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More than 40% of the world population relies on transboundary water resources. Cooperation on these resources is necessary to manage shared waters in an integrated and sustainable way. Such cooperation has the potential to generate many significant benefits for countries involved, such as…
Ensuring the effective management of water resources so that different needs – including for agriculture, industry, drinking water supplies, hydropower and the protection of ecosystems – can be met is complex at the national level. When water resources are shared with other countries, this can…
Water scarcity and droughts are occurring more and more frequently and with increased magnitude, even in previously water-rich countries. Major causes include population growth and increasing water extraction, with climate change further exacerbating the situation. OECD and the Global Water…
UNECE supports countries’ sustainable transport transition through Environmental Performance Reviews
Transport can be a powerful driver of sustainable development, but this requires balancing its economic and social value with environmental and health considerations. In order to help meet this challenge, UNECE’s Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) assist countries in taking an integrated…
Responding to the findings of the 2016 Scientific Assessment Report ‘Towards Cleaner Air’, Parties to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) this week discussed strategic priorities for the future of the Convention.Informed by the scientific findings of…
Creating favourable regulatory frameworks and incentives for renewable energy development, diversifying energy supplies, tackling greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector and ensuring the safety of oil and gas pipelines are just some of the energy-related issues addressed in UNECE…
Sustainable development is high on the United Nations agenda this year. To stand up for sustainable development and environmental protection, UNECE is contributing to World Environment Day celebrations taking place in Geneva from 3 to 5 June 2015. World Environment Day, celebrated annually on 5…
Emissions of air pollutants have been reduced considerably in the UNECE region over the past few decades as a result of integrated air pollution management strategies developed under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention). However, as evidenced by recent…
Countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia need to increase water-use efficiency in view of pressures on the subregion’s water resources, in particular from economic development and climate change. Opportunities and challenges to achieve this were at the centre of the debates…
With help from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Belarus is currently assessing its legislation with a view to implementing the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment (Espoo Convention) and its Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (Protocol on SEA).…
The use of nitrogen fertilizers and the combustion of fossil fuels have led to a doubling of the flow of nitrogen compounds around the world in the past 100 years. Nitrogen (N) is important for plant growth and sufficient amounts are needed for plants to achieve optimum crop yields. However,…
While increasing carbon dioxide levels are the dominant factor contributing to climate change in the Arctic, short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) also play a significant role. Targeting SLCPs by reducing black carbon and methane emissions will help to slow Arctic warming in the near term.The…
Algeria and Morocco are currently looking into revising their national legislation on environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to reduce the environmental impact of economic activities both nationally and across borders, while ensuring sustainable…
UNECE will be contributing to the Seventh World Water Forum, to be held from 12 to 17 April in Daegu and Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. The Forum, the world’s largest meeting on water, is where the water community — policy and decision makers, parliamentarians, civil society and experts from…
Thanks to UNECE and its Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Programme, the global “data revolution” needed to ensure sustainable development and monitor progress in achieving the future sustainable development goals (SDGs) is well under way in the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe…
Experts from UNECE member States and the secretariat are visiting Belarus from 17 to 25 March for a field mission in the framework of the third environmental performance review (EPR) of the country. Following today’s plenary meeting, the team will meet governmental officials and representatives…
UNECE has been actively engaged in the preparations of the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai, 14-18 March). At the conference, UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach will showcase at various sessions how UNECE work helps member States reduce disasters risks, build…
Azerbaijan is assessing a draft law on Environmental Impact Assessment prepared with support from UNECE. Following a first round of discussions with all stakeholders (representatives from the relevant Ministries, members of Parliament, local authorities, representatives from NGOs and the private…
Air pollution is a key factor in the degradation of surfaces of historical buildings and monuments. The impact of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere on materials is enormous and often irreversible. Corrosion caused by chemicals and soiling caused by particles can lead to economic losses but…
What is the best way to effectively identify and notify the public concerned about proposed activities affecting the environment? Are countries providing early public participation when all options, including the “zero” option (doing nothing), are genuinely open? Is it right if at public…
A new study led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) shows that current legislation in Europe, while significantly improving air quality, is insufficient to remove the region’s many pollution hotspots . Hosting a centre for the Co-operative Programme for…
The Executive Secretary will be in Madrid on 23 February to participate in the sixth meeting of the Environment and Health Ministerial Board. On this occasion the Ministers of Environment of Armenia, Montenegro, Portugal and the Russian Federation, who were appointed by the Committee on…
Transboundary water cooperation has the potential to generate a broad range of economic, social and environmental benefits through improved water management. This is widely recognized and most of these benefits can be assessed. But how to assess spill-over benefits from enhanced trust and…
On 10 November in Bishkek representatives of UNECE, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bishkek Office and the Kyrgyz and Kazakh authorities discussed and approved the Global Environment Facility- funded project, “Enabling Transboundary Cooperation and Integrated Water Resources…
Representatives from key authorities and stakeholders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan along with representatives of international organizations and experts from the Russian Federation gathered in Bishkek on 11-12 November to participate in a regional meeting on dam safety…