INBO 26_Mise en page 1 06/03/2018 10:35 Page1 Newsletter From talk to action: for Wat es er c a n n ia l d l we must act quickly GA C C A fWa l s i l Basin m a B ss usine a b t o l Megacities e before it is too late! G Desalination The findings are alarming: Floods, droughts, cyclones, scarcity, waterborne diseases, pollution, wastage, erosion, destruction of ecosystems: the seriousness of the situation in many countries requires the quick implementation of comprehensive, integrated and consistent water resources management. COP23 - Bonn - November 2017 Climate change is exacerbating these situations and is affecting more and more the quan- tity and quality of inland freshwater and aquatic ecosystems. The regime of all our rivers and the level of our aquifers will be substantially modified! All this represents a threat to security, economic and social development and the environ- ment, especially in the poorest countries. Mobilization is essential at all levels to urgently set up programs that are needed Water and Climate Summit - Rome - October 2017 to mitigate pressures and prevent and adapt to the effects of global warming. Quick action would reduce costs and damage, we should worry about the “cost of inaction”! Freshwater is one of the first victims of climate change: we must act quickly, before it is too late. The experience gained in more than fifty years shows that it is undeniably at the level of the basins of rivers, lakes and aquifers, whether local, national or transboundary, that essential World Forum - Daegu - April 2015 actions, based on real upstream / downstream solidarity, should be carried out or reinforced. In addition, nothing is possible without the participation, beside political authorities, of representatives of different economic sectors, local authorities and associations, all of whom are working in the field and are the real stakeholders of change. This is especially the role of “Basin Committees or Councils”. We must not “reinvent the wheel” because many effective actions are already carried out in World Forum - Marseilles - March 2012 the field. It is therefore necessary to identify good practices and disseminate them. The problems encountered are not technical, but mainly institutional and financial. We must get mobilized to win this water battle and prepare the future of next generations. Everything is still possible. Let’s act quickly! World Forum - Istanbul - March 2009 www.inbo-news.org March 2018 - n° 26 INBO 26_Mise en page 1 06/03/2018 10:35 Page2 International news Great international events International Summit on the Great Rivers of the World: “Taking action for water and climate” Public participation and involve- Representatives of the great rivers of the world participated n in the Opening Ceremony © INBO – C. Runel ment of the economic sectors and local authorities; n Financial mechanisms for adapta- tion to climate change in the water sector. At the end of the discussions, the following priority recommendations were formulated for reporting to COP23 in Bonn: l Integrated water management, organized at the level of coastal, national or transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers basins, is needed all over the planet; l In particular, regional and trans- boundary cooperation in climate change adaptation is crucial to The Italian Ministry for the Environ- The President of the Italian Council It especially focused on the need for effectively address this change, ment, Land and Sea organized the of Ministers, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, quick action to finance projects, to when there are surface or ground- water resources shared between International Summit on “Water officially opened the Summit on the improve knowledge, governance, several riparian countries; and Climate; Meeting of the Great morning of 23 October and the closing public participation and take imme- Rivers of the World”, from 23 to ceremony on 25 October was celebrated diate measures for water adaptation l The establishment and deve- to climate change. lopment of local, national or 25 October 2017 in Rome, Italy. in the presence of the President of the transboundary basin organiza- This international summit was organized Italian Republic, H.E. Sergio Mattarella. The summit was an outstanding occasion to match project proposals tions is to be supported as well as in partnership with the United Nations As has now become clear, climate to financing opportunities and to foster the strengthening of institutional Economic Commission for Europe change is already having a visible experience sharing between great river and technical cooperation between (UNECE), the International Network of impact on freshwater resources, basin organizations, local, national and counterpart basin organizations Basin Organizations (INBO), the Global with dramatic consequences (floods, regional administrations in charge of from the same region and other Alliances for Water and Climate droughts, erosion, ecosystem degra- climate change adaptation policies and parts of the world; (GAfWC) and Aquamadre. dation, etc.). water resources management, bilateral l In each country and each basin, the organization and improvement It gathered more than 350 high-level This Summit has been an important and multilateral donors and other of the production, gathering, participants from 56 countries and milestone for the preparation of the international institutions interested in representatives from, in particular, the adaptation to climate change and in conservation and exchange of Bonn COP 23 (6-17 November 2017) European Commission, the major UN basin management. data is to be supported within and the Brasilia World Water Forum integrated Water Information agencies, the Union for the Mediterra- The work of the Summit was orga- (18-23 March 2018). Its goal was to Systems (WIS), which are to be nean, the largest river basins in the nized around four major topics, further integrated freshwater manage- sustained in the long term, while world, and his Holiness Pope Francesco. which were presented in high-level ment issues into the top priorities taking climate change into panels and widely discussed of the international negotiations on account. Flood and drought early among participants: climate change and of the Global Climate warning systems should be streng- n Acquisition and sharing of know- Action Agenda. thened or developed wherever ledge on the impact of climate necessary; change on water resources; l Stronger linking is needed for n Nature-Based Solutions, scientific knowledge-based decision making; 2 INBO Newsletter n° 26 - March 2018 INBO 26_Mise en page 1 06/03/2018 10:36 Page3 International news Rome - Italy - 23-25 October 2017 – Capitoline Palace through the “Water for Africa” Closing Ceremony in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Sergio Mattarella © INBO – C. Runel initiative, launched at the Interna- tional Conference on Water and Climate in Rabat in July 2016. l Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and implementing the Paris Agreement require an accelera- tion of funding, from all sources, of climate action in the water sector; l Funding should support not only infrastructure projects, but also serve to improve knowledge of resources and climate change impacts, capacity building, gover- l The effective participation of the Basin Committees and The Rome Summit thus called nance, water culture, the monito- the civil society and all stake- Councils, that already exist in for the signing of a declaration ring and evaluation of policies. holders in decision-making and many countries, organize an to support the integration of It is advisable that donors reco- management processes is to be enhanced cooperation among the use of such Nature-Based gnize and strengthen the essential fostered. In particular, it is neces- themselves, as part of a joint Solutions in the “Marrakech role of basin organizations in sary to use dialogue frameworks, initiative that would fit in with the Partnership’s Agenda for Global sustainable water resources mana- such as Basin Committees or “Citizens” process of the forth- Climate Action”, during the gement, by financially supporting coming World WaterForum in official Action Day for Water Councils, Local Water Commis- projects related to the commit- Brasilia in March 2018; and Climate at the COP23 on sions or river or aquifer contracts ments and principles set out above We need to promote Nature for this purpose; l 10 November 2017 in Bonn. to address climate change. Based Solutions (NBS). The It is important to promote l Governments and the international l restoration of flood plains is reco- For further information and see exchanges of experience on the community must ensure the gnized as one of the most impor- the papers and photographs: mobilization of essential funding most effective mechanisms for tant challenges and a key issue dialogue and participation of water for the implementation of urgent for natural flood management, www.inbo-news.org actions to adapt water to climate; stakeholders worldwide and to groundwater recharge, biodiversity create links between representa- protection and the security of l Africa, which is the continent that tives of local authorities, econo- human communities. The multiple is the most vulnerable to the mic sectors and the civil society benefits of Nature-Based Solutions effects of climate change, must be involved in these processes. It is contribute to reducing the cost able to count on the mobilization advisable that the members of of action. and solidarity of all partners for Wat es er c a n n ia l d l GA C C A fWa l s i l Basin m a B ss usine a b t o l Megacities e G Desalination 350 high level participants from 56 countries © INBO – C. Runel 3 INBO Newsletter n° 26 - March 2018 INBO 26_Mise en page 1 06/03/2018 10:36 Page4 International news Great international events COP23 – UNFCCC - 17 November 2017 – Bonn - Germany: industrial productivity, tourism, naviga- Signing of the International Declaration “Nature Based Solutions”, during the official “Action Day for Water and Climate” tion, biodiversity, in addition to basic on 10 November 2017 © INBO - C.