The report titled “Water For Shared Prosperity” was released by the World Bank during the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia.
Key findings of report
- In 2022, 2.2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water services, while 3.5 billion lacked access to safely managed sanitation.
- Disparities persist across regions, with rural areas bearing the brunt of inadequate access. Low-income countries, in particular, have seen regression in access to safe drinking water, with an additional 197 million people lacking access since 2000.
- Eight out of ten people who do not have access to at least basic drinking water and sanitation services live in rural areas, and little progress has been made in closing the rural-urban access gap in low-income countries over the last two decades.
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than half of Africa’s total water resources. Hotspots in the Sahel, Southeastern Africa, and South and Central Asia are the most water stressed.
- Water-intensive sectors account for 56 per cent of jobs in low-income countries but only 20 per cent in high-income countries.
10th World Water Forum
- The 10th World Water Forum is being held in Bali, Indonesia from May 18-25, 2024 with the theme of WATER FOR SHARED PROSPERITY.
- The World Water Forum is the largest international gathering in the water sector involving various stakeholders, which has been co-hosted by the World Water Council and a host city.
- The Forum is held every three years and has been taking place since 1997.
- In 1997, thousands of people gathered in Marrakesh, Morocco, for the first World Water Forum to address an urgent problem: the global water crisis.
- The meeting resulted in the Marrakech Declaration, a pledge that called on the World Water Council to develop a “World Water Vision” for the 21st century.
