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22 March 2009 2009 World Water Day: Shared Water - Shared Opportunities
2009 World Water Day
Under the theme "Shared Waters - Shared Opportunities," this year's World Water Day highlights the need for cooperation
between countries and regions to ensure adequate supply of freshwater. In 60 years, there have been nearly 300 international
water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water. Rivers and lakes cover nearly half
of the world’s land surface and almost half of the world’s population depends on them as their main source of freshwater.
But they can also be a trigger for conflict. Altogether, there are 145 countries that share their water resources
with neighboring states. Many countries are facing--or will face--a scarcity of freshwater. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will
live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity. However, history has shown that cooperative management of these
water bodies can lead to peaceful relations, accelerated international trade and job creation. UNDP has been involved
in one of the most striking successes in shared waters management: the treaty governing the use of the Danube River. The Danube
is the most shared river basin in the world, passing through 13 countries before emptying into the Black Sea via Romania.
The past 150 years have seen the steady degradation of the eco-systems of both the Danube and the Black Sea. After the fall
of the Soviet Bloc, however, the countries along the Danube have cooperated on the monitoring and improvement of water quality
and quantity. In addition, they instituted a damage control system to minimise accidental chemical spills. This regional
collaboration yielded positive results, including the establishment of 75 water quality monitoring stations in the Danube
Basin and an agreement to reduce nutrient pollution. Through these reforms and major investments, industrial, municipal and
agricultural pollution was reduced, virtually eliminating dangerous oxygen depletion in the western part of the Black Sea
and leading to measurable signs of eco-system recovery. The restoration of the Danube River and Black Sea is only one
example that illustrates the significant environmental, socio-economic and political benefits that can be gained through multi-country
cooperation on trans-boundary waters. UNDP has been providing support to over 100 countries in identifying, prioritizing,
understanding and addressing the key issues of some of the world’s largest and most significant shared water bodies. We work
with countries to modify agriculture, industry, mining, fishing and wastewater management to lessen ecological damage to the
water systems. In this way, conflicts can be prevented, security and livelihoods improved, habitats protected and health risks
minimized. For more information, go to www.undp.org/water |
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