Tag: un

“L’Eau et la Planète”

The United Nations (UN) offers a unique framework for global governance. With 193 member states, its decisions have an impact on the whole world, but it’s not always easy to get consensus resolutions adopted. If France wishes to exert influence, it must itself convey clear messages that meet with consensus. With this in mind, the French Water Partnership [1] (PFE) was born in 2007, with the aim of bringing together the voices of French players in the water (and sanitation) sector and harmonizing their messages.

The PFE has thus become the benchmark platform for French public and private players in the international water sector. For the past 17 years, it has been lobbying at international level to make water a priority in sustainable development policies.

Because water is a complex, cross-cutting, multi-dimensional subject, one of PFE’s missions is to raise awareness of global water issues. Daniel Zimmer’s second book, L’Eau et la planète, un avenir au compte-gouttes (Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer[2]),

is fully in line with this ambition, and we were delighted to be invited to take part in its distribution.

Daniel Zimmer trained in agronomy and hydrology, then became interested in a wide range of system-related subjects: water, soil, forestry, agroforestry, climate and energy. This keen observer is a long-standing collaborator of the PFE. When the FWP was founded, he held a central position in the world of water, that of Director of the World Water Council. Always at an international level, Daniel Zimmer then turned his attention to the climate, and more recently to the implementation of concrete, innovative solutions.

Daniel Zimmer’s book provides us with an overview, but also leads us to broaden our perception of the water cycle. He invites us to better consider the role of green water, the water that is stored each year in the soil and biomass, and not limit ourselves to that of blue water, the water we can pump.

© Sophie Thomasset

Back in 2013, in his book l’Empreinte Eau (Éditions Charles Leopold Mayer), the author spoke of the major role played by green water. Despite the term’s appearance as early as 1995, Daniel Zimmer reminds us that green water is still too often ignored and little or not at all measured. And yet, green water plays a major role in the water cycle, as it evaporates and joins atmospheric water, accounting for a significant, even majority, share of precipitation on the continents. The book details how it contributes to the recycling of continental water.

Another topic addressed by Daniel Zimmer is that of planetary boundaries. The concept of planetary limits has introduced many people to the term “green water”. Recent research by the Stockholm Resilience Centre [3],

widely reported in the media, announced in September 2023 that the planetary green water limit had been exceeded. While we at PFE consider such a statement to be premature, we do admit that we have entered a period of high variability.

The second part of the book deals with the difficulties, or “nightmares”, as he calls them: shortages, pollution, climate disruption, extreme events, loss of biodiversity, and so on.

While the French have seen the issue of water rise in their concerns in recent years (increasing periods of drought, flooding), the water crisis has in fact become global. This was one of the findings of the UN World Water Conference to be held in New York in March 2023 [4].

Despite the importance of water, this conference was held 46 years after the first one in Argentina. This frequency seems to reflect the fact that water was not a central concern. In March 2023, the situation is glaringly obvious: countries are facing major water-related problems, with too much or too little water, the crisis is global and the forecasts are not reassuring.

© UNHCR/Mohamed Maalim

That same year, the new UN report (WHO/UNICEF) [5] reported that 27% of the world’s population – over 2 billion people – still had no access to safely managed water. According to this report, efforts would have to be multiplied by 6 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal in question. As for sanitation, more than 1.5 billion people have no access to the most basic services, and efforts need to be multiplied by 5.

Water plays an increasingly important role in climate change issues. In the final text adopted by COP28 on climate in December 2023, a Global Adaptation Goal was formulated. The very first of the seven paragraphs mentions water and sanitation, clearly characterizing their preponderant role in climate change adaptation. Water is again mentioned directly in the fourth.

As mentioned above, it took 46 years for the UN to organize a world conference specifically dedicated to water. In March 2023, the FWP therefore put forward the need for regular meetings dedicated to water to other countries and stakeholders. The FWP welcomed the UN General Assembly’s decision to organize two further conferences, in 2026 and 2028. Things now seem to be speeding up.

Kazakhstan and France have also announced the holding of a One Water Summit in September 2024 in New York. PFE is looking forward to organizing the event and is participating in its steering committee.

A wind of optimism is blowing over global water governance, and the FWP will of course be working to reinforce the usefulness of these meetings, in collaboration with France and French water stakeholders.

World Water Conference, organized by the UN in New York in March 2023. © UN

The third part of Daniel Zimmer’s book focuses on optimism, the optimism of will. While he is interested in solutions, and in particular in nature-based solutions, the author speaks more generally of the need to find the optimum balance between efficiency, sobriety and resilience in the way we use water. Regenerative approaches could well help us achieve this, as they draw their inspiration from ecosystems that have been striving to find such optimums for millions of years.

The PFE also reminds us that one of the main lines of action for water will be to break down silos. Water must not speak only to Water. The PFE wants to collaborate, to count among its members players from finance, insurance, construction and other industries, and so on. The challenges of water concern us all, and it’s up to all of us to contribute to the debate.

 

[1] https://www.partenariat-francais-eau.fr/en/

[2] www.eclm.fr. Publishing house of the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for Human Progress (FPH), Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer (ECLM) publishes works on ecological, economic and social transition. It supports those involved in the transition so that they can develop, format and disseminate their advocacy through books.

[3] https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html

[4] https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023

[5] https://www.unwater.org/publications/who/unicef-joint-monitoring-program-update-report-2023

 

Sophie Thomasset 

Deputy Director, French Water Partnership

Sophie Thomasset holds a degree in hydrology-hydrogeology from the Université Pïerre et Marie Curie -Paris VI. She was EAH (Eau, Assainissement Hygiène) project manager with Action Contre La Faim and Oxfam for five years. Her longest assignments were in Liberia, Haiti and Sudan, but she was also part of the “emergency group”, on short-term assignments.

Sophie then joined the world of Foundations (Fondation Ensemble, Fondation Yves Rocher), where for 10 years she supported international projects in the fields of water and sanitation, sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, and forestry.

Sophie joined the French Water Partnership in 2022 as Deputy Director.

 

Discover the PFE website : www.partenariat-francais-eau.fr/en/

Global Humanitarian Overview 2023

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination’s (OCHA) annual World Humanitarian Situation Report analyzes humanitarian needs worldwide, providing an overview of trends, challenges and priority needs. By helping decision-makers, humanitarian organizations and donors to understand and respond to the most pressing crises, this report establishes a crucial basis for the formulation of OCHA funding appeals, demonstrating the essential link between a thorough understanding of humanitarian needs and the concrete actions required to meet them. The report also takes stock of the previous year’s achievements.

The final Global Humanitarian Overview, published on December 1, 2023, presents a review of the year 2023, as well as the objectives and outlook for 2024. This summary is based on the 2023 and 2024 reports.

I. Call for 2023 – Context at the beginning of the year

The call for 2023, the needs

The World Humanitarian Outlook 2023, unveiled in December 2022, identified 339 million people as being in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, an increase of 65 million compared to the start of 2022. The report highlighted funding requirements estimated at $51.5 billion to help 230 million of the 339 million people in need of assistance.

The year 2023 began with major economic challenges, characterized by inflation driving up prices and affecting many people in Haiti, Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Overall, the period was marked by increased financial needs due to rising operational costs and commodity prices, as well as high inflation. At the same time, the beginning of 2023 was marked by the continuing war in Ukraine and major conflicts in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Myanmar, among others. Climate-related droughts have also increased the need for assistance in Ethiopia and Afghanistan. In short, violent conflicts affecting civilians, forced displacement, the biggest ongoing food crisis in modern history, natural disasters linked to climate change, public health under threat, gender equality hard to achieve, and access to education complicated by the pandemic.

II. Review 2023 – Year-end context

A succession of crises – a more difficult year than expected

Wasn’t that enough? In addition, the global humanitarian situation deteriorated further during the year, marked by earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, cholera and flooding in Malawi and Mozambique, intensified conflict in Sudan, flooding in Libya and the occupied Palestinian territory.

The series of crises throughout 2023 has made needs increasingly complex to meet, while the number of people affected by these crises has continued to rise (363.2 million). The objective has become to help 245.1 million people, i.e. 7% more than the number of people targeted at the beginning of 2023. During the month of November 2023, the financial requirements were re-evaluated upwards, recording a 10% increase, bringing the needs to 56.7 billion dollars.

Increased needs at the end of 2023 :

III. Gap between needs and financing – A high financing deficit

« This is the worst funding shortfall in years. » – Martin Griffiths

Growing humanitarian needs, declining funding.

Probably the most alarming observation of 2023, in addition to the multiplication and aggravation of crises, lies here.

Humanitarian needs for 2023 are at an all-time high, amounting to $56.7 billion. However, the percentage of funding available is historically low. As of December 4, 2023, $19.9 billion had been registered, representing a gap of $36.8 billion in relation to total needs, i.e. funding reaching only 35% of requirements. A worrying gap, especially in a context where demand is reaching record levels. In 2023, funding will be down on the previous year, marking the first decline since 2010. Indeed, in 2022, assistance of $24 billion was available to meet needs estimated at $51.7 billion at the end of the year, ensuring that requirements were covered at 47%.

Some of the consequences of this deficit are highlighted in the 2024 report:

  • Reduced food aid: more people at risk of starvation (according to the World Food Program’s estimate, a 1% reduction in food aid could push more than 400,000 people to the brink of starvation).
  • Lack of funding for shelters has forced people to live in unworthy and inadequate conditions, as observed in Haiti and Myanmar.
  • Lack of water, sanitation and healthcare resources: puts the most vulnerable populations at risk of disease and death.
  • Lack of investment in protection against gender-based violence: worldwide, 53% of targeted women have been able to access comprehensive gender-based violence services through UN Women.
  • Lack of access to essential support and services: fuels protection risks.

IV. Concrete actions in 2023

Key figures :

  • 128 million people worldwide received aid, i.e. 62% of those targeted.
  • 1/3 of United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) pooled fund allocations went to national NGOs.
  • 7.8 million people received humanitarian aid thanks to private partnerships.
  • 119.5 million people received food aid, cash or vouchers.
  • 2.3 billion dollars transferred to 47 million people (cash or vouchers).
  • 46 million people benefited from emergency health aid.
  • 23.2 million people benefited from safe water supplies
  • 13.9 million children had access to education

Achievements

Improvements observed during 2023 include improved food and nutrition security, greater accessibility to inclusive healthcare such as emergency care and sexual and reproductive health, multi-sector humanitarian assistance focused on communities’ priority needs such as access to drinking water and education, and enhanced protection for women and children. In addition, progress has been made in the implementation of regional plans to meet a variety of humanitarian needs.

Results:

 

To conclude,

The year 2023 was marked by a series of humanitarian crises of unprecedented severity, aggravated by their multiplication on a global scale. Despite these challenges, humanitarian partners persevered in their efforts to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations, reaching nearly 128 million people. However, the responses have often faced considerable constraints and obstacles, highlighting the growing complexity of contemporary humanitarian crises and the need for collective, coordinated action to respond effectively.

A summary written by Betty Bianchini