Prologue

IT GIVES ME GRAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE this first edition of the World Water Development Report, Water for People, Water for Life, which, like the World Water Assessment Programme itself, is a product of many hands working in close collaboration. The Report emphasizes the critical importance of freshwater in every region of the world. It shows how human development is stifled without an adequate supply of water of suitable quality. It shows how peace and harmony between and within nations are threatened where, for whatever reason, there is insufficient water to meet human and environmental needs. And it shows how the value of freshwater exceeds narrow economic calculations by encompassing a whole range of social, cultural and ethical considerations.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Clean Water and Sanitation