UN-Water
Encyclopedia
UN-Water is a mechanism of the United Nations
, endorsed in 2003 for the follow-up process of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Its purpose is to support states in their water-related efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals
.
UN-Water strengthens coordination and coherence among UN agencies that work on all aspects of freshwater
and sanitation
. This includes surface and groundwater
resources, the interface between freshwater and seawater
and water-related disasters. UN-Water aims at improving the cooperation between relevant governing bodies and development organizations. It is responsible for the annual World Water Day as well as for the UN Water decade.
UN-Water has four specific programs, each with its own work plan, budget and an executing agency co-ordinating the implementation:
Reports and publications
UN-Water has three primary, regularly produced reports on water resources:
Task forces
UN-Water also maintains ad-hoc Task Forces on issues such as Climate Change
, Gender
and Water, Transboundary Waters, Monitoring (including indicators and reporting), Country-level Coordination, and Sanitation
.
World Day for Water
UN-Water is responsible for the coordination and planning of the World Day for Water
, which is observed every March 22.
Members
Partners
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, endorsed in 2003 for the follow-up process of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Its purpose is to support states in their water-related efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
.
UN-Water strengthens coordination and coherence among UN agencies that work on all aspects of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
and sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
. This includes surface and groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
resources, the interface between freshwater and seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
and water-related disasters. UN-Water aims at improving the cooperation between relevant governing bodies and development organizations. It is responsible for the annual World Water Day as well as for the UN Water decade.
Activities
ProgrammesUN-Water has four specific programs, each with its own work plan, budget and an executing agency co-ordinating the implementation:
- World Water Assessment ProgrammeWorld Water Assessment ProgrammeThe United Nations World Water Assessment Programme monitors the world’s freshwater resources. WWAP provides recommendations, develops case studies, enhance assessment capacity at a national level and inform the decision-making process...
(WWAP) http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap - UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) implemented by the United Nations International Decade for Action, "Water for Life DecadeWater for Life DecadeTHE INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR ACTION ‘WATER FOR LIFE’, 2005-2015The United Nations General Assembly, in December 2003, proclaimed the years 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’...
" 2005-2015(UNW-IDfA)http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade - UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) http://www.unwater.unu.edu
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) http://www.wssinfo.org
Reports and publications
UN-Water has three primary, regularly produced reports on water resources:
- UN World Water Development ReportUN World Water Development ReportThe United Nations World Water Development Report is a global report that provides an authoritative, comprehensive assessment of the world’s freshwater resources...
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr - Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation http://www.wssinfo.org/en/welcome.html
- Global Assessment on Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/glaas/en/
Task forces
UN-Water also maintains ad-hoc Task Forces on issues such as Climate Change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, Gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
and Water, Transboundary Waters, Monitoring (including indicators and reporting), Country-level Coordination, and Sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
.
World Day for Water
UN-Water is responsible for the coordination and planning of the World Day for Water
World Day for Water
'World Water Day' has been observed on March 22 since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Day for Water....
, which is observed every March 22.
Members and partners of UN-Water
UN-Water is composed of member representatives of 26 United Nations organizations that work on water issues and 17 other, non-UN organizations which are partners in UN-Water.Members
- CBD - United Nations Convention on Biological DiversityConvention on Biological DiversityThe Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
- FAO - Food and Agriculture OrganizationFood and Agriculture OrganizationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
of the United Nations - IAEA - International Atomic Energy AgencyInternational Atomic Energy AgencyThe International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
- IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentInternational Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentThe International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
- UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
- UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUnited Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentThe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
- UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationUnited Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationThe United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies...
- UNDESA - United Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsUnited Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsThe United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to the major United Nations Summits and Conferences, as well as services to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Second and Third Committees...
- UNDP - United Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Development ProgrammeThe United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
- UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for AfricaUnited Nations Economic Commission for AfricaThe United Nations Economic Commission for Africa was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its member states following a recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly.It is one of five regional commissions.The ECA...
- UNECE - United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeThe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
- UNECLAC - United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanUnited Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanThe United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...
- UNESCAP - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificThe Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the regional arm of the United Nations Secretariat for the Asian and Pacific region. It was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states...
- UNESCWA - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaThe United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia , headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is one of the five regional commissions under the administrative direction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UN-ESCWA promotes economic and social development of Western Asia...
- UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- UNEP - United Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeThe United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
- UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeThe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international environmental treaty produced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development , informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992...
- UN-Habitat - United Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeUnited Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeThe United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
- UNHCR - United Nations High Commission for Refugees
- UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUnited Nations Industrial Development OrganizationThe United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
- UNISDR - International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
- UNU - United Nations UniversityUnited Nations UniversityThe United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
- World Bank - The World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
- WHO - World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
- WMO - World Meteorological OrganizationWorld Meteorological OrganizationThe World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
- UNWTO - World Tourism OrganizationWorld Tourism OrganizationThe World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
Partners
- Aquafed - The International federation of Private Water Operators
- The Global Compact
- GWP - The Global Water PartnershipGlobal Water PartnershipThe Global Water Partnership , is an international network that offers practical advice for sustainably managing water resources. It promotes and supports activities that operate at the national and regional levels of development...
- IAH - International Association of HydrogeologistsInternational Association of HydrogeologistsThe International Association of Hydrogeologists is a scientific and educational organisation whose aims are to promote research into and understanding of the proper management and protection of groundwater for the common good throughout the world....
- IAHS - International Association of Hydrological SciencesInternational Association of Hydrological SciencesThe International Association of Hydrological Sciences is a non-profit non-governmental scientific organization committed to serving the science of hydrology and the worldwide community of hydrologists...
- ICID - International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage
- IWA - International Water AssociationInternational Water AssociationThe International Water Association is a self-governing non-profit organization which aims to cover all facets of the water cycle. The body is headquartered in London, with a global secreteriat based in The Hague and offices in Beijing, Bucharest, Nairobi, Singapore and Washington DC.The group's...
- IWMI - International Water Management InstituteInternational Water Management InstituteThe International Water Management Institute is a non-profit research organisation with headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and offices across Africa and Asia...
- PSI - Public Services InternationalPublic Services InternationalPublic Services International is a global union federation of public sector trade unions. It 620 affiliated unions, in 160 countries, representing 20 million workers...
- Ramsar - Ramsar ConventionRamsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
on Wetlands - SIWI - Stockholm International Water InstituteStockholm International Water InstituteStockholm International Water Institute is an independent, non-profit policy institute that generates research, awareness and policies on global water issues...
- UNSGAB - United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
- WSSCC - Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative CouncilWater Supply and Sanitation Collaborative CouncilThe Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council is an international organization whose secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland is hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services...
- WBCSD - World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentWorld Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentThe World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 international companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development....
- IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WWC - World Water CouncilWorld Water CouncilThe World Water Council is an international think tank founded in 1996, with its headquarters in Marseilles, France. It has 323 members from the private sector , government ministries, academic institutions, international financial institutions , the UN...
- WWF - World Wide Fund for NatureWorld Wide Fund for NatureThe World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
See also
- Water for Life Decade 2005-2015
- World Water Day
- UN World Water Development ReportUN World Water Development ReportThe United Nations World Water Development Report is a global report that provides an authoritative, comprehensive assessment of the world’s freshwater resources...
- World Water Assessment ProgrammeWorld Water Assessment ProgrammeThe United Nations World Water Assessment Programme monitors the world’s freshwater resources. WWAP provides recommendations, develops case studies, enhance assessment capacity at a national level and inform the decision-making process...