UNU-CRIS Side Events at the UN 2023 Water Conference
The UN 2023 Water Conference, co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands, will take place at UN Headquarters in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023.
UNU-CRIS will be involved in several side events:
Valuing Urban Water in Asia for Achieving Sustainable Development
Saturday 18 March 7:00-9:30 CET
Under the theme “Valuing Urban Water in Asia for Achieving Sustainable Development” this session will explore water valuation for the purpose of water quality assessment, projection, and disclosure, and the need for awareness raising and green investment. It will focus on cities in developing countries in Asia where rapid urbanisation has increased the need to address water related issues, such as clean water provision, sanitation, and water-related disaster management.
Bringing together academia, governmental institutions, and other stakeholders, this cross-disciplinary session will also discuss the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, a UN initiative to accelerate efforts towards meeting water-related challenges. A panel discussion will highlight opportunities to strengthen the capacities of national and local stakeholders for cross-sectoral cooperation and closer collaboration between the UN, academia, and civil society.
Water for Climate Mental Health Resilience - Integrating Inclusive Water Strategies in Climate Services
Monday 20 March 15:00-17:30 CET
The session aims to enhance understanding of the following elements by assessing gaps and needs in the existing support mechanisms through capturing reflections from different geographic regions, voices from practices and youth and their capacities to integrate support services in water strategies:
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Interlinkages of water insecurity, water-related disasters, climate risks and mental health and psychosocial well-being, with a focus on vulnerability factors and inequalities.
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Environmental degradation and biodiversity and its impact on mental health (e.g., climate change anxiety, eco-grief, solastalgia).
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What unique advantages could the youth and future generations have/contribute to the vision of an inclusive climate-resilient future?
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Multisectoral and community-based approaches on how we can build and implement smart water strategies in climate services to enable building mental health resilience for all.
Towards Youth Inclusive Water Governance: Filling the Information and Knowledge Voids
Tuesday 21 March 12:00-13:45 CET
This event will discuss the barriers and opportunities to reconnecting youth to the water commons through a youth-led and youth-centred approach, to accelerate youth inclusion in water governance towards SDG 6.
Accelerating Circular Economy-Based Solutions to Support SDG 6 Implementation in the Latin America Region
Tuesday 21 March 15:30-17:00 CET
UNU-CRIS Organised Event
In this session, we call for collective action to Circular Economy WATER in the Latin American region. A coalition to integrate circular economy-focused advances and innovations to water for sustainable development. That includes social and economic development in urban areas as well as regional development.
During this session, global and regional experts will showcase their insights and best practices, share challenges, and analyse gaps and needs to explore a specific plan to deploy a framework for the effective integration of CE into future water strategies.
Multistakeholder Commitments to the Water Action Agenda – Integrated Water and Climate Solutions – From Science to Decisions to Actions
Wednesday 22 March 17:30-18:45 CET
UNU-CRIS is representing UNU in the Water and Climate Coalition. The coalition is a cross-sectoral community of actors that have committed to contributing to the Water Action Agenda by tackling the interlinked water and climate challenges. The coalition provides a platform for cooperation, bringing together partners from scientific organizations, the private sector, NGOs, international organizations, governments, and civil society. The Water and Climate Coalition was founded by 10 UN entities (WMO, FAO, IFAD, UNDP, UNECE, UNEP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNU & WHO) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in 2020 to address the gaps identified in the SDG 6 Acceleration Framework.
Global Women and the Facets of Water: Strengthening Women's Efforts in the Water Action Decade
Thursday 23 March 13:00-14:30 CET
This event aims to showcase women-led actions across global regions and mobilise new commitments to the Water Action Decade. It will bring together outstanding women from interdisciplinary backgrounds and multistakeholder sectors engaging the cross-sectoral themes of Water, including Water for Health; Water for Sustainable Development; Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment; Water for Cooperation; and Water Action Decade.
They will share their work and successes across local, national, regional and/or global scopes. These will be opened to questions and debates among participating delegates with a view to building knowledge on tools and mechanisms for accelerating the implementation of meaningful and actionable solutions as well as increased engagement and empowerment of women in the Water ecosystem.
Kayaní:Yo (A Good Path): Working With Indigenous Ecological Knowledge to Advance Resiliency
Thursday 23 March 19:00-20:30 CET
For centuries, the Haudenosaunee have viewed the "law of the land" as a natural law, known as the Great Law of Peace. This law informs Haudenosaunee traditions and guides governance. Water is especially important to the Haudenosaunee as it provides spiritual, ceremonial, social, and practical benefits.
This event will examine how to weave indigenous ecological knowledge and western science to protect water, human and ecosystem health and advance our collective resiliency.
