Water is the foundation of life on our planet and of sustainable human development. Today is United Nations World Water Day and 2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation. The objective of the day and the year is to raise awareness both of the opportunities for increased cooperation between communities and nations and of the challenges we face for sustainable water management and increased demand for access and allocation of clean water and water services.
Water knows no international boundaries; 148 countries share at least one transboundary river basin, and cooperation is vital in managing these essential resources. With rapid urbanization, climate change and agriculture putting ever-greater demands on freshwater resources, understanding these stresses and the opportunities of cooperation among nations is vital for a sustainable and equitable future for people and ecosystems across the globe.
