About this report |
|
|
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been at the forefront of assessing and monitoring global water resources and presenting information on their use and management for the past 30 years. UNEP, in collaboration with partners and collaborating centres, collates and analyses water resource data on a global basis. Despite a concerted effort to create a comprehensive database on global water use, however, there remain many gaps in the information available. Several projects and programmes are working to fill these gaps. Among them are the Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA), the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land Based Activities (GPA/LBA), and the Global Environment Monitoring System Freshwater Quality Programme (UNEP-GEMS/Water), as well as many other programmes dealing with fresh and coastal/marine waters within other United Nations agencies and partners. The current situation reveals that, while there is significant information on most aspects of water resources in Europe and North America, there are glaring gaps in some of the available data for Africa, South America and parts of Asia, particularly in water quality and quantity. |
As was the case with its earlier publication on Vital Climate Graphics, UNEP has compiled this report in order to provide an easily accessible resource on the state of the world's waters. The goal of this publication is to produce a clear overview, through a set of graphics, maps and other illustrations, of the state of the world's fresh and marine waters. It also illustrates the causes, effects, trends and threats facing our water sources, with examples of areas of major concern and future scenarios for the use and management of fresh, coastal and marine waters. It is hoped that this information will assist water users and professionals to make better decisions in order to protect our water resources for future generations. Further graphics and links to relevant websites on topics presented in this publication are available at: www.unep.org/vitalwater. |
|
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the United Nations Environment Programme. The presentations and the designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the cooperating divisions concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or of the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries. Mention of a commercial company or product in this report does not imply endorsement by UNEP. The use of information from this publication concerning proprietary products for publicity or advertising purposes is not permitted. |
Trademark names and symbols are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement on trademark or copyright laws. We regret any errors or omissions that may unwittingly have been made. United Nations Environment Programme ISBN: 92-807-2236-0 |
