17 March: UNESCO press briefing on forthcoming World Water Development Report 2021

UNESCO will present the 2021 United Nations report, Valuing Water, at an online press conference on 17 March, one week ahead of its publication. The press conference will be held in French from 10 to 11 am (Central European Time), and in English from 3.30 to 4.30 pm (CET).

The Report demonstrates that failure to recognize the value of water is the main cause of its waste and poor management. Published on the occasion of World Water Day on 22 March, the publication focuses on a different subject every year. The 2021 edition examines the complex issue of setting a value on a resource that is so essential to life. The authors stress the need of rising to the challenges posed by growing water scarcity which is already affecting several parts of the world. They argue that this requires us to make more explicit the multifaceted values of water. And the Report posits that it is equally important nowadays to take into account the emerging risks and uncertainties linked to climate change.

Valuing Water is published by UNESCO for UN-Water. It is produced by UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and highlights best practices and in-depth analyses to stimulate ideas and actions to improve water management.