The importance of water in foreign policy

Water is very important for all United Nations priorities, as it affects development, human rights, peace, security and the environment.Globally, one in four people lack the safe drinking water and about 50 percent of the world's population cannot reach the basic hand washing facilities.The treatment of important issues of the water business schedule will indirectly affect many other development priorities.Water can cause great concern for national security through its impact on health, stability, prosperity and resilience.In addition, its comprehensive nature of several sectors makes it an integral part not only of the broader development agenda, but also from the foreign policy of the United States in general.

The Biden Administration has sought to restore the American leadership in global development issues.Within this biggest goal, management has set priorities, including focusing on competition with China and Russia, handling climate challenges, and promoting comprehensive development.Water plays an important role in addressing these priorities.In July, the Grand Greater Industrial Countries Group announced the partnership of rebuilding a better world (B3W) as a response to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will be an important part of the water and sewage infrastructure..In addition to B3W, water will also play an important role in achieving the goals set in other management strategies, including the global food security strategy and the strategy of root causes..If the administration wants to address climate issues successfully, you will also need to address the resulting water challenges and find ways to apply water in mitigation and adaptation strategies.The access to water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH) affects deprived societies and minorities such as women and indigenous groups, highlighting the importance of water in promoting the priority of other Biden administration, for comprehensive development..Finally, the improvements in the water agenda will not be possible without sufficient financing.In this regard, the Biden Administration can also take advantage of its strength against China through digital payments and private sector investments.Infrastructure, climate, comprehensive development and financing are few examples of places where water challenges can play an important role in enhancing Biden's foreign policy goals.

Infrastructure

The infrastructure is an important aspect of the water agenda and an important part of the foreign policy of the Biden administration.Over the past decade, China has greatly strengthened its infrastructure efforts around the world, through the Belt and Road Initiative in the first place.In a barter between the regions in which the United States has a competitive advantage such as private sector development, the United States reduced its focus on building a solid infrastructure, despite the ability of agencies such as the USAID Agency (USAID), the Challenge Foundation (MCC) and the Development Finance Foundation (DFC) To finance or support the development of infrastructure projects directly.

In response to the increasing competition with China, the United States Agency for International Development should use its strategic capabilities to build a reliable infrastructure that does not leave the beneficiaries in unbearable debts, which is what many of the Belt and Road Initiative projects do.Water infrastructure exceeds large projects and includes smart water meters, which measure consumption and energy monitoring in actual time.This may be important in geographical regions such as the Middle East or sub -Saharan Africa, where they can help address the fears of water scarcity by providing decision makers with the necessary data to improve decisions related to planning and allocation.This type of accuracy can also support sustainability and water recycling efforts around the world.The United States Agency for International Development must also explore opportunities to provide soft infrastructure through technical assistance (TA), capacity building and organizational support for local governments, facilities and other service providers in the water sector.In addition, the missing part of the talks on building water infrastructure is the maintenance of current water systems.If something is disrupted and it is not treated quickly, it may lead to more harm than its benefit by creating a conflict between societies.The United States Agency for International Development must also participate in capacity building to support current infrastructure maintenance.

At the Group Group summit in June, the White House announced the new B3W initiative, which seeks to combine development financing tools for the Group of Seven for the capital's capital and assistance in filling the 40 trillion dollar infrastructure gap in developing countries, including infrastructure challengesWater.These infrastructure projects will play a fundamental role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), including goal 6: clean water and sanitation.The B3W initially aims to respond to the Belt and the Expatition Road in China and is rooted in a joint set of standards, which includes focusing on good governance and climate.Weak management, excessive regulation, and government corruption can increase the costs of transactions and inhibit potential investments in water and infrastructure systems.Climate change, which is one of the priorities of B3W, has harmful effects on the scarcity of water, security, sanitation and agriculture, and therefore it is another aspect where the initiative interferes with the water agenda and the priorities of the Biden administration.

climate

أرسل تعيين جون كيري كأول مبعوث رئاسي خاص للولايات المتحدة للclimate رسالة واضحة من إدارة بايدن مفادها أنها تعتبر الclimate أولوية عليا للإدارة. شهد مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة السادس والعشرون لتغير الclimate (COP26) جهدًا جماعيًا بين البلدان المتقدمة لمضاعفة مساعداتها الclimateية بحلول عام 2025 ، مما يمثل التزامًا مهمًا ، وإن كان غير مكتمل ، لمواجهة التحديات البيئية. أظهرت هذه الالتزامات أن الclimate مجال يمكن أن تتعاون فيه دول مثل الولايات المتحدة والصين ، والتي عادة ما تكون في موقف أكثر تنافسية. في COP26 ، تم تخصيص جناح كامل حصريًا للمياه ، مما يسلط الضوء على مركزية المياه في كل من تأثير تغير الclimate عليها ، فضلاً عن قدرتها على إيجاد حلول للأزمة والتنمية. يؤثر تغير الclimate بشكل كبير على أنماط الطقس ، مما يؤدي بدوره إلى تفاقم مشاكل ندرة المياه.The impact of the extended dehydration on agriculture can lead to economic deterioration.In addition, control of water sources such as dams can lead to a conflict.Each of the economic deterioration and the struggle caused by the scarcity of water plays an important role in immigration, with 10 percent of the migration between 1970 and 2000 are associated with water deficiency..

ومع ذلك ، يمكن أن تكون المياه أيضًا جزءًا من حل مشكلة تغير الclimate. من خلال تدابير التخفيف والتكيف المختلفة ، يمكن أن تكون المياه جزءًا أساسيًا من بناء القدرة على التكيف مع تغير الclimate. وفقًا لوكالة ناسا ، يتم تعريف التخفيف على أنه “الحد من تغير الclimate – يتضمن تقليل تدفق غازات الاحتباس الحراري التي تحبس الحرارة في الغلاف الجوي” والتكيف على أنه “التكيف مع الحياة في climate متغير – ينطوي على التكيف مع الclimate الفعلي أو المتوقع في المستقبل”.Mitigating strategies are classified into two categories, based on nature or driven by technology.Adaptation measures can also be based on nature or technology as well as through social and institutional measures.Water -related mitigation strategies, especially fresh water, have additional benefits that go beyond environmental protection, including stimulating job growth, poverty reduction, and promotion of human health and gender equality.

Comprehensive development and water

Comprehensive development is another priority for Biden Administration, which focuses on disadvantaged societies and minorities.The impact of access to water, sanitation and health hygiene services in an inconsistent manner on women and girls.In societies that do not have the closest well or water access point easily, girls are often assigned to collect water for their families.Women around the world spend 200 million hours a day to collect water.This long -time activity prevents girls from obtaining education and gaining income.Moreover, the insecure access to the toilets, the lack of access, and the unsafe method of water collection makes women vulnerable to sexual assault.Treating access to water can improve women's lives directly around the world in countless ways, including improving education access and improving health..Women can also be an integral part of finding effective solutions in the water schedule.In the example of the President's President's Emergency Plan Persia (PEPFAR), a group of enthusiastic and talented women revolutionized the role of women in support..They are important to their community, and therefore they can play an important role in the water space as well.

Reaching toilets and water sources is not just a woman's issue.The infrastructure is often developed without accessing access to persons with disabilities.There are also cases where marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities, are prohibited from accessing water, sanitation and health cleaning services.However, there are steps that organizations can take to make water, sanitation and hygiene services more comprehensive, including consultation with the affected population, partnership with organizations that have experience in this field, collecting and analyzing data, and ensuring that totalitarianism is an official aspect of designs.

Funding the water schedule

As with all development efforts, improvements in the field of water cannot be made without sufficient financing.Despite the increasing appreciation of the water agenda, which indicates the passage of the water law to the poor in 2005, the establishment of the American global water strategy in 2017, and a great allocation in the budget, there is still a gap in water financing around the world.In the financial years 2018 and 2019, the first two years of implementation of the strategy, the United States Agency for International Development provided $ 835 million for water, sanitation and health cleaning services scattered in 51 countries.In the fiscal year 2020, the United States Agency for International Development managed to mobilize $ 216 million outside the US taxpayer financing.In the United States, there are heroes in Congress on the hill, including Senator Ben Kardan and Tom Carper, the House of Representatives for Water and Sewerage, and a strong support society, can be paid to increase strategic financing in the water field.The international community must look beyond traditional official development assistance (ODA) to creative technologies, domestic resources mobilization (DRM), and special financing that can help fill the financing gap.

The use of digital payments to improve water systems will be an integral part of this.As the name suggests, digital payments consist of payments that use any digital device including mobile phones, computers, mobile wireless data or the World Financial Communications Association (SWIFT), and can include bank payments, mobile money or payment cards.With 5.2 billion unique mobile phone subscriptions worldwide, digital payments in the developing world have become increasingly common among the main facilities and will continue to improve access to financing significantly.An example of this is the Ugandan National Sewerage Company (NWSC), which witnessed a decrease of 75 percent in costs and an increase in revenue by 15 percent when it moved to the electronic water bills system.In general, the use of digital payments for large -scale facilities can improve the efficiency of collection, reduce administrative costs, reduce optional costs, and improve the timing of payments.

Another important aspect of financing the water agenda is to look beyond the official development assistance of national and local financiers, especially taxes.Disaster risk management is a means by which the government can collect taxes to finance water infrastructure.According to the American Agency for International Development, the Digital Rights Management is "the process through which countries bring together and spend their own money to provide the needs of their peoples.".It is important to note that digital rights management does not necessarily mean new or new taxes, but tax collection systems have been improved by simplifying the deposit process or improving audit operations.Digital Rights Management is an important part of the Biden administration's focus on supporting local partners and can play an important role in financing water efforts on a national basis.

The private sector's investment will be an integral part of the financing of the water agenda.In places like sub -Saharan Africa, the local private sector plays an important role in filling the traditional public service gap in the water sector.As part of the private sector policy, the American Agency Agency for International Development has countless methods to support the growth of the private sector, including exchanging information, harnessing experiences, enhancing the enabling environment, and opening investment.The American Agency for International Development, DFC, MCC and other agencies have different capabilities to support SMES (SMES), micro, small and medium -sized institutions (MSMES) that include loans, soft guarantees, property rights and technical assistance.The United States Agency for International Development has already experience in these types of projects.In Haiti, the water and sanitation project strengthens small and medium -sized companies in its ability to provide sewage projects.These types of efforts should continue and grow.

conclusion

The comprehensive nature of water makes it an integral part of addressing not only priorities in the field of development but also the goals of the foreign policy of the United States. تلعب المياه دورًا في جميع أهداف السياسة الخارجية لإدارة بايدن تقريبًا ، بما في ذلك المنافسة مع الصين والclimate. يجب على الولايات المتحدة إعطاء الأولوية للمجالات التي تتمتع فيها بميزة تنافسية في مجال المياه ، بما في ذلك توفير البنية التحتية اللينة ، واستخدام التقنيات الإبداعية لتدابير التخفيف من تغير الclimate والتمويل ، ودعم الجهات الفاعلة المحلية والوطنية ، وتعزيز نهج شامل للتنمية.

Source: Connor M Savoy - Genina Stagon - Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)