Brussels, 26/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday 25 September, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton called on the international community to step up its engagement on water security - a major challenge for world security.
Speaking at the high level round table conference on water, she said: “Water is a major strategic challenge of growing concern and with potentially far reaching consequences. It is closely linked to food security, to energy security, to economic and social development. Increased water shortages, poor water quality, droughts or floods accentuated by climate change, shifting economics and demographics can be destabilising factors for peace and security.”
Recalling that the EU's engagement on water dates back a long way, with €2 billion spent in developing countries since 2008, she assured her partners of the EU's continued engagement on this. “We are convinced that water security is one of the major security challenges of our time”, she said, stressing the need “to promote the collaborative management of this resource” for sustainable development, for tackling climate change and for “stability in many parts of the world”. (AN/transl.fl)