APRIL IN FOCUS
 The 2nd United Nations World Water Development Report: now available online!
The triennial United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) is a joint undertaking of 24 UN agencies comprising UN-Water in partnership with governments and other stakeholders, and coordinated by WWAP.
The second Report, 'Water, a shared responsibility' (WWDR2, 2006), provides an up-to-date global overview of the state and uses of freshwater, critical water-related problems and societies' coping mechanisms. Drawing on expert analysis, case studies, and hundreds of graphic elements, it is the most comprehensive undertaking to date of freshwater assessment, providing a mechanism for monitoring changes in the resource and its management and progress towards achieving development targets, particularly the UN Millennium Development Goals.
WWDR2 was officially presented on World Water Day, 22 March 2006, by WWAP coordinator Gordon Young and representatives of UN-Water and national partners. The English version of the Report is now freely accessible online.
:: Access the full WWDR2 online
:: Read more about WWDR2
:: Order a hard copy of WWDR2
FORTHCOMING INTERNATIONAL DAYS
22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity
Theme: Protect biodiversity in drylands
Organizer: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
:: Website
UPCOMING EVENTS
15 June 2006: Water and cooperation between the European Union and Latin America, Brussels, Belgium
Representatives of countries in the European Union and Latin America will meet in Brussels, Belgium, to facilitate the development of a water resources and sanitation strategy between the 2 regions. The meeting will be held under the auspices of the Government of Spain and WWAP.
WWAP NEWS
Report from the 4th World Water Forum mega-session: 'The inclusion of IWRM in national plans'
WWAP, the Global Water Partnership (GWP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) co-organized a day-session on 'Inclusion of IWRM in National Plans' on 18 March 2006 for the 4th World Water Forum (4th WWF), celebrated in Mexico City, Mexico, from the 16 to the 22 March.
Over the years it has been shown that an integrated approach to water resources management (IWRM) will be critical for achieving many of the UN Millennium Development Goals, including not only those related to health, but also to poverty and hunger eradication, education, women's empowerment, environmental sustainability and global partnership for development.
The session aimed to examine to what extent and how countries have adopted and implemented the principles of IWRM, provide an overview of on-going monitoring activities regarding IWRM planning and implementation, and develop a set of conclusions and recommendations as to how best to promote the inclusion of IWRM in national planning. The report and conclusions of this session are now available online.
:: Read the report [PDF format - 96 KB]
:: Read the 4th WWF bulletin for 18 March
Results of the session on 'Integrated management and governance: A framework for making empowerment a reality'
On 18 March WWAP co-organized a 2-hour session for the 4th World Water Forum (4th WWF) on 'Integrated management and governance: A framework for making empowerment a reality' with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Association of Water Boards of the Netherlands (UNIE).
The session was based on the framework for local water institutions presented and discussed at the 3rd WWF in Kyoto, Japan, (2003). This framework comprises legislation, representation (of stakeholders), funding (both by taxation and external funding) and capacity development. These are the building blocks of empowerment for local organizations.
Some of the local actions chosen to illustrate the session were presented by representatives of WWAP Case Studies.
- Mr Fred Kimaite (Uganda Water Development Directorate) described his country's decentralization of water management and explained that stakeholder involvement should go beyond consultations and that their responsibilities must be clearly defined.
- Mr Kaus Imbulana (Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka) described a water diversion project that aims to alleviate poverty in his country. By using existing equipment and local expertise, the project has had positive impacts on gender issues, stakeholder outreach and vertical policy integration.
- Mr Víctor Pochat (former Under Secretary for Water in Argentina) reviewed the development of water management principles in Argentina, which involve extensive stakeholder consultations. These principles provide guidelines that integrate social, economic and other values in water management.
Fostering vertical integration, the processes of drafting water management principles and decentralization as well as the establishment of water use priorities were discussed during the session and recommendations were drafted for the ministerial roundtable on 22 March 2006.
:: Read more about WWAP Case Studies
WWDR2 will be used as a reference for Expo Zaragoza 2008
The WWAP Secretariat and the Secretariat of the upcoming International Exhibition on water, 'Expo Zaragoza 2008', have agreed that the 1st and 2nd United Nations World Water Development Reports (WWDR) will be the main reference documents for the design and execution of the Expo. The Expo will be a major water event and is an excellent opportunity to further disseminate WWDR2.
Expo Zaragoza will translate and publish WWDR2 in print and CD forms in Spanish and participate in the development of the Spanish version of its living document. The Expo will also finance 2 WWAP documentaries on the Lake Titicaca Basin case study and on the La Plata River Basin case study.
WWAP will draft the conceptual script for the 'Water, a shared responsibility' Plaza and the 'Water, a unique resource' Pavilion for the Expo.
:: Go to the official Expo Zaragoza 2008 website
:: Access the full WWDR2 online
WWDR1 in Spanish!
The Ministry of the Environment of Spain released the Spanish translation of the 1st United Nations World Water Development Report, 'Water for People, Water for Life' (WWDR1, 2003), during the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City, Mexico, on 18 March 2006.
The full text of WWDR1 will soon be available online in Spanish on the WWAP website.
WWAP CASE STUDIES
Future Case Studies discussed at the 4th World Water Forum
Case studies are an important part of UN World Water Development Reports (WWDR), as they provide the ground for testing methodologies and illustrating lessons learned from examples of real-world practices. They allow us to identify the areas of greatest stress and point out the gaps in our knowledge and understanding. The case study reports are perfect tools for sharing and disseminating the experience accrued at the regional, national and/or local level.
Partners from 7 case studies (the Basque Country, Ethiopia, Lake Peipsi Basin, Lake Titicaca Basin, La Plata Basin, Sri Lanka and Uganda) attended the 4th World Water Forum. They provided examples of local actions for various sessions, including both of the sessions organized or co-organized by WWAP, and participated in the launch of WWDR2, showing the impact of case study development in their countries.
WWDR1 (2003) included 7 case studies involving 12 countries, whereas WWDR2 (2006) included 17 case studies involving 41 countries. WWAP would like to continue increasing case study development for the upcoming WWDR3 (2009). Several countries expressed interest in developing case studies for WWDR3: Bangladesh, Estonia (to extend its case study to the national level), Finland, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Vietnam and Zambia. Denmark, Finland and the Islamic Republic of Iran would also be interested in supporting case study development in other countries.
Representatives of the government of Turkey and the WWAP secretariat also discussed a possible case study in Turkey, where the 5th World Water Forum will be held in 2009.
:: Read more about the WWDR2 Case Studies
Full France case study report available online!
The full France case study report prepared for the 2nd World Water Development Report is now available online. This report examines water-related challenges in terms of the 11 WWAP challenge areas. The French case study actually comprises 6 basin level reports, which cover the national territory.
:: Read more about the WWAP case studies
:: Read more about the France case study
:: Read the full France case study report prepared for WWDR2 [PDF format - 1.65 MB]
WWAP PARTICIPATES
19-20 April 2006: Human Development Report 2006 Advisory Panel meeting
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Reports present agenda-setting data and analysis and call international attention to issues and policy options that put people at the centre of strategies to meet the challenges of economic, social, political and cultural development today.
The next report will focus on water. WWAP co-ordinator, Mr Gordon Young, participated in the Human Development Report 2006 Advisory Panel meeting, which took place on 19-20 April 2006 in New York, United States.
6-7 April: 2nd Expo Zaragoza 2008 Expert Committee meeting
The Expo Zaragoza 2008 Experts Committee is in charge of monitoring and giving advice about the Exhibition contents as well as facilitating the participation and involvement in the Exhibition of water experts and institutions with an international impact.
The 2nd meeting focused on the Water Tribune's content. The Water Tribune will be a worldwide benchmark for dialogue on water and a meeting place for international bodies, national and local governments, consumers, NGOs and water operators and managers. It will be organized into 6 thematic weeks during the Expo.
WWAP Deputy Co-ordinator, Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, represented WWAP during the meeting as one of the 22 experts in the Committee. WWAP is collaborating closely with Expo Zaragoza 2008 to prepare this major water event.
:: Go to the official Expo Zaragoza 2008 website
25 April: 'Water and Education for Sustainability', Barcelona, Spain
Unescocat and the Caixa Catalunya Territory and Landscape Foundation organized a day on 'Water and Education for sustainability' in Barcelona, Spain, on 25 April, within the framework of the International Decade for Action, 'Water for Life' (2005-2015) and the United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). The main objective of the event was to present the poster collection and didactic guide 'Water in the XXIst century' designed for high school teachers and students. They are based on the 1st United Nations World Water Development Report, 'Water for People, Water for Life' (WWDR1, 2003) and were created with WWAP's support.
Pilar González Meyaui, WWAP communications projects coordinator, participated in this event and made a presentation on the world's water situation.
WWAP PARTNERS WATER NEWS
New UN-Water website
In 2003, UN-Water was endorsed as the new official United Nations mechanism for the follow-up of internationally agreed water-related goals. UN Water's work encompasses all aspects of freshwater, including surface and groundwater resources and the interface between freshwater and sea water.
This new website includes information about UN-Water, monitoring, events and news.
:: Go to the UN-Water website
The International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' Secretariat to be hosted in Zaragoza, Spain
The United Nations, in partnership with the Government of Spain, is setting up the International Decade for Action, 'Water for Life' (2005-2015) Secretariat in Zaragoza, Spain. Mrs Elena Caballero, former president of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Duero, Spain, was nominated deputy co-ordinator of the Secretariat. 'This new arrangement will undertake advocacy and outreach efforts to sustain the global attention and political momentum in favour of the water and sanitation agenda at all levels during the Decade', said Mr José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City on 16 March 2006.
:: Go to the official 'Water for Life' Decade website
FACTS AND FIGURES ON WATER AND BIODIVERSTY IN DRYLANDS
- Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development. It recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems - it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live.
- It is critical that we recognize the direct links between the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation and the loss of ecosystem resilience. Biodiversity and the conservation of coastal and freshwater ecosystems are not separate issues from sustaining clean water and food security, but rather an integral part of the same agenda.
- The resilience of ecosystems increases with biodiversity, thus providing a relevant linkage between management and biodiversity conservation.
- 47% of the land surface of the Earth is drylands. This includes semi-arid lands, such as the Karoo and the Horn of Africa; savannah landscapes, such as the Eurasian steppes and the North American Great Plains; and Mediterranean landscapes. Home to a richness of biological diversity, they are also central to the livelihoods of almost 2 billion people.
- Dryland ecosystems receive very erratic rainfall, and as a result, are very fragile. Biodiversity in these ecosystems is under threat from a variety of human activities.
- 2,311 species living in dryland ecosystems are endangered today.
- The negative impacts of water management in agriculture are related to land and water uses, in particular through encroachment on natural ecosystems, water extraction, erosion or the loss of soil biodiversity.
Farmers are at the centre of any ecological process of change. They need to be encouraged and enabled, through appropriate incentives and governance practices, to conserve natural ecosystems and their biodiversity and minimize the negative impacts of agricultural production, a goal that will only be achieved if the appropriate policies are in place.
- Using traditional knowledge, agricultural systems that have proved sustainable in the long term can go far in the preservation of ecosystems and their biodiversity, while enhancing rural livelihoods.
- In order to evaluate progress towards the 2010 target set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Convention of Biological Diversity's to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, considerable improvements in the data quality, formats and geographical coverage are urgently required.
:: Facts and figures taken from the 2nd United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR), 'Water, a shared responsibility' and the International Day for Biodiversity 2006 website.
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