Changing Climes, Changing Times: Transboundary Groundwater in an Uncertain World Humans Are Global Water System Changing in a the Globally-Significant Way Without…
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Changing Climes, Changing Times: Transboundary Groundwater in an Uncertain World Humans are changing the global water system in a globally-significant way without…. adequate knowledge of the system and thus its response to change Dr A Aureli UNESCO IHP FESHANE/F4 Hall UNESCO GRAPHIC PROJECT Identify indicators of climate change impacts on groundwater resources and evaluate tools and methods that could contribute to adaptation measures Aggregated groundwater monitoring data in the GGMN web-application. The world is right to be concerned about climate change, which poses major threats to humans and ecosystems. BUT.. While climate change will create important pressures on water, it is not currently the most important driver The most important drivers – forces and processes generated by human activities – are demographics and the increasing consumption Why Aquifers and Groundwater ? Globally, over 2 billion people rely on groundwater for their daily supply 20 WHY CONSIDER TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS and CLIMATE CHANGE IS SO RELEVANT? UNESCO ISARM AFRICA 39 transboundary aquifers inventoried Many countries and large urban conglomerations in Africa depend to a major extent or entirely on groundwater and the large shared aquifer resources represent often the only source for drought security and life sustenance of large populations in semi-arid areas UNESCO - OAS ISARM of the AMERICAS 68 transboundary aquifers inventoried The “UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme” is a regional initiative that is part of the world-wide UNESCO Programme entitled “Internationally Shared (Transboundary) Aquifer Resources Management (ISARM)”. UNESCO ISARM in Asia 12 transboundary aquifers inventoried so far UNESCO Chair/International Network of Water-Environment Centres for the Balkans (INWEB) Middle Sarmatian-Pontian GWB .22 2. Kupa 9. Backa & Banat 1. Dragonja 7. Sava 21.Upper Pannonian-Lower Pleistocene 3. Kupa 8 20. Central Serbia 10. Srem. 4. Una 11. West Serbia 19. East Serbia 5. Cetina 23.Sarmatian & 24.Upper Jurassic -Lower Cret.GWB 16. Gaber-Nesla 6. Neretva 12. SW Serbia 17. Znepole 18. Tran 14. 13. 15. Zemen 43.Svilengrad 44.Topolograd 45.Malko Tarnovo 37.Nastan Sandansky 46.Rezovska 38.Smolyan Dojran 34. 41.Svilengrad Gevgelija 32. .33 35.Gotze 39.Rudozem 42.Orestiada 29. Delchev 40.Erma Reka 47.Meric 30.Pelagonija 36.Orvilos 28. & 31.Florina 25. 26.Pagoni Vjosa 27.Mourgana UNECE has a lead role in the implementation of the Helsinki Convention (1992) on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Future challenges • Harmonise methodologies • Classify TBA‘s according to typology • Cooperation • Adequate institutions • Consideration for International instruments • Phreatic aquifer Transboundary • GW connected Aquifer to river Constellations • Countries after sharing the Eckstein & Eckstein 2005 same aquifer UN International Law Commission : a new accomplishment ••AA newnew InternationalInternational legallegal instrumentinstrument onon TransboundaryTransboundary AquifersAquifers preparedprepared byby thethe UNUN InternationalInternational LawLaw CommissionCommission supportedsupported byby UNESCOUNESCO IHPIHP ••UNUN GAGA hashas adoptedadopted aa ResolutionResolution onon TransboundaryTransboundary AquifersAquifers inin DecemberDecember 20082008 ¾ 5. Encourages the States concerned to make appropriate bilateral or regional arrangements for the proper management of their transboundary aquifers, taking into account the provisions of these draft articles; ¾ 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-sixth session an item entitled “The law of transboundary aquifers” with a view to examining, inter alia, the question of the form that might be given to the draft articles. ¾ 67th plenary meeting 11 December 2008 THANK YOU .