Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor ... - Nanowerk

nanotechnology,
water, & development
[1] water and development
Historically, water has played a critical role in every facet of human
activity. In more recent times, water has emerged as a key natural
resource to be efficiently managed for sustainable development.
Water is vital in a modern economy, not only in the urban-industrial
context but also in rural areas through its more widespread use in
productive activities and its potential to improve living conditions.
Faced with a shortage of capital, as well as the need to improve
the economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental
sustainability of projects, the role of the water resource
decisionmaker is becoming increasingly more demanding. It is
clear that sustainable development can be achieved only by a
comprehensive framework that systematically integrates waterrelated
social, economic, environmental, and technical considerations
within the broader framework of a national development strategy.
[1.1] <strong>Global</strong> and Regional Status
of Water Supply
In the 21st century, many countries are entering an era of severe
water shortage. 9 Increasing competition among agricultural, industrial,
and domestic users will lead to clashes and significant increases in
the real cost of water.Table 1 shows that the largest user of water is
irrigated agriculture, accounting for 70% of global water withdrawals
in 2000, while the respective shares of industrial and domestic usage
were 20% and 10%. Agricultural use dominated globally (70%) and in
developing countries (88%). Meanwhile, the share of industrial and
domestic use increased with rising country incomes, while
agricultural use declined.
Table 1: Relative Water Withdrawals by Sector in 2000
Country Group
Water Consumption as Share of Total Use
Domestic Agriculture Industry
Low Income 6% 88% 5%
Middle Income 10% 70% 20%
High Income 15% 41% 44%
World 10% 70% 20%
Source: World Resources Institute, 2000. 10
The poor are most affected by the lack of potable water, which is the
focus of this paper. During the decade of 1990 to 2000, the percentage
of people served with some form of reliable water supply rose from
79% (4.1 billion) to 82% (4.9 billion). Over the same period, the
proportion of the world’s population with access to sanitation facilities
increased from 55% (2.9 billion people served) to 60% (3.6 billion). 11 At
the beginning of 2002, one-sixth (1.1 billion people) of the world’s
population did not have access to a reliable water supply, and two-fifths
(2.6 billion people) lacked access to adequate sanitation. 12 The majority
of these people live in Asia and Africa.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 300 million people lack access to reliable
water sources. South Asia has made exceptional progress, but
contamination of water sources poses new risks. In East Asia, rapid
urbanization is posing a challenge for the provision of water and
other public utilities. Figure 1 shows the percentage of the
population without access to reliable water sources, by region, and
the predicted values for 2015. 13
Figure 1: Population without Access to Reliable Water Sources
(Actual Values 1990, 2000; Estimated 2015)
Population (%)
Source: World Bank, 2003.
Year
9
M. Munasinghe, Water Supply and Environmental Management, Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1992a.
10
P. H. Gleick, The World's Water 2000-2001:The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources, Island Press, Washington DC, 2000.
11
World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), <strong>Global</strong> Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report, 2000.
12
World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Water for Life: Making It Happen, 2005.
13
World Bank, World Development Indicators 2005, 2005.
8