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A Matter of Survival

The United Nations has done much useful work in this regard operational arrangements for water cooperation in its reporting
already, through its specialized agencies, funds and programs. system. The complementarity of SDG 6 and transboundary
Water is an important feature of the work of the World Bank, UNDP, water cooperation should yield greater knowledge and better
UNEP, FAO, UNESCO, WMO, ESCWA, UNECE and others in the UN international cooperation in the global effort to improve
system. Secretaries-General have consistently emphasized the water management, and help to reduce tension and conflict
importance of water cooperation – not only as a development surrounding water issues. Other SDGs such as those concerned
and environmental issue but also for conflict prevention. Much with peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16) and the
of this type of work is being done through regional initiatives Global Partnership for Sustainable Development (SDG 17)
such as the Lake Chad project, cooperation involving Niger, contribute to the 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 carbon dioxide emissions and are a flexible source of renewable
transboundary water cooperation (bilateral, regional and global) energy, they also carry social and environmental costs. This has
should also collect information relevant for the implementation been strongly felt in the Danube River Basin which is shared by
of SDG 6 and its specific targets. This is already the case for the 19 riparian countries and where roughly 300 large hydropower
UNECE Water Convention which included reporting on indicator plants (over 10 megawatts) and around 8000 smaller plants
6.5.2 relating to the proportion of transboundary basins with operate and have significantly modified the river system. At

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