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There have been many international agreements made on water issues. These agreements contain obligations that the signatories must comply with, and SAIs can use them to develop audit criteria when auditing water protection. Links to the most important global agreements on water issues are listed on this page. No global international agreements are available on drinking water, groundwater and aquifers, the agricultural use of water (irrigation), or water pollution.
Marine environment
The most important global agreements on marine pollution are
A large number of international agreements have also been made on marine fishing. One is the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas (1958). Its objective is to solve the problems involved in the conservation of the living resources of the high seas through international cooperation, given that some of these resources are in danger of being over-exploited owing to the development of modern techniques.
In addition to these global agreements there are agreements for nearly every sea, ocean, or marine region. They consider pollution prevention, protection of marine biodiversity and resources, cooperation in case of emergencies, and pollution, and fishing. For example
Rivers and lakes
The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (1992). This Convention has been ratified by 34 UNECE countries and by the European Community . Its objective is to strengthen national measures for the protection and ecologically sound management of transboundary surface waters and ground waters. The Convention parties are obliged to prevent, control, and reduce water pollution from point and non-point sources. Under the Convention, the Protocol on Water and Health was adopted in 1999.
A number of international agreements, with a regional scope, cover environmental problems and water management. They are related to specific geographic features, including rivers, lakes, and water basins and are often a good starting point for audits by SAIs. For example, agreements on the River Danube, River Rhine, Mekong River, Senegal River, Rio Pilcomayo, the Zambezi River system, Lake Constance, and Lake Victoria.
Drinking water and sanitation
At the World Summit in Johannesburg, in South Africa, in September 2002, African ministers agreed to reduce by half the number of people on the continent without access to water and sanitation by 2015.
Natural value and biodiversity of water ecosystems
An important global convention is the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). It recognizes the duty of each signatory, in its own territory, to ensure the identification, protection, conservation, presentation, and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage. To protect cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has established the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (1971) requires signatories to protect and preserve wetlands. It also requires signatories to recognize the fundamental ecological functions and the economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value of wetlands. Signatories must
- designate at least one wetland on the List of Wetlands of International Importance;
- consider their international responsibilities for conservation, management, and wise use of migratory stocks of wildfowl; and
- establish wetland nature reserves.
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD, 1992) is a global convention with three main goals:
- the conservation of biodiversity,
- the sustainable use of the components, and
- the sharing of benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way.
The work programme for the biological diversity of inland water ecosystems facilitates the Convention's objectives for catchments, watershed, and river basins, using the ecosystem approach at the national, regional, and global levels. It includes assessing and monitoring activities and the strengthening of enabling environment.
Extreme events: Drought and flooding
The International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, of September 1994, is an important global agreement on desertification and drought. The objective of this Convention, which has been signed by 113 countries, is to mitigate the effects of severe drought and to combat desertification through effective action that is supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. The agreement imposes obligations on the affected countries and on developed countries.
Despite all efforts, the struggle against desertification and drought has not been successful enough. In March 2002, therefore, 179 governments reached agreement on Annex 5 to the Convention to Combat Desertification. This Convention aims to promote effective action through innovative local programmes and supportive international partnerships. Countries affected by desertification must implement the Convention by developing and carrying out national, regional and sub-regional action programmes. Criteria for preparing these programmes are detailed in five regional implementation annexes to the agreement: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Northern Mediterranean, and Central and Eastern Europe.
Indirectly, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol are relevant to this subject: climate change might influence the distribution of water over the world, causing droughts and floods. The Convention on Climate Change sets an "ultimate objective" of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system.
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