CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Statement by Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson, Charge d’affaires a.i of the Permanent Mission of Cuba, at the high level Interactive Dialogue on World Water Day. New York, Monday 22 March 2010

Panel II: Water, climate change and disasters

 

Mr. President,
Water is a resource affected by climate change and, at the same time, a means through which climate anomalies and changes impact on and amplify in the economy, society and environmental conditions, mainly of the most vulnerable countries, towns and communities.

Climate change is expected to increase global water shortage by around 20%. Global warming has a negative impact on glaciers and polar ice caps, which are the major freshwater reserves in the earth.   

In this context, already complex and unfair for the vast majority of the world population, there are also the known evidences of the climate change impact on water resources and extreme behaviors of the precipitation regime. This aggravates even more the dangers and vulnerabilities of developing countries to the rational and efficient use of water in their economy, society, and environment.

To consistently face climate change and its impact on water resources and food security, developing countries require a sustainable hydraulic infrastructure that can provide the necessary quantities of water with the required quality.

There is a need to implement national plans to face climate change impact, which include adaptation measures of water resources, bearing in mind that the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), adjusted to the conditions of each country, plays a key role.

To have modern, sustainable, and strengthened observational networks is a priority for developing countries, so as to properly follow up on the behavior of the changes in the water cycle, both in its quantitative and qualitative components.     
Likewise, it is important to preserve and develop conventional networks and their maintenance, as well as to create automated databases, so there is a need for the necessary financial resources and technical assistance. International cooperation is essential.   
It is imperative to create and develop funds and financial mechanisms, whether sponsored or not by the United Nations, which are not subject to the discriminatory dictates and conditionalities of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This would enable the provision of financial and technological funds as well as exchange and institutional strengthening, aimed at supporting national implementation of actions increasing the coverage of drinking water and environmental sanitation, the agricultural and aquatic production, the integrated water management and the sustainable ecosystem management, and thus the fulfillment of the population’s basic needs and the adoption of adaptation measures in the face of climate change.  
Some insist there are no financial resources available. Cuba does not share such position. All necessary resources could be obtained if the foreign debt of developing countries is cancelled; if agricultural subsidies influencing the rise in prices and affecting the productions of developing countries are reduced and eliminated; if at least 10% of the annual military expenditures is allocated to developing countries as funds to successfully face food insecurity and the challenges of climate change. There will be more than enough resources if developed countries meet their commitment to allocate 0.7% of their GDP to the Official Development Assistance.  
Thank you