GLOBAL WATER AGREEMENTS

GLOBAL WATER AGREEMENTS – CHALLENGES FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CROSS-BORDER AND NATIONAL WATERS

CHALLENGES FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CROSS-BORDER AND NATIONAL WATERS

Contextualização

The session discussed the global growing scarcity of fresh water in adequate quality and flow as a result of environmental degradation and, considering water and its access as a human right, that we have important motivations for promoting global agreements. Such agreements should rely on the valuation of the human dimensions, democracy and justice, as well as the dialogue and engagement of several civil society actors in the formation, implementation and monitoring of global agreements and their developments in national and local policies.

Recomendações

Civil society engagement to strengthen international cooperation and water governance is recommended as key elements for the success of global agreements in the current scenario of non-adherence by some countries and insufficient implementation of two existing global freshwater agreements. Water issues should not be minimized as they are life-threatening regulations. Water is not a commodity, in this sense, it is necessary to seek engagement and public participation by getting the involvement of civil society. There is a difficulty in getting global agreements to be followed, we must persevere through sensitization, awareness and mobilization. Existing regional and global agreements for the protection and sustainable use of water should be analyzed. Inclusion of the theme “global scarcity and freshwater conservation” in global agreements related to water and other environmental challenges such as the Paris Agreement (climate change), Ramsar (wetlands and threatened species) and Aichi Goals (Biodiversity) is suggested.

Conclusões

As conclusions it was pointed out that agreements involving freshwater and agreements related to regional and transboundary river basins should be studied and discussed between different segments, focusing on humans and the ecosystem, and that they cannot stop at paper, that is, there must be strong commitment and planning for its implementation. Global conventions are useful if implemented, as in the case of shared management of the Geneva Aquifer (France-Switzerland), the only successful groundwater treaty.