Launch of the 4th edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report. Marseille, France

12 March 2012 - On the first day of the 6th World Water Forum, UNESCO's Director General, Irina Bokova, and the UN-Water Chair, Michel Jarraud, launched the 4th edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR4).

The WWDR4 represents a milestone within the series of WWDR reports. This 4th edition introduces a new thematic approach (Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk), and directly reports from the regions, highlighting hotspots. It reports on various challenge areas, and aims to encourage all stakeholders both in and out of the 'water box' to fully engage in decision making processes. The Report has been mainstreamed for gender equality, which is addressed as a critical issue throughout.

>> Volume 1 'Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk' [ - 16.3 MB]
>> Volume 2 'Knowledge Base' [ - 41.3 MB]
>> Volume 3 'Facing the Challenges' [ - 34.6 MB]
>> World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) website

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22 March 2012: World Water Day. Focus on Water and Food Security

22 March is World Water Day (WWD). This year focus was on Water and Food Security. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as the coordinating agency for WWD 2012, hosted the official ceremony of UN-Water for the day at its Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

A variety of speakers were invited to speak in the morning session giving their perspectives on Water and Food Security. During the morning session the winners of the UN-Water 'Water for Life' Best Practices Award were presented by the UN-Water chair Mr. Jarraud.

The afternoon session featured a presentation on the 4th edition of the United Nations World Development Report "Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk" by the World Water Assessment Programme, followed by a follow-up to the 6th World Water Forum session, "From field to fork - reduce food waste and change to sustainable diets to reduce your water footprints".

>> UN Secretary-General's Message for 2012
>> Preparatory activities from the UN-Water Office in Zaragoza for WWD 2011
>> New web section on Water and Food Security
>> Reader on Water and Food Security [ - 132 KB]
>> Advocacy Guide for World Water Day 2011 [ - 628 KB]
>> Official ceremony of UN-Water for World Water Day 2011

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8 – 9 February 2012: The United Nations Office to support the International Decade for Action "Water for Life" 2005-2015 hosted the UN-Water meeting. Zaragoza, Spain

The United Nations Office to support the International Decade for Action "Water for Life" 2005-2015/UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) hosted the UN-Water meeting from 8 to 9 February 2012 in Zaragoza, Spain. In this meeting, the chairmanship was handed over from the current UN-Water Chair Mr. Adeel Zafar, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), to the World Meteorological Organization's Secretary-General Mr. Michel Jarraud. The meeting gathered the directors and coordinators of the 29 UN-Water member agencies, programmes and departments of the United Nations.

The meeting focused on the approval of changes in the UN-Water organizational structure and rules, as well as on the ratification of the 2012-2013 work programme. Furthermore, the coordinators of the different taskforces, Thematic Priority Areas and the directors of the three UN-Water programmes assessed and informed about up to date and on-going tasks in UN-Water activities.

The purpose of the meeting was also to decide about the participation of UN-Water in upcoming major international events; it also dealt with aspects regarding Integrated Water Resources Management in the Rio+20 Summit (June 2012). It was hence the last internal preparatory meeting in the United Nations concerning this international summit.

As an inter-agency coordination mechanism, UN-Water consists by today of 29 members out of United Nations organizations, programmes, departments, major funds and conventions. The ultimate objective of UN-Water and thus of the annual meeting is to enhance coherence and coordination regarding UN initiatives in the water and sanitation agenda.

>> 8 February: UN-Water meeting press release [ - 785 KB]
>> UN-Water website

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7 February 2012: Experts dialogue on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. Zaragoza, Spain

How does the Human Right to Water and Sanitation apply to countries in need? Is enough being done to implement the Right to Sanitation? How will the economic crisis affect the implementation of the Right to Water and Sanitation? These and other questions were addressed during the Dialogue on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation that took place on 7 February 2012 at the Ebro River Basin Authority in Zaragoza, Spain. The event was organized by the UN Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Ebro River Basin Authority and the University of Zaragoza. Experts such as Robert Bos and Antonio Embid offered their insights on the pressing matters regarding the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. An open dialogue closed the session inviting attendees to share their opinions and considerations about a matter concerning us all.

>> Experts dialogue on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation [ – 257 KB]

25 October-25 November 2011: 'Water is Life'. International Thematic Poster Exhibition, Zaragoza, Spain

The touring poster exhibition 'Water is Life' was presented at the United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015 in Zaragoza, Spain, for one month, from 25 October to 25 November 2011. 33 graphic thematic posters selected from the 2011 edition of the 'Water is Life' competition, which received more than 4,800 candidatures from 83 countries. The poster competition provided an opportunity to showcase young creativity from all over the world on a global scale, touching on an essential aspect of life: Water!

>> 'Water is Life'. International Thematic Poster Exhibition

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16-18 November 2011: Bonn2011 Nexus Conference. Bonn, Germany

'The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus. Solutions for the Green Economy' was the focus of the Bonn2011 Conference. Organized by the German Federal Government, this international conference concentrated on new approaches which address the interconnections within the water, energy and food security nexus. The conference aimed at developing policy recommendations, positioning the water, energy and food security nexus perspective as an important dimension within the Rio+20 process and launching concrete initiatives to address the water, energy, food security nexus in a coherent and sustainable way.

On 16 November (10:00-13:00), UN-Water convened a session on 'UN-Water. The Road to Rio. Water for Development and Poverty Eradication'. In this session, some of the key expectations that specific Member States have for water and about the role that the UN is expected to play towards Rio+20 were presented and discussed. UN-Water members and partners discussed the UN-Water messages and showcased and discussed key initiatives that have been important in supporting the role of water in the development agenda and what we can expect for water in the Rio+20 conference.

>> UN-Water: The Road to Rio. Water for Development and Poverty Eradication
>> Photos from session

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19-20 October 2011: Towards the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20): Water Cooperation Issues, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

This preparatory conference for Rio+20 was organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in cooperation with UN-Water, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office in Dushanbe and the South-South News. The objective of the conference was to discuss current issues and challenges in water cooperation that will be later included in the concept note and the programme of the thematic session on water cooperation in the framework of the Rio+20 Conference.

>> Towards the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

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3-5 October 2011: UN-Water International Conference. Water in the Green Economy in Practice: Towards Rio 2012. Zaragoza, Spain

"Successful water projects can serve as templates around the world and help to stimulate the adoption of green economies." The three-day UN-Water conference in Zaragoza, Spain, discussed examples of successful water projects as well as how to adequate manage the world's limited water resources. Experts predict that the amount of water needed by humans could exceed the amount available by as much as 40 per cent by 2030, making water management a priority in the sustainability agenda. Water is also closely linked to the green economy because it is interwoven with sustainable development issues such as health, food security, energy and poverty. The conference served as a preparation process for next year's UN Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20.

The event placed a special focus in showcasing already successful projects of how water can be a major contributor to developing a green economy. At the end of the conference, UN-Water issued a draft best practice guide to actions, instruments and policies to progress towards a green economy for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

>> Access presentations, photos and other materials from the conference website

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14-16 September 2011: Regional journalist workshop "Environmental communication: integrated water resources and coastal areas management", Panama City, Panama

This regional workshop was aimed at supporting communication practitioners and journalists in access to information and in disseminating key messages on environmental priorities for the Latin America and the Caribbean region but also at local and global levels. The workshop specially focused on environmental management, integrated water resources and coastal areas management. The UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) contributed to the workshop with two presentations, one for the panel on Ecosystem approach and adaptive co-management for an integrated approach of water resources and coastal areas management and another one for the panel on Water and the green economy: perspectives for Rio+20.

>> Regional journalist workshop [ - 52 KB]

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21-27 August 2011: World Water Week – Water in an Urbanising World. Stockholm, Sweden

Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the World Water Week brings together experts, practitioners, decision makers and leaders from around the globe to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to solve the world's water crisis. Each year the World Water Week addresses a particular theme to enable a deeper examination of a specific water-related topic. The thematic scope for 2011 is "Water in an Urbanising World". UN-Water was present at the Week and the UN agencies and programmes organized several events. Access the Week's event finder and type UN-Water in the Keyword field to find them.

On 22 August, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC), the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) and the UN World Water Assessment Programme jointly organized, on behalf of UN-Water, a Stakeholder Dialogue on 'Beyond 2015: What next for water-related MDGs and water challenges?'.

On 23 August, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), the International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) jointly organized a session on 'Striking WASH Communication: Urban Water in Depth'.

>> Beyond 2015: What next for water-related MDGs and water challenges? [ – 1.6 MB]
>> Striking WASH Communication: Urban Water in Depth [ – 271 KB]
>> World Water Week 2011 event finder
>> World Water Week 2011 website

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4-5 July 2011: Workshop on equitable access to water and sanitation: challenges, good practices and lessons learned, Geneva, Switzerland

This workshop brought together countries and other stakeholders engaged in the provision of water and sanitation services with the aim to analyse the specific challenges and debate the political, economic and practical implications of equitable access to water and sanitation; exchange practical experiences and share lessons learned on the policies and measures to be enacted to provide access to water and sanitation to vulnerable and marginalized groups, to reduce geographical disparities in access and to address affordability issues; identify good practices, success factors and lessons learned; support governments in complying with the requirements of article 5 of the Protocol on Water and Health as regards promoting equitable access to water and sanitation, as well as their obligations under international human rights law.

>> Presentations from participants in the workshop on equitable access to water and sanitation
>> Press release

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27-28 June 2011: Darfur International Water Conference: Water for Sustainable Peace 2011. Khartoum, Sudan

The Darfur International Conference, sponsored by the Sudan Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources along with United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations for Project Services (UNOPS), sought to raise support for a six-year series of water-related projects in Darfur.

The Conference launched and appeal for US$1.5 billion in water sector projects, from rebuilding the water infrastructure devastated by conflict to introduce innovative technologies and systems to creating policy for drought preparedness.

>> Darfur International Water Conference press release

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25 April-1st July 2011: UNITAR e-Learning course on 'Governance in Urban Sanitation'

This course aims at enhancing the capacity of local decision-makers and sanitation professionals to make the most enlightened decisions and investments in the area of urban sanitation. It provides analytical tools to understand the financial and institutional framework of the sanitation sector, taking into account the needs of urban poor communities.

The course is open to decision-makers from local governments as well as representatives of service providers (national governments, private sector, NGOs) and international organizations involved in the sanitation sector worldwide.

>> UNITAR e-Learning course on 'Governance in Urban Sanitation'

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20-22 June 2011: Human Right to Water and Sanitation at Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, Bonn, Germany

"Human Rights in a Globalized World - Challenges for the Media" was the theme of the 2011 edition of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, where media representatives meet, discuss and interact with experts, decision makers and activists, among others, on the theme of human rights and the role of the media worldwide.

The UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) UN-Habitat, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) jointly organized different activities on the human right to water and sanitation at the Forum which included:

• A stand in the Forum exhibition, from 20 to 22 June
• A Journalist Training Programme, from 19 to 21 June [ - 509 KB]
• Participation in the Plenary Session, Development and human rights – What can the media do?, from 11:30 to 13:00 on 20 June
• An Interview Session on Water for Life. Water and Sanitation as a Human Right, from 14:00 to 15:30 on 20 June

>> Brochure on activities on the human right to water at DW Global Media Forum [- 398 KB]
>> Conclusions and recommendations [ - 60 KB]
Different information materials on the human right to water and sanitation have been produced to support these activities:
>> A Short Glossary [- 28 KB] which defines frequently used terms.
>> A Media brief [- 187 KB] presenting the current situation and some examples illustrating how the human right to water and sanitation is being implemented in practice.
>> A Reader [- 175 KB] which provides basic references for easy reading and some of the latest and most relevant United Nations publications on the issue.
>> Eight Short facts [- 388 KB] on the human right to water and sanitation.
>> A UN Milestones [- 112 KB] document presenting the UN historical background and evolution of recognition of the human right to water and sanitation.

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17 June 2011: World Day to Combat Desertification

The aim of the World Day to Combat Desertification is to sensitize the public and policy makers to the increasing dangers of desertification, land degradation and drought.

2011 being the International Year of Forests, the Day was guided by the motto 'Forests keep drylands working'. In his call to the international community Mr. Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), stated "If each of us makes the commitment and ensures that just one tree is planted in a degraded part of the drylands and that the tree survives through the year, we could have well over two billion trees in the drylands by the end of the year. That is a tree for every inhabitant".

>> World Day to Combat Desertification 2011

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6 June 2011: 6th Forum on Water for Development. The MDGs ten years later, Madrid, Spain

Organized by the Canal Foundation, the annual Forum on Water for Development is the meeting point for international actors from the sector aimed at achieving universal access to water and sanitation. The sixth edition of the Forum focused on difficulties and progress to date towards the achievement of the MDGs. The Forum had the participation from representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Water and Sanitation and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). The UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) participated in the Forum with a presentation on the MDGs and future actions of the UN system in the water sector.

>> 6th Forum on Water for Development

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5-10 June 2011: Conference on Water Governance: Meeting the Challenges of Global Change, Obergurgl, Austria

Organized by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in partnership with the Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck, this conference was aimed at highlighting major recent insights and advances in concepts and methodology in analysis of water governance and policy, bridging regional and global scales in multi-level analyses of water governance, strengthening the emerging community of water governance scholars.

The UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) chaired session 7 ‘Water governance, addressing the environmental dimension’ and participated in session 8 ‘Legitimacy and multi-level governance: lessons from the water column’ on 9 June.

>> Conference on Water Governance: Meeting the Challenges of Global Change

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16 May-3 June 2011: 16th World Meteorological Congress

In the framework of the 16th World Meteorological Congress, organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), six side events were organized to support Congress delegations in their deliberations on the role and functions of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services within the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

On 23 May, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) participated in a panel discussion organized at the side event on "Understanding User Needs for Climate Change Services".

>> 16th World Meteorological Congress

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31 May-3 June 2011: Tropical Forest Summit, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

Top officials from more than 35 nations covering the world’s three major rainforest regions gathered at a United Nations-backed conference to discuss the common challenges faced by these vital ecosystems that support more than a billion people.

The aim of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Amazon, Congo, and Borneo-Mekong Forest Basins was to achieve a plan for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems in the three basins. The Amazon Basin of South America, the Congo Basis in Central Africa, and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in South-East Asia make up 80 per cent of the world’s rainforests and contain two thirds of its biodiversity. The four-day meeting was also part of celebrations of the International Year of Forests 2011.

>> About the Tropical Forest Summit
>> International Year of Forests 2011

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18 April 2011: International Day for Monuments and Sites 2001 - Cultural Heritage of Water

18 April was designated as The International Day for Monuments and Sites by UNESCO in 1982. Each year a theme is selected to help focus the celebration and promotion of cultural heritage across the world. The aim is to explore cultural heritage beyond the select group of sites on the World Heritage List and to encourage local communities and individuals to consider the importance of cultural heritage to their lives, identities and communities. The theme agreed for 2011was the 'Cultural Heritage of Water'.

>> International Day for Monuments and Sites 2001

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12-13 April 2011: 2^nd workshop on water and adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins, Geneva, Switzerland

This workshop was the second one organized on this theme in the framework of the UNECE Water Convention. It brought together countries and other stakeholders engaged in activities on water and adaptation to climate change, in particular in transboundary basins, with the aim to: exchange practical experience and share lessons-learned on the technical and strategic aspects of adapting to climate change; analyse the specific challenges of adapting water management to climate change in the transboundary context, identify best practices, success factors and lessons learnt; exchange experiences between the pilot projects on adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins under the UNECE Water Convention as well as other similar initiatives; support governments, organizations and joint bodies engaged in the process of preparing national or regional adaptation strategies; promote and discuss the implementation of the UNECE Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change.

>> 2^nd workshop on water and adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins

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21-22 March 2011: Journalist Training Workshop, Cape Town, South Africa

Organized by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), this two day journalist workshop, taking place in the framework of World Water Day celebrations in Cape Town, South Africa, provided orientation for journalists reporting on "Urban water" issues. With a focus on professional retraining related to research, preparing reportages and investigative journalism on the themes of water governance in the urban context, the workshop was mainly directed towards experienced African journalists from print, radio and TV media.

>> Journalist training workshop programme

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20-21 March 2011: 1st Bi-Annual Global Water Operators Congress and GWOPA General Assembly, Cape Town, South Africa

The Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) held its 1st Bi-Annual Global Water Operators Congress and GWOPA General Assembly on 20th -21st March 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa, in conjunction with World Water Day celebrations. The Congress brought together water and sanitation operators, GWOPA members, and partners from around the world for this first major global WOPs event. The Congress contributed to the growing body of knowledge on WOPs, helped broker new partnerships between operators, and generally raised awareness about the practice. The event represented a major opportunity for practitioners from around the world to exchange with one another on important questions around WOPs.

>> 1st Bi-Annual Global Water Operators Congress and GWOPA General Assembly

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15-16 March 2011: Building Commitment, Efficiency and Equity for Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Latin America and the Caribbean, Santiago, Chile

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) organized this regional conference at ECLAC Headquarters, Santiago, Chile. The conference aimed at presenting, analyzing and discussing lessons learnt from research and technical advisory activities of ECLAC for the period 2008-2010. The conclusions provided the basis for a public policy guidelines document that will summarize the state-of-the-art public policies for the economically efficient, socially equitable and environmental sustainable provision of water supply and sanitation services.

>> Building Commitment, Efficiency and Equity for Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Latin America and the Caribbean regional conference

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7 March 2011: How the Green Economy depends on Water, 2nd Rio+20 PrepCom, New York

This side event, organized by UN-Water and the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), articulated the linkages among water, sanitation and the multiple facets of the green economy while providing a forum to discuss how water issues feature on the Rio 2012 agenda. The event focused on the themes and objectives of Rio 2012 highlighting particularly how water and the green economy are co-dependent.

>> How the Green Economy depends on Water, 2nd Rio+20 PrepCom

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2 February 2011: World Wetlands Day "Forests for water and wetlands"

2 February each year is World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.

>> World Wetlands Day 2011