MEXICO CITY, Mar 9 (IPS) - Although there is enough water for everyone on earth, 1.1 billion people have no access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation — problems that are attributed by the second United Nations World Water Development Report to mismanagement, corruption, bureaucratic inertia and lack of investment.

"Water, a Shared Responsibility" was presented Thursday in Mexico ahead of the Mar. 16-22 Fourth World Water Forum, which will draw thousands of government, business and civil society delegates to the Mexican capital.

The report, which was produced by 24 U.N. agencies, states that above all, the problem of how to share water in an equitable manner and ensure the sustainability of ecosystems is one of governance.

To talk about lack of water is to talk about poverty, and attempts to improve distribution must involve efforts to tackle poverty, Gordon Young, coordinator of the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), told journalists at the presentation of the report. Full Article