33,058 participants took part in the 5th World Water Forum, from March 16th to 22nd in Istanbul, making it the world’s biggest ever water-related event. A team of Wetlands International participated in a number of sessions on some issues highly relevant on the political water agenda:
Topic 1.1 Adapting to Climate Change: Wetlands ecosystems: soft responses to answering hard climate change issues
When wetlands are in a healthy, intact condition, they can greatly contribute to increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change. For example floodplains, peatlands and lakes reduce peak flood flows in periods of extreme rainfall or glacier melt. Due to their ability to store and slowly release water, these wetlands can also be a vital lifeline in periods of extreme droughts. Mangrove forests and coral reefs form natural buffers against salt water intrusion and storms.
Our main discussion point for the session was: How can the divide between wetland conservation knowledge and water management planning and decision-making be bridged to ensure that ecosystem related values for people and nature are taken into account in a more balanced and equitable way?
Download the session document which reflects this session's discussion.
Topic 3.3: Preserving Natural Ecosystems: Ecosystems for Water and Life: What action help to preserve ecosystems?
This session considered what local actions work to maintain ecosystems for water and people, in the context of basin-scale and global ecosystem and water governance and decision-making. Jointly with the CBD (Convention on Biodiversity) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands we prepared recommendations on five issues on how better to ‘close the gap’ between decision-making and actions at these different spatial scales and between sectors whose business depends on wetlands and the benefit they provide to people.
Download our recommendations
Download the session 3.3 document which reflects this session's discussion.
Download the full report of session 3 on Managing and Protecting Water Resources and their Supply Systems to Meet Human and Environmental Needs