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UNICEF And WWF Sign MOU For Joint Work on Freshwater

Pioneering Collaboration in India Stimulates
Global Effort to Protect Children

April 21st, 1998

Women carrying water in India.

NEW YORK, -- The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today that commits the two organizations to work together to seek solutions to the emerging global freshwater crisis.

The formal agreement followed the launch of a joint WWF-UNICEF report titled "Fresh Water for India's Children and Nature",  the result of a two-year study of local level watersheds in five eco-regions of India. This research and resulting recommendations are an element in the evolution of India's national water policy, which is aimed at providing safe drinking water for millions and the rehabilitation of degraded freshwater ecosystems.

The joint undertaking comes as the world's governments, working under the auspices of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), are negotiating an action plan on freshwater resources. The activity is a follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

A workshop this January in New Delhi, organized by UNICEF and WWF to discuss the draft report, witnessed full participation from six major ministries from the Indian Government and by leading NGOs, academic institutions and other stakeholders from society.

Today's Memorandum was signed by Dr Claude Martin, Director General of WWF and Dr. Sadig Rasheed, Director of the Programme Division of UNICEF.

People at well.

"The India experience has inspired both WWF and UNICEF to engage in a global partnership," Dr. Martin said. "This is an open partnership. The more countries and governments join in, the better we shall be able to manage fresh water resources. Greater fresh water security means less suffering for women and children."

"The crisis in freshwater is a crisis for children," Dr. Rasheed stated. "Every year more than 2 million children under the age of five die as a result of unsafe water and poor environmental sanitation. To reduce this awful toll, UNICEF works to help communities protect and manage their water resources and environment.  Partnerships like this are essential in the effort." 

WWF and UNICEF will undertake joint projects at the local,  national and regional levels to promote sustainable community management of water resources and to establish the fundamental importance of overall ecosystem conservation. Emphasis will be placed on communicating the experiences and lessons learned in developed and developing countries regarding the management of fresh water resources.

Policy and programmatic solutions will be proposed. Particular attention will also be paid to protecting children from water pollution in urban and rural areas. Household water security will also be addressed along with the need for environmental rehabilitation.

The Memorandum notes: "As both organizations have a world-wide mandate and are both represented in a large number of countries, an initial analysis shall be undertaken jointly to concentrate the resources and experience of both Parties on a limited number of countries where the more immediate and serious needs are identified.  Initially, one African country will be selected for co-operation within this Memorandum."

To carry out its programmes,  UNICEF and WWF will seek partnerships with other relevant organizations, including inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, development banks, the private sector, donors, the scientific and academic communities, and other civil society members.

For more information, please contact: 
Stephen Rose,
UNICEF,
Division of Communication,
+1 212 326-7506

Someshwar Singh,
WWF,
+1 212 986-8800/1758 (fax)
or mobile +41 79 310 81 02.