Today, and during the opening ceremony of the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, UNESCO is launching the latest edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report on behalf of UN-Water. The report titled “Groundwater: Making the invisible visible” focusses on challenges facing effective and sustainable management of groundwater resources worldwide. It is noteworthy that the 2022 World Water Assessment report will form the basis for the deliberations that will take place during the planned UN Groundwater Summit in December 2022.
Out of sight and under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that constituting nearly 99% of all available liquid fresh-water on our planet. Globally, groundwater provides more than 50% of our demotic water supplies, especially in rural areas, and nearly 25% of water used in irrigation worldwide. Our reliance on groundwater resources will only increase as our numbers grow and as climate change reduces the availability surface water. It is therefore most important, critical, and urgent that we governments, world-wide, develop effective and management and governance policies leading to sustainable management of this precious, yet hidden treasure.
increase as our numbers grow and as climate change reduces the availability surface water. It is therefore most important, critical, and urgent that we governments, world-wide, develop effective and management and governance policies leading to sustainable management of this precious, yet hidden treasure.
Cognizant of the challenges facing groundwater management in the Arab Region, UNESCO Cairo office has worked and continues to work on supporting capacities of Arab Member States in managing the precious, often overexploited, groundwater resources in sustainable manners. In 2021, UNESCO Cairo office and our partners, trained more than 200 Arab water professionals on groundwater governance, mathematical modeling of groundwater, and artificial recharge of groundwater.
More and more water resources are being polluted, overexploited, and dried up by humans, sometimes with irreversible consequences. Making smarter use of the potential of still sparsely developed groundwater resources, and protecting them from pollution and overexploitation, is essential to meet the fundamental needs of an ever-increasing global population and to address the global climate and energy crises.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General