WMO chief: Accelerate action on Sustainable Development Goal on Water
Climate and water both lie at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals – the package of 17 crosscutting themes adopted by the international community in 2015. With just 10 years remaining until the 2030 target for achieving the goals, WMO is stepping up its efforts on the water targets.
Climate and water both lie at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals – the package of 17 crosscutting themes adopted by the international community in 2015. With just 10 years remaining until the 2030 target for achieving the goals, WMO is stepping up its efforts on the water targets.
“It is really worrying to see that Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation, is so far off track now,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a video message for World Water Day. “Especially against the background of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is alarming to recall that 3 billion people worldwide lack basic handwashing facilities. This is not acceptable in 21 century,” Mr Taalas said.
Last year, the General Assembly decided that implementation must be sped up. Hand in hand with the other Members and Partners of UN Water and other stakeholders, WMO is working to deliver this through a water and climate coalition that focuses on finances, data and information, governance, capacity development, and innovation, said Mr Taalas.
National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are central to this effort.
“WMO Members will be crucial to ensure we deliver better on SDG 6 in the coming years and that we tackle water and climate related challenges in an integrated way,” said Mr Taalas.
World Water Day video message from WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas is available here
