#wateraction

Despite some progress over the past decade, untreated wastewater remains a significant global challenge. Climate change impacts, population growth and urbanization continue to put a strain on water resources globally and there is a growing political urgency to develop and implement solutions for sustainable water and wastewater management.

Pollution from wastewater is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss and a major threat to human health, particularly affecting the most vulnerable people and ecosystems, including marine and freshwater ones. But when adequately treated, wastewater can become a valuable resource.

Safe and appropriate wastewater management for resource recovery and reuse goes beyond achieving water security, with potential co-benefits including improved health and wellbeing, reduced dependence on artificial fertilizers, diversification of energy production and economic opportunity.

The session is organized to launch the report “Wastewater - Turning Problem to Solution” and discuss its findings. The report is a follow-up product to the Sick Water report launched in 2011 at World Water Week.

The event will be organized in person at World Water Week in Live Studio Room 27, on Wednesday 23 August 2023, 11:00-11:40 AM Stockholm time. Furthermore, there is a possibility to follow it online. 

Register for the event at: worldwaterweek.org/tickets and look for Session ID 10941.

More on UNEP's participation at World Water Week.

Wednesday, 23 August | 11:00-11:40 hrs.

Launch: Wastewater - Turning Problem to Solution.

On Wednesday, 23 August 2023, from 11:00-12:30 hrs, a panel discussion entitled Water: the source of future social sustainability.

On Thursday, 24 August from| 09:00-10:30 hrs will be held a panel discussion entiltled Catalysing local water management action from global early warning systems. 

The UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, 22-24 March 2023, is a crucial occasion to take stock of the water situation, jointly reflect and devise meaningful and innovative approaches, and thereby laying out an action agenda to tackle the water crises and help achieve SDG 6. It is clear that meaningful progress to attain SDG 6 can only be made if everyone comes together. Partnership and Cooperation is not just the theme, it is also a demand for the world, countries, organisations, and individuals to come together and join hands, ideas and efforts so that everyone can enjoy access to clean, safe and affordable water.

A picture tells a thousand words. Across history, art has been used as a way to disseminate information, tell stories and inspire action. The winning submissions of this competition wield the power to inspire millions by telling stories of how people come together to improve water resources, connect the unconnected, celebrate life and value nature.

Photography turns abstract concepts into visual realities, tells inspiring stories in an instant, and helps spread awareness of issues through accessible means. We anticipate to elevate inspiring stories of collaboration by hosting this competition.

Building on UNESCO’s cross-disciplinary mandate on culture, education and natural sciences, Water Science Policy, under the patronage of UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Program, is facilitating this photostory competition. It is intended to:

Raise awareness on the intertwined relationship between water and the various dimensions of culture, from heritage to arts and creativity, in the past and present;

Demonstrate how culture could effectively support the sustainable use and management of water;

Inform on policy-making relating to water use and management, especially using the cross-cutting perspectives of relevant stakeholders, including artists, cultural practitioners and civil society organisations, and contribute to joint actions in the international water agenda.

Explore 5 new concept papers for the 5 interactive dialogues on water for health, development, climate, cooperation and the Water Action Decade.

Get ready for the UN 2023 Water Conference, 22-24 March.