| Issue 39. 6 June 2014 | www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/decade_weekly.shtml |
| 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. Quoting BKM"In just the last two weeks, we have seen despicable attacks against women and girls around the world - from Nigeria to Pakistan and from California to India. I was especially appalled by the brutal rape and gruesome murder of two teenaged women in India who had ventured out because they did not have access to a toilet. Violence again women is a peace and security issue. It is a human rights issue. It is a development issue."
Tip of the week
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Headquarters, 3 June 2014 |
| #WaterPost2015 Proposed goals and targets on Sustainable Development for the Post2015 agenda now available In preparation for the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) informal consultations 9 to 11 June 2014, an initial zero draft of the proposed goals and targets has been made available. During the informal consultations, Member States will have an opportunity to consult on the proposed goals, their targets and means of implementation contained in the zero draft. The priority target has been suggested as the eradication of poverty, the biggest global challenge facing the world today. The draft contains 17 proposed goals to be attained by 2030, including secure water and sanitation for all for a sustainable world. This goal focuses on the provision of universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation; improved water quality through reduced pollution; improved water efficiency in all sectors; integrated water resource management, including transboundary cooperation; sustainable extraction of freshwater supplies; reducing the mortality and economic losses caused by natural and human-induced disasters and the provision of adequate facilities and infrastructure in supplying safe drinking water and sanitation. The new goals reflect a flexible global vision, recognising that each country faces specific challenges to achieve sustainable development, and underscoring the special challenges facing the most vulnerable countries, in particular, African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, as well as the specific challenges facing the middle-income countries. |
| In the news | Forthcoming events |
| #MediaAwards Deadline for WASH Media Awards approaches
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaboration Council (WSSCC) and Stockholm international Water Institute (SIWI) are accepting entries for the 5th edition of the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Media Awards. The WASH Media Awards are part of a broader goal to foster sustainable relations with journalists in developing and developed nations, and increase the media coverage of WASH issues. Entries must be published or broadcast between 15 June 2013 - June 2014 within the themes Water and Energy; Equity and inclusion in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; Ending Open Defecation; Human Right to Water; WASH in the Future - Post-2015 and monitoring WASH commitments. There are 6 prize awards, plus the opportunity to participate in World Water Week in Stockholm 31 August - 5 September 2014. Deadline for applications is 15 June 2014. A summary report of the 13th Working Conference of the CEO Water Mandate that took place in Lima, Peru, from 8 to 9 April 2014 has been released, summarising discussions and outcomes on Corporate Water Stewardship, Collective Action and the Post-2015 Agenda. The UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate was launched in 2007 to better understand and advance water stewardship in the private sector and has met every year in order to discuss key issues according to each focus area and identify common interest, garner feedback from key stakeholders and explore options for increased participation and engagement in initiatives. The meeting was attended by endorsing companies, UN and government agencies, civil society groups and a variety of other organisations. Water Emergencies
#AfghanistanFloods Northern Afghanistan hit by more floods
A weekend of repeated flash floods in northern Afghanistan have affected thousands of homes and washed away agricultural land and roads, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported, noting that the number of people affected by flooding nationwide now stands at 140,000. OCHA said that 16,000 families in areas affected by the heavy rains and floods last month have already received emergency aid. Jens Laerke, OCHA’s spokesperson in Geneva said that among the priorities in the wake of this weekend’s floods is preventing the spread of disease adding that "In the newly flooded areas, the focus for immediate relief will again be clean water, sanitation and hygiene to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases." Water scarcity in Somalia caused by late rains and erratic weather patterns has created concern over a depleted harvest. The situation is being exacerbated by conflict and inadequate funding for priority actions designed to address the needs of hard-hit communities, according to a new Global information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).. "The people of Somalia cannot afford to wait to see how the next harvest turns out. They need urgent support to improve their food security and maintain their livelihoods, most of which depend directly on agriculture," said Luca Alinovi, acting Head of FAO's Somalia Office and FAO Representative in Kenya. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia is currently estimated at about 860,000, including over 200,000 malnourished children under five years of age. |
#Aquaculture 31st Session of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI 2014)
Date: 9-13 June 2014 More people than ever before rely on fisheries and aquaculture for food and as a source of income, but harmful practices and poor management threaten the sector’s sustainability. The FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) reviews the implementation of work programmes by the FAO in the field of fisheries and aquaculture; conducts periodic assessments of the state of world fisheries and aquaculture; evaluates progress in the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and related instruments; and provides assistance for the implementation of these instruments. This meeting will review these and other issues related to the work of the Committee.
Date: 11-12 June 2014 This workshop is a follow up to the International Roundtable on Transboundary Water Resources Management in the Southern Mediterranean, which took place in Rome, Italy, in November 2012. The workshop will discuss how transboundary cooperation can be fostered in order to improve water resources management between riparian countries, the sustainability of these shared resources and how to safeguard water rights. Specifically, the workshop will aim to increase awareness and understanding of the different legal frameworks for cooperation on shared waters resources. It will provide a platform to discuss the opportunity that the globalization of the Water Convention represents for the Arab region.
Date: 25-26 June 2014 The main objective of this meeting is to review the implementation of the programme of work for 2013-2015 for the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. The Working Group will discuss how to foster ratification of the Convention; how the exchange of experience and good practices between joint bodies worldwide will be promoted; and progress in development of the policy guidance note on identifying, assessing and communicating the benefits of transboundary water cooperation, among others. The meeting is open to experts representing governmental authorities, the private sector and non-governmental as well as international organizations and other interested stakeholders. Latest videos
• Success with Sanitation Business in Indonesia |