The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and the Global Water Systems Project (GWSP) launched the International Water Quality Guidelines for Ecosystems (IWQGES) project at the Budapest Water Summit.The project is an attempt to improve the sustainable management of global water resources.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that aquatic ecosystems are deteriorating faster than many other natural systems. At present, international guidelines only exist for drinking water, recreational use, irrigation, livestock, and water reuse, among others. No comparable international water quality standards exist for ecosystems. The aim of the IWQGES project is to develop a set of voluntary, science-based policy and technical guidelines to improve the frameworks for sustainable management of the water resources and aquatic ecosystems.
“The quality of water in our ecosystems is a global concern. Its deterioration threatens to cause large-scale changes in water use, biodiversity, and ecosystem health and functioning that will affect us all,” said IWQGES project manager Prof. Dr. Janos Bogardi (GWSP). “This project comes at a crucial time where comprehensive and practical guidelines for water quality for our ecosystems are desperately needed.”
This comprehensive project will address both issues of water quality, including chemical, biological, and biodiversity aspects and issues of water quantity including availability, changes over time and morphology of bodies of water.
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