6 November 2015: On the margins of the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee (Economic and Financial), participants at a side event discussed possible solutions to water scarcity and drought, and ways to support the implementation of related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets.

The event, titled ‘Challenges and initiatives for the implementation of the water-related SDGs in water-scarce countries: Learning from Mediterranean and Latin American countries’ took place on 6 November 2015, in New York, US. It was organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and with cooperation and support from the Governments of Spain and Egypt, and the IAMZ-CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza.

Chantal Uwizera, Second Committee Rapporteur, noted that approximatively one-fifth of the world’s population lives in areas of absolute water scarcity, and reducing the number of people affected by drought requires effective national strategies, international cooperation, and partnerships. Marion Barthelemy, DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), on behalf of Thomas Gass, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, said there is a need for a policy shift toward more proactive approaches, beyond individual policy measures. She outlined the importance of strengthening resilience to water scarcity and expanding capacity-building support.

Sherif Eissa, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said 97% of the population lives on 4% of the land in Egypt, and the country faces serious problems in terms of water availability. He noted current negotiations by the Tripartite National Committee (Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan) on a dam, expressing hope for a win-win solution for the three countries. Luis Garrote, Polytechnic University of Madrid, said the water crisis is the global risk for which the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region is the least prepared. He noted that while SDG 6 focuses on water, the issues are also addressed by other Goals and should be considered through an integrated approach. Garrote called for moving from supply management to demand management, and from crisis management to risk management.

Introducing the Near East and North Africa’s Water Scarcity Initiative, Carla Mucavi, FAO, said drought causes severe food shortages, and climate change is proven to impact the severity, frequency and duration of drought and to exacerbate water scarcity.

Participants also took part in a panel moderated by Josefina Maestu, Director of the UN Office to support the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015. Wael Khairy, Egypt’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation, remarked that the quantity of available water in his country limits economic development. He stressed the importance of benefit sharing, capacity development, know-how and technology transfer on solar energy and water desalination.

Ney Maranhão, Director of Brazil’s National Water Agency, said resilience depends on investment, infrastructure, innovation and integration of water management in other sectors of the economy, and highlighted the importance of indicators and of involving civil society and other stakeholders. Dunixi Gabiña, IAMZ-CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, called for training on irrigated agriculture, given its complexity and impacts.

John Qu, Director, Global Environment and Natural Resources Institute, George Mason University, stressed the importance of geographic information systems and measurements for drought management. Noting that land degradation leads to water degradation and scarcity, Melchiade Bukuru, UNCCD, said “every freshwater decision is a land use decision” and vice versa, and water scarcity goes hand-in-hand with drought preparedness and resilience.

Jamal Shah, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), identified challenges for water-scarce countries: institutional fragmentation where various departments take decisions on water; the “non-revenue” of water due to illegal connections, leakages and collection deficiency; conflicts and the refugee crisis; and lack of coordination between humanitarian and development donors, among other issues.

In an interactive discussion, Spain identified challenges related to water scarcity including the lack of: good governance, information, adequate means of implementation and capacity building. The EU announced its current review of water policy instruments, and outlined the need to improve forecasting of water availability and consumption and to ensure transboundary cooperation and water efficiency. She also announced the launch, in 2016, of an EU nexus programme targeting basin organizations and sub-regions affected by water scarcity and drought.

Slovakia remarked that the absence of water management can endanger security and safety in some regions. Tajikistan called for a platform for expanded cooperation and diplomacy at all levels, highlighting his delegation’s proposal to consider ways of proclaiming the next Water Decade to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Bahamas identified data collection, lack of transparency, and political will as key issues for water management. Palestine asked to comply with international law to protect Palestinian water, while Niger noted the importance of water infrastructure.

Summarizing the discussion, Glenn Dolcemascolo, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, identified the following priorities for action: understanding risks; strengthening governance for risk reduction; investing in resilience; and strengthening preparedness for effective response.

The event was the last of four side events that took place in the framework of the 70th session of the UNGA’s Second Committee. [IISD RS Sources] [Meeting Details and Statements] [Webcast] [Second Committee Side Events] [Second Committee Documents]