Nearly four billion people around the globe experience a severe water crisis every month, Ambassador Gifty Nyarko, the African Ambassador for Inclusive Urban Governance and Climate-Resilient Development has said.
She called for a collective approach among global leaders to tackle water scarcity, worrying that about 2.2 billion people lacked potable drinking water.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Ambassador Nyarko also the National President of the Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners in Ghana noted that about 720 million people have experienced critical water stress.
“The figures call for a shared global responsibility in tackling the problem which is affecting health, livelihoods and socioeconomic growth and well-being,” she advised.
Ambassador Nyarko said she was particularly concerned because water scarcity was directly affecting urban populations, vulnerable communities, and thereby threatening the foundation and achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
She emphasised that addressing the water crisis effectively required strong collaborations that leveraged expertise, innovation, and data-driven solutions to climate change impacts.
“As part of my role in promoting inclusive urban governance and climate-resilient development, I’m really concerned about ensuring that there are safe water management policies that are equitable, evidence-based, and capable of withstanding the pressures of climate change,” she stated.
Amb Nyarko said by coordinating governments, communities, and development partners “we can ensure that all populations, especially the most vulnerable ones have access to safe and reliable water, while building cities and communities that are resilient to climate impacts”.
She encouraged collective knowledge sharing at international, national, regional, and local levels to advance sustainable water management practices and build systems that supported equitable development in Africa and beyond.
“Through that conscious action, water scarcity and a stress-free environment, water security, climate resilience and inclusive urban governance and sustainability will be achieved,” she indicated.
Ambassador Nyarko said as a staunch advocate for inclusive urban governance and climate-resilient development, she was working hard to promote sustainable and equitable solutions that empowered communities and addressed the impacts of climate change in Ghana, Africa, and the globe.