UN Environment Report Global Deserts Outlook Launched

The Global Deserts Outlook is the first thematic report in the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series of environmental assessments by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This GEO report, prepared by experts from across the globe, traces the history and astonishing biology of the deserts and assesses likely future changes.

Almost one-quarter of the earth's land surface - some 33.7 million km² - has been defined as 'desert' in some sense. These deserts are inhabited by over 500 million people, significantly more than previously thought. The world's deserts are facing dramatic changes as a result of global climate change, high water demands, tourism and salt contamination of irrigated soils.

Better management of water supplies will be the key challenge for the future of deserts but could, if successful, be a beacon of hope and good practice for other water-short parts of the globe. These are among the findings of UNEP's Global Deserts Outlook launched to mark World Environment Day on 5 June.

Read the full report online

7-10 June: 1^st Meeting of the IHP Task Forces on UNESCO's Ecohydrology Programme, University of the Algarve, Portugal

The objective of this meeting will be to define workplans for the five task forces on ecohydrology that will be launched at the meeting: Coastal Zones, Monitoring and Impacts of Global Change, Social Sciences, Education and Capacity-building and Demonstration Projects. Ecohydrology is a concept supported by the knowledge and quantification of biological and hydrological processes at the coastal zone and hydrographical basin level. This approximation makes the activation of aquatic systems possible in a natural way, increasing their resistance to negative impacts (of natural and human origin), through the implementation of low-cost environmental technologies that are sustainable over time.

Within the scope of the ecohydrology programme, the estuary of the Guadiana, between Spain and Portugal, is one of eight locations chosen by UNESCO around the world as demonstration projects. These sites were established in order to demonstrate ecohydrology on the ground.

For more information on UNESCO's ecohydrology activities, please contact Lisa Hiwasaki at the following address: l.hiwasaki@unesco.org

3-7 July 2006: 17^th session of the IHP Intergovernmental Council, Paris, France

The 17^th session of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) Intergovernmental Council will be held on 3-7 July 2006 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. The provisional agenda and timetable have been posted online, for consultation prior to the session. All other documents for the Council session shall likewise be posted online as these become available.

Access the provisional agenda [PDF format - 28.6 KB]
Access the provisional timetable [PDF format - 49.4 KB]
Access other documents for the Council

2^nd International Water Conference (IWC2006)
12-14 June 2006, Porto, Portugal - Organizers: Porto Institute of Engineering (ISEP), Portugal; Porto Polytechnic Institute (IPP), Portugal

European Policy Summit 'The World's Water Crisis: Turning the Tide - Policies for the Future'
20 June 2006, Brussels, Belgium - Organizers: Friends of Europe (FoE) Organization; European Water Partnership (EWP)

1^st Latin-American Meeting on Water Management
3-7 July 2006, Guatemala City, Guatemala - Organizer: Latin-American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), Guatemala

Training of Trainers Workshop on Application of Models and New Techniques in Groundwater Management in Arid and Semi-arid Regions
29 July - 1 August 2006, Karaj, Iran - Organizers: Regional Centre on Urban Water Management (RCUWM - Tehran), Iran; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); UNESCO Teheran Cluster Office (UTCO), Iran; Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Iran; Toosab Consulting Engineering Company, Iran

International Workshop on Flash Floods in Urban Areas and Risk Management
4-6 September 2006, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman - Organizers: Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources, Sultanate of Oman; Regional Centre on Urban Water Management (RCUWM - Tehran), Iran; Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM), Jordan; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Access a complete list of water events around the world

• The Danube River Basin (DRB) covers an area of 801,463 km², making it the second largest river basin in Europe, after the Volga.
• The Danube is 2,870 km long and up to 1.5 km wide, with a depth of up to 8 metres.
• This river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as two smaller rivers-the Brigach and the Breg-which join in the city of Donaueschingen. From there on it is known as the Danube. It flows eastwards emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania.
• The DRB is the world's most international river basin as it covers parts or all of 18 states comprising Albania, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine. Following the independence of Montenegro, which was voted recently, the river basin will cover 19 states.
• Some countries such as Austria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and the Slovak Republic are almost completely situated within the DRB, whereas less than 5% of the territories of Albania, Italy, Macedonia, Poland and Switzerland lie in the basin.
• The Danube River Basin is home to 81 million people with a wide range of cultures, languages and historical backgrounds. More than 26% of the overall basin population is Romanian. This is by far the largest population group in the DRB, followed by populations from Germany, Hungary, and Serbia and Montenegro.
• There are 26 major tributaries of the Danube River, all of which have their own sub-basins. The Tysa (also called Tisza or Tisa) River Basin is the largest sub-basin in the DRB (157,186 km²). It is also the Danube's longest tributary (966 km). The Sava River is the largest Danube tributary by discharge (average 1,564 m³/s) and the second largest by catchment area (95,419 km²).
• In the DRB, there are several freshwater lakes of varying sizes. The most prominent are the 'Balaton' in Hungary (605 km²) and the 'Neusiedlersee' (also called Fertö tó), which is shared by Austria and Hungary (315 km²).
• The Danube River is the single most important contributor to nutrient pollution in the Black Sea.

Information from 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, 'Water, a shared responsibility' and from the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) website.

Hydrology and Limnology - Another Boundary in the Danube River Basin [PDF format - 2.3 MB]
Edited by J. Bloesch, D. Gutknecht and V. Iordache. © UNESCO 2005.

This publication, a contribution to the Ecohydrology Project of the UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP), comprises the report on the International Workshop held 14-16 October 2004 in Petronell, Austria, organized by the International Association for Danube Research (IAD) and sponsored by the UNESCO Venice Office. The workshop aimed to foster an understanding between two traditional scientific disciplines, hydrology and limnology, in view of the catchment approach and sustainable Danube River Basin management and ultimately toward the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. It gathered 28 limnologists and hydrologists from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia and Switzerland.

Access full text [PDF format - 2.3 MB]

International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)

ICPDR is the principal international body promoting the sustainable and balanced use of the water resources in the Danube Basin. Through its efforts the ICPDR strengthens cooperation and develops mutual understanding between the countries of the region thereby reducing the likelihood of conflicts.

This website contains information about ecosystems issues, water quality, water pollution, floods and droughts, dams and structures and river basin management.

Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology (TEST) in the Danube River Basin

This United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) programme aims at reducing the barriers perceived by enterprises to comply with environmental norms. It concentrates on building capacity in industrial service institutions to undertake seven analytical assessments, which together identify the least costly option for environmental compliance.

This website has information about the implementation of this programme in the Danube River Basin and publications.

International Association for Danube Research (IAD)

The IAD was founded in 1956 with the goal of promoting and coordinating activities in the fields of limnology, water management, and water protection in the Danube River basin.

This website contains information about the research topics of the association, news, events, a virtual library and related links.

Danube-Carpathian Programme Office

This programme was established to coordinate World Wildlife Fund (WWF) activities in the countries of the Danube watershed and Carpathian region: Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

This website contains information about the Danube-Carpathian region, the Danube River Basin, the Danube Delta, the Danube-Drava Confluence, the Drava River, Isar River, Tisza River, species, threats, publications and news.

Access a complete list of water links around the world

Access the UNESCO Water Portal Weekly Update archives (starting at issue N° 85)

For contributions or comments, contact the editor at waterportal@unesco.org