Freshwater Challenge - mobilising transboundary action to achieve ambitious goals
Rivers and wetlands are the frontlines of the climate and nature crises. The important role of healthy freshwater ecosystems has been recognized in key international development frameworks. However, current international approaches to water are not helping countries achieve the targets set out in these frameworks fast enough. As a result, rivers and wetlands are still undervalued and overlooked, and their rapid loss is undermining the hard-won development gains.
The Freshwater Challenge (FWC) is a country-led initiative launched at the UN Water Conference (New York, March 2023). At last year’s World Water Week, the UEA Presidency of COP28 announced that the Freshwater Challenge would become one of three key water outcomes of UNFCCC COP28. This was followed up by a high-level ministerial event at COP28 in Dubai.
Currently a total of 45 countries have joined the Challenge which aims to restore 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million ha of wetlands and conserve intact freshwater The Challenge aims to catalyse, convene and contribute to targeted interventions which need to be coordinated internationally as freshwater systems are often transboundary in nature. This entails alignment across multilateral agreements and frameworks; whole-of government approach; whole-of-society contribution including active private sector engagement.
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