The "The future we want" Rio+20 outcome document emphasizes the importance of technology transfer to developing countries and recalls the provisions on technology transfer, finance, access to information and intellectual property rights as agreed in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, in particular its call to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and the development, transfer and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed.

Green technologies have the potential to create new business opportunities, markets and jobs. They can boost resource efficiency and contribute to achieving the development goals. Innovative water technologies can increase the amount of water available for drinking, agriculture, and manufacturing and can allow us to use water more efficiently. This can be done by technologies in areas such as water resource assessment, reduction of water losses, wastewater treatment, efficiency of water utilities, bio technologies and others.

Technology development – if combined with public awareness – can also contribute to increased conservation, reuse and recycling, and greater efficiency in most water using sectors, particularly agriculture. This can enhance overall poverty reduction and socio-economic development.

In this context, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation are central since they can reduce the costs of existing environmentally sustainable technologies and deliver the new technologies that are needed to advance efforts to achieve the international water agenda. In both developed and developing economies, innovation plays a critical role in generating employment; enhancing productivity and growth; increasing energy, carbon, water and material efficiency; improving performance of goods and services and creating new markets and jobs through knowledge creation and diffusion.

>> Technology Challenges and tools for the implementation of the water related sustainable development goals and targets

>> Technology: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation