First of 2 parts
The world has mismanaged its freshwater reserves for decades, hampering progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Some 50 percent of countries globally have one or more types of freshwater-related ecosystems–rivers, lakes, wetlands or aquifers–in a state of degradation, says a recent report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
To count as degraded, water bodies have to be polluted or have low water levels. Restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystems is a key component of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a planet-wide agreement to halt and reverse nature loss. The framework contains 23 targets designed to safeguard the natural world and that come due in 2030.
“Rivers are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet,” said Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma, interim head of UNEP’s Marine and Freshwater Branch. “Given the importance of rivers and other freshwater ecosystems for food security, resilience building and the world’s biodiversity, their sustainable use and management is critical to ensure essential ecosystem services continue and meet the commitments of the Global Biodiversity Framework.”
As representatives from 196 countries discuss the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework this week at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, there is growing recognition of the value of fresh water and the need to account for it in both national and local policy and financial decisions.
Here are five ways countries can leverage freshwater to meet their global biodiversity and sustainability goals.
1. Implement water-related nature-based solutions—Water-related nature-based solutions (NbS), such as plant-filled “green” roofs, can help manage stormwater, reduce urban flooding and improve water quality, often at a lower cost compared to grey infrastructure, such as pipes.
These solutions also benefit people and biodiversity. With the support of UNEP’s Generation Restoration Cities project, cities are embracing nature-based solutions to revive urban waterways.
For example, Colombia’s city of Barranquilla is restoring the polluted Leon Creek, which runs through the heart of the city, with the help of communities that live along its banks. Meanwhile, Sirajganj in Bangladesh is creating a green corridor to enhance biodiversity around the city’s river.
2. Invest in water quality monitoring—Currently, 122 million people around the world rely on untreated, potentially unsafe surface water. By 2030, 4.8 billion people could face risks to health and livelihoods if water quality monitoring does not improve.
Effective monitoring and reporting are essential to protect human health and implement global water-focused biodiversity targets. Prime examples of that come from Sierra Leone and Zambia, which are integrating citizen-science data into national water quality monitoring, bridging data gaps and connecting affected communities with authorities responsible for water protection. (To be continued)
