UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONCULTURAL ORGANIZATION

International Hydrological Programme (IHP)

UNESCO decided to give

Priority to Water Resources

UNESCO

focus on

Groundwater Resources

From the Decade 1965-1975

to the IHP 1975 -2007

UNESCO and IAH “Groundwater Protection”

As results of the last cycle of the IHP-V programme (1996-2001) 3 guidebooks will be published in 2002 :

1-Groundwater Contamination Inventory

2-Strategy for early warning groundwater quality monitoring systems3-Urban Groundwater Pollution

Plan for the

IInternational nternational HHydrological ydrological PProgramme rogramme of UNESCO of UNESCO Phase VIPhase VI

(2002-2007)(2002-2007)

IHPVI -Examples of InteractionsIHPVI -Examples of Interactions

• Surface water and ground waterSurface water and ground water• Atmospheric and terrestrial part of hydrologic Atmospheric and terrestrial part of hydrologic circlecircle• Fresh water and salt waterFresh water and salt water• Global watershed and river reach scalesGlobal watershed and river reach scales• Water bodies and aquatic ecosystemsWater bodies and aquatic ecosystems• Science and policyScience and policy• Water and civilizationWater and civilization

Theme 1 (T1)Theme 1 (T1) Global Changes and Water ResourcesTheme 2 (T2)Theme 2 (T2) Integrated Watershed and Aquifer

DynamicsTheme 3 (T3)Theme 3 (T3) Land Habitat HydrologyTheme 4 (T4)Theme 4 (T4) Water and SocietyTheme 5 (T5)Theme 5 (T5) Water education and Training

Two cross-cutting programme components: FRIEND (Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data) and HELP (Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy) have been identified which, through their operational concept, interact with all themes.

Theme 1 Global Changes and Water Resources

Focal Area 1.1: Global estimation of resources: water supply and water quality (*) (**)

Focal Area 1.2: Global estimation of water withdrawals and consumption (**)

Focal Area 1.3: Integrated assessment of water resources in the context of global land-based activities and climate change (*)(**)

Theme 2 Integrated Watershed and Aquifer Dynamics

Focal Area 2.1: Extreme events in land and water resources management (*)

Focal Area 2.2: International River Basins and Aquifers (*)Focal Area 2.3: Endorheic Basins (*)

Focal Area 2.4: Methodologies for integrated river basin management (*)(**)

Theme 3 Land Habitat Hydrology

Focal Area 3.1: Drylands (*)(**)Focal Area 3.2: Wetlands (*)Focal Area 3.3: Mountains (*)(**)Focal Area 3.4: Small islands and coastal zones (*)Focal Area 3.5: Urban areas and rural settlements (*)

Theme 4 Water and Society

Focal Area 4.1: Water, civilization and ethics

Focal Area 4.2: Value of waterFocal Area 4.3: Water conflicts - prevention and

resolution (**)Focal Area 4.4: Human security in water-related

disasters and degrading environments (*)(**)

Focal Area 4.5: Public awareness raising on water interactions (*)(**)

Theme 5 Water Education and Training

Focal Area 5.1: Teaching techniques and material development (*)(**)

Focal Area 5.2: Continuing education and training for selected target groups (*)

Focal Area 5.3: Crossing the digital divide (*)Focal Area 5.4: Institutional development and

networking for WET (*)

““Groundwater Component”Groundwater Component”

of the IHP-VIof the IHP-VI..

A total of 45 activities distributed A total of 45 activities distributed over the first four “Themes” over the first four “Themes”

A particular focus will be given to:

-groundwater protection

- groundwater natural recharge,

-artificial recharge,

-groundwater in arid and semi-arid areas

-the equitable sharing of transboundary aquifer systems

Eight activities have been

identified to have the highest priority

in IHP-VI

1-Guidelines for delineation of protection zones around public groundwater supplies and management policy.

2-Development of groundwater policy and management for wetlands protection and biodiversity conservation.

•

•Effects of global changes on groundwater recharge, especially in

arid and semi-arid regions in relation to water resources management.

•Methodologies for risk assessment of wastewater re-use on groundwater

quality.

•

•Development of methodology (data Development of methodology (data acquisition and analysis) for acquisition and analysis) for

studying responses of aquifers to studying responses of aquifers to extreme hydrological events.extreme hydrological events.

•Study of the dynamics of Study of the dynamics of groundwater flow and chemistry in groundwater flow and chemistry in closed basins including long-term closed basins including long-term effects, especially in arid zones.effects, especially in arid zones.

•Evaluation of the impact of land-based sources of pollution on coastal zone resources.

•Methodology for enhancing communication between water specialist, decision makers and communities to strengthen public participation in groundwater protection.

IHP VI initiatives’IHP VI initiatives’

International Groundwater Resources Assessment Center, IGRAC (UNESCO-WMO)

Joint International Isotopes in Hydrology Programme, JIIHP (UNESCO - IAEA)

Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management, ISARM (IAH- UNESCO-FAO-UNECE)

Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy, HELP (UNESCO-WMO)

Joint International Isotopes in Hydrology Program: Harnessing Synergy Between IAEA and UNESCO/IHP

The aim of the joint IAEA-UNESCO/JIIHP initiative is to facilitate the integration of isotopes in hydrological practices through:

-development of tools for better understanding of specific hydrological processes and improving assessment, development and management of water resources;

-support of national, regional and international programmes in water resources;

-incorporation of isotope hydrology as part of hydrological curricula in universities worldwide; and

-integration of isotopic data in hydrological databases at national, regional and global scales.

Catchments are nominated by national institutions, based on HELP catchment criteria

in a range of bio-climatic zones, socio-economic / cultural activities, catchments representative of a wider region

CATCHMENTS ( up to 104 -106 km²) WORLDWIDE

To deliver social, economic and environmental benefit to stakeholders through sustainable and

appropriate use of water by directing hydrological science towards improved

integrated catchment management basins

HELP Hydrology for the HELP Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy Environment, Life and Policy

IAEA

The World Freshwater Assessment Programme, is a joint coordinated initiative of the United Nations system;

The WWAP aims to assess the state of the World’s Freshwater Resources

The World Water Assessment ProgrammeThe World Water Assessment Programme

Indices and Indicators for Measuring Ground Water Condition and Vulnerability: Ground Water

Quantity

At ACC/ SWR meeting in Tokyo (April, 2001) UNESCO was given the coordinating role for

development of groundwater resources indicators. .

Ground water indicators should provide diagnostics to evaluate ground water

condition and vulnerability and provide a means to appraise the ground water

situation.

Fostering a long-term perspective to the management of ground water

resources is perhaps the most important attribute to the concept

of ground water sustainability.

So, how can we view ground water sustainability?

Conceptually, looking at the ground water system through time, a

long-term approach to sustainability may involve frequent temporary

withdrawals from ground water storage that are balanced by

intervening additions to ground-water storage. However, the concept

of ground-water sustainability and its application to real situations is

multifaceted and complex.

Discussions of groundwater sustainability need to focus on the ability

of the resource to produce key services (including environmental

services) plus the economic costs and impacts on equitable access

that loss of those services would entail.