Regional Activities - ISARM

 

The International Workshop on ‘Managing Shared Aquifer Resources in Africa’, was hosted and supported by the General Water Authority of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and jointly convened by the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme under the Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management (ISARM) initiative.

 

More than 200 experts of different disciplines from more than 25 African States participated in the workshop. These proceedings include opening addresses, presentations of keynote papers and case studies from the host country and 18 African countries, as well as contributions from regional scientific and basin organizations.

 

In the workshop recommendations the participants gave high priority to the conclusion of the inventory of African shared aquifers, preparation of policy guidelines for sustainable development of shared aquifers, and timely involvement and action for the implementation of an African ISARM Programme, drawing on the support of existing and new partners.

 

 

UNESCO played a major role in organizing three international conferences in Tripoli since 1999. The last two conferences – convened in the years 2002 and 2008 – were dedicated for the management of shared aquifer resources in Africa. Both conferences attracted a large number of scientists from nearly all African states and international organizations as well as key experts from all over the world. Proceedings of these conferences are expected to contribute to the state of knowledge on groundwater in Africa and to assist in the development of common understanding of water management issues and help reduce tension between states sharing these aquifers.

 

This publication presents regional preliminary data on selected shared aquifers in Asia and develops a pilot case with Heilongjiang-Amur River of China and Russian Federation under ISARM-Asia.

 

The study includes topics of Groundwater Resources and Transboundary Aquifers in Asia, Groundwater Resources and Transboundary Aquifers in China, Case Study - The aquifers of the Heilongjiang-Amur River basin. The purpose of the pilot case study is to provide a first contribution to the ISARM-Asia and to promote the ISARM-Asia Network.

 

 

This publication is a compilation of contributed research papers on transboundary aquifer inventory in Asia under UNESCO-IHP VII Theme on Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management. As a regional atlas, this volume presents hydrogeological data and other information crucial to the future sustainability of transboundary aquifers in the region.

The present version of the inventory is the result of the UNESCO-ISARM initiative in South Eastern Europe (SEE) coordinated by UNESCO-IHP Secretariat (Paris) in collaboration with UNESCO - BRESCE (Venice) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It has been carried out by the UNESCO Chair on “sustainable water resources management”, which coordinates the NetworkINWEB ”International Network of Water/Environment Centres for the Balkans” at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. The main objective of this activity was to collect and analyse new data and hydrogeological maps on Transboundary aquifers in SEE with special reference to transboundary karst aquifers. This inventory is also available as interactive maps.

 

This book is a regional assessment of the interaction between water and geographical environment on the issue of transboundary groundwater resources in the Americas. This volume also presents the current state of knowledge of transboundary groundwater resources in the Americas on a regional scale and also the knowledge gaps to be remedied. The aim of this book is to serve as an inventory reference to 2006 general knowledge for the future management of groundwater resources. In particular, this inventory hopes to establish a framework for cooperation among countries in the Americas and serve as a source of knowledge for use in integrated water resources management and sustainable use of aquifers in the region.

 

 

This book focuses on the integration of the information included in the first volume of the UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme, 'Transboundary Aquifers in the Americas. Preliminary assessment', with the legal and institutional aspects related to transboundary aquifer resources in the Americas. The book is targeted to national-level decision-makers, international organizations, multilateral cooperation agencies, donors, and universities.

 

 

The book presents the process and evolution of ISARM Americas, an overview of the transboundary aquifers (TBAs) in the region, information on socio-economic aspects, environmental and climatic of TBAs in the Americas, a regional knowledge analysis, the conclusions and recommendations for future actions.