Year of Water Cooperation
The United Nations General Assembly, during a gathering in December 2010, named 2013 the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation.The UN-Water initiative is spearheaded by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and the group's purpose is to focus attention on the importance of fresh drinking water as well as advocating for the sustainable management of water through international cooperation.
UNESCO's Role in the Year of Water Cooperation
UN-Water tapped UNESCO to lead the 2013 Year on Water Cooperation initiative in part because of the organisation's unique multidisciplinary characteristics. UNESCO combines natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication to achieve its goals. Water is a transversal element needed universally for humans to survive; therefore, encouraging people of all nations to drink more water, and making that resource accessible is a vital piece of the Water Cooperation Plan. Celebrations around the world have taken place in 2013, and will continue for the remainder of the year, as UN-Water strives to educate the public about the importance of adequate hydration.
The Goals of Water Cooperation
The goals UN-Water hopes to achieve during the Year of Water Cooperation include raising awareness on the potential for increased cooperation among nations to share fresh drinking water, and facing the challenges of managing water in today's world of increased demand for water access, allocation and services. People of all cultures are heavily dependent upon water to fulfill basic human needs, allow their environments to thrive, help their countries develop socially and economically, reduce poverty and improve health. UN-Water is also committed to developing water resources that are truly sustainable.
What is Water Cooperation?
Whether transporting water to irrigate farmland or building a water pump to help serve a village in the African desert, cooperation on a regional level is required to successfully provide drinking water and hydration for farming purposes to underserved areas. Just as rivers cross geographical and political boundaries, international cooperation is needed for multiple populations to share the same resources, allowing everyone to drink more water and realise better health. The world holds 276 international basins that cover 46% of the Earth's surface, hosts 40% of the world's population in 148 nations and accounts for 60% of global river flow. This makes international water cooperation essential.
Requires Good Water Management
Successful water management on a global level is challenging, as the natural resource is unevenly distributed worldwide, and urbanisation, pollution and climate change are threatening healthy supplies of drinking water. A growing world population, which has now surpassed 7 billion, has increased demands for water for food production, energy and domestic and industrial uses. UN-Water recognises that world cooperation is essential for nations to strike a healthy balance between the differing needs and priorities of the world's diverse nations. Successful water cooperation requires understanding of a wide range of cultural, social, religious, ethical and political aspects that vary from nation to nation.
Many people worldwide need to drink more water to improve their hydration levels and overall health. The human body is composed of approximately 60% water, which makes clean drinking water vital for all people on the planet. One of the primary goals of the Year of Water Cooperation is to enable people of all nations to drink more water by increasing its accessibility worldwide through voluntary cooperation among the countries of the world.