An estimated 600 million children will be living in areas where water
demand far outstrips supply by 2040, according to a UNICEF, reports NaijaAgroNet.
This, UNICEF also said reflects that 1 in 4 children worldwide
will be suffering from water scarcity in the next 23 years.
UNICEF, NaijaAgroNet
noted in the report entitled, Thirsting for a Future: Water and
children in a changing climate, looked at the threats to
children’s lives and wellbeing caused by depleted sources of safe water and the
ways climate change will intensify these risks in coming years.
UNICEF Executive Director, Mr. Anthony Lake said that water is elemental;
without it, nothing could grow.
“But around the world, millions of children lack access to safe
water -- endangering their lives, undermining their health, and jeopardizing
their futures. This crisis will only grow unless we take collective action
now,” said.
According to the report, 37 countries, including Nigeria, are
currently facing extremely high levels of water stress, which occurs when more
than 80 per cent of the water available for agriculture, industry and domestic
use is withdrawn annually. Warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, increased
floods, droughts and melting ice affect the quality and availability of water.
For Nigeria, the greatest challenge, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is the
availability of physical infrastructure to harness rainfall and ground water
effectively.
UNICEF’s Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Kannan Nadar,
pointed out that there are huge variations in rainfall between north and south
Nigeria, making it all the more important to better plan and manage water
resources to minimise the impact of floods and drought.
“In Nigeria, as we work towards achieving the Sustainable
Development Goal of reaching everyone with access to safe, functional,
affordable and accessible water, we must manage water resources more
efficiently to meet the needs of Nigeria’s growing population and economic
development,” Nadar said.
NaijaAgroNet
recalled that population growth, coupled with increased water consumption, and
higher demand for water largely due to industrialization and urbanization, are
draining water resources worldwide. Conflicts in many parts of the world also
threaten children’s access to safe water.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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