Improved access to safe drinking water goes hand-in-hand with improved access to sanitation and adherence to good hygiene practices, says Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He made this statement in his remarks at the Sanitation and Water for All Sector Ministers’ Meeting convened by the General Assembly on May 18, themed around ‘Building Forward Better for Recovery and Resilience’.
The event was hosted by the government of Indonesia in collaboration with UNICEF and the Sanitation Water for All global partnership.
Noting how government ministers from health, climate, economy and environment, including stakeholders and experts on water, sanitation and hygiene had participated in the event, the PGA noted that an inclusive and concerted effort can truly be achieved through collaborations of such scale.
The Maldivian foreign minister went on to urge the people to always keep in mind that better access to safe drinking water goes hand-in-hand with better access to sanitation and even devotion to good hygiene practices.
Stressing that Covid-19 was a severe downfall for development efforts including those around water, PGA Shahid stated how the pandemic also reminded the globe that siloed strategies are pointless efforts in a world that is progressively interdependent.
I commend the important goal of this global partnership to eliminate inequalities through realizing the human rights to water and sanitation. Especially, as it puts women and girls at the center, as dynamic agents of change.”Abdulla Shahid, PGA.
PGA Shahid stated that all hands-on deck is necessary for realizing universal access to adequate and clean water and sanitation, from government level to the private sector, civil society and youth.
With this being said, he highlighted that economic growth and better preservation of water ecosystems will be paved by sustainable water management, which he described to be critical towards climate change mitigation.
He stated that sustainable water management requires comprehensive and sustainable solutions available through science and traditional knowledge, as observed in the innovation of agricultural practices that use less water.
