RIO DE JANEIRO: Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadel Alibrahim has said ensuring access to water and sanitation is not just a policy, but a human right, and one of the important Sustainable Development Goals, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
He was participating in the “Ensuring Access to Water” session held during the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on July 22 and 23.
Speaking at the session, Alibrahim said that the shortage of available freshwater resources and sanitation services deters human development by causing severe health risks, including waterborne diseases, malnutrition and drought. The inability to access water places significant constraints on agriculture, affecting international food security. He added ensuring access to water and sanitation is not just a policy, but a human right.
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The minister said the establishment by the Kingdom of a global water organization, announced by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, will serve as a global platform to coordinate efforts, provide funding, exchange knowledge and best practices, direct resources to the most critical projects, boost partnerships between the public and private sectors, and enhance the alignment of government policies by developing innovative solutions to global water access challenges.
He emphasized prioritizing water-related issues on the G20 agenda, and continue the annual water dialogue initiated by the Kingdom during its presidency of the group in 2020.
