Model UN: Position Paper

Country: Carlee Heger

Topic: Water Conservation

Clean water is an issue that exists in every country in the world and has been a consistent
problem for thousands of years. Nearly 11% of the Earths population does not have access to
clean drinking water, a problem that causes over 840,000 deaths a year. Since the 1990s Russia
has been trying to improve its water management in order to both conserve water and to have
better quality, safer water for its population. Russia has developed the 1995 Water Code and the
1998 Laws on Fees for Water Bodies. These legislations have helped improve Russias water
problem in the past. Russia supports this policy because as a country we want our people to be
in the best health possible.
Contaminated water is the number one common threat to society in the world today. Dirty
water has been a threat to the human species for thousands of years. On Earth, only about 2.5%
of the water is considered fresh water, and of that 2.5%, 1% is considered safe enough to drink,
so it is easy to see why we are struggling as a planet to keep seven billion people hydrated. This
problem has gotten larger as the population of the earth increases and the access to clean water
shrinks. Currently there are nearly 10 million Russians without access to clean drinking water.
This problem is of an international concern as people from all over the world are affected by this
issue. Although there have been and are many programs devoted to the conservation and access
to clean water around the world, this problem takes a global effort. Although the worlds access to
clean water is slowly improving, there is still much to be done, specifically in the less-developed
parts of the world.
Recently Russia has implemented the Pure Water Programme Development, a program that is
working towards cleaner water for the population of Russia. This program takes projects
submitted from around the country and helps support them both organizationally and financially.
A program similar to this would be helpful in the UN as it could bring specific issues to attention

and help provide funding to these issues. The UN could help fund already existing nongovernmental programs that are actively working on more access to clean water globally. With
donations from willing countries and private donors, the UN can find trustworthy organizations to
send the money too. These organizations would work on the building of wells around the world,
distributing filters, and fixing water pipelines that are in desperate need but lack the funding. The
UN would also help spread the word by publishing awareness campaigns. This would hopefully
encourage the general public to learn more about the issue and donate towards the cause. The
global impact of solving this problem would be positive as we would have less people getting sick
or dying for an issue that is 100% preventable.

Bibliography
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Facts And Figures. 2013. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2015. <http://www.unwater.org/watercooperation-2013/water-cooperation/facts-and-figures/en/>

Russian Water Industry Remains at Crossroads. - WaterWorld. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2015.
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Russian Water Sector. Russian Water Association -. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2015.
<http://nprvo.ru/en/water/sector/>

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