2008

April 2008

First Directors’ Meeting of the three UN-Water Programs

On April 7^th, WWAP hosted the first meeting of the directors of three UN-Water Programs, attended by Mr Reza Ardakanian from the UN-Water Decade Programme for Capacity Development (UNW-DPC), Mr Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui from the UN Office to Support the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015 (UNO-IDfA) and Mr Olcay Ünver from WWAP. During the meeting, the directors discussed areas of cooperation and opportunities for synergy. They identified program activities for potential collaboration, including capacity development; information dissemination; advocacy, outreach and public relations; and technical and policy guidance. The directors plan to meet four times a year to continue discussion on potential synergies and collaborations.

Second Preparatory Meeting on the Third World Water Development Report underway

From April 19^th until the 25^th, the second preparatory meeting, or “Integration Meeting,” for the Third World Water Development Report (WWDR-3) will take place at the Villa La Colombella in Perugia, Italy, the new headquarters of the WWAP Secretariat. During the meeting, contributors, writers, members of the Technical Advisory Committee, co-chairs of Expert Groups, members of UN-Water and other participants involved in the development of the report will discuss draft chapters and their integration. Conclusions and recommendations of the WWDR-3 will also be addressed.

Please see WWDR-3 for more information

'The Dream of Water' edited in Basque and presented to students in Bilbao

On March 13^th, UNESCO Etxea-UNESCO Centre Basque Country and the Basque Water Agency celebrated the World Water Day in the Basque Country. Among the activities, the Bilbao Riverside Museum hosted the emission of the Basque version of the film 'The Dream of Water', presented by the director Albert Solé. More than 100 children enjoyed this film produced by WWAP and EXPO Zaragoza 2008. The Basque public television station ETB broadcast 'The Dream of Water' in Spanish and Basque on World Water Day, 22 March 2008, and collaborated in an edition of the film for its distribution to Basque schools.

Read more (in spanish)

March 2008

First African Water Week held in Tunis, Tunisia March 26-28

For the First African Water Week, WWAP was honored by an invitation to present a keynote speech on behalf of UNESCO, as well as provide presentations and papers to plenary sessions on “Meeting Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Goals” and “Investing in Information, Knowledge and Monitoring.” Hosted by the African Development Bank, the African Water Week is to serve as a platform to prepare for a number of continental and global water events, including the 2008 International Year of Sanitation, the proposed 2008 African Summit of Heads of States and Governments on water and sanitation, and the 5^th World Water Forum in March 2009, which serves as a stepping-stone towards global collaboration on water problems.

For updates on the presentations and outcomes of the week, as well as press releases, interviews and videos from the week, please visit the African Water Week

20 March - World Water Day 2008: Sanitation

The UN General Assembly declared the year 2008 the International Year of Sanitation. Consequently, World Water Day 2008, which will be celebrated this year on Thursday 20 March, will highlight issues on sanitation in accordance with the Year. People around the world are encouraged to celebrate the day to draw attention to the world’s sanitation challenge.

Read more

Public comment on WWDR-3 Table of Contents now closed

The WWAP Secretariat recently held a public comment period on a draft Table of Contents for the Third World Water Development Report (WWDR-3), “Water in a Changing World”, which closed on March 16^th. WWAP would like to thank all those who participated for their contributions and interest. The on-line public comment website received 167 comments from individuals in 24 countries. Hundreds more comments were received from scientists, policy and decision makers, stakeholders and representatives from member states, and others involved in freshwater issues through a parallel consultation process.

To learn more about the WWDR-3 and the results of the public consultation, please visit WWAP’s WWDR-3 website.

February 2008

UN Secretary-General warns that water shortages are increasingly driving conflicts

On February 6^th, 2008, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the UN General Assembly that many of today’s conflicts around the world are being fuelled or exacerbated by water shortages and climate change is only making the situation worse. Mr. Ban noted that he told the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month that increasingly, fights are erupting over such basic human needs as water or arable land. He went on to say that this trend is worrying because such shortages are projected to grow in coming years, adding that water underpins many of the world’s key development challenges – food, the environment, health and economic well-being.
UN press release

For more information on these issues visit "From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential" (PCCP) web site, a contribution to WWAP.