26 Percent of world's population does not have safe drinking water: UNESCO report

• 26 per cent of the world’s population does not have safe drinking water and 46 per cent lack access to safely managed sanitation, according to a report published by UNESCO at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York.
• The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million in 2016 to 1.7 to 2.4 billion people in 2050.
• Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General said that there is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiralling out of control.
• The report further said that the United Nations calls for boosting international cooperation over how water is used and managed. It said this is the only way to prevent a global water crisis in the coming decades.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization):

1. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
2. It was established on 16 November 1945.
3. Headquarters: Paris, France
4. UNESCO members - 193 countries
5. UNESCO Head - Audrey Azoulay