Thousands Have Lived without Love, but Not One without Water: The Fourteenth Newsletter (2024)
Thousands Have Lived without Love, but Not One without Water: The Fourteenth Newsletter (2024) Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
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Sustainable Development Goals and the Water Crisis
Diego Rivera (Mexico), El Agua, Origen de la Vida (‘Water, Origin of Life’), 1951.
Dear friends,
Greetings from the desk of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.
The Water Crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
By November 2023, it was already clear that the Israeli government had begun to deny Palestinians in Gaza access to water. According to Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, this action by Israel was a brazen breach of international law and put Gazans at risk of dying of thirst and diseases related to the lack of safe drinking water. This situation highlights the urgent need to address the water crisis and stop using water as a weapon of war.
In Gaza, 97 percent of the water in the only coastal aquifer was already unsafe for human consumption based on World Health Organisation standards. Israel’s attacks on Gaza have further destroyed the water purification system and prevented the entry of materials and chemicals needed for repair.
Faeq Hassan (Iraq), The Water Carriers, 1957.
The Global Water Crisis
The assault on Gaza highlights the larger water crisis that affects billions of people around the world. A UN report released on World Water Day (22 March) reveals that 2.2 billion people have no access to safely managed drinking water, and 3.5 billion people do not have sanitation systems. This lack of access to clean water leads to the death of over a thousand children under the age of five every day from diseases linked to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Furthermore, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the water crisis as they are often the primary collectors of water. When water systems deteriorate or become scarce, women and girls spend more time finding water, resulting in higher dropout rates for girls in school.
Newsha Tavakolian (Iran), Untitled, 2010–2011.
Impact of Climate Change on the Water Crisis
The water crisis is further exacerbated by climate change. Warming oceans lead to glacier melt, which raises sea levels and allows saltwater to contaminate underground aquifers. Additionally, reduced snowfall results in less water in reservoirs, affecting both drinking water supply and agriculture. Droughts, intensified by climate change, directly impact at least 1.4 billion people.
According to the United Nations, half of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity, and one quarter faces extremely high levels of water stress. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of these phenomena, posing acute risks to social stability.
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
- SDG 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- SDG 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Access to safe drinking water
- Access to sanitation systems
- Water scarcity levels
- Water stress levels
- Investment in wastewater treatment facilities
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. | Access to safe drinking water |
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. | Access to sanitation systems |
| 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. | Water scarcity levels | |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | Investment in wastewater treatment facilities |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels. | N/A |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: thetricontinental.org
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