International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015

IN FOCUS

International Day for Biological Diversity 2013 focuses on Water

Date: Wednesday, 22 May 2013

The International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated every year on 22 May, is a special occasion to reflect on the role of biodiversity for our lives. In 2013 the theme for the day is Water and Biodiversity in recognition of the United Nations designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation.

This year's theme speaks to the important role of biodiversity and ecosystems in providing for water security, and therefore for sustainable development. Water sustains all life on Earth. The ecosystems of our world, but particularly forests and wetlands, ensure that clean water is available to human communities. Water in turn underpins all ecosystem services. Wetlands can help reduce risks from flooding. Restoring soils can reduce erosion and pollution and can increase water available for crops. Protected areas can assist in providing water to cities. Biodiversity is here to help, as a sustainable solution, let's the world know about it!

>> Booklet: Natural solutions for water security PDF document

NEWS

Findings of national stakeholder consultations on water published

21 May 2013 – A series of country consultations carried out by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) took place from February to May 2013 to address the importance of water to national development. The purpose of the national stakeholder consultations on water was to listen to country needs and priorities regarding the post-2015 agenda for water and sustainable development. The findings have been published in the report, National Stakeholder Consultations on Water: Supporting the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
>> Download the report

Asian leaders adopt Chiang Mai Declaration

21 May 2013 – Delegates participating in the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit on 19 and 20 May 2013 have adopted the "Chiang Mai declaration" pledging to build regional resilience to natural disasters, share scientific and technical knowledge on water resources management, accord high priority to water security and sanitation in national agendas and promote water use efficiency.
>> Chiang Mai Declaration PDF document

Sustainable water management brings economic, social and environmental benefits, say countries. Photo: UNEP.

At UN debate experts weigh clean energy, water strategies to halt 'runaway' climate change

16 May 2013 – With dire warnings likely to match or exceed the worst fears about the effects of global warming, environment and development experts gathered today at UN Headquarters to debate the twin challenge of curbing climate change while sustaining economic growth. "The fundamental challenge of our time is to end extreme poverty in this generation and significantly narrow the global gap between rich and poor without ruin the environmental basis for our survival," General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic said as he opened the UN General Assembly Thematic Debate 'Sustainable Development and Climate Change: Practical Solutions in the Energy-Water Nexus'.
>> Mr. Jeremic's address at the opening

Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR13).

Private sector must engage in disaster risk reduction to avoid economic losses

15 May 2013 – The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) launched today the latest Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR13). Entitled Creating Shared Value: the Business Case for Disaster Risk Reduction, the report, which carried out reviews of disaster losses in 56 countries, found that direct losses from floods, earthquakes and drought have been underestimated by at least 50 per cent. In this century alone, losses from disasters amount to some $2.5 trillion.

2.4 billion people will lack improved sanitation in 2015

13 May 2013 – Some 2.4 billion people – one-third of the world's population – will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015, according to a joint WHO/UNICEF report issued today. The report, entitled Progress on sanitation and drinking-water 2013 update, warns that, at the current rate of progress, the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving the proportion of the 1990 population without sanitation will be missed by 8% – or half a billion people.

UN Chronicle highlights water cooperation issues

2 May 2013 – The 1st issue of 2013 of the UN Chronicle focuses on the theme of water cooperation. Articles in the magazine address water cooperation in the context of cross-cutting issues such as development goals, women and agriculture, integrated water resources management (IWRM), and private sector involvement. The Chronicle examines both freshwater and ocean cooperation issues.

>> Archived news stories

EVENTS

2013 Budapest Water Summit: The Role of Water and Sanitation in the Global Sustainable Development Agenda

Organizers: Government of Hungary in collaboration with the World Water Council and UNESCO
Date: 8-11 October 2013
Place: Budapest, Hungary

The objective of this high-level summit is to take stock of the various developments, in and outside the UN system, in preparing water-related goals for the post Rio+20 development agenda. The expected outcome is one overarching SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water and sanitation that corresponds and responds to multidimensional challenges.

Water Integrity Forum

Organizers: Water Integrity Forum, UNESCO-IHE, Water Governance Centre
Date: 5-7 June 2013
Place: Delft, The Netherlands

Improving water integrity means working with preventive measures to promote transparency, accountability and participation in water. Lessons have already been learnt from this preventive work, and tools have already been tested and applied. The main objectives of this forum are to take stock of progress in addressing corruption issues in the water sector; to share knowledge, approaches and experiences; and to build alliances to address integrity challenges in the water sector.

2nd meeting of the International Steering Committee of the on Water Cooperation

Organizers: Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with UN agencies
Date: 4-5 June 2013
Place: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

In preparation of the High-Level Conference on Water Cooperation which will take place in Dushanbe on 20-21 August 2013, the Steering Committee will meet to discuss and agree on the final draft of the conference program; decide on key sessions' speakers, moderators and chairs; and make suggestions for the zero draft of the outcome document. The main objective of this Conference is to contribute to the improvement of water cooperation, in particular at transboundary level, by promoting successful policies, best practices and wider public participation, and encouraging policy makers to promote water cooperation at all levels in order to achieve internationally agreed goals on water.

3rd LatinoSan Conference. Sanitation for all: new challenges, new opportunities

Place: Panama
Date: 29-31 May 2013
Organizers: Ministry of Health of Panama

The 3rd Latin American Sanitation Conference (LatinoSan 2013) will be held under the theme 'Sanitation for all: new challenges: new opportunities'. This conference represents an opportunity to strengthen the leadership of Latin American and Caribbean governments in the sanitation issue, obtain country support for the inclusion of water and sanitation issues in new global goals, set new commitments in the sanitation agenda beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline, and encourage the participation of other stakeholders in the issue.

3rd session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

Date: 22-24 May 2013
Place: United Nations HQ, New York, USA

The 3rd session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals is expected to discuss the issues of food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, drought, desertification, and land degradation for one and a half days, and water and sanitation for the other one and a half days. Sessions will be broadcasted live through the UN webcast.

>> Archived events stories