Fresh water is a priority says Unesco Youth Forum

By Andrew Iles London

Access to fresh water must take priority over economics said the Unesco Youth Forum at their recent world conference in Paris. The forum, which comprises 22 youth non-governmental organisations, believes that potable and fresh water is a human right.

More than a billion people live without fresh water according to current World Health Organization estimates. A further 1.3 billion people have no access to adequate sanitation. Of the limited sources of water that are available, many are contaminated by industrial waste.

Women at pump,Which provides fresh water to drink

Young people have a direct role to play in the promotion of fresh water says the Unesco Youth Forum. The forum plans to teach fresh water issues in mainstream education to provide a clear understanding of what freshwater management and what waste, contamination, and pollution are. These learning issues will delivered through publication of clear definitions, guidelines, and manuals.

The UK based charity, Wateraid, which provides clean water and sanitation for the developing world, said, "National governments must give greater priority to water and sanitation not just in the use of foreign aid, but when allocating other resources such as funds from taxation and debt relief. The right way to spend it is not just taps and toilets, but building the ability of countries to invest in and run their own services. This has to happen quickly because every 15 seconds a child is dying from diarrhoea... solely because they lack access to safe water and sanitation."

For more information see http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001 318/131814e.pdf