聯合國秘書長潘基文(Ban Ki-moon)於17日表示，國際社會須開始制定應變措施，以求在使用與分享水源上，能夠更有效率且公平。潘基文藉此發出警訊，除非儘快採取行動，全球因用水短缺所引發的衝突與問題將呈現倍增的現象。
印度千奈(Chennai)市的報紙「印度人」(The Hindu)，為紀錄國際水資源日(World Water Day)在本周率先進行觀察；而潘基文於17日在專欄為文呼籲，希望政府當局、社會團體、企業與個人能夠共同為更妥適的用水、及節約用水進行合作。
潘基文指出，「我們才正要覺醒，但尤其是在私人產業部分，已出現某些激勵人心的徵兆。長期以來，企業即被視為罪犯；發電廠的煙囪汙染了我們的空氣，工廠排出的廢水汙染了我們的河流。但這個現象正在改變，目前有越來越多的企業正在努力設法解決環境汙染的問題，而非只是汙染的製造者。」
「聯合國全球盟約」(UN Global Compact)為全球最大型的自發的、合作性質的水資源倡議；而潘基文即以本月其在紐約所召開的會議為例。
加入此盟約的會員，進行有關水資源最佳共享、相關行動的實踐、供應鏈管理、流域的保護、資訊透明化、公共政策、社會責任承擔以及集體行動等。
上述範疇為「企業執行長水資源管理」(CEO Water Mandate)任務的主要項目，而此項計畫於2007年7月為聯合國秘書長所發起，使公司行號能夠對於飲用水短缺的危機、與公共衛生方面盡一份力。
潘基文強調，「從單就使用水源的面向，進階到管理的層面」是很重要的，新鮮飲用水的短缺，正成為國際間許多區域的問題，無論是貧窮的或者富有的國家。
潘基文補充，國際間許多紛爭的爆發與惡化，是來自於水源的短缺。
「國際警戒(International Alert)」組織鑑定，全球有46個國家、共27億人口，氣候變遷和水資源相關的危機，將造成當地暴力衝突攀升；另有56個國家、12億人口身處政治動盪的高度風險之中。全球半數以上的人口都面臨這樣的危機。」
秘書長表示，人口成長與氣候變遷，將進一步惡化目前的情勢。每20秒就有一名孩童死於與乾淨飲用水短缺相關的疾病。
潘基文進一步補充，協助生活在「衛生環境品質最為低劣」的民眾，不僅是降低死亡率，也對環境保護、減少貧窮問題與促進經濟發展有所助益。
「水資源為最典型的共同資源，沒有人真正地承認這個問題，也沒有人真正地能解決這個問題。」
聯合國於14日公布的數據顯示，目前還有超過一億個歐洲人仍缺乏取得安全飲水的管道，導致歐洲每天有近40名孩童，因腹瀉而病逝。
The international community needs to start creating strategies for using water more efficiently and sharing it more fairly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, warning that unless action is taken soon, the conflicts and problems caused by water shortages around the world will multiply.
In an opinion column published today in "The Hindu" newspaper of Chennai, India, ahead of observances this week to mark World Water Day, Ban called for partnerships between governments, civil society groups, businesses and individuals to better use and conserve water.
"We are at the early stages of this awakening," he wrote. "But there are some encouraging signs, especially in the private sector. Corporations have long been viewed as culprits. The smokestacks from power plants pollute our air; the effluents from industry spoil our rivers. But this is changing - more and more today, businesses are working to become part of the solution, rather than the problem."
Ban cited the gathering earlier this month in New York of the UN Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, on the subject of water.
Participants engaged in the sharing of best and emerging pratices of water-related direct operations, supply chain management, watershed protection, transparency, public policy, community engagement, and collective action.
These areas constitute the major elements of The CEO Water Mandate, launched by the UN Secretary-General in July 2007 to engage companies on the emerging crisis in fresh water availability and sanitation. To date the chief executives of 20 companies have endorsed The CEO Water Mandate.
Ban stressed that it is important to move "beyond the mere use of water to stewardship," given how scarce fresh water is becoming in so many regions of the world, both rich and poor.
Many of the conflicts around the world erupt or are worsened by water shortages, he said.
"International Alert has identified 46 countries, home to 2.7 billion people, where climate change and water-related crises create a high risk of violent conflict. A further 56 countries, representing another 1.2 billion people, are at high risk of political instability."
"That's more than half the world," Ban observed.
The secretary-general said population growth and climate change will worsen the situation, observing that already one child dies every 20 seconds from a disease associated with a lack of clean water.
Helping people living "in the most abysmal standards of hygiene and sanitation" would not only reduce the death toll, Ban said, but would also assist in protecting the environment, alleviating poverty and fostering economic development.
"Water is a classic common property resource," he said. "No one really owns the problem. Therefore, no one really owns the solution."
On Friday, the UN released figures showing that more than 100 million Europeans still lack access to safe drinking water, resulting in the deaths from diarrhea of nearly 40 children across the region every day.
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