Water and society

Linking environment and society

All environmental problems are also, by their very nature, social problems. This theme focuses on the complex relationships between people and water resources. The emphasis is on the human component of the equation and seeks to answer questions about attitudes, relationships, concepts and beliefs in order to provide guidelines for managing water resources in an equitable, sustainable and ethical manner.

Focal areas

Water, civilization and ethics
Value of water
Water conflicts
Human security in water-related disasters and degrading environments
Public awareness raising on water interactions

The aims of this theme

The general aims of IHP activities implemented in the framework of the theme 'Water and society' are:

to provide public awareness of the causes, impacts and trends in water scarcity and pollution, in connection with the theme: Global Changes and Water Resources
to study the relationship between safe water supply and appropriate public health sanitation as a contribution to poverty alleviation
to provide management methodologies and tools at different scales to assess and incorporate the water resources interests of the inhabitants of a basin
to identify possibilities for incorporating water valuation into the efficient management of water resources
to more fully understand social and ethical views of water users and incorporate indigenous knowledge in water management at different scales
to support conflict prevention and mitigation considering water as a strategic resource
to ensure both human and environmental security aspects of water resources at all levels

Joint initiatives: the key to success

UNESCO seeks to stimulate the implementation of ethical principles in the field of freshwater. The International Hydrological Programme collaborates closely with UNESCO’s Sector for Social and Human Sciences, through the Ethics of Science and Technology Programme and the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), so as to propose guidance on the ethical use and governance of freshwater resources.