The world has mismanaged its freshwater reserves for decades, hampering progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Some 50 per cent of countries globally have one or more types of freshwater-related ecosystems – rivers, lakes, wetlands or aquifers – in a state of degradation, finds a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). To count as degraded, water bodies have to be polluted or have low water levels. Restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystems is a key component of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a planet-wide agreement to halt and reverse nature loss. The framework contains 23 targets designed to safeguard the natural world and that come due in 2030.
“Rivers are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet,” said Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma, interim Head of UNEP’s Marine and Freshwater Branch. “Given the importance of rivers and other freshwater ecosystems for food security, resilience building and the world’s biodiversity, their sustainable use and management is critical to ensure essential ecosystem services continue and meet the commitments of the Global Biodiversity Framework.”
As representatives from 196 countries discuss the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework this week at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, there is growing recognition of the value of fresh water and the need to account for it in both national and local policy and financial decisions.
Here are five ways countries can leverage freshwater to meet their global biodiversity and sustainability goals.
1. Implement water-related nature-based solutions
Water-related nature-based solutions (NbS), such as plant-filled “green” roofs, can help manage stormwater, reduce urban flooding and improve water quality, often at a lower cost compared to grey infrastructure, such as pipes. These solutions also benefit people and biodiversity. With the support of UNEP’s Generation Restoration Cities project, cities are embracing nature-based solutions to revive urban waterways. For example, Colombia’s city of Barranquilla is restoring the polluted Leon Creek, which runs through the heart of the city, with the help of communities that live along its banks. Meanwhile, Sirajganj in Bangladesh is creating a green corridor to enhance biodiversity around the city’s river.
2. Invest in water quality monitoring
Currently, 122 million people around the world rely on untreated, potentially unsafe surface water. By 2030, 4.8 billion people could face risks to health and livelihoods if water quality monitoring does not improve. Effective monitoring and reporting are essential to protect human health and implement global water-focused biodiversity targets. Prime examples of that come from Sierra Leone and Zambia, which are integrating citizen-science data into national water quality monitoring, bridging data gaps and connecting affected communities with authorities responsible for water protection.
3. Embrace Indigenous Peoples’ traditional knowledge
Indigenous Peoples’ traditional knowledge has played an important role in preserving and restoring biodiversity worldwide, and incorporating this wisdom into modern conservation practices is crucial. For instance, the Indigenous P’ganyaw (Karen) communities along Thailand’s Mae Ngao River have created more than 50 so called “no-take river reserves”—protected zones banning extractive activities—to boost fish stocks.
These small, community-based reserves set clear fishing boundaries along the river and enforce penalties for violations. Because freshwater ecosystems are interconnected, this network of reserves is a model for preventing further biodiversity loss. UNEP’s SDG 6.6.1 support programme, which focuses on water-basin management, highlights the use of this traditional knowledge through monitoring and evaluation of changes in freshwater ecosystems.
4. Tap into new tools for managing freshwater
There are several resources that can help countries manage their lakes, rivers and aquifers. For example, UNEP's Freshwater Explorer and Global Wetlands Watch monitor the status of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. These tools draw from best practices around the world and highlight the need for water governance to protect freshwater ecosystems. As well, UNEP’s Integrated Water Resource Management Support Programme can guide governments in their efforts to better manage water and reach their development goals.
5. Embrace integrated water resource management
The coordinated management of freshwater ecosystems, including through a process known as integrated water resource management, can build resilience to climate-related disasters, such as drought. For example, in drought-wracked Somalia, the European Union and UNEP are helping communities to build boreholes, rehabilitate shallow wells for irrigation and introduce highly efficient drip irrigation for crops. This holistic approach is designed to help stretch out available water resources and prevent displacement.
More than 90 per cent of “natural” disasters are related to water in some way. Experts say embracing integrated water resource management is critical to reducing the frequency and magnitude of these calamities.
The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline in nature. One million species are threatened with extinction, soil health is declining and water sources are drying up. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets out global targets to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. It was adopted by world leaders in December 2022. To address the drivers of the nature crisis, UNEP is working with partners to take action in landscapes and seascapes, transform our food systems, and close the finance gap for nature.
The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
