News headlines in March 2018, page 4

GAZA CITY, Mar 21 (IPS) - Matthias Schmale is Director of Operations in Gaza for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.World Water Day (March 22) could not come at a more critical time for the people of Gaza who are facing a humanitarian catastrophe The recent decision by the United States to reduce funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), jeopardizes its role as a critical source of clean drinking water when Gaza's supplies slow to a drip.

LONDON, Mar 21 (IPS) - Tim Wainwright is Chief executive, WaterAid, UK    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.For the past weeks, many have been anxiously tracking the approach of Cape Town's Day Zero: the day its taps will run dry. To everyone's relief, current predictions are that careful conservation may stave off such a catastrophe in the coastal South African city until the rains arrive.

JOHANNESBURG, Mar 20 (IPS) - This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.April 12 is expected to be the infamous "Day Zero" in South Africa's second largest city of Cape Town, a tourist hub which attracts millions of visitors every year.

STOCKHOLM, Mar 20 (IPS) - Torgny Holmgren is Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.Going into World Water Day, I have an ambivalent feeling. This year's theme The Answer is in Nature can sound almost like mockery considering how badly parts of the world have been hit in recent years due to water-related natural disasters, be it floods, storms or droughts.

NAIROBI, Mar 20 (IPS) - Yeonju Jeong is UN Environment freshwater expert    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.Freshwater makes up only 2.5% of all water we have on earth. Readily accessible freshwater – which is found in rivers, lakes, wetlands and aquifers – accounts for less than one per cent of the world's water supply. It is vital for the existence of nearly every species on earth.

YAOUNDE, Mar 20 (IPS) - Tih Ntiabang is Regional Coordinator - AFRO, Framework Convention Alliance, CameroonLast week, the International Labour Organization's (ILO) governing body postponed yet again a decision to stop accepting money from the tobacco industry for its projects to end child labour in the tobacco growing sector.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 20 (IPS) - Miroslav Lajčák is President of the UN General Assembly    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.At the start of the seventy-second session of the General Assembly of the United Nations I emphasized our common goal: peace and a decent life for all people on a sustainable planet. Many leaders echoed this overarching priority at the general debate and beyond.

NEW DELHI, Mar 20 (IPS) - With India's citizens clamouring for breathable air and efficient energy options, the country's planners are more receptive than ever to explore sustainable development options, says Frank Rijsberman, Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

HAMILTON, Canada, Mar 19 (IPS) - Vladimir Smakhtin is Director of United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22."You cannot manage what you do not measure" is a long-familiar saying to many, nowhere more so than in professional water circles at almost every level.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 19 (IPS) - Ramu Damodaran is Editor-in-Chief of the UN Chronicle and Chief of the United Nations Academic Impact—a vibrant network of more than 1200 academic and research institutions around the world which are committed to supporting UN's goals and ideals.    This article is part of a series of stories and op-eds launched by IPS on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.One of the first resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, on the location of the headquarters of the Organization, gives the United Nations "exclusive rights over the subsoil of land conveyed to it, and in particular the right to make constructions underground and to obtain therefrom supplies of water."