30 October 2006
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of
Foreign Affairs will brief the media on the global launch in Cape Town, South
Africa, of the 2006 Human Development report entitled, 'Beyond Scarcity: Power,
poverty and the global water crisis.'
Main author of the report, Kevin Watkins, will attend the briefing.
Date: Wednesday, 8 November 2006
Time: 09h30 for 10h00
Venue: Imbizo Media Centre (Parliamentary media room) 120 Plein Street, Cape
Town, South Africa
Enquiries:
Lopa Banerjee
Cell: 082 210 3157
Elion von Wielligh
Cell: 082 469 1919
Xolani Malawana
Cell: 084 996 4048
2006 Human Development Report:
"Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis"
In a world of unprecedented wealth almost 2 million children die each year
for want of a glass of clean water and a toilet. Beyond the household,
competition for water for production intensifies, while the environment and the
rural poor lose out. Debunking the myth that the global water crisis is the
result of scarcity, the 2006 Human Development Report argues that poverty,
power and inequality are at the heart of the problem.
The report offers fresh new data on how many poor people go without water
and sanitation, the inequality of access within and between nations and on what
clean water really means for child survival rates. It argues for a concerted
drive to achieve water and sanitation for all through national strategies and
proposes models of co-operation to resolve cross-border tensions in water
management.
The Human Development Report continues to frame debates on some of the most
pressing challenges facing humanity. Kevin Watkins is the Lead Author of the
2006 report, which includes special contributions from Gordon Brown, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, President Lula, President Carter and United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
About HDR: The Human Development Report is an independent report
commissioned by the UNDP. The Report is translated into more than a dozen
languages and launched in more than 100 countries annually. Further information
can be found at http://www.hdr.undp.org.
About UNDP: UNDP is the UN's global network to help people meet their
development needs and build a better life. We are on the ground in 166
countries, working as a trusted partner with governments, civil society and the
private sector to help them build their own solutions to global and national
development challenges. Further information can be found at http://www.undp.org.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
30 October 2006
