UN: 26% of world lacks clean drinking water, 46% sanitation

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A report says 26% of the world’s population doesn’t have access to safe drinking water and 46% lacks access to basic sanitation. The U.N. World Water Development Report 2023 came Tuesday on the eve of the first major U.N. conference on water in over 45 years. The report paints a stark picture of the huge gap that needs to be filled to meet U.N. goals to ensure all people have access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. The report’s editor-in-chief, Richard Connor, says the estimated cost of meeting the goals is between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year. The three-day U.N. Water Conference opens Wednesday (March 22, 2023).