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Palestinian and Israeli experts met in Perugia to write a common water historyThe city of Perugia, Italy, hosted a meeting facilitated by UNESCO’s From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential project (PCCP) in coordination with the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO) on the theme, ‘From a Common History to a Common Thinking on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East’, on 4-5 December 2006. UNESCO-PCCP invited three Palestinian and four Israeli experts to write a common history of water management in the Jordan River basin. At the meeting, the experts agreed to build a team of scholars from both Palestine and Israel who would work together on the joint initiative. An international expert in water history also contributed to the discussions. UNESCO and the city of Perugia are expected to continue to support this work in the future. Read more [PDF format – 122 KB]
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean Michel Jarre celebrates ‘Water for Life’ in the Sahara‘Water for Life’ is the theme UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean Michel Jarre has chosen for an exceptional concert among the sand dunes of the Moroccan Sahara on 16 December. The concert, organized with the support of the Kingdom of Morocco and held under the auspices of UNESCO, will also be one of the highlights marking the end of the United Nations International Year of Deserts and Desertification (2006) and part of the UN Water for Life Decade (2005-2015). Using his hallmark state-of-the-art visual and sound technology, the French composer/musician will stress the importance of protecting and properly managing the planet’s limited freshwater resources and halting the advance of desertification. The Modern Arab Orchestra of Casablanca, the Morocco Philharmonic Orchestra and a number of eminent soloists will join Jean Michel Jarre on-stage for this unique concert which will take place at Merzouga in Morocco.
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| The Danube River Basin is shared by 18 European states © UNESCO - Ariane Bailey |
More than 150 major rivers and 50 large lakes in the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region run along or straddle the border between two or more countries. Twenty European countries depend on neighbouring countries for more than 10% of their water resources and five countries draw 75% of their resources from upstream countries. Thirty-four UNECE countries and the European Community have already ratified the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). The 4th Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention, which will take place from 20-22 November, in Bonn, Germany, will mark the 10th anniversary of its entry into force.
At the meeting, Parties will adopt new policy tools to support transboundary water management, such as the model provisions on transboundary flood management, the rules on the payments for ecosystem services in integrated water resources management, the safety guidelines and good practices for pipelines and the strategies for monitoring and assessment of transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwater.
UNESCO and UNECE have established a very close cooperation on the assessment and monitoring of transboundary aquifers through the Internationally Shared Aquifers Resources Management Project (ISARM).
New Human Development Report: ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’This year’s Human Development Report (HDR, 2006), launched on 9 November in Cape Town, South Africa, is subtitled ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’. This report focuses on the growing water and sanitation crisis that causes nearly two million child deaths every year. It complements and reaffirms the message of the 2nd UN World Water Development Report that poverty, unequal access, wars, migration and unsustainable consumption patterns are the leading causes of the water crisis rather than just scarcity of freshwater resources.
To accompany the launch of this year's HDR, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is organizing the H2O Virtual Knowledge Fair, a fair on water with a focus on the regions of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa. The Fair will be online on 15-17 November and will include 3 live discussion forums and multimedia presentations.
HDR 2006: ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’
H2O Virtual Knowledge Fair
6-17 November: United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change - Nairobi 2006, KenyaKenya will host the 2nd meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 2), in conjunction with the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 12), in Nairobi from 6 to 17 November 2006.
Climate change is already causing more frequent occurrences of drought, flooding and rises in malaria. Among the long-term impacts are rising sea levels and damage to crops which can lead to wide-spread famine. Some of the most serious effects of climate change are occurring in countries least prepared to counter them. Many African countries are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
This will be the first conference of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, drawing up to 6.000 participants. The location of the conference on the continent will help focus attention on such issues as adaptation to climate change, along with the funding and the capacity building required for developing countries to adapt and to participate.
United Nations Conference on Climate Change
COP/MOP 2, COP 12 and other relevant meetings
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As every year, World Science Day for Peace and Development is being celebrated worldwide on 10 November, under the guidance of UNESCO. Since its inception, the Day has proved to be a great opportunity to reflect on the latest advances in science and the challenges science has yet to overcome.
Over the past two decades, inadequate human and institutional capacity in science has been identified as one of the recurring factors preventing developing countries from reaching national and international goals. Poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, improved access to safe water supply and sanitation services, the reduction of child mortality and the improvement of maternal health: the achievement of all these major international development goals in large part depends upon national capacity in scientific research and development.
The City of Genoa, in Italy, will host this year's celebration within the Genoa Science Festival. Several events are also taking place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France and in UNESCO's Member States.
Read more
Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the Day [PDF format – 30.3 KB]
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World Water Day is celebrated on 22 March of every year. Each celebration follows a different theme to reflect the many facets of freshwater resources, and a different United Nations agency is selected to coordinate events around the world. World Water Day 2007 will be guided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the theme 'Coping with Water Scarcity’.
The theme highlights the significance of cooperation and the importance of an integrated approach to water resource management at both international and local levels. Equity and rights, cultural and ethical issues are essential and must be addressed when dealing with limited water resources. Imbalances between availability and demand, the degradation of groundwater and surface water quality, intersectoral competition, interregional and international disputes, all of these questions revolve around coping with scarce water resources.
More information on Coping with Water Scarcity [PDF format - 476 KB]
More information on World Water Day
Contact WWD-2007@fao.org
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In 1945, representatives of 50 nations attended the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, United States, to draw up the UN Charter. The Organization officially came into existence on 24 October 1945 and UN Day has since been celebrated every year on that date. There are 191 Member States today.
Within the framework of its mandate, the UN set 8 goals for development called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, calling on the nations of the world 'to halve by the year 2015 (...) the proportion of people who are unable to reach, or to afford, safe drinking water' and 'to stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources, by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels, which promote both equitable access and adequate supply. Water was first explicitly recognized as a fundamental human right in the General Comment which was adopted by the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in November 2002, thus compelling its 145 State Parties to progressively ensure that everyone has access to safe and secure drinking water, equitably and without discrimination.
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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. The World Food Day and TeleFood theme for 2006 is ‚'Investing in agriculture for food security'.
Agriculture must play a starring role on the world stage if we are to bring down the curtain on hunger. Investment in infrastructure in rural areas, especially in water, roads, power and communications, has a crucial role in kindling agricultural growth. If countries get these conditions right, dramatic benefits to agriculture and poor rural households can be expected.
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| Children play the Riskland game © UN/ISDR |
More than 200 million people are affected every year by natural catastrophes and children under 18 are among the most vulnerable. The International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, celebrated each year on the second Wednesday of October, is a vehicle to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including prevention, mitigation and preparedness. This year, the day is linked to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction‚ (UN/ISDR) global campaign on disaster risk education and school safety, Disaster risk reduction begins at school‚ of which UNESCO is a key partner.
The Campaign aims to inform and mobilize Governments, communities and individuals to ensure that disaster risk reduction is fully integrated into school curricula in high risk countries and that school buildings are built or retrofitted to withstand natural hazards.
'Disaster risk reduction begins at school' campaign
Message from Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, on the occasion of the Day
Educational Riskland game
2 October: World Habitat Day ‘Cities, magnets of hope’Every year, the first Monday of October marks World Habitat Day, an occasion for the international community to focus on the state of the world’s human settlements and the challenges surrounding them, including the basic right to adequate shelter for all. This year’s Day, celebrated on 2 October 2006, centres around the theme of ‘Cities, magnets of hope,’ and aims to focus attention on the fact that the Earth is witnessing the largest migration of people into towns and cities. Fifty years ago, just one third of the world’s population lived in cities; in 2000, this number had risen to one half, and by 2050, it is estimated that some 6 billion people – or two thirds of the global population – will live in urban areas.
The challenges related to this are numerous, and important: uncontrolled urban expansion creates unhealthy habitats for humans, who are deprived of basic services such as clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, and electricity, as well as depleting natural resources and destroying natural ecosystems. World Habitat Day 2006 provides an opportunity for governments, institutions, civilians, and professionals to take concrete action towards a more sustainable development of human settlements throughout the world. World Habitat Day is organized under the auspices of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).
Official World Habitat Day website
World Habitat Day 2006 brochure [PDF format – 670 KB]
26-28 September: 3rd International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources ManagementThe 3rd International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management was held at Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany, from 26 to 28 September 2006. Focusing on the theme ‘Reducing the vulnerability of societies to water-related risks at the basin scale,’ the symposium was jointly organized by the Ruhr-University Bochum, UNESCO-IHE, the German National Committee for the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO, the Hydrology and Water Resources Programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the United Nations University Bonn; under the auspices of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and the International Commission on Water Resources Systems (ICWRS).
Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is an issue of top priority in the international community, as it is considered by most to be at the heart of any sustainable water-related practice. This symposium aimed to provide a holistic view of IWRM by facilitating discussion and exchange around the risks societies face, their underlying vulnerabilities, as well as their projected trends and successful IWRM practices. Participants took an interdisciplinary approach to complex water management problems with the goal of identifying necessary research developments and gaps between current knowledge and future demand.
21 September: International Day of PeaceEstablished in 1981, the International Day of Peace has been celebrated every year on 21 September since 1982. The Day provides an opportunity for the international community to create practical acts of peace; this event has been particularly highlighted since 2001, as it marks the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).
On the occasion of the Day, the international community focused on a number of priorities throughout the world, including water issues. Chief amongst these are the much debated challenges related to transboundary waters, and the potential for conflict over scarce water resources. There are hundreds of transboundary water bodies worldwide, and water crossing international boundaries can cause tensions between nations that share the basin. While the tension is not likely to lead to warfare, early coordination between riparian states can help prevent potential conflicts, especially since experts have warned that some 3 billion people will experience water shortages within the next 50 years.
‘Meeting the MDG drinking-water and sanitation target: the urban and rural challenge of the decade’, a new report from the World Health OrganizationWithin the framework of the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ (2005–2015), this World Health Organization (WHO) report looks at the challenge of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target for drinking water and sanitation.
Achieving the MDG drinking water and sanitation target poses two major challenges: a rapid pace of urbanization, which requires a major effort even to keep up the current coverage levels; a huge backlog of rural people unserved with basic sanitation and safe drinking water, which calls for an intensive mobilization of resources to reduce the vast coverage gap between urban and rural populations.
Press release
Full report [PDF format – 1,19 MB]
4-6 September: Bamako International Conference on Youth and DesertificationThe Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in collaboration with the Governments of Finland, Germany, Italy and Mali, is holding an international conference in Bamako, Mali, from 4 to 6 September on the subject of youth and desertification. The conference will focus on the theme ‘Challenges and opportunities for the youth in the drylands,’ and is just one of many events marking the 2006 Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Desertification and its devastating effects – including famine, poverty, unemployment, loss of biodiversity, and forced migration – often disproportionately impact youth, who must learn to manage the scarce resource that is water, as well as mitigate the negative consequences of drought and desertification. Youth must be actively involved in environmental management practices for sustainable livelihoods, focusing on issues related to land degradation.
The main objective of the conference is to encourage political establishments of concerned countries to take action to give priority to creating youth employment, with job creation mainstreamed into macroeconomic and sectoral (agriculture, industry, services and labour) policies, by offering concrete cases of challenges and opportunities for youth in drylands.
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| Floods in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, September 2005, USA © UNESCO - NOPD Isidro Magana |
More than 2,200 major and minor water-related disasters occurred in the world during the period 1990-2001. Of these, floods accounted for half of the total disasters, water-borne and vector disease outbreaks accounted for 28% and drought accounted for 11% of the total disasters. 35% of these disasters occurred in Asia, 29% in Africa, 20% in the Americas, 13% in Europe and 3% in Oceania.
The IDRC Davos 2006 is a follow-up to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) in 2005 and is jointly organized by the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction (GADR), Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR).
The conference will take an integrated, multidisciplinary approach when addressing the different kinds of risks affecting society today. A number of high-ranking Government officials and scientists from countries across the globe will give keynote addresses on such topics as regional issues, environmental vulnerability, gender issues in disaster management, climate change and variability and natural hazards, among others.
23 August: ‘Coping with Water Scarcity’ UN-Water seminar in Stockholm, SwedenUN-Water is made up of 24 UN agencies, programmes and funds that have a signi?cant role in tackling global water concerns, and also includes major non-UN partners of the water sector. Annually, UN-Water hosts a seminar during World Water Week focusing on speci?c strategic issues it has identi?ed as priority for joint action during the decade Water for Life. This year’s event addresses water scarcity.
The seminar will illustrate the type of actions UN-Water agencies carry out with their partners. It will be an opportunity to discuss the strategic role of UN-Water in assisting countries in their efforts towards the achieving the Millennium Development Goals, investigate the possibilities for enhancing its effectiveness and impact and explore possibilities for effective partnership.
Mr. Andras Szöllösi-Nagy, Director of the UNESCO Division of Water Sciences, will give a keynote speech on ‘Decision Support Tools for Con?ict Resolution’ during the seminar. His address will be followed be a panel discussion on how to enhance the impact and effectiveness of the Water Scarcity Thematic Initiative at local and national level and at the level of international river basins.
‘Coping with Water Scarcity’ seminar
World Water Week
Prevention and resolution of water-related conflicts: the PCCP programme
12 August: International Youth Day 2006 ‘Tackling poverty together’On 17 December 1999, in its resolution 54/120 I, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.
Estimates indicate that 18% of the 1,158 million 15 to 24 year olds worldwide survive on less than US$ 1 per day (209 million youths), while as many as 45% live on less than US$ 2 per day. These numbers take on significance when you consider the many dimensions of poverty: hunger and malnutrition; lack of access to education and other basic services such as access to a clean water supply; an increase in disease and illness, homelessness or inadequate housing; unsafe environments, and a lack of participation in decision-making and socio-cultural life. Poverty affects young people in a striking and personal manner. For example, a young girl in Sub-Saharan Africa living in extreme poverty cannot attend school because she needs to fetch water for her family.
International Youth Day 2006 presents an opportunity to invite all stakeholders to tackle poverty together by ensuring that young people receive the attention they deserve in global, national and local efforts to eradicate poverty.
9 August: International Day of the World’s Indigenous PeopleSince the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, environmental and water-related conferences have often highlighted the role of indigenous peoples in their proposals for action – they detain a sophisticated knowledge and practices relating to water, its use and management. Their unique systems of values, knowledge and practices are often overlooked by current political, legal, scientific systems. Indigenous people still have to struggle for their rights over the water resources they have been using and protecting for generations.
In 1994, the General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year, and in 2004, it proclaimed a Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, to further strengthen international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development.
The Day will be celebrated throughout the world, and panel discussions and cultural performances will be organized at UN Headquarters in New York, United States.
International Film Festival Desert Nights: Tales from the DesertIn order to raise the awareness of the environmental, social and economic consequences of desertification to a wider public, within the framework of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (2006) the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has instituted the International Film Festival Desert Nights: Tales from the Desert with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. The festival will take place in Rome, Italy, from 1 to 7 December 2006.
'Desert Nights' is a non-competitive, specialized film festival that aims to spotlight new films, classics and documentaries from the countries most affected by desertification and also those films and documentaries focusing on the desert, its stories and the most interesting aspects of the cultural environment of arid and desertified areas.
Institutions and individuals wishing to participate should register before 15 October 2006.
Read more about the festival
Read more about the registration process
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| The Vizcaya Bridge in Spain. © UNESCO - Niamh Burke |
The World Heritage Committee held its 30th session, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 8 to 16 July 2006. Among the cultural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List on this occasion were several water related sites.
For instance the aflaj irrigation system in Oman includes 3,000 such systems still in use today. Aflaj is the plural of falaj in classical Arabic, which means to divide into shares and equitable sharing of a scarce resource to ensure sustainability and remains the hallmark of this irrigation system. Archaeological evidence suggests that irrigation systems existed in this extremely arid area as early as 2,500 BC.
The Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof in Germany has been an influential trading town since the 9th century AD. Located on the Danube River, it has preserved a notable number of historic structures spanning some two millennia, including its 12th century AD stone bridge.
The Vizcaya Bridge in Spain straddles the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary west of Bilbao. It was completed in 1893 and was the first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic while allowing for navigation thanks to a high suspended gondola.
The Director-General of UNESCO attends the 6th Meeting of UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and SanitationThe Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, attended the 6th meeting of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, which took place in Paris, France, on 10-11 July.
The Director-General gave the Board members a brief overview of the history and role of UNESCO in freshwater, notably, about the four pillars of the Organization's work in this field. These are the International Hydrological Programme (IHP); the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education; the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP); and the rapidly expanding network of water centres operating under the auspices of UNESCO.
Mr Matsuura concluded his remarks by highlighting areas of possible collaboration between the Advisory Board and UNESCO. In particular he urged the Board to draw on the expertise and services available at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, and to draw more heavily on WWAP, especially with regard to monitoring the world water situation.
The Director-General informed the Board that every effort would be made to ensure that the International Labour Organization (ILO) is brought into the WWAP and fully engaged in the production of the 3rd World Water Development Report, the preparation of which will begin in August this year.
7 July 2006: Conclusion of the 17th session of the IHP CouncilThe 17th session of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) Intergovernmental Council concluded on 7 July 2006 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. Among the main topics under discussion during the Council were:
- issues concerning the role of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in the IHP and how to enhance collaboration
- new proposals received from Member States for the establishment of centres under the auspices of UNESCO
- development of a strategy for UNESCO's water centres, including suggestions for setting in place a process for developing such a strategy
- follow up to Resolution XVI-7 on IHP governance
- endorsement of the draft Strategic Plan of the 7th phase (2008-2013) of IHP and the proposed addition of a new fifth theme on water education in response to new developments within UNESCO
- the role that IHP would be expected to play in the UNESCO-wide strategy for water education at all levels.
Opening session
Agenda [PDF format - 24.5 KB]
Other documents for the Council
Presentation of the next IHP phase (IHP-VII) [PPT format - 669 KB]
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Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!
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