Event
Droughts in transboundary basins: Insights from the third SDG 6.5.2 report and beyond
Organized by UNESCO, UNECE and the World Bank, this side-event will launch the third UNESCO/UNECE progress report on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 6.5.2 which emphasizes the importance of transboundary water cooperation.
According to the report, only 43 countries (28%) currently have operational arrangements covering at least 90% of their transboundary basin area. If current trends continue, barely one-third of countries sharing rivers, lakes and aquifers will have adequate co-management arrangements in place for most of their basin area by 2030. This will delay the adoption and implementation of joint climate adaptation strategies to cope with intensifying drought and flooding.
The side-event will highlight key findings of the Report, focusing on how droughts exacerbate water scarcity in transboundary basins and how cooperation among riparian states increases resilience. The session will also present examples of cooperation to combat these challenges, showcasing successful initiatives and strategies implemented by various countries. This will be followed by a panel discussion on challenges and possible solutions ranging from political measures such as incorporating drought considerations into transboundary water agreements, joint body mandates, data exchanges, and joint strategies to other frameworks and programmes (i.e. Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP)).
The event will take place at WMO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, at 1.30 pm CET in Room XX and in hybrid format.
to attend online.
