WATER FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

WMO-Secretary-General's Message on World Day for Water, 23 March 2000

Introduction

The year 2000 heralds a new millennium. For the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) it has added significance in that on 23 March the Organization will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the entry into force of its Convention: half a century of service to the nations of the world, to their peoples and to the international community as the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the land surface and oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

It is also important to note that, while WMO was founded as an intergovernmental organization in March 1950 and became an agency of the United Nations system one year later, it was the direct successor of the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) which was founded in 1873. Therefore, in the year 2000, we can now look back on some 127 years of continuous international cooperation in meteorology and its associated disciplines. WMO and all associated with its work at national, regional and international levels should feel pride in what has been achieved over the years.

Cooperation between meteorology and hydrology

This reference to WMO's fiftieth anniversary is very relevant as an introduction to this message because every year the Organization's anniversary, 23 March, is celebrated as World Meteorological Day while, quite by coincidence, the United Nations has designated the 22 March each year as World Day for Water. For WMO, the two topics are so closely linked that, in many countries, the two "Days" are celebrated jointly over a two-day period. Ever since the 1870s, and certainly throughout the last 50 years, IMO and then WMO have maintained a close interest in all matters relating to fresh water. In fact, IMO established a Hydrological Commission already in 1946, as it recognized that climatological records are essential sources of information for the design of water projects, and that meteorological forecasts are important for the efficient management of such projects and serve as a basis for the forecasting of major floods. In the mid-1950s, WMO accepted responsibility for certain activities in hydrology and water resources and in 1959 the Third World Meteorological Congress established the predecessor of the present Commission for Hydrology. This synergy has been strengthened in recent years as the meteorological community has sought the aid of hydrologists in improving our understanding of atmospheric processes.

It is therefore very fitting that in the year that WMO celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, it should also be commemorating World Day for Water with the theme this year of "Water for the Twenty-first Century".

Water in the next century

What, one might ask, will be different about water in the coming century, and what will be WMO's role in the future.

In one way fresh water will be just the same in the future as in the past, and this is precisely the problem. In spite of the fact that the Earth is called the "blue planet" because of its water, 97,5% of it is salt water contained mainly in the oceans and only 2.5% is fresh water. In addition, 2.24% of the world's water is contained in polar icecaps (Antarctica, Greenland, etc.), glaciers and deep groundwater. Only the remaining fresh water (0.26% of the world's water) is accessible for use. There is a fixed quantity of fresh water available from natural sources for the use of humankind and yet the population continues to increase and to demand even more water per capita. It has been estimated that the water consumption by different water users will raise from 1250 km3/year in 1960 to about twice this amount in 2010 and to about 2800 km3/year in 2025. The result is the pending, and in some regions existing, water crisis.

This crisis has a second dimension, however, and in that regard fresh water will not be the same in the future. The reference here is to the increasing pollution of fresh water which has the effect of reducing even the limited resources that are available. In addition, climate change may well cause changes in the hydrological regime which could result in increasing stress on water resources. In 1997, information on water availability and on water use and consumption was presented to the UN General Assembly in the form of the "Comprehensive Assessment of the Freshwater Resources of the World" which was published by WMO on behalf of the UN agencies which participated in the assessment.

A long-standing concern

In 1977 the nations of the world met in Mar del Plata, Argentina, to discuss fresh water matters. In 1992 they met again, first in Dublin to consider fresh water issues and then later that year in Rio de Janeiro at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Throughout this time and subsequently the concern has been the same: how to manage the world's freshwater resources and to protect lives and property from flooding and the aquatic environment from degradation. In the early days, emphasis was on environmental and developmental considerations, then on the need for an integrated approach to water resources management.

Debate now focuses on governance as a major issue. In essence, the argument is that, it should be possible to achieve sustainable development provided that we assess our water resources and take account of all competing demands when managing them and that we do so under a series of laws and regulations which involves the whole community in a responsible fashion.

However, despite the many wise words contained in the reports of the meetings mentioned above, the water crisis is increasing steadily in extent and severity. This was recognized by the Special Session of the UN General Assembly in 1997 when it considered progress five years after the Rio Conference, and it will be central to the debate during the forthcoming preparatory process for the ten-year review. With regard to fresh water, these issues will be the subject of a major conference planned for early in the year 2002.

In the meantime, a wide range of organizations, agencies and individuals have been analyzing why the agreements and recommendations of the past have not been applied or have not been effective. Much of this effort is being channelled to support the debate surrounding the UN Commission for Sustainable Development. The aim is to raise to a higher level the concern over the future of the world's freshwater resources and to encourage all communities, local, national, regional and international, including the leaders of industry and commerce and government authorities to take up the causes of integrated management and effective governance of water resources.

The role of WMO

Where does this leave WMO and the national Hydrological and Meteorological Services of the world? The work of these Services is vital to the monitoring, assessment and management of water resources and protection from floods and droughts. WMO therefore has a key role to play in the continuing debate by promoting the invaluable contribution of the Services and in helping the agencies themselves such as through the further development of the World Hydrological Cycle Observing System (WHYCOS). At the same time, it is important that the national agencies themselves continue to extend their services to the wider community, which has no other source of advice and information as to the quantity and quality of fresh water that is the essential basis for its sustainable development.

The challenge for the future

In brief, therefore, the message for World Day for Water 2000 is that "Water for the Twenty-first Century":

The national Hydrological Services will be called upon to provide vital assessments of the water that is available, including its variability;

The national Services will also need to monitor water quality and be prepared to warn local communities if dangerous limits are exceeded;

National Meteorological and Hydrological Services will need to cooperate even more in future to provide advance warnings of major floods and advice as to the future occurrence of droughts. Potential impacts of climate change on the environment and the predictive power of climatological forecasts will be important in this work;

National Hydrological and Meteorological Services will have a key role to play, with WMO assisting at regional and international levels. However, all policy and operational decisions should be based on a broadly representative consultative process that ensures that the entire community joins in safeguarding its sources of fresh water.

The call is therefore for Governments to provide the necessary funding and legislative support and for relevant regional and international organizations to enhance their collaboration so that national Hydrological and Meteorological Services can take a leading role in addressing the current and worsening fresh water crisis for the benefit of humankind in the 21st Century.