WMO steps up action on water

The World Meteorological Organization is revamping its strategy on water in order to face up to the unprecedented challenges posed by water stress, floods and droughts and lack of access to clean supplies.

WMO Executive Council held a special one-day dialogue on water as part of a concerted drive to strengthen hydrological services and to improve forecasting, monitoring and use of water supplies and to tackle the problem of too much, too little or too polluted water.

WMO formally assumed the direction of the World Water Data Initiative, given that better data is key to better management of water. It also launched a new innovation call from the WMO HydroHub facility to support operational hydrology.

“We need to put a much bigger emphasis on the effective, equitable and sustainable management of our water resources,” Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation, told the high-level session.

“Intelligent water management should create benefits for everyone, as no one society can prosper long without sustainable access to clean and sufficient freshwater. If sustainably managed across sectors and societies, water has the power to build trust between communities and contribute to the broader establishment of peace and development efforts,” said Mr. Annan.

Climate change is placing an even greater stress on water supplies and increasing the risks of extreme weather events. Experts predict that by 2050, water-related climate impacts could depress GDP growth by as much as 6% across much of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, said Mr. Annan, urging governments to deliver on the promises of the Paris Climate Agreement.

“Climate change is more than a climate issue,” said Sophia Pal Gai, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of South Sudan. “All too often it is making itself evident through drought and floods. Floods are occurring with increasing frequency, destroying lives and property.”

A spike in seasonal rainfall in parts of East Africa which had been previously suffering from drought has resulted in widespread flooding through large parts of Horn of Africa. At the same time, it is foreseen that in less than 10 years there will be a significant increase in water scarcity in Africa, which will have a profound impact on our societies, said the minister.

South Sudan is landlocked and shares borders with six other countries. Like many African countries, it suffers from a lack of hydrological data and water information that it needs to inform government development policies.

“The leading role of WMO in operational hydrology is needed more than ever before,” said Minister Pal Gai.

Original source: WMO
Published on 25 June 2018