SDG 17 - Partnerships for the goals

You are currently a Senior Fellow and Cluster Coordinator: Nature, Climate, and Health at UNU – CRIS, can you elaborate on your role, and how it relates to water?

The world faces big problems like climate change, water shortages, and health issues. At UNU CRIS, our Nature, Climate, and Health Cluster studies how these problems are linked. We see that climate change makes things like water and food scarce, which hurts people's health. Our research shows how climate change affects water, food, and health security.

How do you personally and professionally relate to water? 

Growing up in Israel, water scarcity was a constant backdrop to my childhood. The arid climate and frequent droughts shaped my relationship with water from an early age. One vivid memory that remains stamped in my mind is the series of TV campaigns highlighting the importance of water conservation. I recall sitting in front of the television, concerned by the urgency conveyed in those campaigns. The images of dry landscapes and the emphasis on every drop of water as precious left a lasting impression.

Seriez-vous en mesure d´imaginer un groupe de jeunes femmes impliquées dans l´émancipation des femmes par le biais des technologies géospatiales ? Cela s´est passé du 10 au 13 juillet 2019 dans le premier rallye géospatial dédié aux femmes et aux aqueducs ruraux. Lors de cet évènement, trente femmes issues de contextes très différents se sont réunies avec le même objectif, construire un espace dédié à cette mission, sur le Campus de Nicoya (nord du Costa Rica) de l'Université du Costa Rica (UCR).

Even 115 years later, the Great Baltimore Fire—which burned down much of the city of Baltimore in the United States—still carries important lessons in standardization. Firefighters from hundreds of kilometres away were sent to assist in putting out the fire, but they could do little to help because their hose couplings did not fit Baltimore’s fire hydrants – meaning, the fire hoses were not standardized. The lack of standardization turned hundreds of firefighters into spectators as the city burned (OGC, ISO & IH, 2018, p.

From 10 to 13 May 2022, the United Nations Officer for Outer Space Affairs organized the 5th International conference on the use of space technology for water resources management. The conference was hosted in a hybrid format in Accra, Ghana, by the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani on behalf of the Government of Ghana. The event was attended by several senior government representatives of the host country including Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, the Honorary Minister of Education Dr.

Can you imagine a group of young women empowering other women using geospatial technology? From July 10 to 13 July 2019 in the First Geospatial Rally for Women in Rural Aqueducts took place, where 30 women from very different contexts met with the same goal, to build an empowering space, in the Nicoya Campus (north of Costa Rica) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). This was done with the intention to learn from each other.

Translated by Isabel Zetina 

Water is an essential natural resource for human survival as well as the health of the entire ecosystem, including agriculture. It is fundamental for long-term sustainable growth of economies and societies globally and locally. Water resources, which cross political boundaries, are vital for both the environment and human populations. Transboundary water management refers to the cooperative process of managing shared water bodies across political boundaries, ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of water resources by riparian states (Bernauer & Böhmelt, 2020).

You are currently a Senior Fellow and Cluster Coordinator: Nature, Climate, and Health at UNU – CRIS, can you elaborate on your role, and how it relates to water?

The world faces big problems like climate change, water shortages, and health issues. At UNU CRIS, our Nature, Climate, and Health Cluster studies how these problems are linked. We see that climate change makes things like water and food scarce, which hurts people's health. Our research shows how climate change affects water, food, and health security.

How do you personally and professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

Water and space technologies are deeply intertwined with my research focus and professional journey. My work primarily revolves around studying the impacts of climate change and human activities on ecosystems, particularly in mountainous regions like the Alps. Water is a crucial component in this context, as it plays a significant role in both vegetation dynamics and ecosystem health.

How do you personally and professionally relate to water? 

Growing up in Israel, water scarcity was a constant backdrop to my childhood. The arid climate and frequent droughts shaped my relationship with water from an early age. One vivid memory that remains stamped in my mind is the series of TV campaigns highlighting the importance of water conservation. I recall sitting in front of the television, concerned by the urgency conveyed in those campaigns. The images of dry landscapes and the emphasis on every drop of water as precious left a lasting impression.

San José, Costa Rica, 7-10 May 2024 (with a possibility of online attendance)

Hosted and supported by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Co-sponsored by the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

Venue: Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Headquarters, San José, Costa Rica

Contribute your inputs on the themes proposed by the co-hosts for the UN 2023 Water Conference interactive dialogues! 

The Innovation Workshop on Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment, organized by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA), co-organized with and supported by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), will take place from 27 to 29 September 2023 at the JRC in Petten, Netherlands.

How do you personally and professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

Water and space technologies are deeply intertwined with my research focus and professional journey. My work primarily revolves around studying the impacts of climate change and human activities on ecosystems, particularly in mountainous regions like the Alps. Water is a crucial component in this context, as it plays a significant role in both vegetation dynamics and ecosystem health.

co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

24-25 October 2023, at the Vienna International Centre

organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
co-organised with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

 
This event is restricted to Space4Water stakeholders, featured professionals, young professionals and representatives of Indigenous communities featured on the portal.

co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

The first stakeholder meeting provided the Space4Water community with an opportunity to meet in person, get to know each other and discuss activities and expectations with regard to the project. The meeting hosted in October 2022 was held four years after the launch of the Space4Water Portal.

VIENNA, 21 January (United Nations Information Service) - The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) have renewed their long-standing agreement to promote the use of space-based technology for better water resource management.  PSIPW is a leading scientific award that focuses on innovation to address water scarcity, offered every two years.

organised by UNOOSA in partnership with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)
11-12 May 2023, Online
 
This event is restricted to Space4Water stakeholders, featured professionals, young professionals and representatives of Indigenous communities featured on the portal.

Registration for speakers submitting technical presentations closes on 15 April 2023.
Registration for all other participants closes on 30 April 2023.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs together with its donor, the Prince Sultan Abdulaziz International Prize for Water have jointly published an article called Cooperation in applying space technologies to water management, in the 7th edtion of A Better World.

co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

The Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water organized the third Space4Water stakeholder meeting hosted in Vienna on 24 and 25 October 2023 in a hybrid format.

The present report describes the objectives of the meeting and includes details of attendance and a summary of the presentations, discussions and interactive sessions, as well as the conclusions.

The full report is available for download below.

The status and outlook of the Space4Water Project was presented at the 58th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) 2021 of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. The report is critical for outlining the motivation behind, contribution, and success of the Space4Water Project, and the Space4Water Portal as its main pillar.