Statement of the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs A.Pankin at the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting on «Ensuring Access to Water and Sanitation», Rio de Janeiro, July 22, 2024
Unofficial translation
Distinguished Colleagues,
We are thankful to our Brazilian partners for their hospitality and substantive discussions on access to water and sanitation issues, which are of paramount importance for sustainable development and an indispensable condition for overcoming present challenges. Efficient water management creates a solid foundation for eradicating poverty and hunger, addressing inequalities, improving health care and quality of life, and reducing environmental risks.
We share the views of the Brazilian presidency regarding insufficient progress in the implementation of SDG 6. A quarter of the world's population still lacks water. Increasing urbanization and inequality may bring the situation to a critical point. It is important that the G20 reaffirm commitment to constructive changes in the area.
Naturally, positive dynamics in the water sector will rely on the efforts to expand the economic, scientific and technological potential, including through international exchanges and support. The work should focus, first and foremost, on practical aspects of ensuring access to water and on building up implementation tools that have proved effective in the countries in need. It is not only a question of fulfilling financial obligations by OECD members, but also that of stimulating technology transfer with a focus on water conservation, management, and rational water use in agriculture, industry, and housing and utilities services.
Existing barriers to achieving SDG 6 include inadequate development funding. Amounts allocated are scarce and pale in comparison to the money and weapons «pumped» into burning conflicts. The Global South is facing persistent credit shortages, high interest rates, and the flow of borrowed funds into the Western sovereign debt. The seizure of state assets and private property as part of unilateral sanctions is harmful for prospects of solving water problems.
Another challenge for developing countries is that many technologies from developed countries are patent-protected and come at prohibitive prices, which hampers their adoption where they are most needed. This sensitive issue was discussed in detail with African partners at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June (the Russian-African conference entitled «Water: More Precious than Gold» was held). Russia reaffirmed its readiness to supply affordable modern equipment, share R&D and experience in searching and exploiting groundwater deposits, improving the quality of water supply, and rational water use. We offer competitive water-treatment and water-saving technologies, know-how for irrigation in agriculture and introduction of high yielding crops with lower water consumption.
Cooperation in this field has already been established with a number of African states. We are traditionally intensely working with neighbor partners from Central Asia. The BRICS Clean Rivers Programme initiated by Russia, which seeks to ensure cleaner rivers and prevent pollution of water resources in the BRICS countries, is being successfully implemented.
Demand for multilateral collaboration, dialogue and cooperation is growing intensely. We are pleased to note that the outcome document on WASH prioritizes such tasks as providing access to water and sanitation services, enhancing international cooperation, and supporting developing countries in capacity building in this field. It rightly highlights ways to address vulnerabilities caused by climate change, the importance of cross border interaction.
Russia has unique water reserves that offer unrivalled opportunities for numerous economic sectors. The share of Russia's population provided with safe drinking water is almost 90 per cent, reaching 95 per cent in urban areas. We have gained vast experience and practices in improving the quality of water supply. Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the target of constructing and modernizing at least two thousand drinking water supply and water treatment facilities by 2030. A unified digital inventory of the relevant infrastructure is expected to be launched in 2025.
Over the past five years, Russian experts have adopted advanced technological solutions, which helped restore hundreds of kilometers of rivers, more than twenty thousand hectares of ecosystems of lakes and water reservoirs.
In 2025, Russia will launch a new integrated federal water project. It will be twice as extensive as the previous ones and will improve living conditions for 22 million people by 2030.
We will actively participate in global efforts, including in the G20, aimed at providing universal access to water and sanitation infrastructure.
I thank you for your attention.
