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Quantity and Quality: Strengthening of the Knowledge-Based and Data-Driven Decision Making and Cooperation for Security and Peace

At present, technical solutions and policy measures related to Countries that have not yet done so and that have the necessary
water quality continue to be mostly domestic, developed by each technical capacity, are likely to follow the same path.
state individually and related to water in that state’s territory.
Several important achievements were reached in this way. In The question for the future is how to connect all the existing
terms of water reuse, for example, Israel leads with the highest technological achievements into effective international
rate of 70 percent. Important achievements in wastewater cooperation, urgently needed because of the expected
management systems were reached in many parts of the world, increase in all forms of water stress and the possible dangers
including South Africa. Singapore has made major advances in of international tensions, disputes and even armed conflicts.
recycling water and currently meets 30 percent of the country’s Again, existing International Water Law provides useful guidance
total water demand through recycled water, with the objective of in this endeavor.
reaching 50 percent by 2060.
Water Quality in International Water Law
Smart Water Technologies and Their Relevance International instruments contain a number of provisions
for Peace and Security relating to water quality and the protection of ecosystems.
These provisions form an essential normative pillar for water
Technical solutions and policy measures related to water quality management, and should inspire policy making at the national,
and reliability of supply, especially potable water supply, are regional and international levels. Sovereign states will find
increasingly necessary. According to the World Bank, 25-30 useful guidance for responsible and effective water policy, and
percent of water distributed in the world is lost through leaks inspiration for transboundary water cooperation arrangements,
and bursts. The annual value of this water, which is produced and both bilateral and regional, as appropriate.
lost by utilities, is estimated to be $14 billion. This financial loss
is the reason why water companies, both public and private, are Part IV of the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention (Articles 20-26)
prioritizing the improvement of maintenance and infrastructure contains a number of provisions related to the protection,
planning, as well as repairs and water conservation techniques. preservation and management of international watercourses
Data collection and management are particularly important relevant to water quality. It calls for the protection and
among these efforts. In addition to their economic value, these preservation of the ecosystems of international watercourses and
efforts are also relevant security reasons, especially in areas obliges States Parties to cooperate in the prevention, reduction
where water scarcity and shortfalls constitute a problem for and control of pollution. States may set up joint water quality
security and peace. objectives and criteria, as well as establish lists of substances
that should be prohibited or limited from being introduced into
Best practices in data management should be further transboundary watercourses as pollution prevention and control
encouraged. These include deployment of sensors in water measures. Watercourse management includes the option of
networks, collection and analysis of water data, and faster and establishing joint management mechanisms to consult and
more effective responses to problems such as water leaks and cooperate further.
bursts, as well as the clogging of wells and pipes. In addition,
data management techniques also help in securing access The 1992 UNECE Water Convention contains detailed provisions
to groundwater by preserving and optimizing the extraction to reduce the transboundary impact of pollution through legal,
of water, in developing predictive performance models and in administrative, economic, technical and financial measures to
avoiding the overexploitation of groundwater. be taken both at the national and at the transboundary level.
They may include the adoption of water criteria and emission
In regions facing water scarcity where conflicts over water usage limits for discharges into surface waters. The States Parties are
can lead to violence, these new technological tools can serve also obliged to establish programs for monitoring transboundary
as confidence building tools and should be supported both water conditions.
politically and financially.
The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity stipulates the
Data and industrial information technology systems for water obligations of States Parties regarding conservation and
supply should be seen as strategically important assets and be sustainable use of biological diversity, which includes care
protected against theft, destruction or cyber-attacks. In the era for water quality, necessary to sustain biological resources.
in which cyber-attacks are experienced globally, it should be The States Parties to the Convention have agreed, at the ninth
expected that professional hackers could target water supply meeting of their Conference (2008), to strengthen international
systems, in addition to businesses, financial institutions, health cooperation regarding the allocation and management of water,
systems and others. including through international watercourse agreements.

With this in mind, the protection of Supervisory Control and A number of soft law pronouncements, as well as the
Data Acquisitions (SCADA) systems for effective water prediction interpretation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and distribution should be seen as an important priority. Some and Cultural Rights confirmed international concern for water
countries have extended this protection to the water sector. availability and safety, thus emphasizing water quality.

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