World Water Day

  The Arab region is one of the most water-scarce regions globally, with 19 out of 22 Arab states meeting official definitions of water scarcity and 13 states meeting definitions of absolute water scarcity. Additional crises can exacerbate the water challenge in the region, including climate change, conflict, and socioeconomic and political upheaval. In 2017, the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources and SocioEconomic Vulnerability in the Arab Region projected the duration and frequency of droughts in the region would increase. Women and girls frequently disproportionately shoulder the burden of these impacts because they may be vulnerable community members burdened by traditional gender roles. It has been estimated that 15% of schools in the Arab region have limited or no access to water, while 18% have limited or no access to basic sanitation services. In times of water scarcity or when WASH infrastructure is unavailable or insufficie...

  Global access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services improved significantly from 1990 to 2024, although major gaps remain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)/ United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme report, between 2015 and 2024, 961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water services, increasing global coverage from 68% to 74%. About 1.2 billion people gained access to safely managed sanitation services, with global coverage increasing from 48% to 58% over the same period. Despite this progress, as of 2024, 2.1 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, while 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation services and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home. According to the report, women and girls are most likely to be responsible for water collection. This can expose them to physical strain and safety risks, especially in remote or insecure areas. In addition, lack of privacy...