Speaking points for Light Millennium – JUC Awards
by Prof. Olcay Ünver, Honorary Speaker, Arizona State University, Vice-Chair UN-Water (2018-2020) & Senior Water Advisor, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Delivered on June 4, 2021.

1. Strengthening water security is essential for combatting COVID-19 and preventing future pandemics. The pandemic has drawn global attention to the fact that billions do not have safe water and sanitation. The first line of defense to the virus – handwashing with safe water and soap is unavailable at home to 3 billion people. In an equally alarming statistic, a WHO/UNICEF study of healthcare facilities in 54 countries found that 35% failed to offer soap and water for handwashing.

Washing hands requires safe water. Industrial and agricultural pollution is making access to water more difficult.  This pollution also increases the cost of treating water to safe standards. According to the UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water, of the countries surveyed, 94 percent have plans in place to deliver safe drinking water and sanitation.  However, less than 15% of countries have the funds or human resources needed to implement these plans.

2. According to some estimates, providing access to safe water could cost almost $420 billion a year over the next decade.  That translates to 0.5% of global GDP^[1]. To date, the international community has not been able to galvanize the needed investments in safe water, sanitation and hygiene.  We hope that people see the importance of these investments now. When a lack of safe water causes a cholera outbreak or food shortage in a poor country, it’s easier to look the other way. When what’s at stake is a highly contagious virus capable of crossing the globe, the lack of water security anywhere becomes everyone’s problem. This is followed by food security and the need for the the integrity of the food chain starting from sustainable agricultural production to processing, transportation, storage and consumption. 

3. COVID-19 has revealed our vulnerabilities. We must build resilience and we already have an internationally negotiated framework for transformative change.  The 2030 Agenda, with its Sustainable Development Goal 6, is ambitious.  It is transformative.  It is holistic.  And it is needed now more than ever. The holistic look is essential because we don’t want to compromise our development objectives by addressing them in silos.

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^[1] World Resources Institute 2020

Booklet of the Award Ceremony:

https://www.lmglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2021-jucawards-booklet-with-bios-for-june-4.pdf