Clean Water and Sanitation

Les marchés de capitaux, où l’argent des épargnants est placé dans des investissements à long terme, peuvent contribuer de manière significative au développement socioéconomique s’ils investissent dans des projets et entreprises productifs. Mais la modestie de la taille et le manque de liquidités sur le marché peuvent aussi nuire au processus.

En décembre dernier, alors que les résultats de l’élection présidentielle en Gambie tombent au compte-gouttes, le Président sortant Yahya Jammeh sent le pouvoir lui échapper. Puis les résultats définitifs révèlent qu’un nouveau venu, l’homme d’affaires de 51 ans Adama Barrow, a recueilli 45,5 % des voix, contre 36,6 % pour M. Jammeh. Contre toute attente, M. Jammeh reconnaît sa défaite et félicite M. Barrow par téléphone : « le peuple gambien s’est exprimé et je n’ai aucune raison de contester la volonté d’Allah tout-puissant », et il lui promet son « aide pour la transition et la nomination d’un nouveau gouvernement », avant de signifier le début de la fin de ses 22 années au pouvoir.

Quand en mars dernier, Mouna Ahmed, militante pour l’égalité des genres au Libéria, a eu besoin de transférer de l’argent à un ami dans un village éloigné, elle ne s’est pas souciée des longues files d’attente et de la paperasse bancaire. Elle a ouvert l’application Money sur son téléphone, y a entré un montant et appuyé sur le bouton envoi. Quelques minutes plus tard, son ami la remerciait pour sa générosité. “Cela m’a pris moins d’une minute”, témoigne-t-elle.

Répondre à une catastrophe humanitaire en Afrique peut prendre du temps pendant que les dégâts s’accumulent. Lors des sécheresses, par exemple, les petits agriculteurs pourraient être obligés de vendre leur bétail et de retirer leurs enfants de l’école. Accélérer la réponse peut aider à minimiser les effets à long terme de ce type de crise.

L’année dernière, trois pays africains—le Burundi, la Gambie et l’Afrique du Sud—ont exprimé leur intention de quitter la Cour pénale internationale (CPI) suscitant la crainte que d’autres pays ne suivent.

Fumani Mthembi gère une entreprise qui produit de l’énergie renouvelable en Afrique du Sud et elle ne regrette pas un instant d’avoir, en pleine récession économique en 2009, quitté un emploi stable pour créer sa propre entreprise.

Imaginez un monde où votre placard de cuisine vous prévient dès qu’il n’y a plus de sel et où votre téléphone portable vous avertit par SMS de la quantité d’eau restant dans votre chauffe-eau. L’Internet des objets (IdO) a rendu le rêve réalité.

La célèbre océanographe américaine Sylvia Earle a mené des études approfondies sur la mer depuis plus de 60 ans et a consacré plus de 7.000 heures à la recherche et au tournage de la vie en mer depuis sa première plongée à 16 ans. Mme Earle, qui, dans les années 1980, était la première femme scientifique à la tête de l’Administration nationale océanique et atmosphérique, a entrepris une croisière mondiale en 1964 et en 1970 a mené une expérience avec une équipe féminine passant deux semaines dans une capsule sous-marine sur un récif de corail.

When she needed to transfer money to a friend in a faraway village last March, Mouna Ahmed, a gender equality activist in Liberia, did not have to worry about long bank queues and complex paperwork. Instead she took her phone, tapped on the mobile money app, punched in an amount and pressed the send button. Minutes later, her friend acknowledged the kind gesture.

When disaster strikes in Africa, humanitarian aid can take months to reach people on the ground. By then a lot of damage may have been done. During a drought, for example, small-scale farmers facing a sequence of harsh dry seasons may sell their cattle and pull their children out of school. A quicker response could minimize the long-term effects of such a crisis.

I magine a world where your spice cabinet reminds you to buy salt, or your cell phone sends a text message about the amount of water left in your water tank. These are the wonders of the Internet of things (IoT).

When the world was changing from mechanical and analogue technology to digital electronics four decades ago, Africa was nowhere on the scene.

Salva Dut was 11 years old, sitting through the last lesson in class and looking forward to the trip home with his schoolmates. Suddenly all hell broke loose. An infernal civil war had ignited in his native South Sudan. The year was 1985.

Renowned American oceanographer Sylvia Earle has studied the sea extensively for more than 60 years, and logged more than 7,000 hours researching and filming marine life since her first dive at age 16.

Sometime last year, three African countries—Burundi, the Gambia and South Africa—signalled their intention to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC). There was fear that more countries would follow.

There has been much talk about Africa’s urban dividends—the increased prosperity and sustained socioeconomic development resulting from the expansion and industrialization of African cities.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of new States in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus has created new political and security dynamics in these regions. The latter was affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the former is confronted by the threat of conflict over shared water resources. More than twenty years later, the protracted conflict in Southern Caucasus over Nagorno-Karabakh remains unresolved and overshadows water-related problems; despite this, the dispute over water is a very important factor in the conflict, and key to overcoming it. In Central Asia, although the threat of conflict over water resources did not materialize, the region remains under the spotlight of water-conflict literature. In the present paper, the complex nature of water security is reviewed through an in-depth analysis of security and development-related factors in their connection to water and vice versa, which leads to the conclusion that policy interventions should be based on a more holistic approach that includes a wider set of issues.

Despite gains in reducing the mortality rates of infants and children in Asia and the Pacific, millions continue to die each year from preventable causes. A growing body of research highlights that more generous maternity leave has significant development benefits, especially with regard to infant mortality and child health outcomes. Little is known, however, about the impact of national maternity leave policies specifically in Asia and the Pacific.

Les consignes de sécurité et les bonnes pratiques visent à aider les gouvernements, les autorités compétentes et les exploitants à réduire au minimum les risques d’incendie et à conserver en toute sécurité les eaux d’extinction. Ils sont destinés à améliorer les pratiques existantes et à promouvoir des normes de sécurité harmonisées pour la gestion et la rétention des eaux d’extinction, afin de prévenir la pollution accidentelle des sols et des eaux, y compris la pollution pouvant avoir des effets transfrontières. Les directives ont été élaborées par le Groupe de travail mixte sur les accidents dans l’eau et les accidents industriels - un groupe mixte entre les Conventions sur les accidents dans l’eau et les accidents industriels - en coopération avec le Groupe d’experts sur la conservation des eaux de feu et avec le soutien du secrétariat de la CEE.

C’est la troisième édition d’un document d’orientation sur la situation actuelle, les tendances et les défis du transport par voie navigable sur les voies de navigation intérieure européennes d’importance internationale dans la région de la Commission économique pour l’Europe. Le livre blanc décrit l’état actuel du réseau de voies navigables E, l’évolution du cadre institutionnel et réglementaire de la navigation intérieure depuis 2011, les programmes et activités récents de la CEE, de l’Union européenne et d’autres organisations internationales. Le livre blanc identifie huit domaines prioritaires pour rendre les transports par voies navigables dans la région de la CEE plus durable et concurrentiel, et formule des recommandations de politique générale pour les actions de la CEE pour chacun d’eux.

The Guidance Note on the development of action plans aims to help countries in translating the priorities identified through the self-assessment into actions. Specific Equitable Access Action Plans are needed to guide a country (or a sub-national entity) efforts to achieve equitable access to water and sanitation by identifying priority actions to be implemented and ways of implementing them. The Note describes the content of Action Plans and their process of development. This Note is mostly intended for government authorities and stakeholders in the water, health, education, social affairs, finance and other relevant sectors that would like to take action to reduce inequities in access to water and sanitation services. It is relevant both to countries that have already completed a self-assessment exercise, and to countries that are considering to embark in an integrated exercise that would include a self-assessment phase and an action planning phase. While the work carried out under the Protocol is primarily geared towards countries in the pan-European region, countries from other regions might also find this Note useful.

Every year at the High-level Political Forum, an annual theme helps an increased focus along with an in-depth review of a selection of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2018, SDG 6 on water and sanitation is one of the goals to be reviewed. To provide input to Member States on this goal, UN-Water has produced the SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation. This represents a joint position from the UN family on the global status on SDG 6 and other water-related targets. The report also explores the linkages within SDG 6 targets and the interlinkages between SDG 6 and the other targets and indicators. The report builds on the baseline data on SDG 6 global indicators coming from JMP, GEMI and GLAAS.

This publication provides an overview of how international standards are used by policymakers to support sustainability and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is based on case studies that illustrate the use of standards for SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 7, Standards for Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 13, Climate Action. The publication documents the practical experience of regulatory authorities, governments and local administrations, as well as regional groups of countries, in using standards towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. With examples ranging from the subnational and national to the global levels, and from all regions, we hope this reading will inspire you to consider your local context and how you may apply standards to best realize the Global Goals in your constituency.

The study on the State of Forests and Forest Management in Armenia aims to present the forest resources and the forest sector of the country, including trends in, and pressures on, the resource, to describe the policies and institutions for the forest sector and to list the major challenges the sector faces, and the policy responses in place or planned. The study is a cooperative effort of the author, the joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section and national experts. The study is done with the use of the best available data. It attempts to cover all dimensions of sustainable forest management.

Guide d’application des dispositions essentielles de la Convention de la CEE sur les effets transfrontières des accidents industriels afin de faciliter leur compréhension et application, notamment par les pays d’Asie centrale et autres pays en transition.

The safety guidelines and good practices aim to support governments, competent authorities and operators in minimizing the risk of fire and safely retaining firefighting water. They are intended to enhance existing practices and promote harmonized safety standards for firefighting water management and retention, in order to prevent accidental pollution of soil and water, including pollution that could cause transboundary effects. The guidelines were developed by the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents - a joint group between the Water and Industrial Accidents Conventions – in cooperation with the Expert Group on Fire-water Retention and supported by the UNECE secretariat.

(Chinese Language)The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) addresses classification and labelling of chemicals by types of hazards. It provides the basis for worldwide harmonization of rules and regulations on chemicals and aims at enhancing the protection of human health and the environment during their handling, transport and use by ensuring that the information about their physical, health and environmental hazards is available. The eighth revised edition of the GHS includes: • new classification criteria, hazard communication elements, decision logics and guidance for chemicals under pressure; • new provisions for the use of in vitro/ex vivo data and non-test methods to assess skin corrosion and skin irritation; • miscellaneous amendments to clarify the classification criteria for Specific Target Organ Toxicity; • revised and further rationalized precautionary statements and an editorial revision of Sections 2 and 3 of Annex 3; • new examples of precautionary pictograms to convey the precautionary statement “Keep out reach of children”; • a new example in Annex 7 addressing labelling of sets or kits; • guidance on the identification of dust explosion hazards and the need for risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, and hazard communication.

The Convention is designed to be applied in very different settings and conditions. It is implemented in water-rich as well as water-scarce countries. As the level of ambition of the implementation required is proportionate to the capacity and means of Parties, the Convention is ratified and implemented by countries with different levels of development. The Convention is based on equality and reciprocity. Therefore, it defends the rights and defines the obligations of both upstream and downstream countries.

(Russian language)The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) addresses classification and labelling of chemicals by types of hazards. It provides the basis for worldwide harmonization of rules and regulations on chemicals and aims at enhancing the protection of human health and the environment during their handling, transport and use by ensuring that the information about their physical, health and environmental hazards is available. The eighth revised edition of the GHS includes: • new classification criteria, hazard communication elements, decision logics and guidance for chemicals under pressure; • new provisions for the use of in vitro/ex vivo data and non-test methods to assess skin corrosion and skin irritation; • miscellaneous amendments to clarify the classification criteria for Specific Target Organ Toxicity; • revised and further rationalized precautionary statements and an editorial revision of Sections 2 and 3 of Annex 3; • new examples of precautionary pictograms to convey the precautionary statement “Keep out reach of children”; • a new example in Annex 7 addressing labelling of sets or kits; • guidance on the identification of dust explosion hazards and the need for risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, and hazard communication.

Cooperation over transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers is critical to ensuring that water resources are managed in an equitable and sustainable manner, and the achievement of SDG6 (water). Transboundary waters also create social, economic, environmental and political inter-dependencies that make cooperation a precondition to sustainable development, peace and security. As the only target in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that makes explicit reference to transboundary cooperation, target 6.5 can play a catalytic role across multiple SDGs and targets. It can generate multiple benefits for the protection of human health, renewable energy provision, sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, ecosystem protection, and peace and security. This publication presents the results of the initial reporting exercise on indicator 6.5.2 carried out in 2017-2018. It offers valuable insights into the progress achieved in establishing operational arrangements for transboundary waters, and the gaps that remain; and highlights that an acceleration in strengthening transboundary water cooperation is urgently needed to be able to face growing water challenges and prevent conflicts on water use.

The fourth edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR4), ‘Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk’ is a comprehensive review of the world's freshwater resources and seeks to demonstrate, among other messages, that water underpins all aspects of development, and that a coordinated approach to managing and allocating water is critical. The Report underlines that in order to meet multiple goals water needs to be an intrinsic element in decision-making across the whole development spectrum. It was launched at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille by Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General, and Michel Jarraud, UN-Water Chair.

The Report builds on the conclusions of the 1st United Nations World Water Development Report 'Water for People, Water for Life' published in 2003. It presents a comprehensive picture of freshwater resources in all regions and most countries of the world as it tracks progress towards the water-related targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals and examines a range of key issues including population growth and increasing urbanization, changing ecosystems, food production, health, industry and energy, as well as risk management, valuing and paying for water and increasing knowledge and capacity. Sixteen case studies look at typical water resource challenges and provide valuable insights into different facets of the water crisis and management responses. Finally, the report outlines a set of conclusions and recommendations to guide future action and encourage sustainable use, productivity and management of our increasingly scarce freshwater resources. WWDR2 is aimed at a wide audience, including all those interested or directly involved in the formulation and implementation of water-related policies, as well as managers, researchers, teachers, students and, of course, water users themselves.

The 2017 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report, entitled “Wastewater: The Untapped Resource”, demonstrates how improved wastewater management generates social, environmental and economic benefits essential for sustainable development and is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, the Report seeks to inform decision-makers, government, civil society and private sector, about the importance of managing wastewater as an undervalued and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable by-products, rather than something to be disposed of or a nuisance to be ignored. The report’s title reflects the critical role that wastewater is poised to play in the context of a circular economy, whereby economic development is balanced with the protection of natural resources and environmental sustainability, and where a cleaner and more sustainable economy has a positive effect on the water quality.

The 2020 edition of the WWDR, titled ‘Water and Climate Change’ illustrates the critical linkages between water and climate change in the context of the broader sustainable development agenda. Supported by examples from across the world, it describes both the challenges and opportunities created by climate change, and provides potential responses – in terms of adaptation, mitigation and improved resilience – that can be undertaken by enhancing water resources management, attenuating water-related risks, and improving access to water supply and sanitation services for all in a sustainable manner. It addresses the interrelations between water, people, environment and economics in a changing climate, demonstrating how climate change can be a positive catalyst for improved water management, governance and financing to achieve a sustainable and prosperous world for all. The report provides a fact-based, water-focused contribution to the knowledge base on climate change. It is complementary to existing scientific assessments and designed to support international political frameworks, with the goals of helping the water community tackle the challenges of climate change, and informing the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.

The Third edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR3), “Water in a Changing World” was officially launched on March 16, 2009 at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. The WWDR3 builds on the work of previous studies, including the two previous WWDRs, “Water for People, Water for Life” (WWDR1), presented at the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan in 2003, and “Water: A Shared Responsibility” (WWDR2), presented in 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico. However, the third edition of the Report presents several changes from the previous two editions. Unlike the earlier Reports which were structured along UN agency lines, the third Report has a new, holistic format. A number of themes are addressed through out the report, including climate change, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), groundwater, biodiversity, water and migration, water and infrastructure, biofuels, etc.

Water and energy are closely interconnected and highly interdependent. Choices made and actions taken in one domain can greatly affect the other, positively or negatively. Trade-offs need to be managed to limit negative impacts and foster opportunities for synergy. Water and energy have crucial impacts on poverty alleviation both directly, as a number of the Millennium Development Goals depend on major improvements in access to water, sanitation, power and energy sources, and indirectly, as water and energy can be binding constraints on economic growth – the ultimate hope for widespread poverty reduction. The Report provides a comprehensive overview of major and emerging trends from around the world, with examples of how some of the trend-related challenges have been addressed, their implications for policy-makers, and further actions that can be taken by stakeholders and the international community.

The objectives of this study are to further improve our understanding about the ways in which payments for ecosystem services schemes can be applied to forests, in particular focusing on forest’s hydrological functions for the mutual benefit of both humans and the environment. In addition, the study covers advances and challenges facing these schemes and provides practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners. This study contains the most comprehensive currently available database of case studies on forest-water related payment for ecosystem services schemes in the UNECE region.

This study, focusing primarily on the period from the collapse of the Soviet Union until the present day, identifies the key drivers of forest degradation and the potential for forest landscape restoration in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The study was undertaken to support the preparation of restoration pledges in the eight countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia in the run up to the Ministerial Roundtable on Forest Landscape Restoration and the Bonn Challenge in the Caucasus and Central Asia that took place in June 2018 in Astana, Kazakhstan. At this Roundtable Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan committed to restore over 2.5 million ha of forest landscapes by 2030.

La publication synthétise les conclusions et les enseignements tirés jusqu’à présent des travaux sur l’accès équitable à l’eau et à l’assainissement menés dans le cadre du Protocole sur l’eau et la santé, dont le secrétariat est assuré par la CEE-ONU et le bureau régional de l’OMS pour l’Europe. Elle présente les expériences de onze pays de la région pan-européenne qui ont établi des mesures de référence de leur situation en matière d’accès équitable à l’eau et à l’assainissement. Ces expériences ont été possibles grâce à des processus d’auto-évaluation multipartites en examinant les disparités géographiques, les obstacles spécifiques rencontrés par les groupes vulnérables et marginalisés, les problèmes d’accessibilité financière ainsi que le cadre de gouvernance. La publication présente également les mesures techniques et politiques concrètes prises par ces pays pour assurer un accès équitable à l’eau et à l’assainissement. Il examine les expériences nationales en matière d’élaboration de plans d’action pour l’accès équitable et examine les mesures pratiques qui peuvent être prises pour améliorer la planification et le financement de plans d’action spécifiques. Les exemples et l’analyse des tendances communes et des considérations importantes présentés dans cette publication visent à inspirer de nouvelles actions pour parvenir à un accès équitable à l’eau et à l’assainissement dans la région paneuropéenne. Aux niveaux national et local, il peut encourager et soutenir les décideurs et les responsables politiques, ainsi que d’autres acteurs clés, à s’engager dans des auto-évaluations qui sont essentielles pour identifier des actions spécifiques visant à combler les lacunes en matière d’accès équitable, à élaborer des approches stratégiques pour financer un accès équitable et à mettre ensuite en œuvre des actions pour assurer un accès équitable à l’eau et à l’assainissement pour tous les membres de la population.

As the World population approaches nine billion, nearly half of all people could suffer water stress by 2030 as a result of accelerating urbanization, new consumption habits and climate change. This report provides option for a viable and sustainable alternative; one that swaps economic growth fuelled by escalating water use and environmental degradation for a more durable model of social, economic and environmental resilience. If the world continues on its current course, by 2030, annual demand for water in North America and Sub-Saharan Africa could increase by 42 and 283 per cent respectively, compared to 2005 levels. That is why the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development seeks to decouple economic growth from water consumption and pollution by integrating water related issues across each of the 17 goals and making a specific commitment that “ensures availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

Le Système général harmonisé de classification et d’étiquetage des produits chimiques (SGH) décrit la classification et l’étiquetage des produits chimiques par types de danger. Il fournit une base pour l’harmonisation à l’échelle mondiale des prescriptions et réglementations applicables aux produits chimiques et vise à améliorer la protection de la santé humaine et de l’environnement au cours de la manipulation, du transport et de l’utilisation de ces produits en garantissant la disponibilité de l’information sur ses dangers physiques, pour la santé et pour l’environnement.

L’édition 2020 du WWDR, intitulée « L’eau et les changements climatiques », montre les liens essentiels entre l’eau et les changements climatiques dans le cadre plus vaste du programme de développement durable. Illustré par des exemples provenant du monde entier, le rapport présente les défis et possibilités provenant des changements climatiques, et offre des réponses potentielles (adaptation, atténuation, résilience renforcée) pouvant être adoptées en améliorant la gestion des ressources en eau, en atténuant les risques liés à l’eau, et en améliorant l’accès aux services d’approvisionnement en eau et d’assainissement, pour tous et de manière durable. Il aborde les liens entre l’eau, les personnes, l’environnement et l’économie dans un climat en évolution, et présente la manière dont les changements climatiques peuvent être le moteur positif d’une meilleure gestion de l’eau, d’une gouvernance renforcée et de meilleurs financements pour bâtir un monde durable et prospère pour tous. Le Rapport apporte une contribution basée sur des faits, axée sur l’eau, et à la base de connaissances sur les changements climatiques. Il complète les évaluations scientifiques existantes ; il est conçu pour appuyer les cadres politiques internationaux, dans le but d’aider la communauté de l’eau à relever les défis des changements climatiques, et d’éclairer la communauté des changements climatiques au sujet des possibilités qu’offre une meilleure gestion de l’eau pour l’adaptation et l’atténuation.

The Convention is designed to be applied in very different settings and conditions. It is implemented in water-rich as well as water-scarce countries. As the level of ambition of the implementation required is proportionate to the capacity and means of Parties, the Convention is ratified and implemented by countries with different levels of development. The Convention is based on equality and reciprocity. Therefore, it defends the rights and defines the obligations of both upstream and downstream countries.

La Convention est faite pour être appliquée dans des cadres et des conditions très différents. Elle est appliquée dans les pays disposant d’abondantes ressources en eau comme dans les pays où elle est rare. Le niveau d’exigence en ce qui concerne l’ampleur de la mise en oeuvre étant proportionnel à la capacité et aux moyens de chaque Partie, la Convention est ratifiée et mise en oeuvre par des pays ayant des niveaux de développement différents. Cet instrument est fondé sur les principes d’égalité et de réciprocité. Par conséquent, elle défend les droits et définit les obligations des pays situés en amont comme en aval des cours d’eau.