Page 43 - report_A Matter of Survival

A Matter of Survival

Water is an important feature of the work of the World Bank, UNDP, should yield greater knowledge and better international
UNEP, FAO, UNESCO, WMO, ESCWA, UNECE and others in the UN cooperation in the global effort to improve water management,
system. Secretaries-General have consistently emphasized the and help to reduce tension and conflict surrounding water
importance of water cooperation – not only as a development issues. Other SDGs such as those concerned with peace, justice
and environmental issue but also for conflict prevention. Much and strong institutions (SDG 16) and the Global Partnership
of this type of work is being done through regional initiatives for Sustainable Development (SDG 17) contribute to the
such as the Lake Chad project, cooperation involving Niger, implementation of SDG 6.
Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad, which is addressing the inter-
related risks of increased insecurity and climate change. The importance of all these efforts for the maintenance of
international stability and peace by governments, international
These existing practices could be brought into a coherent policy institutions and UN agencies, funds and programs must never be
framework through the implementation of Agenda 2030 and, underestimated. The role of civil society and non-governmental
especially through its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). organizations continues to grow. Experience has shown that
SDG 6 on water and sanitation contains the aim of promoting water management issues, which by definition affect people,
Integrated Water Resources Management and transboundary increasingly give rise to initiatives organized by civil society
cooperation, and a comprehensive system of indicators is being organizations of the people concerned. The actual manner in
developed to monitor the implementation. This process should which such civil society groups are involved in water management
be used to strengthen the discussion on applying the principles as stakeholders, as well the intensity of their involvement, varies
of International Water Law that already offer a platform for from region to region, and from project to project.
cooperation among States in the domain of transboundary water
cooperation. For example, although hydropower projects are recognized
as important mitigation and adaptation tools which decrease
Reporting mechanisms of international treaties for transboundary carbon dioxide emissions and are a flexible source of renewable
water cooperation (bilateral, regional and global) should also energy, they also carry social and environmental costs. This has
collect information relevant for the implementation of SDG 6 and been strongly felt in the Danube River Basin which is shared by
its specific targets. This is already the case for the UNECE Water 19 riparian countries and where roughly 300 large hydropower
Convention which included reporting on indicator 6.5.2 relating plants (over 10 megawatts) and around 8000 smaller plants
to the proportion of transboundary basins with operational operate and have significantly modified the river system. At
arrangements for water cooperation in its reporting system. The present many new projects are being considered or already being
complementarity of SDG 6 and transboundary water cooperation carried out. All this activity has prompted the need to prepare

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