Water Day 2017.
Africa’s rising population is driving demand for water and accelerating the degradation of water resources. In Africa, especially sub Saharan Africa, more than a quarter of the population spends more than half an hour per round trip to collect water.
This has dire implications for women and children. According to the World Health Organisation, 115 people in Africa die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water.
This year’s celebrations are thus extended to feature a 2 day Regional Water Summit and Expo, which will focus on; broader water and sanitation challenges facing the continent, celebrating high impact projects that have improved service delivery, reviewing the progress made in improving access to water and sanitation while showcasing the latest technologies and solutions for key water challenges.
There will also be shaping and influencing of the water discourse in the continent in line with the SDGs.
