Sustainable Development Goals
addressing the multifaceted nature of water – as a social
issue, an economic issue, an environmental issue, as well as
the main cause of disasters on our planet – is an imperative,
but by no means sufficient, step towards the world we
want.”
It is therefore particularly inspiring, he said, to see Ban’s
encouragement for a process beyond the SDGs – “a process
that allows and requires the involvement of all sectors and
actors, public and private, individuals and organizations to
collectively take a giant leap towards a water wise world.”
Garrett of WaterAid said progress in the next decade will
be critical and “we welcome efforts to keep these issues in
the spotlight”.
The Millennium Development Goals succeeded in halving
the number of people in the world without improved water,
but left many of those most in need without.
Sanitation is among the most off-track of those goals. “We
must refocus efforts in the next decade to ensure no one is
left behind.”
Ban said sanitation has also made progress during the
Decade, with more than 1.9 billion people gaining access to
improved sanitation.
“That is all good news. Yet we also know that even today,
in the 21st century, some 2.5 billion people still lack access
to adequate sanitation”, while some one billion people still
practice open defecation.
Even today, in the 21st century, nearly 1,000 children under
the age of five are killed each day by a toxic mix of unsafe
drinking water, poor sanitation and hygiene, he said.
And inadequate water supply and sanitation cost economies
about 260 billion dollars worldwide every year.
Just 10 years from now, 1.8 billion people will live in areas
with absolute water scarcity, and two out of three people
around the world could live under water-stressed conditions.
“It is little wonder that many global experts have called the
‘water crisis’ one of the greatest global risks that we face,”
warned Ban.
Edited by Kitty Stapp
Source: Inter Press Service
The Africa Sustainability Hub launched
New research hub gathers
talent from across Africa
to work on low carbon
economic development
and innovation from and
for Africa
On 10 June 2015, the Africa
Sustainability Hub was
Prof. Judi Wakhungu. Credit: Heinrich- launched in Nairobi, Kenya.
Böll-Stiftung / Flickr The hub is part of the
Pathways to Sustainability
Global Consortium, which is a group of six global research
hubs located in South Asia, China, Europe, Latin America,
North America, and now Africa, to tackle sustainability
challenges facing the world. The Africa Sustainability Hub
will bring together researchers from across the continent to
work collaboratively on research promoting pro-poor low
carbon economic development.
It was launched by Prof. Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary
In Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural
Resources. Wakhungu was representing the Government of
Kenya on behalf of Hon. Henry Rotich, Cabinet Secretary
of the National Treasury.
Rotich said, “A low-carbon economic development path
in Africa is able to deliver clean and sustainable energy to
millions of energy-poor people across the continent, drive
a productive green economic expansion for the continent
and deliver a higher sustainable standards of living well into
the future.”
Dr Mohammed Kyari of the African Union’s Science,
Technology and Research Commission echoed the point,
saying “There is no right time to form the hub than now.”
The hub was launched during the Low Carbon Development
in Africa workshop on 10–12 June at the Crowne Plaza in
Nairobi, which was jointly hosted by ACTS, the STEPS
Centre, ATPS, SEI Africa, and Practical Action. The
event was attended by over 100 international participants
from government, industry, universities and civil society
and sought to explore and share ideas and approaches on
pathways towards developing low carbon economies.
Solutions tailored to African contexts
A key emphasis of the hub is to develop and foster dialogue
around alternative practical solutions to the complex
challenges of sustainability. There was consensus during the
workshop on the need to catalyze change within institutions,
societies and policies in order for low carbon development
pathways to be realized. Others spoke on how innovative
ideas need to be developed from Africa, for Africa.
Dr Perks Ligoya, Malawi High Commissioner to Kenya
complimented innovations such as improved stoves that
target reducing carbon emissions. He further invited
researchers to use country representatives to bodies such
as UNEP to help set research-based agendas for Africa,
emphasizing the importance of bridging the gap between
research and policy.
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • July - August 2015
19