Session Introduction

Water challenges are increasingly impacting every region around the world facing the effects of climate change, urbanization, as well as natural disasters. Confronted with the on-going water-related challenges, addressing water security can be a practical approach to deal with the complex and interconnected challenges and enhance sustainability, development and human welfare.
Recognizing the significance of the water security and the urgent need for quality information and approaches, we will hold a session with the aim of providing a starting point for discussion on a range of issues that collectively fall under the umbrella of water security, identifying the present issues, broadening discourses, bringing regional cases to the center, and sharing diverse perspectives.
The session will provide an explanation of the related issues of water security while taking into context various aspects such as technology, economy, environment, and governance. It is expected to shed lights on how the approaches to water security play important roles to achieve multiple priority development areas including good health and well-being, clean water and sanitation, climate action, and conservation and restoration of ecosystems.

Session Schedule

Results

Presentations

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals from a Water Security Perspective Title of presentation
(Dr. Youssef Filali-Meknassi, Water Sciences, UNESCO)

• IHP is the only intergovernmental programme of the United Nations system devoted to water research, management, education and capacity building.
• IHP-VIII (2014-2021) ‘Improve knowledge and innovation to address water security challenges applying IWRM principles’ focuses on six thematic areas to assist Member States in their challenging endeavor to better manage and secure water and to ensure the necessary human and institutional capacities.
• IHP’s activities are contributing to improve water security on each thematic area of eighth phase.
  • Theme 1 (Water-related Disasters and Hydrological Change): Improving the scientific basis for hydrology and water sciences for preparation and response to extreme hydrological events. (e.g. Synthesis meeting of Glacier Retreat in the Andes project in Aug. 2017, Argentina)
  • Theme 2 (Groundwater in a Changing Environment): Groundwater resources projects in Africa, water cooperation in transboundary waters
  • Theme 3 (Addressing Water Scarcity and Quality): Improving governance, planning, management, allocation, and efficient use of water resources, dealing with present water scarcity and developing foresight to prevent undesirable trends (e.g. G-WADI Geoserver application in Namibia), 16 IIWQ Technical and Policy Case Studies on Emerging Pollutants
  • Theme 4 (Water and Human Settlements of the Future): Joint research project with ME of ROK (Sustainable Water Security for Human Settlement in Developing Countries under Climate Change)
  • Theme 5: Ecohydrology Web Platform
  • Theme 6 (Water Education, Key to Water Security): Coordination and data management of all training activities for IHP and the Water Family (e.g. Hydro Open-source software Platform of Experts, FREE and open-source for WAT resources management, the Water Information Network System)
• Identified topics and issues for IHP-IX (in progress)
  • Topic 1: Addressing the gap between data and information in support of water resources management
  • Topic 2: Assessing uncertainty and supporting science-based decisions in a dynamic reality
  • Topic 3: Achieving sustainable water management (SWM)
  • Crosscutting issue 1: Water education in the fourth industrial revolution
  • Crosscutting issue 2: Water governance
  • Crosscutting issue 3: ICTs: Driving a new era of water resources management

Global Water Security Issues: Water Security and the Sustainable Development Goals
(Ms. Bitna Lee, UNESCO i-WSSM)

• In 21st century, we have faced several challenges to the water security.
  • IHP-VIII aims to improve knowledge and innovation to address water security challenges.
  • To play the important role to build the future we want, we need to harness the contributions of science and innovation for water security. Responding to this call for action, i-WSSM and UNESCO are giving efforts together.
• i-WSSM and UNESCO are annually co-publishing the Global Water Security Issues (GWSI) series with emerging water security-related issues.
  • It contains the most current information available concerning the state of knowledge on water security in the perspective of sustainable development.
  • The first GWSI series ‘Water Security and the Sustainable Development Goals’ covers wide range of water security issues related to the SDGs including the academic theories and international and regional case studies.
  • The second GWSI series will be published with the title of ‘Water Reuse within a Circular Economy Context’.
• The efforts to put science into action will make a sustainable and prosperous future for all.

Strategies for Sustainable Water Security: Diversification, Decentralization, and Integration
(Prof. Leehyung Kim, Kongju National University)

• Diversification, decentralization, and integration are suggested as strategies for sustainable water security.
• Water security problems in agricultural areas usually come from excessing water use for irrigation from surface and groundwaters, surface water and groundwater contamination, and failure of water infrastructures
• Water security problems in urban areas occur due to distortion of natural water circulation from high imperviousness, reduction of groundwater level, heat islands effects, groundwater contamination, and increase of water demand.
• NBS solutions such as low impact development and green infrastructure will improve water security.
• Water resources, water environment, water safety, and water ecology should be considered in terms of water security.

Integrated Climate Action in the Context of Water-land Nexus: Centrifugal Force Vs. Centripetal Force
(Dr. Hyun Jung Park, Institute for Climate Change Action)

• Water security is a key to a sustainable future that addresses beyond the traditional water sector.
• The nexus approach is needed to explore co-beneficial solutions.
• Climate neutral world can be achieved by incorporating both mitigation and adaptation measures into the development pathway.
• Efforts to fill the knowledge gaps, systematic data collection and assessment, institutional reform, enhanced coordination, and cross-sectoral collaboration are needed for integrated climate action.
• A holistic assessment of climate action should be enhanced at the preparation, planning and evaluation stages.
• A precautionary approach should be applied to reduce counter-productive consequences of climate action.
• Integrated development plans should be developed in the water-land nexus and climate action should be mainstreamed.
• Balanced approach to empower key actors in both water and land sectors is needed.

Exploration of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus for Policy Making and Implementation
(Prof. Seungho Lee, Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University)

• The magnitude of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus
  • Promotion of resource use efficiency, resource conservation and efficient management of resources, a key to achieving sustainable development.
  • As it is at the early period, the stage of conceptualization, discussion on relevant policies, and institutional framework are needed.
• The need for the nexus based policy framework
  • Silo-based policy-making & implementation led to inefficient use of resources, resource waste & detrimental impacts on the environment
  • Integrated policy, least trade-offs, maximum synergies
  • More investment in R&D on the water-energy-food nexus
  • Small-scale research needed to focus on pairing, (i.e. water-energy, energy-food, water-food and then research expanded to look at the nexus between water, energy, and food)

Discussion

Results

• NBS is more efficient comparing to the existing solutions
  • Green infrastructure increases cost-effectiveness comparing to the gray infrastructure by lowering the maintenance cost.
  • LID decreases manual efforts through ecological function while the existing infrastructure should be manually managed for maintenance.
• Current challenges of NEXUS
  • The tendency to communicate in the language of specialists limits the possibility of discussion with the diverse field. It is necessary to induce participation of non-water experts.
  • The local context should be dealt with to expand the discussion and experts from wide a range of fields that affect water, such as energy, food, and agriculture should be involved in the discussion.
  • A confrontation of water conservation and afforestation and reforestation may result water shortages and negatively affect local communities.
• Considering gender equality and Africa priority
  • Gender equality and Africa priority are considered for all process of publications.
  • At the stage of the first submission of publication proposal, the gender context analysis should be undertaken as an integral part of the need a context assessment, and present clear sex-disaggregated data and statistics.
  • At the stage of the finalization of the manuscript, the ratio of women and men authors should be considered and should comply with the guideline on gender-inclusive language.
  • For the second edition of the GWSI series, more authors from African countries will be engaged and African context will be included.

Major messages

• As the water challenges are impacting every region around the world, water security becomes the major global issue.
• Confronted with the on-going water-related challenges, addressing water security can be a practical approach to deal with the complex and interconnected challenges and enhance sustainability, development and human welfare.

There are on-going efforts to enhance water security from international organizations such as UNESCO and i-WSSM, academia, institutions, etc. The collective actions will make a sustainable and prosperous future for all.