Webinar
Strengthening preparedness and resilience of South Asia’s transboundary rivers
South Asia’s transboundary rivers face complex, multi-dimensional challenges. COVID19 has exacerbated existing pressures in South Asia and progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” was already substantially delayed. Climate change and water stress are now compounding prevailing challenges. In a transboundary context, achieving SDG Target 6.5 on integrated water resources management requires effective transboundary cooperation since 60 per cent of the world’s freshwater flows in shared basins. A coherent and coordinated approach to shared water management is important for all SDGs including health, food, energy, environment, peace and more. Furthermore, mainstreaming civil society engagement processes into decision-making has often proved challenging for various reasons.
The webinar aimed to:
• Provide an opportunity for transboundary dialogue with and between states, regional actors and international partners on key current or emerging issues facing the region’s transboundary rivers;
• Facilitate transboundary connections for improved coherence and coordination among the existing or emerging approaches and initiatives to address these current or emerging issues;
• Identify transboundary frameworks and networks that can strengthen long-term capacity-building and avenues for engagement in decision-making processes on these issues/approaches;
• The webinars are also intended to support the SDG6 Global Acceleration Framework to facilitate implementation of SDG6.
Webinar 1 (9 November 2020) - 3 HOURS starting @ 1400h Dhaka / 1330h New Delhi / 0900h Geneva
Links to view the video recordings:
• TOPIC SESSION 1) Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystem Nexus approach (upstream and downstream benefits)
• TOPIC SESSION 2) Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation (Part 1 - Floods & Droughts)
This regional webinar was co-convened in joint partnership between:
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) hosting the Secretariat of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
• Oxfam Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA)
• Indian Environment Law Organization (IELO)
| Documents and Presentations | ENG |
|---|---|
| Agenda | |
| Setting the scene: Importance of regional cooperation in climate action, environment, resilience and Nexus initiatives for South Asian Transboundary Rivers Ms. Solène le Doze – Environmental Affairs Officer, United Nations Environment and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) |
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| River basin and transboundary landscape approaches: Could WEFE nexus bring synergy to those approaches in South Asia? Mr. Arun Shrestha - Regional Programme Manager River Basins & Cryosphere |
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| Facilitating inclusive transboundary dialogues and action: TROSA Insights Mr. Jyotiraj Patra - Project Manager Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA) |
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| Regional & sub regional Co-operation for Integrated Water Resource Development & Management of the Ganges River Basin; Bangladesh Perspective Mr. Md Mahmudur Rahman - Bangladesh Representative Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (IBJRC) |
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| Core elements of Australia’s transboundary water reforms Mr. John Dore - Lead Water Specialist Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) |
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| ESG Advisory Asia Pacific Integrated Planning through Landscape level approaches Ms. Kate Lazarus - Asia Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Advisory Lead |
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| Integrating sediment dynamics and connectivity in flood risk assessment of the Himalayan rivers Mr. Rajiv Sinha - Professor, Department of Earth Sciences Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) |
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| Living with Droughts in the Transboundary Indus Basin Mr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman Hashmi - Section Head, Global Climate Change Impact Studies Centre (CGCISC) |
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| Flood and drought management on transboundary river basins – Hungarian experience Mr. Peter Kovacs - Head of River Basin Management and Water Protection Department, Ministry of Interior |
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| Regional and transboundary cooperation for floods and droughts risk reduction in South Asia Ms. Iria Touzon CalleHead of Risk Knowledge, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in Asia-Pacific |