Status: 03/25/2023 03:41 am
The first UN water summit in almost 50 years ends with a fat plan of action. It includes 689 voluntary commitments from all countries around the world to combat the water crisis.
The President of the UN General Assembly, Czaba Körösi, is holding a water-blue start button. To the question: “Do I have your support?” he reaps loud applause from the member states. Körösi swears: “A groundbreaking New York moment” is this water summit.
UN Secretary-General Guterres emphasized: “This conference demonstrated a central truth: as the most valuable global common good, water unites us all.”
Projects with a total volume of around 750 billion dollars
The host has every reason to smile. There is a thick action plan on the table: 689 voluntary commitments from all countries in the world to combat the water crisis – from regional renaturation measures to large-scale cross-border projects. The estimated total value is around $750 billion, says Johannes Cullmann, Vice Chair for Water and Science President of the General Assembly.
Within a few days we got more self-commitment in terms of value than we have the discussion about climate finance, which we haven’t been able to do for years.
The proposed solutions in the action plan were actually worked out by thousands of people. He was positively surprised by the great response, especially from private organizations, from business and science. “In my career at the UN, I have rarely experienced such a positive atmosphere, such good discussions in New York on a topic that is of course very technical.”
Lemke emphasizes the demand for a special envoy
Among other things, several countries from Africa and Latin America have agreed on the largest joint initiative to date to save damaged rivers, lakes and wetlands. Germany’s voluntary commitments include supporting several African countries in improving their drinking water management.
Germany is also contributing its national water strategy to the Water Summit action plan and is committed to ensuring that water is managed sustainably in its own country. The federal government is also working to ensure that there is a UN special envoy for water in the future. Environment Minister Lemke was optimistic during her stay in New York:
150 countries are already supporting the call for a special envoy to strengthen and better coordinate United Nations water policy in the future, and there are many strong states, committed states, on the way.
Follow-up conference in two years to review progress
Lemke also speaks of a trend reversal in dealing with the subject of water. The Federal Environment Minister believes that it might have been more expedient to conclude this summit with an action plan that was based on voluntary action by the individual countries: “Perhaps that’s even more than a binding declaration that was negotiated over many days, because it’s about very specific things Action is possible. At least I very much hope so.”
Whether the announced projects will actually be implemented is to be checked at a follow-up conference in two years’ time, among other things. The turning point for water has arrived, says UN water expert Cullmann – almost 50 years after the first UN water conference. Everyone is clear:
We cannot have food security without water, we cannot produce energy without water, we cannot have health without water. That has arrived now, and that is the beauty of the conference.