Mobilisation for the “Water Data and Peace” Initiative

Geneva, Switzerland, 27 November 2018

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in cooperation with the German Government and the Geneva Water Hub, invited representatives from embassies, scientists and international stakeholders to help advance the water data and peace agenda. The event was aimed at mobilising the participants to advocate for easily accessible and reliable water data and products, to enable national authorities to support their governments in the decision-making process for livelihood, peace and sustainable development.

The event was opened by WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas and the Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, Danilo Turk. The subsequent panel discussion focused on the necessary interaction of politics, technology and science to provide the required services.

The WMO presented three key initiatives on water data and products that can contribute to peace and the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development:

• The Global Hydrometry Support Facility (WMO HydroHub): focuses on enhancing and innovating hydrological monitoring systems worldwide , supports the free and open exchange of data
• The Global Hydrological Status and Outlook System (WMO HydroSOS): uses intermittently available water data and modelling results to generate global reference information on the current and future status of freshwater systems
• The World Water Data Initiative (WWDI): supports countries in water-related policy development to improve access to and use of water data by decision-makers.

The following video, produced with German support within the scope of the event and presented by the WMO, summarizes the objectives of the agenda for water data and peace and the tasks of the WMO initiatives Hydrohub and HydroSOS: