UNECE has just launched a web portal to improve water management, to share knowledge about the state of water resources and to track progress in ensuring the sustainability of water resources across the region. The portal is the virtual face of the Astana Water Action (AWA), a toolkit of suggested actions to improve the status of water and water-related ecosystems through their sustainable management, through which States and organizations commit to improving their water resources by undertaking concrete actions.
Developed under the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and the Committee on Environmental Policy, and originally launched in 2011 as part of the Environment for Europe process, AWA is a joint endeavour of countries and international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In particular, it seeks to assist Governments in better managing their water resources according to the local, national and regional challenges they face through the implementation of actions tailored to their specificities.
The AWA portal allows visitors to explore the 78 individual actions registered so far by 25 countries, NGOs and international organizations and to monitor progress (15 completed, 47 in progress).
In a review of the initiative in October 2013, the Committee on Environmental Policy appreciated the overall progress achieved in implementing AWA so far by participating countries and organizations. The next assessment of AWA implementation will be carried out in 2015/16.
The portal can be accessed at: www.unece.org/env/awa.