International Water Policy

projekt beendet

ContextOne of the key challenges of the 21st century will be to ensure sustainable water supplies and provide the world’s expanding population with sufficient quantities of clean water for its development. In some parts of the world the water resources available per capita are dwindling and constitute a growing development constraint. A severe drop in groundwater levels is also posing a major threat in certain regions. Climate change exacerbates conditions when the rains fail, and when the water table and reservoirs dry up. Against this background, the nexus approach takes a holistic view of water, energy and agriculture – sectors which compete for scant resources. This integrated approach will be essential in future to enable an optimal balancing of interests for resource use, to manage conflicts and human rights risks appropriately, and to maintain the planet’s ecological capacity.The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 within the 2030 Agenda also emphasise the security of water resources, particularly in Goal 6, which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. In addition, the UN General Assembly formally declared access to water and sanitation as a human right in 2010 and 2015.The 2030 Agenda aims to achieve sustainable improvements in the availability of drinking water and sanitation for all, while at the same time ensuring universal access to energy and a world without hunger. This presents the international community with enormous challenges.ObjectiveThe positions, concepts and innovative approaches of German development cooperation with regard to water security are firmly established within international and national policy. The nexus approach to water, energy and food security is mainstreamed into development strategies at international and national policy level.ApproachThe German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has undertaken to advance and help shape the international dialogue on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This commitment applies in particular to Goal 6 together with its links to agriculture and energy and the realisation of the human right to water and sanitation.The project provides BMZ with specialist advice on water policy issues as well as support for international dialogues and processes. It contributes to the (further) development of sector strategies to provide policy guidance for German development cooperation activities.For instance – thanks to a new water strategy largely devised by the project – German development cooperation projects will in future be more strongly geared towards the goal of water and sanitation for all.The project also assists BMZ with its public relations work.The project is helping to mainstream the nexus approach to water, energy and food security at policy level by means of international dialogue processes (particularly with regional organisations), global knowledge management and networking, and dissemination throughout German development cooperation.ResultsThe nexus approach, which was initiated under BMZ leadership with the project’s assistance in 2011, provides significant support for intersectoral coordination in partner countries of German development cooperation, and thereby contributes to increased resource efficiency.

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