| Issue 15. 11 October 2013 | www.un.org/waterforlifedecade |
| This week in focus | Editor’s note
Welcome to the Decade’s Weekly! Every week it brings you the latest news from the International Decade for Action ’Water for Life’ 2005-2015. Please feel free to forward this newsletter. You can also access this newsletter online. Tip of the week |
| #iwashmyhands Global Handwashing Day
Date: 15 October 2013 Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote. Global Handwashing Day was originally created for children and schools, but can be celebrated by anyone promoting handwashing with soap. The 2013 theme is "The power is in your hands", because everyone has the power to create healthier communities through handwashing with soap.
>> Visit Global Handwashing Day (GHWD) website
>> Download GHWD Planner’s Guide |
| In the news | Forthcoming events |
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#BudapestSummit
Budapest Water Summit concludes with the adoption of the Budapest Statement
More than 1400 participants from 100 countries have engaged in the Budapest Water Summit from 8 to 11 October to shape the global water and sanitation agenda. The Summit has concluded today with the adoption of the Budapest Statement 'A Sustainable World is a Water-Secure World', which advocates for a dedicated water goal in the post-2015 development agenda.
On 9 October, the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water (UNSGAB) launched the Third Hashimoto Action Plan (HAPIII), which presents its 2013-2015 strategy for shaping global water and sanitation policy, at a side event held during the Budapest Water Summit. The Plan calls for a final push to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on water and sanitation, noting that the sanitation target is among the most off-track, and advocates for including water and sanitation objectives in the post-2015 development agenda.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the vital role of water in sustainable development, highlighting in particular its importance with regard to food security, climate change and sanitation. "Water holds the key to sustainable development. We need it for health, food security and economic progress," Mr. Ban said in his opening remarks at the Budapest Water Summit on 8 October. "Yet, each year brings new pressures." He noted that by 2030, nearly half the global population could be facing water scarcity and demand could outstrip supply by 40 per cent.
The theme for World Wetlands Day 2014, celebrated 2 February each year, is ’Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth’ as 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming. The Day will place a focus on the need for the wetland, water and agricultural sectors to work together for the best shared outcomes.
Increased urban flooding poses a direct threat to the wellbeing of metropolitan areas unless cities use more fully the complete panoply of local resources to mitigate disaster risks, according to UN Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström. "More needs to be done to address underlying drivers of disaster risk such as better planning regulations, better management of local ecosystems and better access to risk knowledge on the ground." Ms. Wahlström told the Fourth United Cities and Local Governments Congress that ended in Rabat, Morocco, on 4 October. |
#IDDR
International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013
Date: 13 October 2013 International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) offers an opportunity to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. IDDR is a day to celebrate how people and communities are reducing their risk to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of disaster risk reduction. It’s also a day to encourage every citizen and government to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations. The 2013 theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is "Living with disability and disasters".
Date: 16 October 2013
Today almost 870 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished. Unsustainable models of development are degrading the natural environment, threatening ecosystems and biodiversity that will be needed for our future food supply. The crop and livestock sectors use 70 percent of freshwater resources and, together with forestry, occupy 60 percent of the Earth’s land surface. Every aspect of the food system has an effect on the final availability and accessibility of diverse, nutritious foods. What would a sustainable food system look like? Is it possible to get from here to there? What would need to change to move us in that direction? World Food Day 2013 is an opportunity to explore these and other questions.
Date: 22-24 October 2013
The SACOSAN process is instrumental in generating political will towards better sanitation in South Asia. This governmental regional conference intends to accelerate progress in sanitation and hygiene promotion in South Asia and to enhance people’s quality of life. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the participating countries. Different UN agencies such as UNICEF and WHO also participate. From the Decade’s programmes
#BestPractices
Technical Advisory Committee of ’Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award starts to evaluate initiatives received
The Technical Advisory Committee of the ’Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award will start to evaluate applications received for its 4th edition, which focuses on water and energy, on 15 October. The Secretariat of the Award, ensured by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), received a total of 34 applications for this year’s edition: 25 for category 1 and 9 for category 2. Geographical distribution of applications is as follows: Africa 15%, Asia 26%, Europe 24%, Latin America and the Caribbean 35%. |
- "Einfach ganz ANDERS" (Simply Very Different)
Einfach ganz ANDERS (Simply Very Different) is a project developed by a non-profit organization "Eine Welt Netz NRW" in Germany. The project develops commercial learning materials to inform pupils about the global use of water and to offer them opportunities to engage in water protection. The learning material will be used as support materials for educational activities in schools. This initiative has joined the Decade’s campaign and been authorized the use of the Decade’s logo.
>>Contact
- Spanish Association of Hydrogeologists (AEH)
The Spanish Association of Hydrogeologists (AEH) organizes the 10th Symposium on Hydrogeology in Granada, Spain, from 16 to 18 October 2013. The purpose of this association is to bring together professionals whose activities are related to the study of aquifers’ physics and geology, its hydraulic behavior, groundwater’s physicochemical or biological characteristics, research and exploration, and any other opportunities for a better understanding and use of groundwater within the hydrological cycle. The initiative has joined the Decade and has been authorized the use of the Decade’s logo.
>>Contact
- The Spanish Association of Scientific Films and Images (ASESIC)
ASESIC organized on 19 February 2013 the conference "In the year of water: they live in the water and you don’t see them"
. The conference took place in the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain.