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In December 2010 the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. In view of its multidimensional mandate UNESCO was appointed by UN-Water to coordinate the Year. A roundtable session on groundwater governance is therefore a contribution to the 2013 United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. The session is organized within the framework of the project on «Groundwater Governance: a Global Framework for Action» and takes place in The Hague on 21 March 2013, just prior to the official celebration of the World Water Day on Water Cooperation.

An ever expanding global population coupled with a diminishing water supply, has resulted in groundwater becoming increasingly significant as a strategic natural resource. Multi-sectorial cooperation is vital if we are to establish effective groundwater governance at global as well as at regional and local levels. The aim of the roundtable is on one hand to capture the views, and interests of the private sector; on the other hand to explore opportunities for partnerships and information sharing. Roundtable will seek collaboration to define key messages to be incorporated within the project Framework for action.

Report at Ecosystem Marketplace

Main items for the debate:

• Evaluating the importance of improved cooperation with the private sector to enhance the groundwater governance
• Thinking out of the 'water box': thoughts and ideas from non‐water experts on the essential ingredients for effective groundwater governance
• The burning issue of data: how might the issue of data, a key element in terms of the stewardship of groundwater governance, become an opportunity for cooperation? How might we find a balance between the need to share data and data protection?
• Key messages from the private sector in support of, or as a challenge to, the United Nations Year of Water Cooperation (2013).

Chair: András Szöllösi-Nagy, rector, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

Rapporteur: Alfonso Rivera, Geological Survey of Canada

Facilitator and Wrap-up: Alfred Duda

Presentation: «Groundwater Governance: The Socio-economic Benefit of Cooperation» – Anthony Turton, Water Stewardship Council of Southern Africa)


Panel:

Deltares — Roelof Stuurman

Heineken — Ron Bohlmeijer

Mintails Ltd — Mark Brune

Nestlé Waters — Ronan LeFanic

Overseas Development Institute — Peter Newborne

Schlumberger — Svetlana Obradovic

Shell Global Solutions — Andrew Cameron

Vitens — Rian Kloosterman

Water Stewardship Council of Southern Africa — Anthony Turton

World Business Council for Sustainable Development — Joppe Cramwinckel

Date: 21 March 2013

Time: 13:30–16:00 hrs

Location: The Hague Institute for Global Justice, The Hague, the Netherlands