UNESCO

Water, People
and Cooperation:
50 Years of Water
Programmes
for Sustainable
Development
at UNESCO was
published in 2015,
in English, French
and Spanish.
It summarizes
the International
Hydrological
Programme’s past
achievements,
current activities
and options for
the future.
Over 30,000 people from 168 countries
attended this seven-day event. IHP,
WWAP, UNESCO-IHE and UNESCO waterrelated
Category II centres were strongly
involved in this event. Among the areas
where IHP took the lead or coordinated
planning were transboundary surface
water and groundwater resources; water
conflict resolution; climate change
impacts on water resources; water-related
disasters; ecosystem management for
water services and biodiversity; water
quality and pollution; water education;
and water cultures, equity and justice.
One of the main conclusions of the forum
was that in the next decade the political
agenda will need to include water as a top
priority in order to ensure a water-secure
future for all.
In June, the Government of Tajikistan
hosted the High-Level International
Conference on the Implementation of
the International Decade for Action
‘Water for Life’ (2005–2015) in Dushanbe.
It was organized in partnership with UN
Agencies and other relevant institutions.
UNESCO and the International Association
of Hydrogeologists organized a highlevel
round table, ‘Water Cooperation as
Catalyst to Achieve Water Related Goals’.
The Government of Mexico presented this
official postage stamp to commemorate
the 50 years of the UNESCO International
Hydrological Programme on 11 November
2015, with the purpose of promoting
sustainable management of water resources
and sanitation for all.
It discussed water cooperation after
2015, and in particular the promotion
of an interdisciplinary and integrated
approach to transboundary water
management through the implementation
of innovative practices and tools in
monitoring and data collection, as well as
water diplomacy and conflict prevention.
UNESCO at EXPO Milan 2015
The World’s Fair EXPO Milan 2015 was dedicated to the theme ‘Feeding the planet, energy for life’,
and focused on best practices for dealing with problems related to water, food and energy. The fair
provided an opportunity for UNESCO to showcase the vital role of cultural and natural diversity as
drivers for sustainable development, and the Organization provided a broad set of activities. An
exhibition, ‘Behind Food Sustainability’, took a look at what communities living in World Heritage
sites and Biosphere Reserves can teach us about humanity’s relationship with food and nature. ‘Water
Worlds’, a multimedia installation, explored a series of locations beginning with the Venice Lagoon.
There was also an international conference on ‘Waterscapes and Historic Canals as a Cultural Heritage’
and a Children’s expo. The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, based in Venice
(Italy), jointly with the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the Joint Research Centre of the
European Commission (JRC) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization convened a workshop on
‘Addressing Our Emerging Water Futures: The Water–Food–Energy–Ecosystems Security Nexus’. It
examined the options for a nexus-style governance of water resources.
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