AlHijjah 4, 1434, Oct 9, 2013, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday emphasized the vital role of water in sustainable development, highlighting in particular its importance to food security, climate change, and sanitation. "Water holds the key to sustainable development. We need it for health, food security, and economic progress," Ban said in his opening remarks at the Budapest Water Summit. "Yet, each year brings new pressures." The U.N. chief noted that by 2030, nearly half the global population could be facing water scarcity, and demand could exceed supply by 40 percent. "We must address unsustainable use," Ban said. "We must use what we have more equitably and wisely. We cannot expect governments to do this alone. Guaranteeing a water-secure world will require the full engagement of all actors, not least the world of business." According to the secretary-general, agriculture is by far the largest user of freshwater, and there is growing urgency to reconcile its demands with the needs of domestic and industrial uses, especially energy production. "Small farmers and industrial giants alike must learn to get more crop per drop" of water, meaning improved irrigation technologies, and less water-intensive and more climate-resilient crops, Ban said. Climate change threatens the risk of diminished water supplies in much of the world, the U.N. chief warned. "We must make sure that water remains a catalyst for cooperation, not conflict, among communities and countries," he said.
