Mirror Event on Water and Power
Abstract
Inequality in access to water and sanitation is one of the biggest development challenges
of the twenty-first century. In 2015, 663 million people around the globe lacked
access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion people lacked access to improved sanitation
with about 946 million people defecating in the open (UNICEF and WHO 2015).
This situation undermines good health, nutrition and human dignity and is a global
outrage. Accessing water can be particularly challenging for smallholders, vulnerable
and marginalised populations, and women. There is no dearth of ideas, fora and meetings
regarding how to deal with water challenges. Yet the key challenge remains of
how to address water problems in ways that are sustainable, socially just and which
consistently address the interests of poorer and marginalised people.