International Decade for Action: Water for Life
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The United Nations General Assembly, in December 2003, proclaimed the years 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life'.
The primary goal of the 'Water for Life' Decade is to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015.
These commitments include the Millennium Development Goals to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015 and to stop unsustainable exploitation of water resources. At the World Summit in Johannesburg in 2002, two other goals were adopted: to aim to develop integrated water resource management and water efficiency plans by 2005 and to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation.
World Water Day, 22 March 2005, marked the official commencement of the ‘Water for Life’ Decade.
Contents |
More about 'Water for Life' Decade
Themes of 'Water for Life’ Decade
Central water related themes include: food, health, environment, disaster prevention, energy, transboundary water issues, scarcity, culture, sanitation, pollution and agriculture.
As women play a central role in water provision and management, a special emphasis will be placed on ensuring the participation and involvement of women in these development efforts.
Activities planned for the Decade
An up to date Calendar of Events has the latest on the activities planned throughout the Decade.
At the national level, it is expected that each country will take its own approach to organize activities around the ‘Water for Life’ Decade. All activities that promote public awareness of issues related to the ‘Water for Life’ theme are encouraged, including the organization of conferences, seminars, expositions and other such public events.
Who is responsible for organizing the ‘Water for Life’ Decade?
UN-Water is coordinating the ‘Water for Life’ Decade, 2005-2015. UN-Water is the United Nations system-wide inter-agency gathering of all relevant agencies, departments and programmes involved with water-related issues.
The chairmanship of UN-Water rotates and is currently held by the World Health Organization (WHO), while the Secretariat for UN-Water is based at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). Within UNDESA, the Water, Natural Resources and Small Island Developing States Branch in the Division for Sustainable Development will be responsible for the ‘Water for Life’ Decade. For more info, please see http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/inter_agency/inter_agency.htm
Participation in the Decade
Participation is welcomed from all organizations and individuals, worldwide. It is expected that most countries will nominate a focal point (individual or committee) to whom enquiries can be directed at the national level. Events planned for the ‘Water for Life’ Decade should strive to create public awareness of the issues related to the ‘Water for Life’ theme. Enquiries should be addressed to the Secretariat of UN-Water [email protected]
Further Readings, References, Links
World Water Assessment Programme
UN World Water Development Report
The Human Rights-Based Approach to Development - The Right to Water
HDR 2006 - Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis
Source(s)
The Official UN 'Water for Life' Decade website
