Integrated Water Resource Management

In collaboration with the UNEP Collaborating Center on Water and Environment (UCC-Water) UNEP is addressing the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation target on IWRM Plans 2005. This is done by assisting developing countries and regions in developing IWRM roadmaps that will guide the countries in the development of a national IWRM plan.

Freshwater Assessment

UNEP carries out and coordinates the collection and dissemination of comprehensive assessments of worlds freshwater and coastal/marine water resources in an integrated manner.

During the past 5 years UNEP has successfully implemented a project on Dams and Development with the purpose of promoting a dialogue on improving decision-making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives based on the World Commission on Dams (WCD) core values and strategic priorities. The project is coming to an end in April 2007.

UNEP works to integrate multilateral environment agreements (MEA) objectives within broader development processes including Poverty Reduction Strategies. In particular work involves use of total economic valuation of ecosystem services including water resources and national development planning. UNEP also provides support to the MEA secretariats on water resource related aspects of compliance and implementation at the regional and national levels. Through the partnership for the development of law and institutions in Africa (PADELIA) UNEP assists the development of water related laws and regulations at the national level.

International Waters

UNEP and the Global Environment Facility are jointly working to reverse the degradation of International shared seas and river basins such as the South China Sea, the Red Sea and the San Francisco River Basin.

Rainwater Harvesting Partnership

The Rainwater Harvesting Partnership secretariat is hosted by UNEP and represents an effort to gather interested parties under one umbrella to coordinate and reinforce the efforts to promote the use of rainwater harvesting globally.

Training on Waste Water Management

UNEP, jointly with partners, offers management training to improve capacity at the local level to identify and finance feasible and environmentally-friendly approaches to collect and treat municipal wastewater. Between 2003 a total of 590 experts have been trained from 45 countries. The programme’s web-site includes a management tutorial, compendium of technologies, a document library and provides access to free software tools for decision-making.

Under Water and Sanitation, UNEP focuses on drinking water provision, technologies for wastewater treatment and water quality improvement within the urban realm.