What is UN-WWAP?
- The United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) is a flagship programme of UN-WATER and was founded in 2000. Its genesis can be traced in the Sixth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1998.
- WWAP is hosted and led by UNESCO.
- The WWAP coordinates the work of 31 UN-Water members and partners in production of the UN World Water Development Report (UN-WWDR).
- The World Water Development Report (WWDR) is an annual review providing an authoritative picture of the state, use and management of the world’s freshwater resources and report the progress achieved in reaching the Millennium Development Goals related to water.
- In addition to coordinating this significant UN report, WWAP monitors freshwater issues in order to provide recommendations, develop case studies, enhance assessment capacity at a national level and inform the decision-making process.
Mission statement of UN-WWAP
- This UN-WWAP wants to influence leaders in government, civil society and private sector, so that their policies and decision-making that affect water promote sustainable social and economic development at local, national, regional and global scales.
- WWAP also seeks to equip water managers with knowledge, tools and skills so they may effectively inform and participate in the development of policies and in decision making and plan for, develop and manage water resources to meet the above objectives.
Objectives of the UN-WWAP
- Monitor, assess and report on the world's freshwater resources and ecosystems, water use and management, and identify critical issues and problems;
- Help countries develop their own assessment capacity;
- Raise awareness on current and imminent/future water related challenges to influence the global water agenda;
- Learn and respond to the needs of decision-makers and water resource managers;
- Promote gender equality;
- Measure progress towards achieving sustainable use of water resources through robust indicators; and
- Support anticipatory decision-making on the global water system including the identification of alternative futures.
*******