Dr Gabriel Adakole, a Public Health expert based in Abuja, has called on Nigerians to adopt sustainable and affordable water and sanitation solutions by effectively managing water resources in the country.
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Adakole made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja.
NAN reports that he was speaking on the occasion to commemorate the World Water Day, put in place by the United Nation since 1993, to be observed on March, 22 annually.
The commemoration aims at focusing on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The 2020 theme is; “Water and Climate Change, and how both are inextricably linked.
The campaign shows how our use of water will help reduce floods, droughts, scarcity, pollution, and help fight climate change itself.
The expert said that saving water was more important than ever before, adding that water could help fight climate change.
He said that the World Water Day celebration was taking place at the time of a global pandemic.
“We must celebrate the role of water in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“But we must also recognise millions of Nigerians who don’t have basic water and sanitation.
“Those who live in close confines and can’t practice social distancing or wash their hands throughout the day.
“I have met some Nigerians who have never had free access to clean water,” he said.
He noted that COVID-19 had changed everything, adding that the world appeared to be waking up to how vital this resource was.
Adakole said that water was a precious resource, which all Nigerians had the responsibility to use responsibly, by becoming responsible water stewards.
“Let us endeavour to ensure that the vulnerable communities have access to safe and clean drinking water in the country.
“Hand washing is one of the most effective ways of preventing illnesses like COVID-19,” he said.
He stated that amidst the pandemic, saving water was equally important.
The expert said that safely managed water and sanitation services were essential in protecting human health during infectious disease outbreaks, including the current COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, about 63 million Nigerians lack access to clean water and rely on unhealthy sources of water, which has contributed to sickness, death and even child mortality.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to bring to fore the difficulties they go through on a daily basis to access water.
“Every system on this Earth is connected to water. Water: as a resource, as energy, as information, as a value system,” he said.
The expert added that humans needed water to survive, as do all the systems they rely on: sanitation, like healthcare, education, business and agriculture.
“Climate change is a big threat to humanity and one of the most significant, yet ignored, impacts of climate change is its disruption of the water cycle,” he said.
NAN recalls that the World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living in the world without access to safe water.
It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis.
A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The idea goes back to 1992, when the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro took place.
That year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by which March 22 of each year was declared World Day for Water, to be observed starting in 1993.
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