Kiera Jefferson
Water pollution is a pressing issue that poses a significant challenge to human health and the environment. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global environmental steward that sets the global environmental agenda and promotes sustainable development. UNEP's strategy up to 2025 focuses on pollution action, with water quality measurement being key to assessing progress. To combat water pollution, UNEP provides technical guidance to countries, helping them design and implement frameworks that address pollution impacting freshwater ecosystems. This includes treating and reusing wastewater, implementing rainwater harvesting, and enhancing nature-based solutions. UNEP also supports the development of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) policies, fostering multi-stakeholder engagement, and providing evidence-based data to inform effective water quality management. The UN 2023 Water Conference and World Water Day campaign further emphasize the urgent need to address the global water crisis and inspire action.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| UNEP's strategy up to | 2025 |
| Focus areas | Pollution action, biodiversity loss, climate change |
| Water quality measurement | Using citizen science, satellite imagery, low-cost in-situ monitoring, and big data |
| Water-related challenges | Water scarcity, water pollution, degraded water-related ecosystems, cooperation over transboundary water basins |
| Water pollution sources | Fertilizer run-off, chemical pollution from industry, homes, and hospitals, plastic and other pollutants |
| Water-related SDGs | SDG 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030 |
| Other SDGs | Achieving a pollution-free planet, protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems, advancing integrated water resources management (IWRM) approaches |
| UNEP's role | Providing evidence-based data, collaborating across sectors, supporting countries, fostering multi-stakeholder engagement, providing technical guidance |
| Solutions to water shortages | Treating and reusing wastewater, rainwater harvesting, desalinating saltwater, protecting and restoring ecosystems, improving water efficiency |
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What You'll Learn
- UNEP's Measuring Progress report highlights water data improvements and gaps
- UNEP's work on water quality is led by the GEMS/Water and WWQA workstreams
- UNEP's strategy focuses on pollution action, water quality, and climate change
- UNEP supports countries in resolving water quality challenges
- UNEP provides technical guidance to design and implement national frameworks to address pollution
UNEP's Measuring Progress report highlights water data improvements and gaps
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the Measuring Progress report shortly before the United Nations Water Conference. The report, titled "Water-related ecosystems and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)", highlights the improvements and gaps in water data.
The report finds that there has been an improvement in data availability for the 92 environment-related SDG indicators. This improvement is due to more countries providing additional data and investing in their national statistical systems to collect and report data for SDG indicators. The number of indicators with sufficient data to analyse increased to 59% in 2022, up from 42% in 2020 and 34% in 2018. The indicators with the most improvement in data availability were SDG 6 on freshwater, SDG 7 on energy, SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production, SDG 13 on climate change, SDG 14 on life below water, and SDG 15 on life on land. The regions with the most improvement in data availability were Latin America and the Caribbean, North Africa, and Europe.
However, the report also exposes some weaknesses in water-related data and critical data gaps in water-related ecosystems. For example, the analysis of freshwater-related ecosystems was limited to interlinkages between various metrics of freshwater within each country, with limited data availability about water quality. The lack of disaggregated catchment-level data also constrained the ability to assess coastal ecosystems. In addition, only 12% of cities have air quality measures that meet WHO standards.
The report also highlights the need for better data availability and accessibility to reduce the data gap in the water sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The hydrology of African surface water is poorly monitored, and the infrastructure gap is one of the main constraints to progress in Africa's water resources sector.
To address these data gaps, UNEP has launched a new SDG Water Quality Hub as part of its 2023 Data Drive. The hub allows countries to view and compare the latest water quality data regionally and globally to prioritize action. UNEP is also planning to add more capacity development products and water quality assessment tools over time.
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UNEP's work on water quality is led by the GEMS/Water and WWQA workstreams
UNEP engages with a number of partners, such as the UNEP-DHI Collaborative Centre on Water and Environment, to support UN Member States. They also collaborate with other UN agencies, including as part of UN-Water, which coordinates the UN's work on water and sanitation. Their external partners include businesses, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
UNEP's work on water quality includes providing evidence-based data to inform effective water quality management and policy decisions. They are the custodian for SDG indicator 6.3.2 on ambient water quality, which involves tackling global water quality challenges. They also collaborate across sectors to ensure the sustainable stewardship of water resources and their protection, and they support countries in resolving water quality challenges.
UNEP also mainstream Citizen Science and empower communities to actively participate in water quality monitoring and improvement. They support stakeholders through capacity development to track water quality and take appropriate action. Additionally, they foster multi-stakeholder engagement to develop dedicated expertise and co-lead the UN-Water Expert Group on water quality and wastewater issues, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
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UNEP's strategy focuses on pollution action, water quality, and climate change
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global environmental steward that sets the global environmental agenda. UNEP's Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2025 focuses on tackling the triple planetary crisis of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
UNEP's strategy emphasizes pollution action, with a focus on water quality. This includes providing evidence-based data and technical guidance to inform effective water quality management and policy decisions. For instance, UNEP is the custodian for SDG indicator 6.3.2 on ambient water quality, which aims to improve water quality by reducing pollution and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals. Measuring water quality is a critical aspect of assessing progress and guiding actions to address water pollution. UNEP also supports citizen science initiatives and empowers communities to actively participate in water quality monitoring and improvement.
UNEP recognizes the interconnectedness of water and climate change. Climate change exacerbates water pollution, as longer dry periods reduce water levels and concentrate pollutants within water bodies, degrading ecosystems and their ability to provide services. Therefore, UNEP promotes the adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) and facilitates the design and implementation of climate-resilient water management strategies. This includes enhancing freshwater ecosystem protection, conservation, and sustainable management.
UNEP also addresses the impacts of human activity on natural water cycles. As the global population grows, demands for water increase, and human activity, such as infrastructure development and resource extraction, further strain freshwater ecosystems. UNEP supports initiatives like "Adopt a River for Sustainable Development," which aims to protect, restore, and sustain freshwater ecosystems to promote the sustainable development of communities.
UNEP's strategy includes collaborating with various partners, including UN agencies, businesses, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations, to address water-related challenges and promote sustainable development.
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UNEP supports countries in resolving water quality challenges
UNEP, or the United Nations Environment Programme, is the global environmental steward that sets the global environmental agenda. It promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the UN system. UNEP's work in the area of freshwater spans across and connects the work of the entire organization, from its headquarters in Nairobi to its regional offices and collaborative centres worldwide.
- Providing evidence-based data to inform effective water quality management and policy decisions.
- Being the custodian for SDG indicator 6.3.2 on ambient water quality.
- Collaborating across sectors to ensure the sustainable stewardship of water resources and their protection.
- Empowering communities to actively participate in water quality monitoring and improvement through Citizen Science.
- Supporting stakeholders through capacity development to track water quality and take appropriate action.
- Co-leading the UN-Water Expert Group on water quality and wastewater issues with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
UNEP's strategy up to 2025 focuses on pollution action, with measuring water quality being a key part of assessing progress. The organization engages with various partners, including the UNEP-DHI Collaborative Centre on Water and Environment, to support UN Member States. UNEP also collaborates with other UN agencies as part of UN-Water, which coordinates the UN's work on water and sanitation.
UNEP provides technical guidance to countries to design and implement national frameworks that address pollution impacting freshwater ecosystems, ensuring alignment with international agreements aimed at achieving a pollution-free planet. The organization also supports the development and implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) policies and plans that emphasize cross-sectoral collaboration to address climate, nature, and pollution issues.
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UNEP provides technical guidance to design and implement national frameworks to address pollution
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global environmental steward that sets the global environmental agenda and promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the UN system. UNEP provides technical guidance to design and implement national frameworks to address pollution, particularly in the context of freshwater ecosystems. This involves ensuring alignment with international agreements and initiatives aimed at achieving a pollution-free planet.
UNEP's work in the area of freshwater connects the efforts of its headquarters in Nairobi with its regional offices and collaborative centres worldwide. It engages with partners such as the UNEP-DHI Collaborative Centre on Water and Environment, other UN agencies as part of UN-Water, and external partners, including businesses, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
UNEP's Measuring Progress report highlights water data improvements and gaps, emphasizing the need to address wastewater pollution and promote the benefits of wastewater reuse. The report identifies strong interlinkages between policies that integrate land and water conservation, ensure suitable water infrastructure in urban areas, mitigate pollution, and address the impacts of water withdrawals associated with economic activity.
To address water pollution, UNEP supports countries in several ways:
- Providing evidence-based data to inform effective water quality management and policy decisions.
- Collaborating across sectors to ensure the sustainable stewardship of water resources and their protection.
- Empowering communities to actively participate in water quality monitoring and improvement through Citizen Science initiatives.
- Supporting stakeholders through capacity development to track water quality and take appropriate action.
- Fostering multi-stakeholder engagement to develop dedicated expertise and address water quality challenges.
- Co-leading the UN-Water Expert Group on water quality and wastewater issues, working with organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
UNEP's efforts are guided by its Freshwater Strategic Priorities, recognizing that water bodies are disproportionately affected by and central to combating the triple planetary crisis of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
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Frequently asked questions
The UNEP stands for the United Nations Environment Programme. It is the global environmental steward that sets the global environmental agenda and promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the UN system.
The UNEP is taking a variety of actions to tackle water pollution. These include:
- Providing technical guidance to countries to design and implement national frameworks to address pollution impacting freshwater ecosystems.
- Supporting the development and implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) policies that emphasize cross-sectoral collaboration to support climate, nature, and pollution action.
- Collaborating with other UN agencies, businesses, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems.
- Providing evidence-based data to inform effective water quality management and policy decisions.
- Supporting countries in resolving water quality challenges and promoting sustainable development.
The UNEP faces several challenges in solving water pollution. Firstly, the growing global population increases the demand for water for drinking, sanitation, farming, and energy production. Human activity and climate change are also disrupting natural water cycles, putting freshwater ecosystems under pressure. Additionally, pollution from various sources, such as fertilizer runoff, chemical pollution, and plastic pollution, continues to contaminate water bodies. Climate change exacerbates this problem by reducing water levels and concentrating pollutants, degrading ecosystems and their ability to provide services.
