The largest river and wetland restoration initiative in history was launched at the United Nations Conference
The Freshwater Challenge, announced at the United Nations Water Conference in New York, aims to restore 300,000 kilometers of rivers, equivalent to more than seven times around the Earth, and 350 million hectares of wetlands, an area larger than India, by 2030.
In addition to water supply, healthy freshwater ecosystems provide a multitude of benefits to humans and nature, and are essential for climate change mitigation and adaptation and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet one-third of the world's wetlands have disappeared in the past 50 years, and they are still disappearing faster than forests. Rivers and lakes are the most degraded ecosystems in the world. The fish populations that live in them, many of which are vital to the food security of communities, have declined dramatically.
The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, released this week, highlights the serious impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and underscores the need to protect and conserve them.The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, released this week, highlights the severe impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and the need to protect and restore them in order to strengthen climate change adaptation measures and create resilient societies, economies and ecosystems.
Supported by the governments of Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Mexico and Zambia, the Freshwater Challenge encourages all governments to commit to clear targets in their national strategies and action plans.and action plans, their nationally determined contributions, and their national SDG implementation plans to urgently restore healthy freshwater ecosystems.
Susana Muhamad, Colombian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, said: "This initiative is in line with the priorities of the National Development Plan 2022-2026, which will allow the country to strengthen territorial planning around water by protecting all water systems. Water is considered a common resource and a fundamental right. This implies the participation of communities to resolve socio-environmental conflicts, respecting cultural diversity and guaranteeing the conservation of biodiversity."
The Freshwater Challenge is a country-led initiative. Its implementation is inclusive and collaborative: governments and their partners will create freshwater solutions in collaboration with indigenous peoples, local communities and other stakeholders.
Building on the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in Montreal in December 2022, which calls for the restoration of 30% of the world's degraded "inland waters," thewaters", the Challenge will contribute to the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. The UN Decade is a joint initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to restore our planet.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said : "Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands are the foundation of our societies and economies. Yet these ecosystems are regularly undervalued and neglected. That's why the commitment of the governments of Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Mexico and Zambia is remarkable. As countries commit to restoring one billion hectares of land, the Freshwater Challenge is a critical first step to focus on much-needed freshwater ecosystems."
Stuart Orr, Freshwater Manager at WWF International, said: "The most obvious sign of the damage we have done, and continue to do, to our rivers, lakes and wetlands is the staggering 83% collapse in freshwater species populations since 1970. The Freshwater Challenge puts in place the right goals and frameworks to reverse this trend, benefiting not only nature, but people around the world. We need governments and partners to commit without delay to the water agenda that will emerge from this UN conference."
The Freshwater Challenge will focus on providing the necessary elements at the national level to effectively design and implement restoration actions, identifyThe Freshwater Challenge will focus on providing the necessary elements at the national level to effectively design and implement restoration actions, identify priority areas for restoration, update relevant national plans and strategies, and mobilize resources and financial mechanisms to achieve the goals.
Championed by the coalition of countries, the Freshwater Challenge is supported by the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, WWF, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International and ABinBev.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS FROM PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS:
Dr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the United Nations: "Our rivers are the lifeblood of Zambia and we are committed to restoring them to ensure We are determined to restore them to provide water, food and energy security for our communities. We are committed to meeting the Freshwater Challenge to build a more resilient future. We recently launched an ambitious initiative to restore the Magoye River Basin and are also working to restore the Lukanga Marshes, which provide much of the water needed for the capital, industry and agriculture."
Martha Delgado Peralta, Under Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Mexico: "Healthy freshwater ecosystems are essential to ensure water and food security, to address climate and nature crises, while promoting sustainable development. Mexico recently updated its nationally determined contribution and made more ambitious commitments, including to conserve, protect, and restore watersheds using an ecosystem approach, because we need to develop and implement a sustainable water management system.cosystemic approach, as we must develop comprehensive strategies to ensure the availability of sufficient quality water for both wetlands and human use and consumption."
Notes to editors
Data and figures
- A scientific report released to launch the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration notes that countries have already committed to restoring one billion hectares, an area larger than China. However, freshwater ecosystems are not explicitly included among the commitments subject to assessment.
- About four billion people, almost two-thirds of the world's population, face severe water shortages for at least one month a year.
- A total of 2.3 billion people, or about a quarter of the world's population, live in countries with water supply problems.
- Just under three-quarters of all recent natural disasters are water-related, including floods, droughts and storms. These disasters have destroyed lives and livelihoods, affected millions of people, and caused $700 billion in damages over the past 20 years.
- By 2050:
- Five times more land is expected to face "extreme drought";
- 5.7 billion people are expected to live in water-scarce areas;
- The number of people at risk of flooding is projected to increase to around 1.6 billion people.
About the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 to 2030 as the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with the support of partners, it aims to prevent, halt and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims to revive billions of hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The UN Decade is a global call to action and brings together the political support, scientific research and financial resources needed to scale up restoration.
About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the world's leading authority on the environment. Its mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
IUCN is a membership organization of governments and civil society organizations. It draws on the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 member organizations and the contributions of over 15,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the actions needed to safeguard it.
Source: unsdg.un.org
