22/03/2006 - Mexico City,
Mexico – With around five million people a year
dying from water-related diseases, governments attending
the World Water Forum have failed to grab the opportunity
to make tangible progress on the world's water crisis.
WWF warns that the renewed obsession of governments
with large-scale infrastructure projects does not
address the immediate needs of people.
In addition, the Forum’s final
declaration fails to offer any new solution for
the world’s water crisis. While appreciating the
efforts of a number of governments to achieve more,
the Forum’s overall declaration has neither reported
on progress nor committed to anything new.
“When the Forum began a week ago
one in six people on this planet lacked adequate
access to freshwater,” said Jamie Pittock, Director
of WWF’s Global Freshwater Programme. “The Forum’s
declaration has done nothing new to improve these
statistics.”
“We’ve heard so much talk of concrete
structures but seen so little talk of concrete action
for preserving the water systems that are the source
of water for people and nature,” added Pittock.
“Too much focus is being put on large dams. What’s
the point of these if there’s no water to go in
them?”
There are over 48,000 large dams
in operation worldwide. Many of these dams, as well
as those under construction, are threatening the
world’s largest and most important rivers. A recent
scientific report shows that over 60 per cent of
the world’s 227 largest rivers have been fragmented
by dams, leading to the destruction of wetlands,
a decline in freshwater species – including river
dolphins, fish, and birds – and the forced displacement
of millions of people.
“Every human being should be ensured
adequate water supplies, just as they should be
assured food and shelter,” said Omar Vidal, Director
of WWF-Mexico. “Wealthy countries are wasting water
and this pattern of use is both indefensible and
ecologically unsustainable.”
WWF is urging governments to ratify
and implement the 1997 Water Courses Convention
to establish minimum standards for the sustainable
and equitable management of the 263 rivers worldwide
that are shared between two or more countries.
"The water crisis is here
and now," said Pittock. "We see water
shortages worldwide and inequalities in rights to
water across the globe. With so little achieved
in Mexico City, ministers leaving here must ensure
that when they get home they redouble their efforts
to ensure the preservation of rivers and wetlands."
