Professional Documents
Culture Documents
D 945-Eng
D 945-Eng
Information brief
With transboundary river basins and aquifer systems representing almost half the earth's surface, water cooperation is vital for peace.
Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General at the Rio+20 Conference 2012
Economic benefits Cooperation in the value chain and between local stakeholders can overcome the challenges of increasing water scarcity and uncertainty that industries are facing. Preserving water resources and protecting the environment Cooperation helps to exchange data and information and find joint management strategies. Promoting peace Cooperation on water can help overcome cultural, political and social tensions and build trust between different groups: water communities, regions or states.
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/water_cooperation_2013/
Water quality and water quantity. Concerns on water quality and water quantity can form a challenge for water cooperation. The upstream use and treatment of water can have consequences for downstream users. Infrastructure development. Infrastructure development such as dams may provide significant benefits for society, but can also negatively impact surrounding ecosystems and communities. Climate change. Climate change is expected to add to pressures on water resources in many areas with fluctuations in water availability and water quality. Economic interests. Economic interests over water and its use can cause conflicts that change the balance of power in a region. Financing. Investment needs for sustainable financing of transboundary water management institutions often exceed the resources available to riparian countries.
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/water_cooperation_2013/
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/water_cooperation_2013/