The Wednesday Water Day calls for quick action

The United Nations is marking the 30th anniversary of International Day of Water on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, emphasizing the urgent need for global action to address water challenges. The day, established in 1993, highlights the disparity in access to clean water and sanitation worldwide. Approximately 2 billion people globally lack access to safe and affordable drinking water, despite a 2015 UN resolution committing to ensuring universal access by 2030.

Currently, only 74% of the world’s population has access to clean drinking water, while just 54% have access to proper sewage treatment facilities. Estonia represents a notable success story, with over 90% of its population having access to clean drinking water and sewage treatment. Eighty-eight percent of Estonians utilize the public water supply, and 82% utilize the public sewerage system.

Individuals without public access typically draw water from private wells and send wastewater to treatment plants or wells. “The details of what each well water is suitable for are not exactly known, and whether the place treatment works properly everywhere, is not certain,” stated Karin Kroon, head of the Water Department of the Ministry of the Environment. “However, several inventories indicate that in most cases, things are fine, and in the remaining cases, either a new well or a wastewater treatment system needs to be built.”

Water prices in Estonia are considered affordable, averaging around 1% of the average net income of a household member – a figure below the World Bank and OECD’s recommended affordability limit of 5%.

Kroon stressed the importance of consistent maintenance and strategic investment in water infrastructure. “The infrastructure will only work well in the long term if it is properly maintained and the right investments are made,” she said. The United Nations Water Conference will be held in New York from Wednesday to Friday, aiming to pressure countries to take decisive steps to ensure clean water availability, particularly in poorer nations.

The conference marks a resumption after a 50-year hiatus, revisiting issues first addressed at the 1977 UN Water Conference in Argentina. The organization is focused on water and the OECD.

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