Statement by SRSG Mizutori at 9th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

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Statement during the 9th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, 1 October, 2021

Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction

Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. This meeting comes at an important moment ahead of COP26. The climate emergency and COVID-19 demonstrate that disaster risk is interconnected, systemic and is impacting every aspect of our development processes.  

The recent IPCC Assessment reveals the unprecedented nature and speed at which change is happening in our climate system. More intense droughts, rainfall and flooding can be expected. The recent floods in Europe are vivid testimony to this.

Over the last 50 years, water-related disasters - floods, storms, and droughts, too much or too little water – have affected more people than any other disaster type with the exception of the current pandemic.

At the same time, the benefits of investing in disaster risk reduction, and early warning systems in particular, are becoming obvious because death tolls from such events have fallen dramatically thanks to these investments.  

What should we do more? ‘Strengthen risk governance’ not only at the national level but also at the regional level.

Strong legal foundations including treaties, and institutions are vital to protect transboundary watercourses and international lakes and to tackle other risk drivers including the pandemic threat, destruction of protective ecosystems and climate change.

The Words into Action guide on water-related disasters and transboundary cooperation, compiled by UNDRR with partners including UNECE,  advocates to focus on sharing the benefits derived from the use of water rather than on the allocation of water itself. This approach allows for mutually beneficial cooperation on both water and disaster risk management at national and cross-border levels.

I also invite you to make use of the Special Report on Drought that we published on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought this year, to advance understanding of this complex hazard.

These topics and more, will be discussed at the upcoming European Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction hosted by Portugal on 24-26 November this year.

With 55 Member states from Europe and Central Asia attending, this will be an important opportunity to take stock of progress, and to identify the challenges in reducing water-related disaster risk.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Forum.

Thank you