Singapore, June 05: The United Nations marked World Environment Day today with a focus on water, saying two billion people were dying for it.
"Water-related diseases kill a child every eight seconds," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement marking the world body`s annual review of the state of the planet.
"One person in six lives without regular access to safe drinking water. Over twice that number -- 2.4 billion -- lack access to adequate sanitation.

This year`s theme is being led by Lebanon -- the first time an Arab country has taken charge of the anniversary -- but events have been planned around the world to draw attention to what the United Nations says is the planet`s most valuable resource.

"It will not be lost on billions of people around the globe that this special day will also hold special significance by being in the Arab world so soon after the recent conflict in Iraq," said Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the Kenya-based U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP).
In China, the world`s most populous country, the government said it planned to invest more than $30 billion over the next few years to fight water pollution and help relieve shortages.
"China is a country that still lacks water resources, and the problem of water pollution remains severe," said Xie Zhenhua, minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration.
"This year our top priority is to ensure clean drinking water for our people."

China is working on a multi-billion-dollar diversion project aimed at channeling water from the flood-prone south to the thirsty north.

But environmentalists have raised concern over the Three Gorges Dam -- the world`s largest hydroelectric project -- which China began filling up on Sunday after a decade of work and which will flood hundreds of abandoned towns, villages and factories along the Yangtze river.
Bureau Report