African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

African Water Development Report 2006ering the period 2002-2007, is devoted to“Water Interactions: Systems at Risk andSocial Challenges”.World Meteorological OrganizationFor over 65 years, the World MeteorologicalOrganization (WMO) and its predecessor, theInternational Meteorological Organization, havesupported National Hydrological Services, RiverBasin Authorities and other institutions responsiblefor water management in a wide range ofactivities which together form the Hydrologyand Water Resources Programme of WMO. Theprogramme provides for the collection and analysisof hydrological data as a basis for assessingand managing freshwater resources, for example,for human consumption, sanitation, irrigation,hydropower production and water transport, andfor flood forecasting systems and the predictionof droughts. The overall objective of the Hydrologyand Water Resources Programme is to applyhydrology to meet the needs for sustainable developmentand use of water and related resources;to mitigate the impact of water-related disasters;and to effectively manage the environment at thenational and international levels.The Programme is implemented through fivemutually supporting components, namely:out by the Water Development and ManagementService, and are dedicated to sustainableuse and conservation of water in agriculture, including:(a) The assessment of water resources andmonitoring of agricultural use;(b) Assistance in water policy formulation andpromotion of irrigated agriculture and efficientwater use through management innovations,modernization and institutionalreforms.The Service is responsible for the conceptual designand the technical backstopping of the waterdevelopment projects in field, and for the operationof inter-regional, water related field projects.Organizationally, the service articulates its activitiesthrough four thematic working groups:(a) Water Information, Policy and ResourceManagement;(b) Water Development, Technology andSmall-Scale Irrigation;(c) Water Management and Irrigation Systems;and(d) Water Quality and EnvironmentWith regard to knowledge and information dissemination,the aims of the Water Developmentand Management Service are:(a) Basic Systems in Hydrology (includingHOMS and WHYCOS);(b) Forecasting and Applications in Hydrology;(c) Sustainable Development of Water Resources;(d) Capacity Building in Hydrology and WaterResources;(e) Water-related Issues.Food and Agricultural OrganizationThe water-related activities of FAO are carried(a) To create awareness and contribute to theinternational debate on food security, sustainablewater development and resourceconservation;(b) To promote appropriate water policy andintegrated water management in river basinsincluding information sharing andconflict resolution in shared river basins;(c) To promote an integrated and multi-disciplinaryapproach to water management,taking into account the major land-waterinteractions. It also provides mechanisms toensure benefit sharing by all stakeholders;(d) To promote efficient use and conservation330