Day 1 2.alice aureli introduction - unesco

3rd meeting of the IWRM and Water Diplomacy strategic pillar - Bern, 27-28 September 2012

UNESCO

International Hydrological

Programme (IHP)

Groundwater Resources Activities –

improving knowledge and capacity for the

management of a vital resource

Dr Alice Aureli

Chief of Section, Groundwater Resources and Aquifer Systems

UNESCO-IHP


Outline

UNESCO IHP mandate –IHP Council Resolution

IHP Groundwater activities

Transboundary Aquifers – ISARM

TWAP

Financial support provided by SDC – 3 case

studies to be carried out


International Hydrological

Programme

The only global intergovernmental scientific programme on water resources in the UN system

Created in 1975 after the International Hydrological Decade

6 year phases, one unifying theme

Member States define needs and plans of phases

Growing emphasis on management and social aspects

Focus on gender equality and Africa


UNESCO‘s water familiy

UNESCO-IHP

UNESCO-IHE

UN WWAP

UNESCO regional offices, IHP national committees

Category 2 centres: IGRAC

Academia: UNESCO chairs, research institutes, universities


IHP VII (2008-2013)

Water dependencies:

Systems under Stress and Societal Responses


INTERDEPENDENCIES

SOCIETAL

RESPONSES STRESS

HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

Governance Poverty

Ecosystems

at risk

Social

Challenges


INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGICAL

PROGRAMME (IHP)

EIGHTH PHASE

“WATER SECURITY: RESPONSES TO LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND

GLOBAL CHALLENGES”

STRATEGIC PLAN

IH-VIII 2014-2021



Studies on Aquifers and Groundwater resources.

Some projects : Transboundary Aquifers Management

(ISARM) Global Hydrogeological Map (WHYMAP) Groundwater and Climate Change (GRAPHIC) Groundwater for Emergency Situations

(GWES) Projects executed by UNESCO at regional and

global with GEF, UNEP, UNDP, FAO, UNECE, WB etc..

UNESCO IHP


WHY GROUNDWATER IS A PRIORITY?

The largest quantity of Fresh water resources of the planet is contained in Aquifers


– Many countries still lack

– coherent policies and strategies for the management of aquifers and

groundwater resources

– adequate legal settings

– and institutional arrangements

An attempt at cartographic anamorphosis, showing the groundwater extractions in each country

Jean Margat, UNESCO-BRGM 2008

Dependency

on

Groundwater


Groundwater IWRM and Sustainable development

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and its multi-

faceted, integrative approach to water systems management has

been widely considered as the solution to the world’s water issues,

IWRM still lack implementation in many part of the World

A failure to recognise the unique and special attributes of

groundwater represents one of the lost opportunities of IWRM.

Groundwater is crucial for SD - consideration of the post

MDGs 2015 and the SDG


Groundwater issues addressed by UNESCO-IHP

Groundwater submarine discharge

Groundwater and land subsidence

Coastal aquifers management (saline intrusion)

Management of aquifer recharge (artificial recharge)

Groundwater dependent ecosystems

Groundwater in arid zones

Groundwater protection and vulnerability

Groundwater in urban areas

Endhoreic basins

Application of Isotopes techniques

Non-renewable groundwater resources

Groundwater indicators for environmental sustainability


Groundwater data collection and assessment

Groundwater - hydrological extremes and emergency

situations

Groundwater and climate change (adaptation measures)

Application of satellite techniques

Transboundary aquifer systems management

Capacity building and training activities

Institutional and legal tools for Groundwater management


Groundwater Resources under the Pressures

of Humanity and Climate Change (GRAPHIC)

Improve our knowledge on how

groundwater resources respond to the

impacts of climate change and human

activities

Evaluate tools and methods that could

contribute to adaptation measures

Conduct case studies, covering a

wide range of subjects, scientific methods,

and geographical and climatic settings

Derive recommendations from scientific findings and communicate

them to decision makers


20 case studies,

covering different

climatic, hydrogeological,

and socio-economic

settings

Scientific results and

policy recommendations


Groundwater for Emergency Situations

(GWES)

Geological or climatic

catastrophic events, natural and

man-induced

provision of clean drinking

water is priority

Groundwater resources need to

be identified, prepared and

managed in advance

Guidelines for managers and

decision makers published


UNESCO IHP - ISARM The Intergovernmental Council of

UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP),

at its 20th Session held in June 2012

adopted the

Resolution IC-XX-3 on

the International Initiative on Transboundary Aquifer

Resources Management (ISARM).


The IHP Council encouraged :

Member States to cooperate on the study of their transboundary

aquifers;

and

Requested to the IHP Secretariat to:

(i) support Member States in promoting studies in regard to

transboundary aquifers in the framework of the existing IHP ISARM

initiative; and

(ii) continue studies on transboundary aquifers and assist interested

Member States in their studies of transboundary aquifers resources

management including by promoting capacity building and

awareness raising activities on existing instruments and

discussions.

Resolution IC-XX-3


>300 International Rivers UN Convention on Non

Navigational Use of

International Water

Courses 1997 – Not yet

ratified by sufficient

number of countries

If the 92-Helsinki

Convention is ready to

open to non UNECE

countries Around 500 Transboundary Aquifers

The UNILC Draft Articles

provide guidelines for the

management of transboundary

aquifers (UNGA Resolution

63/124 on the Law of

Transboundary Aquifers)

WHY TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS?


Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources

Management Initiative (ISARM)

Guidelines for the

management of

transboundary

groundwater resources


Global Overview of ISARM activities

Hydrogeological assessment of transboundary aquifers


Transboundary aquifers identified in the

Americas, Asia, Africa, South-Eastern

Europe, Central Asia and Caucasus and

Middle East

ISARM – Inventory of TBAs and guidelines

for sustainable management


TBAs in Africa

2002

2005

2009

2012


UNESCO - OAS

ISARM AMERICAS

Phase II - Institutional and

Legal issues (2006 - 2007)

Phase III - Regional Vision

for Managing

Transboundary Aquifers

(2007 - 2008)

Phase I - Inventory of

Transboundary Aquifers of

the Americas-Hydrology-

Geological characteristics

(2003 - 2006):


Global TBA Information System


World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and

Assessment Programme - WHYMAP

First map of transboudary aquifers

Updates by IGRAC 2009 and 2012

Groundwater resources of the world

Transboundary groundwater and river basins


Protection and Sustainable Use of the Dinaric Karst Transboundary

Aquifer System (DIKTAS)

Karstic environment highly vulnerable to

pollution releases through recharge areas

Competing uses of water resources: urban water

supply, hydropower, agriculture, flood protection,

groundwater dependent ecosystems and unique

biodiversity

Main Objectives:

Transboundary nature of the Dinaric Karst AS

and the management implications recognized

by aquifers sharing states

Development of mechanisms for coordination

and information exchange at national and

regional level

Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and

Montenegro (Slovenia, Italy and Greece)


4.

• The rise of several new sovereign states created new transboundary interlinkages

• TDA: Expansion and consolidation of the current scientific and technical knowledge base; preparation of thematic maps to guide management

• Development of mechanisms for coordination and information exchange at national and regional level

• Joint development and implementation of the Strategic Action Programme

Protection and Sustainable Use of the Dinaric Karst Transboundary Aquifer System (DIKTAS)


UNGA Resolutions: The Law of Transboundary Aquifers

The UN General Assembly adopted 2 Resolutions on the ‘Law of Transboundary Aquifers' (December 2008 and 2010) .

Legal Framework for the sustainable management of shared groundwater resources

UNESCO-IHP provided technical expertise to the UN ILC

UNILC Draft Articles: tool of international law that provides recommendations to Member States

The UNGA called upon UNESCO to support Member states in the implementation of the resolution


PART III

PROTECTION, PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

ARTICLE 10

Protection and preservation of ecosystems

Aquifer States shall take all appropriate measures to protect and preserve ecosystems within,

or dependent upon, their transboundary aquifers or aquifer systems, including measures to

ensure that the quality and quantity of water retained in an aquifer or aquifer system, as well as

that released through its discharge zones, are sufficient to protect and preserve such

ecosystems.

ARTICLE 11

Recharge and discharge zones

1. Aquifer States shall identify the recharge and discharge zones of transboundary aquifers

or aquifer systems that exist within their territory. They shall take appropriate measures to

prevent and minimize detrimental impacts on the recharge and discharge processes.

2. All States in whose territory a recharge or discharge zone is located, in whole or in part, and

which are not aquifer States with regard to that aquifer or aquifer system, shall cooperate with

the aquifer States to protect the aquifer or aquifer system and related ecosystems


Groundwater Governance Project funded by the GEF and executed by UNESCO-IHP, FAO,

IAH, WB.

Fundamental project component: 5 Regional Consultations (Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, Arab States, Asia and Europe)

focus on the regional characteristics of groundwater governance

discuss priorities, visions and specific challenges in the region + Private Sector Roundtable

Global Diagnostic Shared Vision Global Framework for Action on Groundwater Governance

More info: www.groundwatergovernance.org

http://www.groundwatergovernance.org/


Groundwater Governance The distinction between management and governance is important. Broadly,

groundwater management is the set actions to implement decisions that derive from the

process of governance.

“Groundwater governance is the process by which groundwater

resources are managed through the application of responsibility,

participation, information availability, transparency, custom, and

rule of law. It is the art of coordinating administrative actions and

decision making between and among different jurisdictional

levels – one of which may be global”. (Adapted by Thematic Paper 5

drafting group after Saunier and Meganck. 2007. Dictionary and Introduction to Global

Environmental Governance)


UNESCO’s work in Water Diplomacy

and Water Education

UNESCO paved the way to concept of water diplomacy and

promoted several mechanisms for the peaceful management of

shared water resources (surface and groundwater)

UNESCO’s PCCP Programme (from Potential Conflict to

Cooperation Potential):

• focuses on the development of tools for the anticipation,

prevention and mitigation of water conflicts through research and

capacity building activities

• facilitates multi-level and interdisciplinary dialogues to foster

peace, cooperation and development related to the management

of transboundary water resources.

UNESCO’s Institute for Water Education – IHE


A GLOBAL INITIATIVE BEING LAUNCHED financed by the GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY AIMED AT BRINGING TO THE GLOBAL ATTENTION THE IMPORTANCE AND VULNERABILITY OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS SYSTEMS, AND ESTABLISHING A BASELINE FOR FOLLOW ON MONITORING OF TRENDS AND IMPACTS

TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS

ASSESSMENT PROGRAM -

TWAP


GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment

Programme (TWAP)

Indicator-based global

assessments of 5 transboundary

water systems: Aquifers, Rivers,

Lakes, LMEs, Open Oceans

Largely based on existing data

Carried out in cooperation with

partners at national, regional and

global level

Provide guidance to the GEF for

science-based allocation of funds


TWAP – Assessment of TBAs and SIDS

UNESCO-IHP: executing agency

for the global assessment of

transboundary aquifers and SIDS

groundwater systems

Methodology developed by an

international expert group led by

UNESCO


(1) Provide a description of the present status of transboundary

aquifers (TBA) and aquifers in Small Island Developing States

(SIDS)

(2) Bring to the global attention the potentialities and the vulnerability

of transboundary aquifer systems, and catalyze action.

TWAP Transboundary Aquifers - Objectives


Level 1: global baseline

assessment

Level 2: in-depth

assessment in pilot TBAs

(case studies)

TheTWAP assessment of Transboundary Aquifers will

be carried out at 2 levels:

Reduced set of indicators

Covering 166 TBAs and 43

SIDS

Funded by the GEF and

partner co-financing

contributions

Full set of indicators

Covering only selected TBAs

Funded by co-financing contribution

–SDC Main partner


Thank you!

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