WaterAid, an international non-profit organization has issued an urgent call to action, urging governments at all levels to prioritize the provision of clean water and sanitation services in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 target.
In a policy paper titled
'Ending the water, sanitation and hygiene crisis together: policy priorities
for accelerating progress,' WaterAid emphasized the pressing need for urgent
action to address the global water and sanitation crisis.
With just seven years left to
achieve the SDG 6 goal of clean water and sanitation for all, the organization
warns that progress is alarmingly slow and more needs to be done to accelerate
change.
WaterAid Nigeria's Country Director, Evelyn Mere, in a statement to commemorate year 2023 World Water Day, emphasized the urgency of the situation, pointing out that only 10 percent of
Nigerians have access to basic WASH services, while 67 percent use basic
drinking water services.
Mere also lamented that the
per capita volume of water available to the rural population daily is 10 litres,
which is 40 litres less than the UN accepted standard.
To address this crisis, WaterAid therefore called on governments to champion an inspirational vision and drive institutional reform that has results at all levels.
Also, the
organization urged governments to substantially increase WASH financing and
ensure costed finance strategies are developed, backed by sufficient public
funds to build a high-performing sector that attracts finance and improves the
quality of spending.
"With
just seven years to go to meet the SDG 6 target, now is the time for
governments to prioritize the provision of clean water and sanitation services
to their citizens.
"Governments
must lead the way, and international organizations, communities, donors, and
businesses must play their part to accelerate progress towards universal access
by 2030," stressed Mere.
March 22nd marks the annual celebration of World
Water Day, which aims
to raise awareness about the significance of water and advocate for the
sustainable management of freshwater resources.
By Edumattas
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