Fresh Water
Recent News and Events
4th World Water Forum in Mexico
March 16-22, 2006
An initiative of the World Water Council, the forum has the aim of raising the awareness on water issues all over the world . As the main international event on water, it seeks to enable multi-stakeholder participation and dialogue to influence water policy making at a global level, thus assuring better living standards for people all over the world and a more responsible social behavior towards water issues in-line with the pursuit of sustainable development. More.
For a Healthy, Equitable and Environmentally Sustainable
Life for All
February 17-18, 2006
Albany, New York State (USA). Statement by representatives of
government, local authorities, public agencies, parliamentarians,
State Senators, lawyers, professors, scientists, experts, caucuses,
NGO coalitions and NGOs, civil society, social activists and grassroots
advocates. Read The
Albany Declaration
World Council of Churches: "Water for Life"
February 14-23, 2006
Porto Alegre, Brazil. Ninth Assembly of World Council of Churches
approves statement that water is "an integral part of the right
to life." Led by the Ecumenical Water Network, the Council highlighted
the fact that "access to freshwater supplies is becoming an urgent
matter across the planet" and "the survival of 1.2 billion
people is currently in jeopardy due to lack of adequate water and
sanitation". Read statement: "Water
for Life."
UN pushes desert awareness in 2006
January 5, 2006
This year has been named International Year of Deserts and Desertification
and the United Nations plans to "work to reverse the trend of
desertification and set the world on a safer, more sustainable path
of development." The head of the Secretariat of the UN Convention
to Combat Desertification also stressed the importance of preserving
the world's desert ecosystems.See Ghana
News Today (Africa)
World Water Week
Aug. 2005
The World Water Week with the 15th Stockholm Water Symposium took place
August 21-27, 2005 at Stockholm. The meeting was 15th in a series organized
by the Stockholm International Water Institute,
and aimed to discuss concrete examples of how problems of poverty, hunger,
disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and gender inequality "can
in large measure by solved with water and sanitation as the key entry
points."
World Water Week
CSD13: Water, sanitation and human settlements
Apr. 2005
The thirteenth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD-13) met at UN Headquarters in New York from 11 to 22 April 2005.
As the policy session in the first Implementation Cycle, CSD-13 built
upon the outcome of CSD-12 and adopted policy decisions on practical
measures and options to expedite implementation of commitments in water
, sanitation
and human
settlements.
CSD-13 webpage
with outcome documents
America's waters at risk: the Bush Administration and the Clean
Water Act
Apr. 2005
The
Sierra Club report America's
Waters at Risk criticizes the current administration for bowing
to the pressures of corporate polluters and crippling the nation’s clean
water programs by changing long standing safeguards, blocking needed cleanup
initiatives, failing to enforce existing laws and cutting budgets.
SWANCC & the Clean water Act
Apr. 2004
The
National Wildlife Federation has issued an overview
document that condemns the Bush Administration's guidance memorandum
that potentially removes Clean Water Act protections for up to 20% of
wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams, and other waters in the lower 48 states.
NWF is also advocating for federal legislation, the Clean Water Authority
Restoration Act (H.R. 962 and S. 473) that would fill any gap in federal
protection left by SWANCC.
Right to Water
Apr. 15
"The Right to Water: The Kyoto Agenda and Beyond", a speakers panel and open discussion on the World Water Forum, will be hosted April 21 in Washington, DC by AAAS and CEDHA. An RSVP to AAAS is requested.
National Water Monitoring Day
October 9
National Water Monitoring Day is October 18. See www.yearofcleanwater.org
for more info.
Consider signing on and circulating the call to “Keep
water out of WTO” [DOC], organized by IATP.
Clean water
October 9
See Sierra Club: The
Clean Water Act is Turning 30...An Opportunity to Organize
Wetlands 2002
October 7
The Wetlands 2002 conference runs today through Wednesday, in Indianapolis.
Offset your footprint
September 12
Did you go to the World Summit in Johannesburg? Make your visit have less impact on the environment! Go to www.climatelegacy.org and www.waterneutral.org to buy a certificate to offset your CO2 emissions and water usage during the Summit. (Donations raised will fund renewable energy, clean water, and sanitation projects in South Africa.)
April 22:
From NY Times: Extended
Drought Strains Resources Along East Coast
With no relief likely soon, the potent drought may create rising costs
for
water and cause economic setbacks from Maryland to Maine, experts said.
April 17:
Find out about upcoming events such as National River Cleanup week
(May 11-18, 2002), Coastal Water Resources Conference (May 13-15 in New
Orleans), National River Rally (May 17-21) from The
Water Observatory's Calendar of Events.
April 16:
Find out about events
across the country designed to protect America's waterways (site
maintained by The River Network and American Rivers)
Information on upcoming workshops
on watershed management in Center for Watershed Protection's Calendar
of Events
Coming Soon! Find out what the U.S. Government's report of progress
made in protecting our country's freshwater resources (Chapter 18 in
the US Country Profile Report for WSSD).
March 27:
NGO Freshwater Caucus to the World Summit on Sustainable Development
lobbies at Prep Com 3 (New York) . The Caucus' recommended changes to
the Chairman's Text for Prep Com 3 can be found on the SDIN site at
Freshwater
Caucus Action Points (DOC) and Freshwater
Caucus Proposed Changes (DOC).
January 11:
CitNet, National Wildlife Federation, and the US Citizens Preparatory
Committee for WSSD will hold a forum, "US
Progress on Freshwater: Citizen Views for the WSSD", next Wednesday,
Jan. 16 at 9:30-12:30 in UNEP's Regional Office for North America, 1707
H St, Rm. 300, Washington DC. The meeting
agenda (PDF) is available. RSVP is requested.
Nov. 27:
The International
Conference on Freshwater 2001 will be held in Bonn, Germany December
3-7, 2001.
July 17:
EPA Seeks Clean Water Rule Delay (via Washington Post)
May 21:
Biggest
U.S. Environmental Polluters Not Punished (Source: Environment
News Service)
Contact: Lyn Billman-Golemme
Tel: 508-799-0500, Fax: 508-755-7224
email: billman-golemme @ charter.net
