Water Quality

Tackling Water Quality Problems That Bedevil Our World
by Genna Snider
Poor quality of water is a constant worry for many Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs). The Environment Commission is in place to address concerns over increasingly serious environmental problems as well as their consequences for the global economy. While a wide range of environmental issues are being discussed at this years' THIMUN conference, including the continuing deforestation of the Amazon and the growing problem of greenhouse gases, the pressing issue of the availability of clean, unsullied water is most critical and is being discussed in Environment Sub-Commission 1.
Environment Sub-Commission 1 recognizes that environmental problems are global. There needs to be a worldwide consensus to ensure that clean, uncontaminated water reaches every human being in the world, from the heart of the Congo to the mountains of Tibet. Every year, 1.8 million people die worldwide due to waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever, diarrhea, hepatitis, and malaria. In Bangladesh alone, 110,000 children die annually due to contaminated water.
A resolution was submitted on Tuesday which called for "countries having water allocation disputes and countries with cross border water issues" to mediate those differences. The resolution also requested "a water report every year for those areas most affected by the lack of safe drinking water". The resolution suggested that nations "enable the most effective solutions to water shortages or contamination".
The atmosphere in the room was tense; many countries desired clarifications and asked a variety of questions. Water quality affects everybody and should thus be one of the main issues addressed by both THIMUN, the UN and the international community.