Water Security is National Security

Water resources and how they are managed impact almost all aspects of society and the economy, in particular health, food production and security, domestic water supply and sanitation, energy, industry, and the functioning of ecosystems. Under present climate variability, water stress is already high, particularly in many developing countries, and climate change adds even more urgency for action. Without improved water resources management, the progress towards poverty reduction targets, the Millennium Development Goals, and sustainable development in all its economic, social and environ- mental dimensions, will be jeopardized. UN Water.Org

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

SIWI Releases Report on Water Cooperation Ahead of World Water Week

8 August 2013: The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has released a report, titled 'Cooperation for a Water Wise World: Partnerships for Sustainable Development.' The report will serve as an input to World Water Week, taking place from 1-6 September 2013, in Stockholm, Sweden, on the same theme.


The report includes an introduction, overview of the thematic scope of the 2013 World Water Week and sections on: promoting ecosystem health and conservation through water cooperation; water resources and the private sector; using information and communication technology (ICT) to improve water governance and cooperation; transboundary water cooperation; thirsty energy, i.e. the importance of water for power generation; unpacking the water-energy-food nexus; reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) while building resilience; and bridging divides between land, water, coast and sea.


The report is designed to provide the basis for further discussions on the theme of water cooperation including cooperation: between actors in different sectors to optimize benefits to water; between stakeholder groups recognizing water as a common good; across traditional management from hilltop to ocean; between jurisdictions and levels from village to transboundary basin; and between scientists and users to bridge the science-policy gap. Identifying areas where cooperation is working and where further work is required, the report identifies risks, linkages, disconnects and challenges in order to provoke discussions at World Water Week 2013. [Publication: Cooperation for a Water Wise World: Partnerships for Sustainable Development]


World Water Week 2013