7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly: Equity, diversity and inclusion - water unites us

Re-shaping water economics for inclusive green growth

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation and CO₂ emissions is central for sustainable development. In fact, it is an imperative.

But currently, we are on the wrong track.

Global warming is a real threat. Since UNCTAD was created in 1964, CO₂ emissions per year have almost quadrupled. Fish stocks were not depleted as they are today, extinctions of species have never been as fast.

And we know that it is the tropics, the home of the developing world, that are and will be most affected by climate change.

The ravaging climate crisis is also affecting fresh water supplies. With global warming, droughts, desertification and salination, fresh water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, and in some places the source of conflict.

Water is a unique resource: one element simultaneously a life source, a human right and an input in economic production. Water scarcity therefore undermines a broad range of societal priorities, from sustaining human life, to conserving the environment, to economic development.

Water scarcity is an enormous challenge for boosting productivity in agriculture; the sector which remains in many developing countries key for employment and income generation. Water scarcity can dissuade investments in more productive, water-intensive industries, crops or technologies, such as irrigation.

The World Bank estimates that, without corrective action, water scarcity could erode economic growth by as much six per cent per year by 2050 in some water-scarce prone countries.

Yet, consensus on the multiple values of water is lacking in many countries, contributing to outdated mindsets, by which many consumers believe that water should be available without limits, for free or at minimal cost.

These mindsets inevitably constrain water management policies, including limiting the potential for cost recovery. This precludes vital investments in infrastructure, management systems and developing new sources of fresh water.

Water-smart solutions are needed.

An important component of such solutions is to incorporate water security into economic planning, similar to other major threats to development, such as climate change, natural disasters, or food and energy insecurity. As water is a cross-cutting issue, coordination between relevant stakeholders is required.

A concern is that many countries lack detailed data on non-municipal sources of freshwater, such as rainfall and grey water, or on the consumption of water by product or industry. These gaps represent blind spots for policy analysis on key questions, such as: How to improve the water productivity of rainfed agriculture; how to incentivise the treatment and reuse of grey water; identifying the best uses for water as an economic input; or establishing water efficiency standards to evaluate key subsectors and new investments.

Thus, countries should collect data regularly and report data on the full range of water sources; consumption by use, industry and/or product; water efficiency and productivity in the main productive sectors; as well as the full cost to produce water, including management, infrastructure and ancillary costs.

And critically, the power of science, technology and innovation is needed for finding solutions to water scarcity. We need green technologies for enhancing water supply and treatment; increasing resource efficiency in the water sector; reducing water leakages and improving water distribution networks, promoting water saving and reuse, or for enhancing collection and treatment of wastewater.

For both current and evolving technologies, we need to ensure international technical and financial support to facilitate action in developing countries. This support must create sectors and markets for sustainable technologies, build productive, technological and innovative capacities, bridge research and development funding gaps, and create enabling infrastructure.

Delivering STI solutions requires involving a broad and a diverse set of stakeholders in water governance and associated decision-making processes.

Empowering women and reaching gender equality in STI is necessary for any inclusive development agenda.

In UNCTAD, we promote new forms of cooperation, including strengthening North-South and South-South Cooperation. For example, under our coordination, young female scientists from six developing countries and LDCs have done cutting-edge research at Okayama University in Japan. We are now inviting interested countries to nominate candidates for the second group of young female scientists to participate in this research programme.

I invite you to think about global and regional actions and partnerships that could help design inclusive and sustainable water solutions, bearing in mind advantage of the potential of STI. These are all required for a transition and transformation to inclusive, green growth and fostering a planet on which current and future generations can thrive.

I thank you for your attention.