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Water quality in freshwater ecosystems
UNEP activities in Africa
“GEO-UNESCO Joint Workshop on Earth
Observations and Capacity Development for
IWRM at River Basins in Africa”
Nairobi, Kenya
12 - 16 January, 2012
Presented by:Norberto Fernandez
Manager, GEMS Water ProgrammeUNEP – Division of Early Warning and Assessment
This presentation…This presentation…
� Water challenges in Africa
� A new UNEP operational Water Policy
Strategy 2013-17
� Some new projects for assessment and
monitoring
� The UNEP-GEMS/Water Programme: data
and services on water quality
� Integration in global monitoring activities
Nine water challenges in Africa…Nine water challenges in Africa…
� Lack of quality data (access and dissemination, regular monitoring)
� Capacity building – technical/institutional
� Financial input for data gathering, monitoring, assessment
� Effective networks
� Relevance of water quality in policy making (including data and indicators)
� …
Challenges for action…Challenges for action…
This presentation…This presentation…
� Water challenges in Africa
� A new UNEP operational Water Policy
Strategy 2013-17
� Some new projects for assessment and
monitoring
� The UNEP-GEMS/Water Programme: data
and services on water quality
� Integration in global monitoring activities
UNEP Water Policy Strategy 2013-17UNEP Water Policy Strategy 2013-17
Water Policy and Strategy:
Strategy Components
Assessment
• Knowledge base
• Raise awareness
• Information on threats,
trends and emerging issues
Management
• Enabling environment
• Institutional functions
• Management instruments
Cooperation
• National level
• Regional and sub-regional level
• Global level
Capacity Building
UN
EP
s T
he
ma
tic
Pri
ori
tie
s
Me
diu
m T
erm
Str
ate
gy
Climate change
Disasters and
conflicts
Ecosystem
management
Environmental
governance
Harmful substances
and hazardous waste
Resource efficiency
Inte
rve
nti
on
ap
pro
ach
es
for
fre
shw
ate
r
IWRM
Climate change
adaptation
Ecosystem-
based
approach
Water quality
improvement
Water resource
augmentation
Water use
efficiency
Tra
nsb
ou
nd
ary
a
nd
Na
tio
na
l
WATER IN THE GREEN ECONOMY
Freshwater –
coastal areas
Sustainable
infrastructure
Surface and
groundwater
Lakes and
Wetlands
Sustainable
watersheds
Water towers Focal areas: Addressing vulnerable
connections in the water cycle
Addressing vulnerable connections in the water cycle
This presentation…This presentation…
� Water challenges in Africa
� A new UNEP operational Water Policy
Strategy 2013-17
� Some new projects for assessment and
monitoring
� The UNEP-GEMS/Water Programme: data
and services on water quality
� Integration in global monitoring activities
Transboundary waters assessment Transboundary waters assessment
� Most existing global-scale water assessment programmes do not highlight transboundary issues –this requires more attention from the riparian and littoral countries.
� The TWAP provides a framework to collect, share, and monitor information at the transboundary level, to compare transboundary basins, and to transfer good practices between basins.
� Global comparative baseline assessment of trans-boundary aquifers, river basins, lakes/reservoirs basins, large marine ecosystems and open ocean for periodic assessments and environmental management.
Lake Turkana Basin ProjectLake Turkana Basin Project
Environmental Assessment and the Establishment of Management Mechanisms for Sustainable Development in the Lake Turkana Basin.
�C1: Environment assessment of the Lake Turkana Basin:
ecosystems and ecosystems services
�C2: Institutional arrangement for the management of the Basin – a roadmap for institutional capacity development.
�C3: Support basin planning for sustainable ecosystem management.
�C4: Monitoring of ecosystem and ecosystem services(water quantity and quality, pollution, etc.)
This presentation…This presentation…
� Water challenges in Africa
� A new UNEP operational Water Policy
Strategy 2013-17
� Some new projects for assessment and
monitoring
� The UNEP-GEMS/Water Programme: data
and services on water quality
� Integration in global monitoring activities
GEMS/Water GEMS/Water -- Who Participates?Who Participates?
Africa
298
295569
1977-2010
Americas
2442
1758945
1965-2008
Asia
543
828247
1971-2010
Europe
344
961621
1978-2008
Oceania
95
409524
1979-2009
Region
# of Stations
# of Values
Date Range
Totals
3722
4253906
1965-2010
AmericasAfrica
AsiaEurope
Oceania
The GEMS/Water global networkThe GEMS/Water global networkThe GEMS/Water global network
� 114 countries
� > 3700 stations
� > 4 Million data
Region Physical/
Chemical
Nutrients Major
Ions
Metals Organic
Matter
Organic
Contaminants
Micro-
biology
Hydrological & Sampling Variables
Date
Range
Africa 73309 79632 109583 10839 7637 211 7625 313 1977-2010
Americas 200818 224321 243964 312438 41024 603103 22250 13567 1965-2010
Asia 241851 131688 161735 103132 52624 10557 43939 81834 1971-2011
Europe 258023 150907 140532 197636 74495 32510 40672 66846 1978-2009
Oceania 245207 102612 11160 3199 14356 1438 10780 20772 1979-2009
Total 689160 102612 666974 627244 190136 649719 125266 183332 1965-2011
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Sta
tio
ns
1987 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
River
Lake
Groundwater
Reservoir
Wetlands
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000
3500000
4000000
4500000
To
tal
# o
f D
ata
Valu
es
1987 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
GEMStat Holdings: >3700 stations; >4.3 million data; Date Range 1965-2011
No. of Stations 1987-2010
The growth of GEMStatThe growth of GEMStat
No. of Data points 1987-2010
GEMS/Water activities and servicesGEMS/Water activities and servicesGEMS/Water activities and services
1) Global Water Quality Database and Information
2) Data Quality
3) Water Quality Assessments
4) Capacity Building and International Network
• Develop QA/QC tools and resources for developing countries (e.g. manuals, training courses)
• Deliver services that enhance data quality and reliability (e.g. Performance Evaluation studies, on-site lab assessments)
• Contribute to UN water publications (e.g. WWDR, GEO)
• Contribute to policy development for issues affected by water quality (e.g. climate change and human health)
• Increase participation of developing countries in water quality monitoring, assessment, research and reporting
• Develop training courses and promote partnerships to deliver via regional centres of excellence
• Enhance accessibility to credible data
• Promote interoperability with other environmental information systems
This presentation…This presentation…
� Water challenges in Africa
� A new UNEP operational Water Policy
Strategy 2013-17
� Some new projects for assessment and
monitoring
� The UNEP-GEMS/Water Programme: data
and services on water quality
� Integration in global monitoring activities
� UNEP-GEMS/Water and the Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations (IGWCO) / GEOSS
� UNEP and the Eye-on-Earth Initiative – the Eye on Water Security Special Initiative (EoWSSI)
� UNEP-Global Environment Outlook (GEO) 5 – the Water Chapter
� 1st International Waters Science Conference, 24-26 September 2012; Bangkok, Thailand (GEF, UNEP, UNDP)
Water quality data and managementWater quality data and management
Eye on Water SecurityEye on Water Security
Special Initiative emerging from the Eye on Earth Summit (Dec 2011, Abu Dhabi).
�Identifies 5 target basins for building capacity and capabilities for water-related data, information and knowledge
management required for basin-level IWRM
�Builds on existing efforts, increases technological leverage
�GEO already a stakeholder, UNESCO (and many others)
being approached
�African candidates proposed the Zambezi River basin
and/or Lake Victoria
�Concept development currently under way
�Stakeholders and interested parties invited to register their interest
