The well-being of people all over the world depends on the various goods and services provided by ecosystems, including food, fuel, construction materials, clean water and air, and protection from natural hazards. Ecosystems, however, are under increasing pressure from unsustainable use of resources and other threats including outright conversion of lands, pollution, expansion of infrastructure and urbanisation.
With a focus on the Buna/Bojana transboundary river (shared between Albania and Montenegro), a methodology is being developed that effectively links IWRM and ICZM (integrated coastal zone management). This work includes developing a joint IWRM/ICZM generic planning framework and working towards the launch, in 2012, of the joint IWRM/ICZM Plan for this specific transboundary basin.
Activities such as horticulture and tourism around the Great Barrier Reef create sediment, nutrient and pesticide runoff, placing increased pressure on the ecosystem. The World Wildlife Fund has taken action, predominantly by raising awareness. The key lesson is how a carefully orchestrated campaign can convince decision-makers of the importance of integrated river basin management as a means of reducing land-based marine pollution.
Oil-shale mining and oil-shale based electricity production has caused serious damage to ground and surface water in the Viru-Peipsi catchment area in Estonia. Action was taken to enhance the protection of the water resources through a project that set out a management plan. The project included data collection, monitoring and capacity building. Due to the success of this project, it can be used as an example for future developments.
– GWP at UN Round-table on Water Security
GWP participated in the UN High Level Round-table Discussion on Water, Peace and Security on Tuesday, 25 September 2012, at the UN Headquarters in New York. The round-table was a side event during the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly, and was hosted by the European Union, the United States, and UN-Water.
Come and join us for some celebrations, on the 19th of February, in Jinja around our great river!
GWP Hungary is campaigning for World Water Forum 6 Local Authorities’ Process which will highlight their major role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Landlocked Hungary is situated within the heart of the Danube Basin. With few exceptions all rivers come from outside the national borders.