The United Nations World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World/ Facing The Challenges

The United Nations World Water Development Report, published every three years, is a comprehensive review providing an authoritative picture of the state of the world's freshwater resources. It offers best practices as well as in-depth theoretical analyses to help stimulate ideas and actions for better stewardship in the water sector. It is the only report of its kind, resulting from the collaboration and contributions of the 26 UN agencies, commissions, program, funds, secretariats and conventions that have a significant role in addressing global water concerns.

The news media are full of talk of crises - in climate change, energy and food and troubled financial markets. These crises are linked to each other and to water resources management. Unresolved, they may lead to increasing political insecurity and conflict.

Water is required to meet our fundamental needs and rising living standards and to sustain our planet‘s fragile ecosystems. Pressures on the resource come from a growing and mobile population, social and cultural change, economic development and technological change. Adding complexity and risk is climate change, with impacts on the resource as well as on the sources of pressure on water.

The challenges, though substantial, are not insurmountable. The Report shows how some countries have responded. Progress in providing drinking water is heartening, with the Millennium Development Goal target on track in most regions. But other areas remain unaddressed, and after decades of inaction, the problems in water systems are enormous and will worsen if left unattended.

Leaders in the water sector can inform decisions outside their domain and manage water resources to achieve agreed socioeconomic objectives and environmental integrity. Leaders in government, the private sector and civil society determine these objectives and allocate human and financial resources to meet them. Recognizing this responsibility, they must act now!

Two volume set: 336

The World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), founded in 2000, is the flagship programme of UN-Water. Housed and led by UNESCO, WWAP monitors freshwater issues in order to provide recommendations, develop case studies, enhance assessment capacity at a national level and inform the decision-making process.

UN-Water is a mechanism with 25 member agencies to strengthen coordination and coherence among all United Nations bodies that deal with freshwater issues: from water supply, sanitation and health to climate, food, energy, environment, disasters and sustainable water resources management for socioeconomic development. Established in 2003 by the High-Level Committee on Programmes of the United Nations, it evolved from many years of close collaboration among UN agencies. UN-Water is not another agency; through task forces and programmes led and hosted by various members, it adds value to existing activities and fosters cooperation and information sharing among UN agencies and stakeholder representatives.