The bleak global picture presented in the 2017 World Water Development Report requires world leaders to urgently prioritize the improvement of access to essential water and sanitation services, South African President Jacob Zuma said at the summit.

It was disclosed at the summit that 147 countries have met the SDG drinking water target, while 95 countries have met the sanitation target and only 77 countries have met both.

These statistics do not do justice in conveying the development and health challenges faced by so many people, or in contextualizing how unevenly these basic services are distributed around the world and within societies, Zuma noted.

For example, it was reported that in 2011, nearly 60 percent of the world's one billion extremely poor people lived in just five countries. It seems that little has changed since 2011.

"Looking ahead, this unacceptable situation will only get worse, unless we join forces around the world to create equal chances for success at all levels in our race against time to secure the most precious resource of freshwater, for current and future generations," Zuma said.

The United Nations Commission on Population and Development estimates that the global population, which currently stands at about 7.3 billion people, may grow to 9.7 billion by the year 2050, with as many as 3.1 billion additional residents of urban areas.

The largest increase in population is expected to happen here in Africa, followed by Asia.

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