Foreword
UNESCO MEMBER STATES HAVE LONG RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY, FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, FOR LASTING PEACE.
In the wake of the successful project on Arid Zones, the UNESCO Executive Board in 1961 requested the creation of a long-term programme for international cooperation in scientific hydrology, to protect the planet’s water resources under increased pressure. In 1965, UNESCO and its partners established the International Hydrological Decade, to collect scientific data and lead internationallyconcerted research and education for improved water use. The International Hydrological Decade broke new ground in highlighting the efforts needed to adapt water management and research. On this basis, since 1975, the International Hydrological Programme has taken this same vision forward, working through successive phases in consultation with Member States.
The situation has changed over the last fifty years – population growth, urbanization and higher consumption levels have increased dramatically the demand for water, tripling withdrawals globally, with pollution and climate change exacerbating the challenge. Without continued and coordinated action by the international community, by 2030, half of the world’s population could live under high water stress.
The Millennium Development Goals brought much progress, but billions of people still do not have access to improved sanitation services – mainly in Southern Asia and SubSaharan Africa. This jeopardises chances for education, empowerment and development, especially for women, children, and those living in poverty.
The International Hydrological Programme is the only intergovernmental, sciencebased water cooperation programme of the United Nations system. Through its current eighth phase focussing on water security, in coordination with the agencies and partners of UN Water, UNESCO helped to shape the new Sustainable Development Goal for water and sanitation in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which the Organisation is now deeply committed to taking forward. For this, the interdisciplinary network and expertise of UNESCO’s Water Family, as well as the innovative projects coordinated by the International Hydrological Programme, will be vital – embodying UNESCO’s holistic approach to water, that includes also material, cultural and spiritual aspects. With the support of Member States, UNESCO will redouble all efforts to strengthen cooperation at all levels, to reinforce the science-policy interface and to develop institutional and human capacities.
This fiftieth anniversary of UNESCO’s water programmes coincides with the seventieth anniversary of the Organisation’s creation. This book illustrates the twists and turns of this unique history, highlighting the will that has always driven all UNESCO’s action. This story pays tribute to the water practitioners, scientists and policymakers committed to international cooperation. All this shows what can be done through solidarity and commitment to build a better future for all.
Irina Bokova
Director-General of UNESCO
This has never been so important.