World Water Day 2024 : water for peace

Water is life. We are reminded of this in our daily lives, in our domestic and professional activities.

At international level, 2 resolutions have reaffirmed this importance: access to water has been a fundamental human right since 2010, when the United Nations adopted a resolution recognising that "the right to safe drinking water and sanitation is a human right, essential for the full enjoyment of life and the exercise of all human rights"; in 2015, all Member States of the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which cover all development issues (health, education, justice, equality, etc.), in all countries, each with its own specific objectives. ), in all countries, with targets for each to be achieved by 2030. One of these, No. 6, is specifically dedicated to water and aims to "ensure access to water and sanitation for all and ensure sustainable management of water resources".

In recent years, the implementation of these resolutions has been made even more difficult by the consequences of climate change, of which water is the 1st victim, but also by the increase in population (growing demography), which implies

• Increasing agricultural production at a time of increasing drought, Increasing energy production and decarbonising it, despite the reduction in river flows, which is having a particularly adverse effect on hydroelectric production,
• Adapting land-use planning, particularly in urban areas that are sensitive to extreme weather events (intense rainfall, flooding),
• Combating rising sea levels in coastal areas, where populations are concentrated ....

These additional pressures make it even more crucial to share water resources fairly, in terms of both quantity and quality, between regions in order to avoid conflicts.

Technical, legal, administrative, economic, financial and social measures will have to be taken to ensure that water is used sparingly, that availability is optimised and that water quality is preserved.

National and local governance, cross-border cooperation, technological innovation...: there are many levels at which solutions can be found.

A 2021 study put the number of jobs to be filled in the water sector over the period 2020-2025 at 13,000, of which more than 7,000 will be to replace existing staff.

Regular technological and regulatory developments are having a significant impact on employment and job content.

OiEau provides practical solutions to these challenges, with 6,000 professionals placing their trust in the organisation each year to deliver 600 training sessions.

Institutional and technical support, knowledge of the resource, sharing of knowledge and innovation, and skills development are essential means of achieving these ambitions: find out more about our actions.