Home | China | World | Business Annan Urges Turning Water Problems Into Catalyst for Cooperation WED, FEB 27, 2002     United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan Tuesday called on the international community to turn water problems facing the world to be a catalyst for cooperation rather than a cause of tension. In a message to mark the World Day for Water, to be observed on March 22, Annan said that an estimated 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, 2.5 billion people have no access to proper sanitation, and more than 5 million people die each year from water-related diseases, 10 times the number killed in wars, on average, each year. Annan said that by the year 2025, two-thirds of the world's population is likely to live in countries with moderate or severe water shortages. Fierce national competition over water resources has promoted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflict, he added. "But the water problems facing our world need not be only a cause of tension; they can also be a catalyst for cooperation," he said. He said two-thirds of the world's major rivers are shared by several countries, and more than 300 rivers cross national boundaries. Increasingly, countries with expertise in the management of watersheds and flood-plains, or with experience in efficient irrigation, are sharing that knowledge and technology with others, he said, adding that scientists from many nations and disciplines are pooling their efforts, to assess the threat and in the hopes of bringing about a much-needed "blue revolution" in agricultural productivity. He said a world summit on sustainable development will be held in Johannesburg later this year and the U.N. General Assembly has proclaimed next year the "International Year of Fresh water". Everyone has a stake in seizing these opportunities to chart a decisive course of action for meeting the goals on access to fresh water set by the Millennium Summit in 2000, he said. Editor:Liu Hongji Source:Xinhua Recommend to your friend email:    China Central Television,All Rights Reserved