Standup9ja - Nigeria among 37 countries facing water stress
Nigeria has been listed among 37 countries in the world
currently facing extremely high levels of water stress, which occurs when more
than 80 per cent of the water available for agriculture, industry and domestic
use is withdrawn annual, report from the United Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) stated.
The report released to mark the World Water Day yesterday
stated that, warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, increased floods, droughts
and melting ice affect the quality and availability of water.
"For Nigeria, the greatest challenge is the
availability of physical infrastructure to harness rainfall and ground water
effectively. There are huge variations in rainfall between north and south
Nigeria, making it all the more
important to better plan and manage water resources to minimise the impact of
floods and drought."
The report, "Thirsting for a Future: Water and children
in a changing climate also stated that about 600 million children representing
one in every four worldwide will be living in areas where water demand far outstrips
supply by 2040 while also looking at the threats to children's lives and
wellbeing caused by depleted sources of safe water and the ways climate change
will intensify these risks in coming years.
UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake said, water is
elemental and without it, nothing can grow while adding that around the world,
millions of children lack access to safe water endangering their lives,
undermining their health, and jeopardizing their futures. "This crisis
will only grow unless we take necessary action."
The Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, UNICEF, Kannan
Nadar said, in Nigeria, as we work
towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of reaching everyone with
access to safe, functional, affordable and accessible water, we must manage
water resources more efficiently to meet the needs of Nigeria's growing
population and economic development.
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