| Issue 42. 4 July 2014 | www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/decade_weekly.shtml |
| This week in focus | Editor’s note
Welcome to the Decade's Weekly! Every week we bring you the latest news from the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015. Please feel free to share this newsletter. You can also access this newsletter online. Tip of the week
In support of World Water Day 2015 and the 'Water for Life' UN-Water Best Practices Awards we have launched a new dedicated section on Water and Sustainable Development.>> Visit new Decade's section on Water and Sustainable Development |
| #WaterForLifeAward 2015 'Water for Life' UN-Water Best Practices Award invites nominations
The 5th edition's focus is Water and Sustainable Development. The 'Water for Life' UN-Water Best Practices Award is now accepting nominations for its 5th edition. The theme is 'Water and Sustainable Development', which mirrors that of World Water Day 2015. This year's award will represent the culmination of the 'Water for Life' Decade (2005-2015). Winners will be awarded at a special UN World Water Day ceremony on 22 March 2015 at UN Headquarters in New York in two categories: 'Best water management practices' and 'Best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices'. The ceremony will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the Decade's achievements. The 'Water for Life' Best Practices Award aims to acknowledge and promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and related issues by 2015, by recognizing outstanding best practices that can ensure sustainable long-term management of water resources and help achieve the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. The 'Water for Life' Best Practices Award is awarded to projects, initiatives or programmes, rather than individuals or organizations. Self-nominations are not accepted. Candidatures must be submitted through an independent nominating organisation. Applications are being accepted from 4 July to 15 September 2014. If you know of a project that deserves recognition get it nominated!
>> More information |
| In the news | Forthcoming events |
| #RightToWater Deadline extended until 28 July 2014: nominate or apply for the position of Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation was established to examine crucial water and sanitation issues and provide recommendations to Governments, the United Nations and other stakeholders. Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, current Special Rapporteur, finishes her term at the end of October 2014. Deadline for applications is extended until 28 July 2014. In order to achieve a sustainable transition by 2050, when more than nine billion people will live on Earth, there needs to be significant adjustment to the current patterns of consumption and production, delegates heard on 1 July 2014 as a United Nations high-level political forum considered a new report aiming to lay the foundation for a new global sustainable development agenda. The "prototype" Global Sustainable Development Report, created by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), looks back three generations - from 1950 to 2013 - and 40 years into the future to 2050, to learn from what has been attempted, in putting economies and societies on the path of sustainable development. Although drought is a "silent killer" in Asia and the Pacific, access to scientific information and knowledge remain a challenge for many countries in the region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said on 1 July at a milestone forum on drought monitoring and early warning. In 2013, ESCAP launched the Regional Drought Mechanism - a platform providing timely and free satellite-based data; products; and training to regional drought-prone countries to enhance the capacity of Governments for agricultural monitoring and early warning. As the Millennium Development Goals draw to a close, work begins on a successor agenda tackling all issues relating to the environment. The Secretary-General said "we are now poised for the crucial next phase of human development - a universal post-2015 sustainable development agenda" at his address to the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, Kenya, this week (from 18 to 27 June 2014). More than 1,200 high-level participants, including UN officials, diplomatic and civil society delegations, have been taking part in the historic first session of the Environment Assembly, being held under the theme "A Life of Dignity for All." The Assembly noted that the "heavy hand" of humankind is now visible everywhere - from tropical deforestation to depleted ocean fisheries and from growing freshwater shortages, and the rapid decline of biodiversity to the growing menace of climate change "The air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that grows our food are part of a delicate global ecosystem that is increasingly under pressure from human activities," said Mr. Ban. |
#HLPF 2nd meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development
Date: 30June - 9 July 2014 This forum, which replaces the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), provides political leadership and guidance; follows up and reviews progress in implementing sustainable development commitments; addresses new and emerging sustainable development challenges; and enhances the integration of economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The theme of the 2014 forum is "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and charting the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda, including the sustainable development goals". Share your questions and answers by tweeting using #HLPF or by posting on Facebook using #HLPF.
Date: 8-10 July 2014 Peri-urban areas are zones of transition from rural to urban land uses located between the outer limits of urban and regional centres and the rural environment. There are growing concerns about water and food security to meet increases in population in urban areas. For cities to be liveable and sustainable into the future there is a need to maintain the natural resource base and the ecosystem services in the peri-urban areas surrounding cities. This conference will focus on critical natural resource, socio-economic, legal, policy and institutional issues that are impacted by the inevitable drift of cities into peri-urban areas.
Date: 9 July 2014 The Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences ad interim, Ms. Wendy Watson-Wright, on behalf of the Director-General of UNESCO, will sign an agreement establishing an International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change as a category 2 center under the auspices of UNESCO in Koblenz. The Centre will focus its activities on: Sustainable development and integrated water resources management through support of hydrological research, education, training and raising awareness at all levels; development of tools for operational purposes; international networking of scientists; and transfer of information and knowledge are key areas of the centers operation. From the Decade’s Programmes
#UNPublications UN bimonthly publications review 22 now available!
The 22nd edition of UN Bimonthly Publications Review is now available. Every two months, the review collates publications produced by United Nations agencies and programmes on issues related to water and sanitation. This edition brings together 32 UN publications from a range of water and sanitation related issues. All publications are available online as free downloadable PDFs. |