IOWater - International News

5 Information: Fax: +33 4 93 65 44 02 - E-mail: cooperation@iowater.org international events The News N° 28 On 3 and 4 October 2017, the World Water Council and the Kingdom of Morocco organized the 2 nd International Conference on Water and Climate in Marseilles. Echoing the Rabat Conference in July 2016 and “on the way to the COP23”, the partici- pants were able to discuss the major challenges of long-term collaboration. Mr. Eric Tardieu, IOWater Director General, facilitated the session dedicated to the fight against the lack of water and food and the improvement of health in a context of climate change. Mr. Olçay Unver of the FAO reminded that a more sustainable consumption must be esta- blished urgently. Today, nearly one-third of world food production is lost through consumption channels, with a huge impact of unnecessary water consumption. Fighting against food wastage is therefore a priority not only in the fight against hunger, but also for sustainable water resources management. This is particularly important in a region such as the Mediterranean, where 60% of the population is under heavy water stress, and where urbanization is increasing pressures. Managing the balance of demand between farms, businesses and families is therefore of particular significance. The keeping of the rural population, the generalization of water- saving irrigation techniques, scientific research for more efficient management, information systems, are all ways of impro- ving water resources management. An international legal framework do exists and can regulate conflicts between the upstream and downstream sections of a transboundary river. A PRIORITY MESSAGE: To improve the availability and sharing of water information, and to exchange more with the water-consuming sectors to obtain a collective commitment. 4 “ICWC 2017” – MARSEILLES - 3-4 october 2017 On 4 and 5 September 2017, the Interna- tional Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) was invited to participate in a work meeting of the World Water Data Initiative, which was held on the premises of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the presence of some thirty experts representing the World Bank, the Australian Government, various UN agencies and several NGOs. This initiative was launched in 2016 by the High-Level Panel on Water (HLPW) set up by the UN Secretary General and the President of the World Bank Group to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal related to Water (SDG6), which identified access to water data as an essential condition for the implementation of its Action Plan, published in September 2016. The WorldWater Data Initiative, managed by the Australian Government until 2018, aims to improve access to water data for stakeholders by providing advice on the right parameters to use by stimulating new technologies and harmonizing common standards. During this meeting, INBO underlined its willingness to actively collaborate in this important strategic initiative, given the signi- ficance of organizing data access to achieve effective integrated water resources manage- ment in basins and at the national level. INBO fosters links with local stakeholders in order to better organize access to data (which are often dispersed in multiple national and local organizations) and supports the development of Integrated Water Information Systems. INBO’s forthcoming publication of a handbook on Water Information Systems is scheduled for the Brasilia World Water Forum in March 2018. 4 “World Water Data Initiative” WMO - Geneva - 4 - 5 September 2017 The Geneva workshop