World Water Day: UN chief warns “vampiric overconsumption” is draining “humanity’s lifeblood”

The United Nations (UN) opened its first conference on water security in almost half a century on Wednesday, with a plea to governments to better manage one of humanity's shared resources. The international agency said that a quarter of the world's population relies on unsafe drinking water while half lacks basic sanitation, adding that nearly three-quarters of recent disasters have been related to water.

"We are draining humanity's lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Governments must develop and implement plans that ensure equitable water access for all people while conserving this precious resource."

In a separate statement, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced the U.S. is committing $49 billion toward “equitable, climate-resilient water, and sanitation investments at home and around the world." She said the money would "help create jobs, prevent conflicts, safeguard public health, reduce the risk of famine and hunger, and enable us to respond to climate change and natural disasters."

In Vatican City, Pope Francis also appealed against the waste of water on World Water Day, saying that “Water cannot be wasted or overused or the cause of wars but must be preserved for our benefit and that of future generations."

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