Astana, KazakhstanFor the first time, in the framework of the “Environment for Europe” process, 20 countries and 4 organizations have committed to 75 specific actions for improving their waters. The actions cover water and ecosystems, water and health, access to water and sanitation, adaptation to climate change and extreme events, transboundary water cooperation, water efficiency and water investments. They were announced at the Seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference, held from 21 to 23 September 2011 in Astana.
These actions correspond to the major challenges and pressures identified in the Second Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters that was developed under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Water Convention and launched at the Conference.
The following countries have committed to improving their water management through concrete actions: Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, United States of America and Uzbekistan.
In addition, Eco-Tiras (International Environmental Association of River Keepers), the International Network of Basin Organizations, the secretariat of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Task Force for the Implementation of the Environmental Action Programme (EAP Task Force) and UNECE also submitted actions.
The actions submitted are as diverse as the countries and organizations. Here some examples:
Finland is committing to investigating the use of water labelling and water footprints, including virtual water to be used in increasing water efficiency in production, consumption and in international trade. Finland will continue the development of the national warning system of natural disasters, update the dam safety guidelines and continue developing hydrological watershed models as an essential part of the national warning system for natural disasters. Public water and wastewater works will prepare and update their contingency plans. The plans will become obligatory after the amendment of the Act of Water Services.
The Czech Republic will guarantee minimum environmental water flow in rivers through a regulation to be adopted in 2012.
Georgia is building hydrometeorological monitoring stations in order to improve the social conditions of the population vulnerable to extreme weather events.
The Republic of Moldova is committing to constructing treatment plants to clean up rainwater from urban areas in two cities by 2020, to clean wastewater in up to eight villages by 2015 and to develop a strategy for rainwater reuse. These actions implement some of the country’s targets set under the Protocol on Water and Health to the ECE Water Convention, to which the Republic of Moldova is a Party. In addition, the country aims to implement the European Union Water Framework Directive, by developing river basin management plans, and to further improve transboundary cooperation with neighbouring countries such as through cooperation with Romania on the prevention of industrial accidents and the ratification of the new bilateral agreement with Ukraine on the Dniester River. Finally, it offers to share experience with other countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia on how to improve water management.
With the aim of decreasing flood risk, Hungary will elaborate new building and technical regulations for flood-plains and increase the use of flood-plains as polders with the aim of introducing non-structural and more sustainable flood risk management measures. In addition, Hungary is committing to updating bilateral transboundary water agreements and to implementing a national remediation programme for contaminated sites.
In Switzerland, some 100 wastewater treatment plants are to be upgraded with an additional treatment step to mitigate point-source pollution by micropollutants. The corresponding legal basis, including the development of financing solutions, is being established. The understanding of the origins and pathways of diffuse pollution from micropollutants (originating from transport, urban areas and agriculture) are to be further researched as a basis for determining appropriate mitigation strategies.
UNECE will promote transboundary cooperation and the role of the UNECE Water Convention outside of the UNECE region and at the global level with the aim of ensuring an early entry into force, if possible by 2012, of the amendments opening the Water Convention for ratification by non-ECE countries.
All actions which countries and organizations committed to can be found on the following website: http://www.unece.org/env/efe/Astana/documents.html.
And in document: http://www.unece.org/DAM/env/efe/Astana/Tabs/fifth/ece.astana.conf.2011.inf.40.e.pdf
Contacts
Sonja Koeppel
UNECE – Water Convention secretariat
Tel: +41 (0)22 917 1218
Mobile + 41 79444 5002
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/water/
Sibylle Vermont
Chair of the Bureau of the UNECE Water Convention
Swiss Federal Office for the Environment
Tel.: + 41 31 322 85 47
Mobile: +41 795932846
Notes to editors
The Seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference is being held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 21 to 23 September 2011. The two major themes of the Conference are “Sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystems” and “Greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development”.
The Astana Water Action is one of the main outcomes of the Conference. It was developed in spring 2011 by the Chair of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) Bureau, assisted by the Bureau, the Water Convention secretariat and a drafting group composed of representatives nominated by the ECE Committee on Environmental Policy. The Astana Water Action is a collection of possible actions for improving the status of water and water-related ecosystems through their more sustainable management. They are meant to serve as a supporting tool with concrete suggestions for Governments for an improved implementation of their past commitments in water management, assessing the current status of actions in support of sound water management and identifying priorities.
In order to make the Astana Water Action more practical and concrete, as well as to increase its political relevance, countries and other actors were invited to voluntarily commit to some specific actions contained in it.Subsequently, countries and other stakeholders that make commitments are encouraged to implement the actions they committed to and to report on progress at future meetings of the Committee on Environmental Policy.