SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Children have been dying every day from water-related diseases with at least 80 countries suffering from chronic fresh water shortages, an international environmental expert from the United Nations (UN) said, according to Australia's News Interactive.
Dr Klaus Topfer, the executive director of the UN's Environment Program (UNEP), addressed the Eco-Innovate 2003 conference at the University of New South Wales.
He said in the article that most of the world's resources were being used by developed countries at the expense of developing ones.
Dr Topfer warned delegates that the world must learn to manage resources more efficiently, particularly in Asia.
"At least 80 countries are suffering severe water shortages and the number is growing," he said in the article.
"Asia has the lowest per capita amount of water in the world and we must be aware that daily there are children dying from water-related diseases."
He also said that UNEP's primary goal was to provide a better equality in things as vital as fresh drinking water.
"We have to decrease the amount of poverty and increase the amount of people having access to (fresh) water by the year 2050," he added.
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