1. UNESCO International Hydrological Programme
VIII phase- 2014
Water Security :Addressing Local, Regional
and Global Challenges
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IN THE
TRANSBOUNDARY SYR DARYA BASIN
Project Preparation Phase – Inception Meeting
3-4 February 2014
UNESCO HQ, Paris - 1, Rue Miollis
Salle XIV (Floor -1)
Dr A. Aureli
UNESCO IHP Chief Groundwater Section
Project Executing Agency

2. THE UNESCO INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGICAL
PROGRAMME (IHP)
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMME
ON WATER RESOURCES

3. UNESCO‘s water familiy
• UNESCO-IHP , UNESCO-IHE , UN WWAP
• UNESCO regional offices, IHP national committees
• Category 2 centres: IGRAC,
• UNESCO chairs, research institutes, universities

5. UNESCO General Conference has declared:
WATER a PRIORITY

6. UNESCO Member States - IHP COUNCIL
definition of Water Security
“The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable
access to adequate quantities of and acceptable
quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human wellbeing, and socio-economic development, for
ensuring protection against water-borne pollution
and water-related disasters, and for preserving
ecosystems in a climate of peace and political
stability.”

7. Water Security : Addressing Local,
Regional and Global Challenges
Axis 1
Mobilizing International cooperation to Improve
knowledge and innovation to address water security
challenges
Axis 3
Developing
institutional and
human capacities
for water security
and sustainability
Water Related
Disasters and
Hydrological
Changes
Groundwater
in a Changing
Environment
Addressing
Water Scarcity
and Quality
Water and
Human
Settlements of
the Future
EcohydrologyEn
gineering
Harmony for a
Sustainable
World
Axis 2
Strengthening the Science-Policy
interface to reach water security
at local, national, regional, and
global levels
Education, Key
to Water
Security

8. World Dependency on Groundwater
Jean Margat, UNESCO-BRGM 2008
An attempt at cartographic anamorphosis, showing the groundwater extractions in each country
Many countries still lack
– coherent policies and strategies for the management of aquifers and
groundwater resources
– adequate governance, legal settings and institutional arrangements

9. IHP-VIII 2014-2021
Groundwater in a changing environment
2
2.1 - Enhancing sustainable groundwater resources
management
2.2 - Addressing strategies for management of aquifers
recharge
2.3 - Adapting to the impacts of climate change on
aquifer systems- Support Adaptation Measures to Cope
with Climate Change
2.4 – Promoting groundwater quality protection
2.5 - Promoting governance and management of
groundwater resources and transboundary aquifers
link with : 6.5 - Education for transboundary water cooperation

10. Groundwater issues addressed by UNESCO-IHP
Surface-Groundwater Conjunctive use
Groundwater submarine discharge
Groundwater and land subsidence
Coastal aquifers management (saline intrusion)
Management of aquifer recharge (artificial recharge)
Groundwater dependent ecosystems
Groundwater in arid zones
Groundwater protection and vulnerability
Groundwater in urban areas
Endhoreic basins
Application of Isotopes techniques
Non-renewable groundwater resources
Groundwater indicators for environmental sustainability

11. Groundwater data collection and assessment
Groundwater - hydrological extremes and emergency situations
Groundwater and climate change (adaptation measures)
Application of satellite techniques
Groundwater and carbon sequestration
Transboundary aquifer systems management
Development of groundwater resources indicators
Groundwater Governanace
Capacity building and training activities
Institutional and legal tools for Groundwater management

12. World Groundwater Maps
WHYMAP
World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and
Assessment Programme - WHYMAP
•
•
•
•
First map of transboudary aquifers
Updates by IGRAC 2009 and 2012
Groundwater resources of the world
Transboundary groundwater and river basins

13. Groundwater
IWRM and Sustainable development
• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and its multifaceted, integrative approach to water systems management has
been widely considered as the solution to the world’s water issues,
• IWRM still lack implementation in many part of the World
• A failure to recognise the unique and special attributes of
groundwater represents one of the lost opportunities of IWRM.
• Groundwater is crucial for SDGs - consideration of the post MDGs
2015 and the SDGs

14. Groundwater Resources under the Pressures of
Humanity and Climate Change (IHP-GRAPHIC)

Improve our knowledge on how
groundwater resources respond to the impacts
of climate change and human activities

Evaluate tools and methods that could
contribute to adaptation measures

Conduct case studies, covering a wide
range of subjects, scientific methods, and
geographical and climatic settings

Derive recommendations from scientific
findings and communicate them to decision makers

15. • 20 case studies, covering
different climatic,
hydrogeological, and socioeconomic settings
• Scientific results and policy
recommendations
• Before the end of the year
workshops in Mozambique
Morocco

16. IHP GRAPHIC- groundwater and Global Changes-

17. Non-Renewable Groundwater
Groundwater resources whose replenishment takes very
long in relation to the time-frame of human activity are
conveniently termed ‘resources’ – UNESCO-IAH-WB publication

18. Groundwater for Emergency Situations (GWES)
 Geological or climatic catastrophic
events, natural and man-induced
 provision of clean drinking water is
priority
 Groundwater resources need to
be identified, prepared and
managed in advance
 Guidelines for managers and
decision makers published

19. OECD-INBO-UNESCO
Basin Governance
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD
- International Network of Basin Organizations INBO

20. UNESCO IHP - ISARM
The Intergovernmental Council of UNESCO’s International
Hydrological Programme (IHP),
at its 20th Session held in June 2012
adopted the Resolution IC-XX-3 on
Transboundary Aquifer Resources Management
(ISARM)

21. International Shared Aquifer Resources
Management (ISARM) Programme
 Global inventory
 Guidelines for the
management of
groundwater resources
shared between two or
more States

22. INVENTORY

23. ISARM – Inventory of TBAs and guidelines for
sustainable management
Transboundary aquifers identified in the
Americas, Asia, Africa, South-Eastern Europe,
Central Asia and Caucasus and Middle East

25. Global TBA Information System

26. TBAs in Africa
2009
There is a great lack of
scientific knowledge on
TBA in Africa
ISARM AFRICA
around 60 TBA have been
identified in Africa
2012
2002
2005

27. UNGA Resolutions:
The Law of Transboundary
Aquifers

28. International Law
Instruments
• 1997 Convention on the Law of the Nonnavigational Uses of International Watercourses
(UN Watercourses Convention, or New York
Convention)
• 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of
Transboundary Watercourses and International
Lakes (UNECE Water Convention, or Helsinki
Convention)
• UNILC DRAFT ARTICLES on Transboundary Aquifers

29. International Law Instruments
• Few differences
•
•
•
•
But 3 are substantial
Deep confined groundwater are not covered by 97
Watercourses Convention;
The existence in the UNECE Water Convention of an
Institutional mechanism based on the Meeting of the
Parties in the (no such mechanism in 97 Watercourses
Convention)
The UNECE Water Convention considers all type of
aquifers- groundwater regardless if they related and not
related to international water courses – include model
provisions on the UNILC- UNGA draft articles –resolutions
Role of the new Implementation Committee

30. 6th Meeting of the Parties to UNECE Water
Convention (Rome, November 2012)
• 19 non UNECE States participated
• Decision – close cooperation with UNESCO IHP-ISARM

31. UNESCO
Water Diplomacy and Water Education
UNESCO paved the way to concept of water
diplomacy and promoted several mechanisms
for the peaceful management of shared water
resources (surface and groundwater)

32. HYDRODIPLOMACY
From
to
Potential Conflict
Co-operation Potential
Water for Peace
a contribution to
World Water Assessment Programme

33. thank you