Water and sanitation are at the very core of sustainable development. Safe drinking water and adequate sanitation and
hygiene are pillars of human health and well-being. In addition to domestic purposes, water is needed for food, energy and industrial production – uses that are highly interconnected and potentially conflicting. These various uses generate wastewater, which may cause pollution if not properly managed. Water is also needed to ensure healthy ecosystems, which, in turn, can improve the quantity and quality of freshwater, as well as overall resilience to human-induced and environmentally induced changes. The effects of climate change are often reflected in shifts in water
availability, for example, increasing water scarcity in some regions and flooding in others. Consequently, water is a key factor in managing risks related to famine, disease epidemics, migration, inequalities within and among countries, political instability and natural disasters.