Secretary-General, at ‘Water for Life’ Exhibit in India, Lauds Prime Minister’s Drive to Break Taboos, Set Sanitation as ‘National Priority’

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the launch of the exhibition: “Water for Life” at the Nehru Science Centre, in Mumbai, India, today:

I welcome the launch of the “Water for Life” exhibition at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai.  The world has made tremendous gains in the areas of water and sanitation.  In the course of one generation, 2.3 billion people have gained access to an improved drinking water source, meeting the Millennium Development Goal target five years ahead of schedule.  More than 1.9 billion people have gained improved access to sanitation.

Considerable momentum was generated when the United Nations General Assembly declared access to clean drinking water and safe sanitation a human right.  But much remains to be done.  Every day, nearly 1,000 children under the age of 5 are killed by a toxic mix of unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and hygiene.  Some 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation and 1 billion practise open defecation.

India is making great strides to improve hygiene and public health.  With his commitment to end open defecation, Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi is breaking taboos while making sanitation a national priority.  With political will, innovative approaches and social change, total sanitation coverage can be a reality.

As countries around the world embark on implementing the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the proposed sustainable development goal encompassing the entire water cycle will help us to address water and sanitation issues in a holistic manner.

Let us build on the advances of the “Water for Life” Decade.  I count on the support of all actors, from scientists to policymakers, to work together to achieve sustainable water and sanitation for all and ensure that no one is left behind.