Comprehensive report of world’s transboundary water basins finds hotspots of riskThe world’s 286 transboundary river basins span 151 countries, including more than 40% of the Earth’s population and land area. They support the socioeconomic development and wellbeing of humanity and are home to a high proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Transboundary river basins cross international borders and are shared by two or more countries, which often makes managing them more challenging. The Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP) was initiated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to create a baseline assessment of all the transboundary water resources on Earth. The programme, coordinated by UNEP, consists of five transboundary water systems components, which are: (i) Groundwater, (ii) Lake Basins, (iii) River Basins, (iv) Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs), and (v) Open Ocean. The UNEP-DHI Partnership, in collaboration with 8 internationally recognized organizations and research institutes, leads the transboundary river basins assessment*. The assessment is the first of its kind in scope and ambition. A selection of key findings and recommendations include:
The report is available online at http://twap-rivers.org/. Center for Environmental Systems Research, Germany; Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University; City University of New York, Delta Alliance; International Union for the Conservation of Nature; International Geosphere-Biosphere Program; Oregon State University; Stockholm International Water Institute; and the United Nations Environment Program-DHI Partnership
Monday 02 May 2016
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