19 March 2018
On 10 April 2018, UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office is organizing in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a launch event of the UN World Water Development Report entitled “Nature-based solutions for water management”. The event will take place at the UN House, Rudik Adamyan conference room.
To participate in the launch event in Almaty, please contact UNESCO Almaty not later than 4 April 2018 at the following address: n.kim@unesco.org.Nature-based solutions can play an important role in improving the supply and quality of water and reducing the impact of natural disasters, according to the 2018 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report. The latest edition of the report recognizes water not as an isolated element, but as an integral part of a complex natural process that involves evaporation, precipitation and the absorption of water through the soil. The presence and extent of vegetation cover across grasslands, wetlands and forests influences the water cycle and can be the focus for actions to improve the quantity and quality of available water.
Nevertheless, the use of nature-based solutions remains marginal and almost all investments are still channelled to grey infrastructure projects. Yet, to satisfy the ever-growing demand for water, green infrastructure appears to be a promising solution complementing traditional approaches. The authors of the report therefore call for greater balance between the two, especially given that nature-based solutions are best aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015.We need new solutions in managing water resources so as to meet emerging challenges to water security caused by population growth and climate change. This Report proposes solutions that are based on nature to manage water better
UNESCO Director-General, Ms Audrey Azoulay
Coordinated by the UN World Water Assessment Programme, the UN World Water Development Report is the fruit of collaboration between the 31 United Nations entities and 39 international partners that comprise UN-Water. Its publication coincides with World Water Day, celebrated every year on 22 March.
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT:
2018 UN World Water Development Report: Nature-based Solutions
English | French | Spanish (pdf)
Executive Summary
English | Russian (pdf)
Facts and Figures
English (pdf)
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/launch-of-the-united-nations-world-water-development-report-2018-in-almaty