In our eff orts to raise awareness around the themes of Rio+20, we devote this special issue to Water,

one of the seven criti cal issues of Rio+20.

In this Issue

- Sustainable Water ManagementPage 1

- Major Groups Corner- News from the GA

- Important Rio+20 Deadlines- Schedule of Negoti ati ons

- Upcoming EventsPage 2

www.uncsd2012.org/water

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1

Quote

“I am not content to live in a world where 2.6 billion people lack access to a decent toilet and 900 million people do not have clean water to drink.”

- H.E. Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana and the

fi rst high-level Chair of the Sanitati on and Water for All partnership

Rio+20 registrati on now open. Not accredited? Apply for one-ti me accreditati on unti l 20 February.www.uncsd2012.org/registrati on

Access to Safe Drinking Water Improved, But Poorest Sti ll LaggingThe new study by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN World Health Organizati on (WHO), Drinking Water Equity, Safety and Sustainability, shows that between 1990 and 2008 the proporti on of the world’s populati on with access to improved drinking water sources increased from 77 per cent to 87 per cent. However, the report stresses, even though signifi cant progress has been made, at the current rate 672 million people will sti ll not be using improved drinking water sources by 2015.

“The good news is that almost 1.8 billion more people now have access to drinking water compared to the start of the 1990s,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’s associate director and water and sanitati on chief. “The bad news is that the poorest and most marginalized are being left behind.”

Globally, more than eight in 10 people without improved drinking water sources live in rural areas. Investment in water and sanitati on is not being opti mized, with almost two-thirds of total offi cial development assistance for drinking water and sanitati on going to the development of large urban systems, the report points out.

Sustainable water management has been identi fi ed as a criti cal issue for Rio+20. Globally, one out of six people lack adequate access to safe drinking water and more than 2.6 billion people lack suffi cient access to sanitati on. With the global populati on expected to increase by up to 50 per cent within the next fi ft y years, increased demand for water will present a signifi cant challenge for sustainable development going forward. Read more online here.

Newslett er of the United Nati ons Conference on Sustainable Development30 December 2011, Volume 2, Issue 24

Rio+20: Water for the WorldWith the world welcoming its 7 billionth citi zen in 2011, it is clear that populati on pressure will put an increasing amount of stress on the world’s water resources in the years to come. It is esti mated that by 2030, citi es around the world will collecti vely take on an extra 800 million people and that roughly 60% of the global populati on will live in an urban environment. In additi on, water use has been growing at more than

twice the rate of populati on increase in the last century alone.

While recent studies report signifi cant progress in providing access to improved drinking water over the past two decades, water will remain a major global politi cal, environmental and economic issue in coming years, and will be considered a criti cal issue at Rio+20.

Already, it is esti mated that a more than one in six people worldwide lack adequate access to safe and clean drinking water. On top of that, over 2.5 billion people, including almost one billion children, live without basic sanitati on. In additi on, a burgeoning global populati on will put increased pressure on the world’s food supply and security. This will put a major strain on global freshwater resources, of which 70% is already currently used for irrigati on purposes.

In preparati on for Rio+20, the UNCSD Secretariat has released a Water Issues Brief that provides an overview of existi ng commitments, current initi ati ves and future goals relati ng to global water security. For more informati on, or to read the Issue Briefs, visit the Rio+20 website.

Upcoming Events

Forum international francophone:Jeunesse et emplois verts16-19 January 2012 Niamey, Niger[more information]

5th World Future Energy Summit16-19 January 2012Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates[more information]

Capacity Building Workshop forMajor Groups and Other Stakeholders24 January 2012New York, United States

Global Civil Society Workshop24 January 2012New York, United States[more information]

USRIO+2.0 - Bridging Connection Technologies and Sust. Development2-4 February 2012Palo Alto, United States[more information]

2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit5-6 February 2012 *Postponed*Bangkok, Thailand[more information]

Colloque sur les forêts5-7 February 2012Lyon, France[more information]

2

Rio+20 Outcome Document

9 January 2012, New York• 21st meeting of the Bureau of the Preparatory Process for Rio+20.

25 - 27 January 2012, New York• Initial discussions on the zero draft of the outcome document.

19 - 23 March 2012, New York• First round of “informal-informal” negotiations.

26 - 27 March 2012, New York• Third Intersessional Meeting of UNCSD.

The “zero draft”, or first negotiating draft, will become the primary basis for Member State negotiations, ultimately leading to a formal outcome to be adopted by world leaders at Rio+20 .

Major Groups Corner: Science Addresses Water SecurityA recent policy brief published ahead of the 2012 Planet Under Pressure Conference entitled Water Security for a Planet Under Pressure outlines recommendations by the Scientific and Technological Community on sustainable

water management in the context of Rio+20.

The brief identifies water security as a critical issue for implementing sustainable development, stressing that it deserves to be at the top of the global political agenda for Rio+20 and beyond. While Rio+20 provides a significant opportunity to address issues of water security, social and political will must be strengthened to follow through on commitments made at the Conference.

While scientists can provide knowledge and technical solutions to water problems, the brief reminds that it is up to governments and policy-makers to lead the way in delivering action. The report also highlights the crucial role that water plays in all aspects of the global economic system and the consequences of unsustainable water use.

The brief suggests that any successful strategy or intergovernmental agreement at Rio+20 must address issues of maintaining a functioning hydrological cycle, implementing reliable engineering schemes, developing awareness of threats and mitigation plans for water management and balancing human and environmental water needs.

The upcoming Planet Under Pressure Conference will be held in London, United Kingdom from 26 to 29 March 2012. Read more online here.

GA Second Committee:Focus on Rio+20The General Assembly Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) wrapped up its work for the 66th session on 9 December, approving a cluster of 16 draft resolutions and 2 draft decisions in the area of sustainable development, with relevant actions. The resolutions were later adopted in the GA plenary on 22 December just before the main part of the 66th session formally closed.

Key among them, resolution A/RES/66/197 on the Implementation of Agenda 21 announced modalities for the Rio+20 Conference. The GA approved a provisional agenda and a proposed organization of work for Rio+20, contained in the annex sections of the resolution. Additionally, reference was made to Conference participants, side events, parallel meetings and official documentation.

The GA also reiterated is deep concern for the financial state of Rio+20, and urged donors to provide adequate resources for participants from developing countries and Major Groups.

Upcoming Deadlines for Rio+20...SD-Learning is a capacity building event consisting of multiple courses on crucial aspects of sustainable development. The courses aim at providing participants with practical knowledge and hands-on training from experts around the world.

The full schedule of courses will be released in April 2012. Participants are advised to register in advance in order to secure their participation.

Submit your request by 30 March 2012More details online here.

Call for proposals now open until 28 February