UNEP’s GEMS/Water Launches Water Quality Outlook

While there has been some improvement in the quality of water in some parts of the world, there are still serious problems that must be addressed for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a new report from the GEMS/Water Programme of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Water Quality Outlook, launched as part of World water day’s observance, provides a snapshot of key water quality issues as they relate to achieving the international goals on water, sanitation and biodiversity.  It notes that there are significant emerging threats to water quality, ranging from climate change to invasive species, and from waterborne pathogens to chemical contaminants.

This year’s World Water Day has a theme of water scarcity, which is not just a question of quantity, but also of quality. Water that is not of sufficient quality is effectively unavailable. The report argues that by improving water quality, we can contribute to the survival of ecosystems whose goods and services are fundamental to peace, security and prosperity. Water Quality Outlook is available in English in PDF format at http://www.gemswater.org/

The twin goals of the programme are to improve water quality monitoring and assessment capabilities in participating countries, and to determine the status and trends of regional and global water quality.  These goals are implemented through the GEMS/Water data bank, at www.gemstat.org, including water quality data and information from more than 2,800 stations in 100 countries, with over 2 million entries for lakes, reservoirs, rivers and groundwater systems. By compiling a global database, GEMS/Water adds value to country-level data by contributing to global and regional water quality assessments.

The programme also carries out evaluations on a range of water quality issues and methodologies. GEMS/Water data have been used by other organizations, including the UN system and universities around the world.