United Nations University

The United Nations University (UNU) is the academic arm of the United Nations (UN). It bridges the academic world and the UN system. Its goal is to develop sustainable solutions for current and future problems of humankind in all aspects of life. Through a problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approach it aims at applied research and education on a global scale. UNU was founded in 1973 and is an autonomous organ of the UN General Assembly. The University comprises headquarters Tokyo, Japan, and more than a dozen Institutes and Programmes worldwide.

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World Water Day 2009 on Sharing Transboundary Water Resources

This year’s World Water Day on 22 March under the motto "Shared Water - Shared Opportunities" focuses on waters that cross borders to draw attention to the importance of sharing freshwater resources and their sustainable management.

UNU-EHS is also examining conflict and security related to shared water resources within two projects: MICROCON and WISDOM . Internationally shared waters link people but can also give reason to conflict.

Official website of the World Water Day 2009 .

UNU-EHS is currently carrying out a Micro Level Analysis of Violent Conflict (MICROCON) in the arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. This five-year research programme is funded by the European Commission, and takes an innovative micro level, multidisciplinary approach to the study of conflict cycle.

The MICROCON research project analyzes different types of local water-related violent conflicts, e.g. conflicts among different groups of water users and between water users and state authorities and private corporations.

The second project on shared waters by UNU-EHS is WISDOM (Water-related Information System for the Sustainable Development Of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam). The scientists of this joint initiative of 18 institutions based in Germany and Vietnam investigate the complex ecologic, hydrological, economic and social relations in the region.

They assess the vulnerability to water-related hazards, particularly floods, salt-water intrusion and water pollution in three study sites. Also, the WISDOM experts examine and monitor the pesticide use in surface water, and pesticide fate modeling is conducted at two case study sites in the delta.

Around the world, 145 states host lakes and rivers that occupy the territory of more than one country. Altogether there are 263 transboundary water resources; they cover about 50 per cent of the land on earth.

The International World Water Day to celebrate freshwater has been taken place annually on 22 March since 1993 when it was first designated by The United Nations General Assembly.