Thursday, March 28, 2024

Our water, Our future

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By Africa Renewal

While the idea of an island may call to mind the image of a beach paradise, for the world’s 51 Small Island Developing States this is all too often a fragile idyll.

Small, often economically at the mercy of their larger neighbours and world markets, and at the forefront of the reality of climate change, many of these states face a raft of challenges to their ongoing sustainable development. And while it may seem counter-intuitive, among the first of these is water.

They may be surrounded by the big blue, but the reality is that for many islands water for drinking, agriculture and industry is a precious – and often scarce – resource. With changing weather patterns, increasing urbanization and growing competition for what water these islands have, sustainably managing this resource is fast becoming a top priority.

“Most Small Island Developing States are experiencing increasing shortages of freshwater as a result of multiple anthropogenic pressures and climate change impacts on their already vulnerable freshwater resources,” reads the UN’s 2014 Emerging Issues for Small Island Developing States report. “Water scarcity will have far-reaching impacts on sustainable development… and could even jeopardize the continued human habitation of some islands.” Read more…

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