JULY IN FOCUS
11 July: World Population Day celebrates equality
The theme of this year's World Population Day (WPD), celebrated on 11 July, 'Equality Empowers', reminds us of the key role gender equality plays in human well-being, as well as in water resources management.
WPD calls on the international community to establish more efficient and equitable policies to combat the problems caused by a growing world population: over the last century, the global population has tripled and water consumption has increased threefold. By 2060, it is estimated that 60% of the world's population will be urban. With pollution and industrial activity, increased water demands to feed a growing population, overexploitation of water due to urbanization, loss of vital ecosystems, and climate change taking an ever-growing toll on the Earth's natural resources, WPD, spearheaded and organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is an opportunity to emphasize the need for on-the-ground action to bridge the gender divide that exists today.
In effect, although women are the most affected by water issues, they are also the least represented in local water arenas. In Africa alone, some 90% of the work of gathering water and wood to maintain the household is done by women, taking up to 5 hours every day. Women play an essential role in educating children in safer water usage, and freeing up their time would allow them to become more involved in other economic activities, as well as allowing girls the time to attend school, and to attend under more advantageous hygienic conditions.
WPD 2005 highlights the fact that involving women in water development can go a long way to ensure a more sustainable development and harmonious world growth.
:: Find out more at the official WPD site
:: Read more about women and water
Call for participations for the 4th World Water Forum
The Secretariat of the 4th World Water Forum (4th WWF) is currently in the process of gathering information and applications for potential topic sessions at the 4th WWF on 16-22 March 2006.
In order to focus the debate, the forum is organized around 5 framework themes, which attempt to represent the most important global water challenges, and 5 crosscutting perspectives.
There will be 30 sessions a day, and each day will focus on one of the framework themes, making a total of approximately 150 sessions during the forum. Any organization interested in organizing a topic-session at the 4th WWF should fill in the appropriate form before 15 August 2005.
After this date, a long list of potential session conveners will be produced, from which the final 150 conveners will be selected.
A few examples taken from local actions should illustrate each session. To share a local action, please fill out the appropriate form on the 4th WWF website.
:: Read more about the forum
:: Read more about topic-session proposals
:: Read more about local actions
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WWAP?
Regional Preparatory meeting for the 4th World Water Forum International Water Conference
The Social Development and Environmental protection Secretariat of the State of Tabasco, Mexico organized an International Water Conference on 28-30 June, in Villahermosa (Tabasco, Mexico), to participate in the preparations for the upcoming 4th World Water Forum (4th WWF).
About 400 participants debated different water problems found by stakeholders from all parts of the Americas and contributed with proposals for to the 4th WWF. The conference focused on each of the 4th WWF's themes.
WWAP Coordinator, Gordon Young, who is one of the 4th WWF's thematic beacons, spoke on the crosscutting theme 'Targeting, Monitoring and Implementation Assessment' [Word format - 180 KB].
The second World Water Development Report, 'Water, a Shared Responsibility', will be launched during the 4th WWF in Mexico City (Mexico) on 22 March 2006.
:: Read more about the conference
:: Read Gordon Young's keynote speech [Word format - 180 KB]
:: Read all preparatory process documents on the 4th WWF themes
20-22 June: International Work Session on Water Statistics
Vienna, Austria
The 1st working session of the interagency working group on environmental statistics (IWG-Env) focusing on water took place in Vienna, Austria, on 20-22 June.
IWG-Env aims to improve the quality and quantity of environment and water-related data provided to international experts for analysis. The experts evaluated international needs for water statistics and indicators and how these are met, identified the problems encountered by countries in the data collection process, and exchanged experiences on national practices.
WWAP programme officer Takeo Jimbow presented the indicators developed by WWAP UN partners for the 2nd World Water Development Report (WWDR II), and WWAP and IWG-Env agreed to further their collaboration.
The group concluded that an effort to coordinate international data collection mechanisms in water is necessary and agreed to explore the possibilities of organizing joint data collection activities.
:: Read more about the conference
'Water for Peace' workshop in Brazil
WWAP deputy coordinator, Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui; Green Cross Brazil President, Celso Claro de Oliveira; Brazilian Deputy, Marcio Rodriguez; and several of his colleagues from neighbouring states met at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 8 July to discuss possible common projects in the La Plata River Basin. Several joint actions were agreed upon, among them an international workshop on 'Water for Peace', which will take place in October 2005 in Iguazu Falls, Brazil.
WWAP to participate in the preparations for Expo Zaragoza 2008
WWAP deputy coordinator, Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui met with Roque Gistau, executive president of Expo Zaragoza 2008, its director general, Jerónimo Blasco, and other members of the Expo's secretariat on 21 July in Zaragoza, Spain to discuss a continued collaboration during the preparatory process for the expo, which will be on 'Water and Sustainable development'.
WWAP and Expo Zaragoza 2008 have already worked together on several projects, among them the Bausan Films documentary 'A Dream of Water'.
WWAP CASE STUDIES
An example from Sri Lanka: Participatory projects for under-served urban settlements
One of the examples provided by Sri Lanka for the second World Water Development Report (WWDR II) illustrates how community level participation can help face major challenges and work towards equity.
The recent, rapid growth of the urban population in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Colombo area, has created social, economic, environmental and physical problems resulting from rapid and unplanned urbanization. Provision of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are major challenges. Several government or NGO projects were implemented to face these challenges, but there are still many problems, such as a lack of piped water, drainage, roads and sewerage.
The Urban Settlements Improvement Programme (USIP) facilitates the development of sustainable community-based environmental infrastructure service in the under-served settlements on a participatory and partnership basis with a view to promote higher living standards among such communities. Communities participate in all steps of USIP projects, from planning to designing to the actual implementation, including providing 20% of the funds and being responsible for maintenance. Through this involvement, the community is empowered and given responsibilities and the means to create a system that corresponds to their needs.
Summaries of the case study reports will be published in the case study section of the WWDR II, which will be launched on World Water Day 2006, during the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City (Mexico). The complete case studies will then be available on the WWAP website.
:: Read the Ruhuna Basins (Sri Lanka) case study from the first WWDR
WWAP PARTICIPATES
1st Meeting of the 'Mediterranean, Water and Droughts' committee
This committee was created through an initiative of the Government of Spain in order to organize a forum entitled 'Mediterranean, Water and Drought', to take place in February 2006 in Zaragoza, Spain.
The forum is meant to contribute to the elaboration of crucial common strategies in the Mediterranean region to better water management and face water scarcity without causing negative social or environmental impacts.
Several environmental institutions operating on a national or international scale are taking part in the committee. Its 1st meeting was held at the Spanish Ministry of the Environment headquarters on 15 July.
2nd Round of the IAI Collaborative Research Network (CRN II)
The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research is an intergovernmental organization supported by 19 countries in the Americas dedicated to pursuing international cooperation and the open exchange of scientific information to increase the understanding of global change phenomena and their socio-economic implications.
Following the first round of CRN (1999-2005), this second programme is designed to create networks of scientists throughout the Americas who will work collaboratively on issues of global change. Among the expected results are the production of relevant information for decision-makers and the improvement of the regional capacity to deal with global environmental change issues and their socio-economic impacts.
AIA received 37 proposals, up to a dozen of which will be selected through a peer-review process. WWAP Deputy coordinator, Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, participated in the panel review, which closed on 22 July.
The selected projects will receive financing and logistical support from IAI.
:: Read more about CRN II
WWAP UN PARTNERS' WATER NEWS
New Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report urges corporations to face environmental challenges
Companies who use the Earth's natural resources more wisely are likely to see bigger profits and enjoy more stable and predictable businesses, a recently published Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report argues.
Many of the planet's ecosystems such as fisheries, forests and those linked to water supplies are in decline. This could in as little as five years, trigger increased costs for companies who rely directly and in-directly on nature-based services. The net value or benefit of many ecosystems is higher when they are intact than when they are damaged or converted to other uses. For example, an intact wetland in a northern country is worth nearly 6,000 US dollars a hectare. Drained and changed for intensive agriculture, the value falls to just over 2,000 US dollars a hectare.
Water scarcity is of greatest importance to businesses and will impact companies globally. Up to a fifth of freshwater use currently exceeds 'long-term sustainable supply' and is being met by water transfers or unsustainable 'mining of groundwater'. Companies will have to make decisions about where they locate operations based on water supply. Meanwhile, businesses that find new and more efficient ways of recycling and using water will fare better.
These are among the findings of the latest report of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment entitled 'Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Opportunities and Challenges for Business and Industry'.
:: Read the full press release
:: Access the full report [PDF format - 4.32 MB]
26-29 July: 2005 Children's World Summit for the Environment
From 26 to 29 July, the 2005 Children's World Summit for the Environment will be held in Aichi, Japan. The Summit will be attended by 1,000 environmentally aware children. The aim of the Summit is to promote discussion among participants on the state of the environment on a personal as well as a global level, through debate and field observation of Aichi's diverse ecosystems. The theme of the Summit, 'Nature's Wisdom', reflects the cross-cutting issues that will be debated, with the help of a Steering Committee comprised of ten young representatives around the world. It also reflects the theme of Expo 2005, which is also being held in Aichi, from 25 March to 25 September 2005.
The goals of the Summit include the following:
- increase children's awareness of environmental issues through the sharing of experiences and opinions;
- find solutions to environmental issues and increase partnerships by spearheading new joint initiatives;
- encourage children to forge friendships while at the same time thinking and acting globally.
The 2005 Summit is the sixth such children's conference on the environment, the first having been held in 1995, and is organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and hosted by the Japan Organizing Committee for the 2005 Children's Summit for the Environment. The outcome of the Summit, the Aichi Declaration, will be presented on 29 July.
:: Find out more at the official website
3-5 July: UNICEF to hold C8 Children's Forum
The United Kingdom Committee for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF UK) is holding a G8 meeting equivalent for children from 3 to 5 July in Dunblane, Scotland, close to Gleneagles where the G8 meeting will be held from 6 to 8 July 2005. Children and youth from eight of the world's poorest countries and eight of the world's richest countries will convene at the C8 to debate issues affecting youth today.
Issues to be discussed range from the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to education, from poverty to HIV/AIDS, from hunger to clean water and sanitation. Access to water supply and sanitation is one of the world's most pressing issues, especially concerning children; it affects, among other things, young people's access to education, good health, well-being and adequate nutrition. Contact with contaminated water is a major source of illness and death among children under the age of five; it is estimated that diarrhoeal diseases cause some 2.2 million deaths in children every year.
A report including the children's recommendations for action will be issued after the forum and sent to decision makers worldwide, including G8 participants. The 2005 C8 is the first of an anticipated annual event.
:: More about the C8
FACTS AND FIGURES ON WOMEN AND WATER
- Lack of energy services and infrastructure (water supply systems) limits women's productive and community development activities: they are generally responsible for gathering fuel and performing household duties involving energy use, such as cooking. Women often have to spend a great deal of time and physical energy searching for fuel and water far from home and hauling it back over long distances. Girls are likely to be kept home from school to help with household chores when women are overburdened, which contributes to the perpetuation of female poverty.
- Only a functioning infrastructure, including energy and water supply allows women to escape this vicious circle, because it frees up their time. Having access to lighting in the evening makes it possible for them to pursue educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Women play a central part in the management and safeguarding of water, which makes it critical to involve them at all levels of the decision-making process. As women are concerned with health, sanitation, domestic water and food supplies, their increased participation in water management could have a positive impact on sharing water.
- In seeking to overcome their own water management problems, communities generate precious knowledge. The adoption of participatory approaches in water management, greater public consultation on proposed schemes and devolved responsibilities for water user groups have stimulated knowledge among wide numbers of people on specific issues. It has also contributed to challenging assumptions about gender-based divisions of labour, a first step towards giving women a greater say in planning water schemes.
:: Facts and figures taken from the first World Water Development Report (WWDR), 'Water for People, Water for Life'
:: Read more facts and figures from the WWDR. Updated facts and figures will appear in WWDR II, to be launched on World Water Day 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City, Mexico.
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