By Krystal Pugh
Dr. Andrew Hudson, head of the United Nations Development Programme’s Water & Ocean Governance Programme, travelled around the world calculating water sanitation and supply.
His latest research reveals a devastating truth — our international system is facing a water crisis.
On Tuesday Feb. 18, FIU hosted Hudson as a guest speaker in Green Library Room 220, sponsored by Global Water for Sustainability Program and the FIU School of Environment, Arts and Society.
Hudson devised a lecture to share with students about the current state of water supply and sanitation.
He began by providing statistics about the many countries in crisis of not being able to provide the basic human right –water.
Through the statistics, he highlighted many key points and offered a general outlook of these communities living with poor water supply and sanitation.
He explained how this basic need is something many people overlook and neglect.
The death rate and infectious diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid fever, have continued to increase due to lack of proper water intake and sanitation.
Some major at-risk countries include Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Guatemala. These countries in particular are suffering from poverty and inequality.
Hudson explains that these countries need more women involved in pushing the story, claiming that women in these countries seem to have a better understanding of the importance of water and sanitation.
“To push water and improve water sanitation up the political agenda, we need to make the case to governments, decision makers, financial planners and planning agencies,” Hudson said. “We have to achieve universal equitable access [of clean water] for all countries.”
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