Today in Dushanbe, during the opening ceremony of the Second High-Level International Conference dedicated to the International Decade for Action «Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028,» President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon said that about 2 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water supply systems.

According to him, the world community has not yet taken the necessary measures to mitigate the consequences of climate change and adapt to it.

“Naturally, during [the pandemic], all countries directed all means and opportunities to combat this crisis,” he noted.

“But we must not forget that the issue of water, due to its special importance, must always remain a priority,” he added.

According to experts, by 2050 the world population will reach 9 billion people, which will certainly increase the demand for water many times over.

Along with this, President Emomali Rahmon emphasized that the common efforts have not yet yielded the desired results, and as is known, the following figures testify to this:

— An estimated two billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water.

— Around 3.6 billion people lack access to basic health care and an estimated 2.3 billion people lack access to basic hygiene facilities.

— Every year, about half a million people die from water-related infectious diseases.

“In this regard, we can say that the process of practical implementation of the goals and objectives set in the direction of ensuring access to clean drinking water and sanitation is not at the proper level,” he noted.

With this in mind, the Dushanbe conference also put the issue of safe drinking water supply and the interdependence of water issues and health problems at the heart of the program.