UNESCOPublishing

United NationsEducational, Scientific and

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Free Flow

Free Flow is a co-publication between Tudor Rose and UNESCO for the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013*

* Coordinated by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water

Water is an essential resource for humankind and our ecosystems. It is needed for drinking, personal hygiene, food production, and industrial activities. In addition, it has important nonconsumptive uses, such as fishing, shipping, hydropower generation, and recreation. Water also often plays an important role for cultural diversity and religious beliefs.

Yet, in many parts of the world water availability is severely limited. Due to population growth, per capita water availability in developed countries was 40 percent lower in 1995 than in 1950, while in developing countries with an arid climate availability had fallen by more than 70 percent. It may decrease by a further 5–15 percent by 2025. Moreover, rainfall and river runoff are often highly variable, leading to water shortages in summer and floods in winter. Pollution often renders the water that is available dangerous and damages ecosystems. In addition, land use creates additional challenges, resulting in erosion in upstream areas, flooding in downstream areas, and siltation in irrigated areas. Technical remedies for these problems are sometimes complex and can lead to new problems themselves. For instance, embanking a river to prevent regular flooding can facilitate more intensive land-use in the former floodplains. However, it can also raise the riverbed and increase the likelihood of catastrophic floods and worsen the damage they cause.

Effective freshwater management is imperative for both humankind and nature, and to address it requires taking the international character of many freshwater resources into account. Many rivers and lakes, basins, and aquifers

extend over more than one country. In these cases international cooperation is called for. Yet national interests often conflict and points of view sometimes differ. Countries may compete for the same scarce water, they may disagree on how much water the other countries concerned are already using, and there may be a lot of misunderstanding and mistrust. The potential for international conflict is therefore large.

Many fear that the wars in the twenty-first century will be about water. Intensive studies showed that in the past, there have been extremely few examples of real water wars, while examples of good international cooperation abound. Indeed, water is a catalyst for cooperation. Nonetheless, conflicts falling short of a war do occur and cooperation is sometimes elusive. For many international river basins, lakes, and aquifers no international agreement at all exists, and some institutions that have been set-up are not active. Many institutions have been very successful however, and deliver benefits to all parties involved. The global challenge is to harness the best of these cooperations and develop a framework of effective water diplomacies that will improve real peoples lives for a sustainable future.

IntroductIon

“ Water is life. Its importance can hardly be overestimated. It is time we realize water is a common denominator of many world challenges, be they energy, food, health or security, and it holds the key to tackling them all. Water management can reduce the risk of disasters, such as droughts and floods. With transboundary river basins and aquifer systems representing almost half the earth’s surface, water cooperation is vital for peace.”

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking from UN Headquarters in New York on World Water Day in 2009

Free Flow >

http://watercooperation2013.org/

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Free Flow

“ Water is a key foundation, whose importance can hardly be overestimated. It is a common denominator of the leading global challenges of our time - energy, food, health, peace and security. Water management can reduce the risk of disasters, such as droughts and floods. With transboundary river basins and aquifer systems representing almost half the earth’s surface, water cooperation is vital for peace.”

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General Keynote address at RIO+20 Conference in 2012

This innovative public-private partnership has been formed to combine the professional publishing and marketing skills of Tudor Rose with the global knowledge, extensive intergovernmental setting and international development agenda of UNESCO.

It will enable both organisations to advance their shared commitment to the importance of water management and cooperation in achieving sustainable development throughout the world. Tudor Rose has worked on previous publications for the United Nations, including UNESCO (Tomorrow Today for Decade of Education for Sustainable Development & Freshwater Futures for the 2003 International Year of Freshwater), UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Future Perfect for the RIO +20 Summit), UN Forum on Forests Secretariat (Forests for People for the International Year of Forests), WMO (Climate Sense for WCC-3), UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction/ISDR (Know Risk, Real Risk, Risk Wise & Risk Returns), Full details of these publications are included on the concluding pages of this document.

Free Flow will be a fully illustrated 300-page book with over 100 authors relating their work in water management and cooperation at international,

regional, national, municipal and local levels of activity. Their commentaries will draw upon experiences around the world, reflecting how people are changing their interaction with water to improve the sustainability of their development.

Free Flow will reflect the progress and challenges in these fields, highlighting good practices in a wide variety of societies and disciplines. By focusing on the

experiences and livelihoods of people, especially those in vulnerable human habitats, the book will strive to project the benefits of experience into future actions and institutional commitments to better understanding and effective water cooperation in achieving future sustainable development.

In this latter respect, the public-private partnership between Tudor Rose and UNESCO will amplify the international dialogue being conducted for the remainder of the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013 and beyond. This innovative endeavour is a striking example of sharing respective resources to engage the many official governmental, international organisations, institutional and professional interests in displaying the extent and variety of their efforts to make the world a better place. The book will be available from October 2013.

http://watercooperation2013.org/

Year of Water Cooperation 2013 >

Tudor Rose and UNESCO are collaborating to publish a book for the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013.

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POTENTIal SUbjECTS

• Cooperation on Water Education and Institutional Development

• Water Diplomacy• Transboundary Water Management• Financing Cooperation• Legal Frameworks at the national

and international level• Water Cooperation, Sustainability

and Poverty Eradication.• Economic Development and Water• International Cooperation on

Water Sciences and Research

InternatIonal Year oF water cooperatIon 2013

“ Secure and sustainable access to water is essential to all aspects of human development. There is a growing acceptance of the relationship between water, peace and security at a local and regional level, and an emerging need to focus and encourage cooperation and diplomacy in their establishment.”

Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water and Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at Roundtable on Water Security during United Nations 67th General Assembly in 2012

In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154). In reflection of this declaration, the 2013 World Water Day, which will take place on 22 March 2013, also will be dedicated to water cooperation. UN-Water has called upon UNESCO to lead in collaboration with UN-ECE, UNDESA, UN-DPC and UNDPAC, the 2013 United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation, in particular because of the Organization’s unique multidisciplinary approach which blends the natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication. Given the intrinsic nature of water as a transversal and universal element, the United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation naturally would embrace and touch upon all these aspects.

The objective of this International Year is to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand

for water access, allocation and services. The Year will highlight the history of successful water cooperation initiatives, as well as identify burning issues on water diplomacy, transboundary water management, water education and institutional development, financing cooperation, national/international legal frameworks, and the linkages with the Millennium Development Goals. It also will provide an opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), and to support the formulation of new objectives that will contribute towards developing water resources that are truly sustainable.

Celebrations throughout the Year will include featured events at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, as well as many other events organized by various stakeholders around the world. Such events will seek to promote actions at all levels in relevant areas including education, culture, gender, the sciences, conflict prevention and resolution, as well as ethics, among others.

http://watercooperation2013.org/

UNESCO in brief >

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uneSco In BrIeF

“ UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information”

UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’S mission and activities.

The broad goals and concrete objectives of the international community – as set out in the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – underpin all UNESCO’s strategies and activities. Thus UNESCO’s unique competencies in education, the sciences, culture and communication and information contribute towards the realization of those goals.

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable

development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The Organization focuses, in particular, on two global priorities:• Africa• Gender equality

and on a number of overarching objectives:• Attaining quality education for all and lifelong

learning• Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for

sustainable development• Addressing emerging social and ethical

challenges• Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue

and a culture of peace• Building inclusive knowledge societies through

information and communication

For more information on UNESCO please visit www.unesco.org

www.unesco.org

Other UN water publications

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on November 16 1945 to build peace in the minds of men through education, sciences, culture and communication.

UNESCOPublishing

United NationsEducational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization

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unIted natIonS world water development reportS

The United Nations World Water Development Report, released every three years in conjunction with the World Water Forum, is the UN’s flagship report on water.

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Other publications in this series >

UNESCOPublishing

United NationsEducational, Scientific and

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water For people – water For lIFe

The United Nations World Water Development Report 1This is the most comprehensive assessment of the world’s freshwater resources. Generously illustrated, it reviews progress and trends, proposes methodologies and indicators for measuring sustainability.

water – a Shared reSponSIBIlItY

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2A Shared Responsibility provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of the world’s freshwater resources, critical water-related problems and societies’ coping mechanisms.

water In a changIng worldThe United Nations World Water Development Report 3 Water is required to meet our fundamental needs and rising living standards and to sustain our planet’s fragile ecosystems. The challenges, though substantial, are not insurmountable. The Report shows how some countries have responded.

managIng water under uncertaIntY and rISkThe United Nations World Water Development Report 4 (Set of 3 volumes)This flagship report is a comprehensive review that gives an overall picture of the world’s freshwater resources. It analyses pressures from decisions that drive demand for water and affect its availability. It offers tools and response options to help leaders in government, the private sector and civil society address current and future challenges. It suggests ways in which institutions can be reformed and their behaviour modified, and explores possible sources of financing for the urgently needed investment in water.

Tudor Rose, Tudor House, 6 Friar Lane, Leicester LE1 5RA, United Kingdomt +44 116 222 9900 f +44 116 222 9901 sean.nicklin@tudor-rose.co.uk

tudor roSe puBlIcatIonS

The United Nations, Tudor Rose, and a range of institutional and commercial organizations have collaborated to produce a series of books on key public sector issues.

ForeStS For people

Forests for People is a fully illustrated 300-page book for the International Year of Forests. With over 100 authors relating their work in sustainable forestry, it launches in January 2012 at the closing ceremony of Forests 2011.

FreShwater Future

A co-publication in 2003 between Tudor Rose and UNESCO to celebrate the International Year of Freshwater. The book provided a comprehensive view of water projects and initiatives dedicated to protecting global water resources, giving authors the chance to commit publicly to improving the world’s water supplies.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Tudor Rose collaborated to issue a publication about climate prediction and information for decision-making. Published in August 2009, Climate Sense was launched at World Climate Conference-3 in Geneva.

clImate SenSe

www.tudor-rose.co.uk

All Tudor Rose publications undertaken for the United Nations are printed using paper certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system, which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests.

tomorrow todaY

Published in April 2011 for launch at the 3rd Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction: (8–13 May 2011), Risk Returns is the latest of a series of volumes for The Secretariat of United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

rISk returnS

Tomorrow Today was published for UNESCO in 2010 as part of ongoing efforts in promoting the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005–2014). Fully illustrated, it features more than 75 authors relating their work in education for sustainable development.

Tudor Rose is a full participant and signatory to the UN Global Compact, the world's largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative.

Future perFect

A co-publication in 2012 between Tudor Rose and UNDESA, Future Perfect was published for launch at Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.Future Perfect is intended to inspire all stakeholders – governments, major groups of society, the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations as well as millions of private citizens everywhere – to make their own contributions and commitments to a sustainable future

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