World Water Forum 2024: INBO mobilises stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by basins, for basins

For 30 years, INBO has been working for the recognition of the basin scale with a view to better management of water resources. A political segment dedicated to basin managementwas inaugurated at the World Water Forum in Dakar in 2022, the fruit of work carried out by INBO, OMVS, OMVG, the UNECEand Switzerland, and many other partners.

As part of the 10th World Water Forum, whose theme is "Water for Shared Prosperity", this political panel aims to engage and mobilise stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by and for the basins.

This focus on basins is crucial, as basin management is essential to implement Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), promoting optimal use of resources for people and nature. It also balances the needs of competing uses and the needs of the environment on which societies depend. For basins, because basin organisations and similar institutions need human and financial resources, as well as political support, to deliver these benefits.

The basin segment will address key complementary themes.

Water information systems as decision-making tools

Improving water information systemsis essential for creating effective decision-making tools, through better data collection, exploitation and sharing. At basin level, it is necessary to improve the monitoring network, the involvement of stakeholders, the integration of multiple data sources (at several scales using satellites, in situ sensor networks, automated meteorological stations and hydrological networks), interoperability and performance and evaluation processes.

Cross-border cooperation, a factor for peace and development

Cross-border basins account for 60% of the world's freshwater flows. 3 billion people depend on their water resources. Their management should be aligned with the principles of sustainable and equitable use, solidarity between upstream and downstream, and no harm done. In a world of limited resources, cooperative management of transboundary basins is essential to meet the challenges of our time: sustainable economic development, human and environmental health, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable peace.

Better integration of ecological security in basin approaches

"No water security without ecological security": this is the message of the Water and Nature Declaration, launched jointly by INBO, OiEau, WWC and The Nature Conservancy in September 2021. This initiative underlines the interdependence between water and the environment and emphasises the need to preserve aquatic ecosystems and water resources and thus ensure sustainable water management in the long term. It is necessary to strengthen and perpetuate the dialogue between the water and nature communities, to make water management and nature protection policies more coherent, and to accelerate the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NBS).

INBO will also take part in the organisation of thematic sessions devoted to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at basin level and to cooperation.

Bali Basin Action Agenda: a new initiative for basin management

INBO will also be showcasing the implementation of phase 2 of the Dakar Action Plan, the Bali Basin Action Agenda, to give concrete expression to the commitment made by the signatory stakeholders to "better integrate ecosystems and biodiversity into water sector activities".

The growing international recognition of the basin scale underlines INBO's commitment to actively promote collaboration and the in-depth sharing of knowledge and experience.

Join us on Wednesday 22 May, from 8.30am to 6pm (local time)!