The U.S. government unveiled a water strategy Tuesday that is intended to expand the availability of safe drinking water and sanitation conditions for people throughout the world.
"Safe water and sanitation are fundamental to human health, economic development, peace and security," the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development said in a written statement released Tuesday.
The President's Global Water Strategy aims to achieve a "water-secure world" in which people have access to clean water. The agencies said 30 percent of the world's population doesn't have access to safe drinking water in their homes and 60 percent don't live in sanitary conditions.
Due to a global shortage of frameworks to ensure adequate water resources, the agencies predict two-thirds of the world's population will live in "water-stressed conditions by 2025."
The strategy calls on the U.S. government to collaborate with other nations and "key stakeholders" to expand access to sustainable drinking water and sanitation services. Protecting, sharing, regulating and financing fresh water resources are also key components of the plan, which will focus on regions where needs are greatest and where "engagement can best protect our national security interests," the statement said.
