The United Nations 2023 Water Conference was recently held at the UN Headquarters in New York. This conference marked the first such meeting in 46 years, and it was co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands. The UN 2023 Water Conference is formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028).

Importance of the Water Conference

The United Nations recognised the urgent need for action in the water sector. In a recent report entitled ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018 – 2028’, the UN acknowledged that we are not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water — “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. The water sector is prone to fragmentation because water problems tend to be local. Therefore, mobilising globally for local problems is difficult.

Previous Water Conferences

The last UN Water Conference was held in 1977, and it resulted in the first global ‘Action Plan’ recognising that all peoples have the right to have access to drinking water in quantities and of a quality equal to their basic needs. This declaration led to several decades of global funding and concerted effort to lower the population without access to safe drinking water.

Current Challenges
  • Access to water and sanitation does not guarantee sustained access to water.
  • Drinking water projects have failed due to over-extraction of groundwater and contamination of water sources.
  • Agricultural pumping is the primary cause of over-abstraction of groundwater, particularly in heavily irrigated areas like Punjab.
  • To solve this problem, pumping less is necessary.
  • The water problem is no longer just about access to water.
  • Achieving the remaining Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to sustainable agriculture, industry, and natural ecosystems is difficult and requires tough political decisions and stronger democracies.
Key Commitments at the Conference

This year’s conference resulted in 713 voluntary commitments by philanthropic donors, governments, corporations, and NGOs. India’s commitment was a $50-billion commitment to improve rural drinking water services under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

On the technology front, apart from specific innovations in wastewater treatment, there were several proposals for incubation platforms focusing on water management. A notable tool for cross-learning was the W12+ Blueprint, a UNESCO platform hosting city profiles and case studies of programs, technologies, policies that addresses common water security challenges.

An effort called ‘Making Rights Real’ offered to help marginalised communities and women understand how to exercise their rights. The ‘Water for Women Fund’ offered mechanisms for more effective and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes for women.

Why In News

The United Nations 2023 Water Conference, the first such meeting in 46 years, brought together experts, policymakers, philanthropists, and activists to address the global water crisis and to review the implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028). The conference provided a platform for 713 voluntary commitments from diverse sectors to improve water access and management, and highlighted the urgent need for action to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water.

MCQs about The UN 2023 Water Conference

  1. What was the purpose of the UN 2023 Water Conference?
    A. To review the implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation
    B. To celebrate the achievements of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water
    C. To mobilize globally for local water problems
    D. To address the issue of over-extraction of groundwater
    Correct Answer: A. To review the implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation
    Explanation: The essay states that the UN 2023 Water Conference was held to review the implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028).
  2. What did the UN report ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028’ acknowledge?
    A. We are on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water
    B. The water sector is not prone to fragmentation
    C. Water problems tend to be global
    D. We are not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water
    Correct Answer: D. We are not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water
    Explanation: The essay mentions that the UN report ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028’ acknowledged that we are not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water.
  3. What was the primary cause of over-abstraction of groundwater?
    A. Drinking water projects
    B. Agricultural pumping
    C. Industrial activities
    D. Natural ecosystems
    Correct Answer: B. Agricultural pumping
    Explanation: Agricultural pumping is the primary cause of over-abstraction of groundwater, particularly in heavily irrigated areas like Punjab.
  4. What is the ‘Water for Women Fund’?
    A. A fund for women’s rights activism
    B. A mechanism for more effective and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes for women
    C. A fund for promoting women’s entrepreneurship in the water sector
    D. A platform for cross-learning for women in the water sector
    Correct Answer: B. A mechanism for more effective and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes for women
    Explanation: The ‘Water for Women Fund’ offered mechanisms for more effective and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes for women.

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