During the United Nations Water Conference, two UN agencies made significant commitments aimed at helping countries gather data on their water resources and promoting more sustainable agriculture practices. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced commitments such as a worldwide network of water analysis laboratories and a tool to improve coordination on water management at the national level. These commitments align with the Water Action Agenda and the global push to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The announcements were made at the SDG Media Zone, which has been a platform for important discussions and major commitments during the UN Conference.
Water analysis labs
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced a global water analysis laboratory network, called GloWAL, which aims to use nuclear techniques to help countries identify and understand their water resources. By establishing this network of labs, countries will be able to identify the nature and characteristics of water sources, including content, degradation, and renewability. This information will enable countries to develop or adapt policy solutions to address water-related challenges.
Aside from tackling the global water crisis, GloWAL will help address the technology gap and lagging access to data collection in developing countries. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasized that GloWAL is about giving countries the ability to collect their own data by providing necessary training and equipment. This concrete initiative will help countries be better prepared to face the effects of the water crisis.
As an example, Tajikistan, which is home to massive glaciers that provide much of the region's freshwater, will host a GloWAL laboratory to monitor the health of those vital water sources. Glacier degradation is a significant issue in Tajikistan, and this laboratory will give them the ability to see how fast the glaciers and snowcaps can be regenerated and how to better manage runoff water.
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