Summary
News
- UNESCO-IHE Rector awarded Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Prize
- 3rd edition of the International Water and Film Events (IWFE) at the occasion of the 6th World Water Forum
- IHP-LAC takes leadership for the coordination of the Regional Process of the Americas towards the 6th World Water Forum (Marseille, 2012)
- Launch of a "Platform of Solutions" within the framework of the 6th World Water Forum
- ISARM Americas holds coordination meeting
- UNESCO Cairo Office (UCO) releases report climate change risk management on water resources in the Arab region
- UNESCO-IHP and French Water Academy host seminar for 6th World Water Forum on adaptation to climate change impacts
Events
UNESCO Water Family (*)
- Second Arab Water Forum
- HELP International Symposium 2011 "Building Knowledge Bridges for a Sustainable Water Future"
Featured International Events
- OECD Global Forum on Environment: Making Water Reform Happen
Vacancies
- Lecturer in Ecohydrological Modeling – UNESCO-IHE
Did you know?
Facts and figures about the Han River Basin (Republic of Korea)
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News
UNESCO-IHE Rector awarded Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Prize
.jpg "Prof. András Szöllösi-Nagy and Prince Albert II of Monaco")
Prof. András Szöllösi-Nagy and Prince Albert II of Monaco
Prof. András Szöllösi-Nagy, Rector of UNESCO-IHE, was awarded the Water Prize of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for his contribution to the Sciences and creating a better understanding of the environment. Particularly for being instrumental in reforming the teaching of multidisciplinary water resources for the benefit of developing countries. Over the past 17 years, as Governor of the World Water Council, he drew attention to the issue of water in the world and educated both the general public and policy makers on the subject. The event took place at an official awarding ceremony in Monte Carlo on 7 October, in the presence of 1500 guests from all over the world.
Other award winners include: Dr. David Suzuki (Canada), in the category 'Climate Change'. Dr. Suzuki is President of the David Suzuki Foundation. Dr. Gretchen Daily (USA) received the award in the category 'Biodiversity'.
Read the full article on the UNESCO-IHE website
Read the French article on the Foundation’s website
3rd edition of the International Water and Film Events (IWFE) at the occasion of the 6th World Water Forum
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As a part of the IWFE steering committee, UNESCO-IHP is pleased to announce that the International Secretariat for Water launches the 3rd edition of the International Water and Film Events (IWFE) at the occasion of the 6th World Water Forum, that will take place in Marseille (France) from 12 to 17 March 2012.
Movie directors, producers, water stakeholders, students, youths and all citizens wishing to express their views on water are invited to participate in this competition.
An international jury will give out 16 awards (USD$27,600 in prizes) during a special ceremony at the 6th World Water Forum.
To enter the competition is free. Five categories are open to the competition:
- The "Soft Spot" category (10 minutes max.) by 11-16 year-olds;
- A VidéEau category (1 minute max.) by 17-30 year-olds;
- Personal stories-type documentaries (max. 26 minutes) made by civil society organisations, local stakeholders, etc.
- Scientific or educational films (max. 26 minutes);
- Documentaries made by film professionals for screening in cinemas or on television.
Deadline for registration is 30 November 2011 and we must receive your movies by the 31 December 2011.
Through Dailymotion, you may also compete for the public vote by registering your short film in the VidéEau category. Register directly on line.
Please check out the web site for further information on the categories in competition, the rules, the awards and previous editions winners.
Competition brochure | IWFE brochure [English]
IHP-LAC takes leadership for the coordination of the Regional Process of the Americas towards the 6th World Water Forum (Marseille, 2012)
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The Regional Process of the Americas is being carried out with a strong participation and sound relationships between state agencies, utilities, academia, regional organizations, the private sector and civil society, constituting a platform for discussion and consensus building on relevant water issues in the Americas.
This is a step forward in the follow-up of the important work done in the previous World Water Forums, where the Americas has been playing an increasing major role.
The IHP-LAC has taken the leadership for the coordination of this process towards the coming 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseille in March 2012.
IHP-LAC (Latin America and the Caribbean) website
Launch of a "Platform of Solutions" within the framework of the 6th World Water Forum
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Résumé
The Secretariat of the 6th World Water Forum launched a participative platform through which the public at large is able to contribute to the Forum by suggesting solutions to a variety of water issues. UNESCO’s PCCP and ISARM programmes invite you to contribute to the Priority for Action 1.5 entitled "Contribute to Cooperation and Peace through Water".
Content
The 6th World Water Forum, to be held from 12-17 March 2012 in Marseille, France, establishes 12 priorities for action (PfA), that drive the contributions of the world water community towards a more healthy, prosperous and resilient blue planet, and that are completed by three cross-cutting Conditions for Success. Under each Priority for Action, a series of targets translates the identified issues into concrete and achievable objectives at all levels.
UNESCO through its PCCP programme acts as the coordinator of PfA 1.5 entitled "Contribute to Cooperation and Peace". It is supported by a Core Group of institutions including INBO (International Network of Basin Organizations) who acts as a co-coordinator, GEF (Global Environment Facility), OAS (Organization of American States), OMVS (Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal) and SIC ICWC (Scientific-Information Center of Interstate Coordination Water Commission of Central Asia). This PfA is in turn divided into three issues with nine targets underpinning them:
- Legal arrangements
- Increase the understanding and practice of international law
- Increase the number of international agreements
- Increase the number of cooperation mechanisms related to groundwater
- Joint Management Practices & Institutions
- Increase the number of formal & informal institutions
- Develop local and international solutions for water-related conflicts
- Develop sustainable financial mechanisms to support institutions
- Education & Capacity Building
- Development and exchange of data and guidelines
- Increase the number of trained groups for mediation and conflict resolution
- Increase support to centres, institutions, and basins
In order to enable a widespread involvement and to trigger concrete contributions the Forum, the Secretariat has established a web-based "Platform of Solutions" open to all stakeholders and public at large through which everybody can propose and access feasible solutions for the achievement of all identified targets. Existing or innovative solutions can be legal (a law, a decree, a treaty...), technical (an appropriate device, a plant, a tool, a software...), institutional (governance structures, plans, policies...), financial (levy, transfers, tariffs...) or communication-related (advocacy campaigns, videos, leaflets...). Above all, the solution must contribute to tackling a key water-related issue and help reach the World Water Forum targets in any regions in the world.
You are invited to contribute to this platform by suggesting and sharing your solutions within the framework of PfA 1.5 Contribute to Cooperation and Peace through Water.
ISARM Americas holds coordination meeting
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The IX Coordination Meeting of ISARM Americas shall take place in Medellin, Colombia, on 16-19 November 2011, within the 7th Inter-American Dialogue on Water Resources Management. The ISARM Americas programme is a joint effort of UNESCO through its International Hydrological Programme and the Organization of American States through its Department of Sustainable Development. The ISARM Americas group is presently working on its 4th publication that shall include guidelines for the strategic management of transboundary aquifers of the Americas based on the outcomes of the work carried out by the programme that so far includes an inventory of such aquifers and a compilation of its main hydrogeological, socio-economic, environmental, legal, and institutional features. The 4th publication of the ISARM Americas series will be launched in the occasion of the World Water Forum 6 in Marseille, March 2012.
ISARM web site
UNESCO Cairo Office (UCO) releases report climate change risk management on water resources in the Arab region
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Within UNESCO Cairo Office (UCO), efforts towards improving the integrated water resources management (IWRM) policies and strategies in the Arab region are taking into consideration possible climate change impacts; therefor UCO supported the preparation of a comprehensive technical study addressing climate change impacts on groundwater resources management and sustainability in the Arab region.
The report gave an overview of the aquifer systems in the Arab Region and the possible impacts of climate change on the region’s groundwater resources, potential climate change measures for groundwater management and the pertinent challenges in the Arab region and made recommendations for possible actions, research and studies on climate change adaptation mechanisms for groundwater resources management in the Arab region.
Full text of the report
UNESCO-IHP and French Water Academy host seminar for 6th World Water Forum on adaptation to climate change impacts
In March 2012, the city of Marseilles will host the 6th edition of the World Water Forum, the greatest international gathering dedicated to water. This three-yearly process organized by the World Water Council brings together political and economic decision-makers, as well as representatives of the civil society, to raise the main thematic, regional, and political issues of water resources management around the world. Striving to be the "Forum of Solutions", the 6th World Water Forum (WWF-6) has identified 12 Priorities for Action and aims at proposing concrete solutions and encouraging firm commitments from the different stakeholders.
As part of the thematic Priority for Action "Respond to climate and global changes in an urbanizing world", the French Water Academy and UNESCO are co-leading target 3.3.2: "Management of climate change uncertainties in water planning".
In order to identify solutions to be held to the WWF-6, UNESCO-IHP and the French Water Academy will organize an international seminar "Raising awareness and enhancing adaptive capacity of water resources planning and management to climate change impacts", on 14-15 November at UNESCO Headquarters, which will bring together scientists and water basin managers from all over the world to discuss the ways for decision-makers to better deal with uncertainties related to climate change impacts on water resources in water planning and management.
More information and registration
Events
UNESCO Water Family (*)
Second Arab Water Forum
20-23 November 2011: Cairo, Egypt
HELP International Symposium 2011 "Building Knowledge Bridges for a Sustainable Water Future"
21-24 November 2011: Panama, Republic of Panama
Featured International Events
OECD Global Forum on Environment: Making Water Reform Happen
25-26 October 2011: OECD Conference Centre, Paris, France
Access a complete list of water events around the world
Vacancies
Lecturer in Ecohydrological Modeling – UNESCO-IHE
This lecturer will join the Hydrology and Water Resources (HWR) Chair group, which is primarily concerned with education and research to better understand hydrological processes, improve techniques for data monitoring and handling, and improve modeling of processes within the hydrological cycle including ecohydrological processes. The current staff of the HWR core anchors the teaching programme of a specialized MSc in Hydrology and Water Resources and leads research and capacity development projects around the world.
The Lecturer is expected to have his or her main expertise in the field of hydrological and environmental (ecohydrological) modeling and will be expected to participate in technical and management aspects of several ongoing international research projects. The main research topics are related to modeling using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and other hydrological models, integration of remote sensing data in the modeling, and predicting effects of land use/climate change at river basin scales. The lecturer will have select teaching responsibilities in his/her area of expertise and will be expected to mentor MSc and PhD students.
Full posting
Did you know...? Facts and figures about the Han River Basin (Republic of Korea)
- The capital, Seoul, one of the world's largest cities, is located in the Han River basin. The population of the basin, now 41% of the national total, almost tripled between 1966 and 2005, from about 7 million to almost 20 million. Nevertheless, urban areas account for just 1% of the basin. Forests make up 78%, cultivated areas 16%, and grasslands and water bodies 5%. The Han River basin is considered the heart of South Korea.
- Annual renewable water resources in the Han River basin are estimated at 16 billion m3. As of 2003, 8.5 billion m3 of this amount was actually in use.
- Owing to the high rate of urbanization, the household sector – which accounts for 2.8 billion m3 (33% of overall consumption) – is the number one source of consumption, followed by agriculture (1.6 billion m3 or 19%) and industry (0.8 billion m3 or 9%). The remaining 3.3 billion m3 is allocated for environmental purposes.
- Agricultural water use in the Han River basin accounts for about 10% of water use for agriculture in the Republic of Korea. Rice fields alone consume 70% of the total.
- There are 724 reservoirs, primarily serving the agricultural water requirements in the basin. Of these, 127 meet the international standards for large dams.
The section "Did You Know…?" is taken from the 3rd World Water Development Report "Water in a Changing World".
UNESCO's Water Family consists of the following:
- International Hydrological Programme
- World Water Assessment Programme
- UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
- Water-related Institutes and Centres under the Auspices of UNESCO
- UNESCO Water-related Chairs
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