World Rivers Day

Global workshop on ecosystems conservation and restoration in transboundary basins. Freshwater ecosystems are in a dire state.They are the world's lifelines, providing water, food, and livelihoods, while enabling biodiversity within and around them. They play a buffer role for people and nature against climate change-related impacts, including droughts and floods. However, they have experienced massive deterioration over the past centuries and decades. In light of the triple planetary crisis, the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties of the Water Convention (23-25 October 2024, Ljubljana, Slovenia) decided to include in the work programme 2025-2027 of the Water Convention a dedicated sub-programme area on the conservation and restoration of transboundary freshwater ecosystems. This global workshop is an essential element of this workstream and will inform, among others, the discussion at the ninth meeting of the Task Force on Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus (18 June 2025,...

   10:00 – 11:15 | Session 3: The conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems in a transboundary context: a dynamic relationship between transboundary water cooperation and biodiversity protection Moderator: Mr. Lionel Launois, Head of international affairs unit, Directorate for water and biodiversity, Ministry of Ecology, France Case studies at the transboundary and basin level: • Mr. Aleš Bizjak, Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Slovenia and Chair of the Bureau of the Water Convention – Transboundary UNESCO Five-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube and the Mura River Biosphere Reserve • Mr. Jose Genaro Musayon Ayala, Head of National Water Authority, Peru – Transboundary cooperation and the conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems in Peru • Ms. Sofia Perä, Project manager/ecologist, County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, Sweden – The TRIWA LIFE project on the Torne river, shared between Finland and Sweden: a successful exa...

   Global workshop on ecosystems conservation and restoration in transboundary basins. 10:00 – 10:45 | Opening Session. Moderator: Mr. Aleš Bizjak, Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Slovenia and Chair of the Bureau of the Water Convention. Welcoming Remarks: • H.E. Ms. Anita Pipan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations in Geneva • Ms. Claire Thuaudet, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in Geneva • Mr. Romas Kamanga, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, Zambia (tbc) • Ms. Veronica Manfredi, Director for Zero Pollution, Water Resilience & Green Urban Transition, EU Commission • Ms. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands • Ms. Sonja Koeppel, Secretary of the UN Water Convention, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Leadership testimony: • Mr. Hussein Abdulameer Baga, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Water Resources, Iraq ...