The hydropower industry has once again been urged to support World Water Day 2014 on 22 March, which this year has the theme of Water and Energy.
The UN System - working closely with its Member States and other relevant stakeholders - is bringing its attention to the water-energy nexus to address inequities, especially for the 'bottom billion' who live in slums and impoverished rural areas and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services. It also aims to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that bridge ministries and sectors, leading the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy. Particular attention will be paid to identifying best practices that can make a water- and energy-efficient 'Green Industry' a reality.
The objectives of World Water Day in 2014 are:
• Raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy.
• Contribute to a policy dialogue that focuses on the broad range of issues related to the nexus of water and energy.
• Demonstrate, through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain that integrated approaches and solutions to water-energy issues can achieve greater economic and social impacts.
• Identify policy formulation and capacity development issues in which the UN system, in particular UN-Water and UN-Energy, can offer significant contributions.
• Identify key stakeholders in the water-energy nexus and actively engage them in further developing the water-energy linkages
• Contribute as relevant to the post-2015 discussions in relation to the water-energy nexus.
Part of the celebrations to mark World Water Day in Tokyo, Japan, includes the release of the World Water Development Report (WWDR) - a UN-Water flagship report, produced and coordinated by the World Water Assessment Programme, which is hosted and led by UNESCO. The report highlights the need for policies and regulatory frameworks that recognize and integrate approaches to water and energy priorities.
WWDR, a triennial report from 2003 to 2012, this year becomes an annual edition, responding to the international community's expression of interest in a concise, evidence-based and yearly publication with a specific thematic focus and recommendations.
WWDR 2014 underlines how water-related issues and choices impact energy and vice versa. For example: drought diminishes energy production, while lack of access to electricity limits irrigation possibilities.
“Energy and water are at the top of the global development agenda," said the Rector of United Nations University (UNU), David Malone, this year's coordinator of World Water Day on behalf of UN-Water together with UNIDO. "Significant policy gaps exist in this nexus at present, and the UN plays an instrumental role in providing evidence and policy-relevant guidance. Through this day, we seek to inform decision-makers, stakeholders and practitioners about the interlinkages, potential synergies and trade-offs, and highlight the need for appropriate responses and regulatory frameworks that account for both water and energy priorities. From UNU's perspective, it is essential that we stimulate more debate and interactive dialogue around possible solutions to our energy and water challenges."
Make sure you check back next week on www.waterpowermagazine.com where we'll look at the report in more detail.
