Access to and accountability of water resources

Few issues have a greater impact on our lives and on the life of the planet than the management of our most important natural resources: water. Today we have a new appreciation for the role of water in our lives, our economies and our ecosystem. Water is our lifeblood. Human beings, like other animals and plants, are made mostly of water. We need water to maintain basic health and sanitation. Some 8% of the world's freshwater supplies are used for this purpose. We need adequate supplies of water to feed ourselves. Agriculture accounts for some 63% of the world's use of freshwater (about 70% in the developing countries), and a third of the world's food crops are produced by irrigated agriculture. We also need water to develop and maintain vibrant economies. Industries use about a fifth of the world's freshwater supplies, often as a vital part of the production process. Factories use water for cooling, processing, and generating steam to run equipment and as a transporting agent....