7 June 2017
IWRA and Partners Call for Science-Policy Bridge
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
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The International Water Resources Association (IWRA) Sixteenth World Water Congress closed with the adoption of the Cancun Declaration and a call for stronger efforts to draw on scientific knowledge in policy making on water management.

The Declaration calls on the scientific community to make their expertise available to policy makers, civil society and the public through applied research activities.

3 June 2017: The International Water Resources Association (IWRA) Sixteenth World Water Congress closed with the adoption of the Cancun Declaration and a call for stronger efforts to draw on scientific knowledge in policy making on water management. IWRA members and partners also highlighted that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are interlinked, and that water sector specialists could contribute more to other sectors.

The IWRA Congress took place in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 May to 3 June, hosted by the National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA) and the National Association of Water and Sanitation Utilities (ANEAS).

The Cancun Declaration highlights that “time is short” until the first review of SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation by the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) when it meets in July 2018, and that the review will reflect that the world is not on track to achieve the water-related goals in the SDGs. Congress participants are calling on donors and policy makers, scientists and water sector professionals, and civil society to mobilize for joint action.

The Cancun Declaration also calls on the scientific community to make their expertise available to policy makers, civil society and the public through applied research activities. It also asks policy makers to recognize science as a major contributor to evidence-based policies.

The Declaration emphasizes that, “business as usual is not an option,” and calls for greater commitment to generating and sharing data, information and knowledge from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Declaration emphasizes that, “business as usual is not an option,” and calls for greater commitment to generating and sharing data, information and knowledge from an interdisciplinary perspective. It cites the World Water Data Initiative, launched by the High-Level Panel on Water (HLPW) as a good example of such action. The World Bank Group President and the UN Secretary-General jointly convene the HLPW as a forum whereby heads of State and government can champion better ways to manage water resources and improve water supply and sanitation services. [Cancun Declaration] [IWRA Web Page on Water Congresses] [IWRA Home Page] [UN Background Note on HLPW]


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