IWRM is an approach that helps to balance competing water demands from across society and the economy, without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. This is achieved through coordinated policy and regulatory frameworks, management arrangements and financing.
• 6.5.2: Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe [UNECE] and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2021). This report presents the global status and trends on IWRM implementation (indicator 6.5.1). It is part of a set of products to track progress and support countries in working
Everything is connected. Countless studies
towards target 6.5 – including country
have argued that the only hope of attaining the
factsheets, country Action Plans and regional
SDGs is through an integrated approach that
reports.5
deals with the interconnected nature of the economic, social and environmental dimensions
Reporting on indicator 6.5.1 is based on a
of sustainable development (Kroll, Warchold and
country survey, which typically involves extensive
Pradhan, 2019; Glass and Newig, 2019). SDG
stakeholder consultations. Despite the effort
target 6.5, with its in-built integrated approach
required, countries have shown considerable
to water management, directly and intentionally
commitment to working towards implementing
supports the achievement of many other SDG
IWRM in the context of the SDGs. This is
targets – such as on health, agriculture, poverty,
demonstrated by the 186 countries reporting
energy, climate, the environment, gender and
on the indicator since 2017 (Annex II), many of
peace – in a coordinated fashion that underpins
them hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic in
sustainable development and leaves no one
conducting the necessary consultations (Box 1).
behind.
This report attempts to bring their experiences and challenges to regional and global audiences, so that their efforts can be recognized and they
SDG target 6.5: “By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.”
can be supported in their mission to reach target 6.5.
Two indicators track progress towards the target, as a measure of sustainable water resources management: • 6.5.1: Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0–100)
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Available at http://iwrmdataportal.unepdhi.org/.
PROGRESS ON INTEGR ATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - 2021
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