The session on groundwater, hosted by UN-Water, included presentations from both the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It highlighted the link between the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (water and sanitation) and other UN goals including this year’s UN World Water Development Report.

According to the report, groundwater accounts for 99% percent of all liquid freshwater on Earth. However, this essential natural resource is widely misunderstood, undervalued and mismanaged.

The report also confirms that groundwater presently provides half of the volume of water for domestic use by global populations and 25% of all groundwater is used for irrigation.