NAIROBI, Jan. 14, 2013 -- UN-Habitat's Executive Director Dr.
Joan Clos announced the launch of a new Global Consultation on
Wastewater Management and Water Quality for the Post-2015
Development Agenda. "The global population is expected to exceed
nine billion by 2050 with majority of growth expected in
developing country urban areas with inadequate infrastructure.
The pace of urbanization is a critical issue. The management of
all forms of water and especially wastewater is often
conveniently forgotten in the political debate while in reality
it is a time bomb waiting to explode," Dr. Clos said. In a
televised statement (www.worldwewant2015.org/water/wastewater)
he also said that with current extreme climate events,
continaminated water is likely to constitute an increasingly
important risk to public health and a threat to recovery from
disaster. "A new emphasis should be placed the on prevention of
wastewater as a critical component in order to ensure efficiency
of the water cycle," Dr. Clos said. "This is