SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS VITAL TO ADDRESSING DISASTERS, BOOSTING DEVELOPMENT – SECRETARY-GENERAL
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The Secretary-General delivered a video message to the High-level session on the two Water Conventions during the seventh World Water Forum taking place in Daegu in the Republic of Korea.
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He said that sustainable management of transboundary waters is vital in addressing disasters, adapting to climate change, ensuring peace and fostering sustainable development.
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Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, is attending the Forum and is representing the UN.
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On that same subject, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says today that in 2050, there will be enough water to help produce the food needed to feed a global population expected to top nine billion, but that overconsumption, degradation and the impact of climate change will reduce water supplies in many regions, especially developing countries.
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Currently, water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people in the world, a proportion set to reach two-thirds by 2050.
STATEMENT
Secretary-General's video message to High-Level Special Session on the Two Water Conventions during the Seventh Water Forum
Daegu, Republic of Korea, 14 April 2015
Excellencies,
I am pleased to send greetings to this important meeting.
Sustainable management of transboundary waters is vital in addressing disasters, adapting to climate change, ensuring peace and fostering sustainable development.
The two water conventions on your agenda constitute important breakthroughs in the development of international water law.
The UN Watercourses Convention finally provides a universally-applicable legal framework to assist countries and basins to jointly manage their shared resources.
The UNECE Water Convention provides an important framework for cooperation.
It has evolved to address climate change and other emerging challenges.
And the Convention has led to ground-breaking work on the nexus between water, food, energy and ecosystems.
These two Conventions complement each other and should be implemented in synergy.
I call on Member States to join both Conventions and carry out their provisions – for greater water cooperation around the world.
Thank you.
GIWEH is participating at the World Water Forum 2015 that will take place from 12-17 April 2015 in Daegu & Gyeongbuk in South Korea. You will find us at the Swiss Stand, which is organized jointly by the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency and the Swiss Water Partnership. We are also participating in an exciting session at the scientific process called ``GETTING RESEARCH INTO POLICY AND PRACTICE`` on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 09:00 - 11:00 (Venue: DEC_303 | DAEGU – EXCO | 3F Room 306 Session Code S.1.4). The session focuses on the crucial importance of involving policy makers for effective uptake of research findings and the scaling up of technologies, using case studies from Australia, Senegal and the Middle East. Discussions will center on ways of designing research initiatives to respond to policy demands and engaging policy makers in research initiatives.