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STORY: UNICEF / CHILDREN WATER
TRT: 01:23
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 GMT, 22 MARCH, 2017; CREDIT UNICEF FOOTAGE ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: NATS
DATELINE: FILE
5 OCTOBER, 2016, PETIT GOAVE, HAITI
1. Wide shots, dashboard footage of driving through flooded roads
2. Wide shots, people attempting to cross a flooded river
6 OCTOBER, 2016, JEREMIE, HAITI
3. Wide shot, man walking under tree uprooted by Hurricane Matthew
4. Wide shot, debris from a house destroyed by Hurricane Matthew
5. Wide shot, locals pulling debris out of house destroyed by Hurricane Matthew
AUGUST, 2016, MATABELELAND SOUTH PROVINCE, ZIMBABWE
6. Wide shot, dried up dam
7. Tilt up, dry cracked soil
8. Tilt up, dry farmland
9. Pan left, man and woman sweep leaves
20 FEBRUARY, 2016, SUVA, FIJI
10. Various shots, trees uprooted by Cyclone Winston
15 FEBRUARY, 2016, CHIKHWAWA, MALAWI
11. Wide shot, mother tends to a dry maize field
12. Close up, mother touches small maize plant
13. Wide shot, mother tends to a dry maize field
In a report released on World Water Day (22 Mar), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said one in four, some 600 million, children worldwide will be living in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040.
The report titled “Thirsting for a Future: Water and children in a changing climate” examined the threats to children’s lives and wellbeing caused by depleted sources of safe water and the ways climate change will intensify these risks in coming years. It concluded that the demand for water far currently exceeded the renewable supply available in 36 countries causing extremely high levels of water stress. Warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, increased floods, droughts and melting ice affect the quality and availability of water as well as sanitation systems.
UNICEF said population growth, increased water consumption, and higher demand for water largely due to industrialization and urbanization were draining water resources worldwide and conflicts in many parts of the world also threatened children’s access to safe water. This forces children to use unsafe water, which exposes them to potentially deadly diseases like cholera and diarrhea. The report noted that over 800 children under the age of five died every day from diarrhea linked to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene.
UNICEF added that many children in drought-affected areas spend hours every day collecting water which causes them to miss school and puts girls especially at risk of being attacked. The report said the poorest and most vulnerable children will be most impacted by an increase in water stress as millions of them already live in areas with low access to safe water and sanitation.
UNICEF said the impact of climate change on water sources was not inevitable and the the report made a series of recommendations to that effect. It said Governments needed to plan for changes in water availability and demand in the coming years and prioritize the most vulnerable children’s access to safe water. It also said climate risks should be integrated into all water and sanitation-related policies and services, and investments should to target high-risk populations. The report also recommended businesses work with communities to prevent contamination and depletion of safe water sources while calling on communities themselves should explore ways to diversify water sources and to increase their capacity to store water safely.
