Next March 22 will be celebrated World Water Day 2014 under the slogan “Water and Energy”, two issues that, although closely related, water is at a clear disadvantage. The generation and transmission of energy requires the use of water resources, energy sources such as hydroelectric, thermal or nuclear power plants. However, only 8% of the total energy that is generated is used for the extraction, treatment and transport of water, that is, the relationship is not equitable and this is the question that we want to highlight this year.
The United Nations, in collaboration with the Member States and other stakeholders (industry, services, etc.), wants to draw attention to the inequality that exists in the water-energy nexus, a problem that is experienced especially in marginal areas and impoverished rural areas. , the communities do not have access to drinking water, they lack adequate sanitation, they do not have access to food or energy services. It is intended to create awareness for the development of policies that equate the water-energy relationship, implement a more sustainable use of water and energy within a framework of respect for the environment.
The objectives of the World Water Day in this edition are the following:
- Create awareness of the interrelationships between water and energy.
- Contribute to a political dialogue that focuses on the wide range of issues related to the water and energy nexus.
- Demonstrate through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain, that integrated approaches and solutions to water energy problems can achieve greater economic and social impacts.
- Identify policy-making and capacity development issues in which the United Nations system, especially UN-Water and UN-Energy, can make important contributions.
- Identify the main stakeholders in the water-energy nexus and actively participate in the further development of this linkage, two relevant topics for discussions after 2015.
In the celebration of this day, a series of key messages will be launched that can be adapted to the conditions of each country or region to make them more effective. They are messages that go beyond practices to promote sustainable use of water and energy. Water needs energy and energy needs water, the relationship must be balanced, water is necessary to produce many types of energy and energy is necessary for the extraction, treatment and distribution of the precious liquid.
Supplies are increasingly limited and demand increases year after year, fresh water and energy are two products that will be in demand significantly in the coming decades, this increase in demand presents great challenges to overcome, much more complicated in the countries developing and emerging economies. Saving energy is saving water and vice versa, the options related to supply, distribution or prices have a direct impact on water and energy.
The most disadvantaged countries urgently need to be able to have access to services related to water and energy, currently about 1.300 billion people do not have access to energy, about 780 million people do not have access to drinking water, millions of people do not they have access to sanitation, which shows that water and energy have a significant impact in reducing poverty.
A better understanding of the two sectors, their connections and their effects, will facilitate better coordination in matters, reducing problems and deficiencies. Policy makers, professionals and planners working in both sectors (water and energy) can adopt measures that overcome barriers and facilitate a more balanced relationship, greater efficiency in use, and better access and distribution.
As we can see, this celebration every year revolves around a central theme, and that is that this essential element for life is also essential for human development and economic development. Water is a precious commodity that is increasingly limited and worse distributed, the reasons for this are obvious, the growing world population demands more water to satisfy all kinds of needs. Previously, there has been talk of domestic use, water distribution policies, food production, this year it touches the relationship with energy production. You can find out all the details of the celebration of World Water Day 2014 (World Water Day 2014) through the official page of the event.