The Second High-Level International Conference on the Implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” from 6 to 9 June 2022 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, aims to catalyze water actions and partnerships at the local, national, regional and global levels for the implementation of water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. It will also support an effective preparation toward the 2023 UN Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the Water Decade “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028 in New York.

FAO contributes as co-convener in the Dushanbe process featuring various High-Level sessions, thematic sessions, indigenous peoples forum and in the International Advisory Panel:

Forum on Water and Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples: inclusive approaches to water in ecosystems, land, agriculture and knowledge development”, 6 June 2022, 14:00-18:00 (local time), 11:00-15:00 CEST

Link to follow the forum in live streaming: 

https://undp.zoom.us/j/87882000245?pwd=R0Q0aGE0bGNhSysxcDJiZ29NMTl0Zz09

Meeting ID: 878 8200 0245  -  Passcode: 06062022

More info: https://dushanbewaterprocess.org/program/

Opening Ceremony and Plenary Session, 7 June, 09:00-13-00 (local time), 06:00-10:00 CEST AND 8 June, 09:00-11:00 (local time), 06:00-08:00 CEST.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu will deliver a recorded message.

Link to follow the Opening Ceremony and plenary Session in live streaming: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81165394830

Meeting ID: 811 6539 4830 - Passcode: 090991

Thematic Panel “Promoting Nature-Based Water Solutions, Water Quality and Ecosystems”, 7 June 2022, 14:30-16:00 (local time), 11:30-13:00 CEST

Co-conveners: FAO and UNDP, in partnership with The Netherlands, UNESCO, GWP and SIWI

Registration link to follow the panel in live streaming: https://fao.zoom.us/j/95194109622

Meeting ID: 951 9410 9622 - Passcode: 123456789

Objective of the panel:

Nature based solutions (NBS), which use or mimic natural processes to enhance water availability, improve water quality, and reduce risks associated with water‐related disasters and climate change have been successfully applied in both urban and rural landscapes, by public and private actors. Although their invaluable contribution has been increasingly recognized, yet, the slow uptake of NBS, points to the need for greater cross-sectoral integration to leverage its manifold benefits.

 This panel will focus on the strategic use of NBS to not only restore ecosystem services, but to actively leverage nature to complement engineering solutions to improve the management of water resources. The panel will highlight the modalities for planning and institutionalizing natural and blended infrastructure and management practices. It will also address the bottlenecks impeding the adoption of NBS, including institutional path dependency, policy, planning frameworks and financial mechanisms.

Thematic Panel “Promoting IWRM, Water Efficiency and Valuing Water”, 7 June 2022, 14:30-16:00 (local time), 11:30-13:00 CEST

Co-conveners: The Netherlands, UNDP, GWP, Agualimpia Peru, SIWI, FAO and UNESCO

Link to follow the panel in live streaming: https://gwp-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYoc-mrqTkuGd3nlxikjHf_XjIUb2vVfMU4

Objective of the panel:

The objective of this panel is to enhance the understanding of some of the underlying reasons why water is undervalued and why the established approach to achieve integration (IWRM) is not being achieved globally, as well as allowing for the identification of pathways and the generation of shared commitment towards systematically overcoming these obstacles, to boost sustainable development, with water as a connector and accelerator. To do so, this panel will provide a platform to share some positive experiences of applying the valuing water principles and examples in terms of integration around water, bringing in fresh perspectives of stakeholders who have implemented IWRM in line with other SDG targets, which show that achieving multiple objectives is not a zero-sum game.

The Thematic Panel “Accelerating the water-energy-food nexus in post-Covid recovery”: 8 June 2022, 11:30-13:00 (local time) - 8:30-10:00 CEST

Co-conveners: FAO, Germany and IWMI

Link to follow the panel in live streaming: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82402666469?pwd=RHlUTE5qMXluQmlQKy9kNm5jZ0pGQT09

Meeting ID: 824 0266 6469 - Passcode: 641035

Objective of the panel:

The water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus has emerged as a powerful concept to address the complex and interrelated nature of global resource systems needed for humankind to achieve social, economic and environmental goals. The WEFE approach integrates across all sectors and its holistic vision of sustainability aims to attain a balance between the different goals, interests and needs of people and the environment.

WEFE approaches are not without challenges, however, as the transition from concept to practice may not always evolve naturally. Further, coherent policy-relevant data and information to guide water allocation choices may not always be readily available. Effective cross-sectoral consultation mechanisms are also needed on local, national and global level to ensure the development of concerted efforts. This panel will focus on ways to overcome these challenges, and barriers that are hampering the implementation of the WEFE nexus by focusing on needed political settings and a set of practical case studies.

Interactive Panel “Moving out of the water box and promoting cooperation at all levels”: 8 June 2022, 14:30-16:00 (local time), 11:30-13:00 CEST

Co-conveners: Switzerland, SIWI, Arizona State University, WfWP, in partnership with UNESCO-WWAP

Keynote presentation by Mr. Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO

Link to follow the panel in live streaming: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87323289946?pwd=U1F3SE1HL0pOaENueUllTnIrUmR4UT09 

Meeting ID: 873 2328 9946

Passcode: 147131

More information on these events and the full programme of the Dushanbe conference are available on the dedicated website.