It’s been a busy few weeks for those of us working towards fairly and sustainably managed water resources – from cases of corruption hitting the front page, to calls for global actors to ensure water and sanitation are the development agenda. Here are some of the most compelling stories and resources the internet shared with us in June.
The links go to the websites of origin. WIN is not responsible for the accuracy of external content.
Global – Are we running out of water?
130 litres of water go into producing a single cup of coffee, climate change is bringing dro
ughts and floods at unprecedented levels, Cape Town’s almost bone dry, and we can’t drink sea water! With no global governance system for water, will we run out?
Not if we take action now. Water can be better managed – from plugging leaky pipes to making the world more resilient to flooding – and can bring us closer to achieving SDG6 (clean water and sanitation) by 2030.
Read the full article via The Guardian
Uganda – Capacity building for civil society organisations: reflections from Watershed Uganda work package
‘CSOs play a critical role in the realisation of universal access to WASH – as expressed in Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6). CSOs are the voice of citizens at local, national and international level’
Watershed is a strategic partnership of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IRC, Simavi, Wetlands International and Akvo. The programme is working to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to engage and participate in dialogue and dissent about WASH and water security issues.
This briefing paper summarises the capacity building initiatives and experiences from the Watershed Uganda work package throughout the first year of implementation.
Download the full briefing paper via IRC WASH
Germany – EU top court: Germany failed to curb nitrate levels in groundwater
The European Court of Justice has found Germany guilty of failing to combat high levels of nitrate in groundwater. The issue was first brought to attention in 2014, when the European Commission cautioned Germany over it. The Commission now has the option to propose fines over the violation.
Nitrate pollution is caused by fertilizer residue seeping into groundwater and water systems. It can be detrimental to health, and aquatic life.
Read the full article via Deutsche Welle
Slovenia – Two cops charged with corruption in case allegedly involving illegal dump
Charges have been brought against two police officers in Bratislava, including one member of the Police Corps’ National Anti-Corruption Unit, for accepting bribes in regard to illegal dumping.
The dump site in Žitný Ostrov (Rye Island) has the potential to affect the water of Central Europe’s biggest reservoir of drinking water, which supplies up to 15 million people.
Read the full article via The Slovak Spectator
Benin – Former Director-General of the National Water Company sentenced to jail time
In a hearing held on 12 June, former Director-General of the National Water Company of Benin (SONEB) David Babalola has been convicted of financial fraud and sentenced to three years in jail, with a fine.
He has denied the accusations of falsifying receipts to justify the payment of 239 million CFA francs (approx. 35,000euro) in VAT expenses to the tax authorities.
Read the full article (in French) via Banouto
Global – Open Letter: Building a resilient future through water
‘The SDGs describe a trajectory for global development where no single goal may be in exclusive focus. The collective set of interdependent goals constitute the pathway to the “future we want” […] An integrated and holistic approach with water at the heart of policies, planning, actions and interventions, provides the foundation for building sustainable, equitable and resilient societies’.
Twenty-one signatories from water and international organisations, academia, think tanks, and civil society have presented an open letter to the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development from Multi-Stakeholder Representatives of the Water and Development Community. It calls for better water management to make societies more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive.
Read the full letter via SIWI
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