 |
 |
WHO World Health Organization |
The
biggist threats to children’s health lurk in the very places that should be
safest – home, school and community. Every year over 5 million children aged
0 to 14 die, mainly in the developing world, from diseases related to their
environments – the places where they live, learn and play. These diseases include
diarrhoea and malaria as well as other vector-borne diseases, acute respiratory
infection and unintentional injuries (accidents).
These deaths can be prevented. We know what to do. Strategies have been developed to combat these threats to children’s health. They need to be implemented on a global and national scale. So this year’s World Health Day is dedicated to ensuring Healthy Environments for Children.
We all need to do more to tackle environments risks to children’s health. The burden of disease from environment-related diseases is great and falls disproportionately on children. In September 2002, WHO launched the Healthy Environments for Children Initiative. We are now working with different groups around the world to turn this initiative into a vibrant, global alliance which will be capable of mobilizing local support and intervening to make children’s lives healthier where they live, learn and play.
By working together on many fronts, by building on existing programmes, and by adapting concrete actions to local needs, members of the alliance can make a difference. Together, we are better able to confront the environmental health issues faced by communities, countries, regions and sectors all around the world.
Every child has the right to grow up in a healthy home, school and community. The future development of our children – and of their world – depends on their enjoying good health now.
|
|
|
UNIC UN Information Center |
On
February 27, a preliminary meeting was held in Moscow’s Arbat Hotel to prepare
for the Third World Water Forum. Gathered at the meeting, which was organized
on the initiative of the UN Information Centre in Moscow, were academics and
representatives from the business world, the diplomatic corps, international
and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and journalists.
"More than eighty countries, with forty percent of the world’s population, are already facing water shortages, Mr Frederick Lyons, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Russian Federation, said in his opening remark. 1.2 billion people do not have access to safe water, and approximately 3 million people die each year of diseases associated with the use of unsafe water".
Nominating 2003 the UN International Year of Fresh Water is therefore very timely, Mr Lyons emphasized, following the global consensus on the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 and in the wake of commitments made at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August-September 2002. World leaders are known to have agreed to halve the number of people who are unable to access safe drinking water, and who are without access to basic sanitation services, by 2015.
The Russian Federation has vast supplies of freshwater, and they give Russia direct responsibility for a significant proportion of the world’s freshwater resources. Russian agencies are taking measures to strengthen the country’s stewardship over this precious resource.
"I hope that today’s meeting will allow us to consider a wide range of social and economic issues relating to freshwater management within the framework of Russia’s development programmes," Mr Lyons noted. It is hoped, he also said, that the results of our discussion can be reflected in the position of the Russian delegation to the Kyoto World Water Forum in March.
Mr. Rashid Alimov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan to the UN, reminded the participants that the UN General Assembly had declared 2003 to be the International Year of Freshwater on the initiative of his country. The resolution was co-sponsored by 149 UN member states, which is an evidence of the international community’s deep understanding of the seriousness of the water problem. Not only is access to fresh water a basic human right, it imposes some accompanying responsibilities as well. "The most important of these", stressed Ambassador Alimov, "is that we who are living on Earth today, ensure the rational use of water resources, in the interests of the present and future generations".
Greetings from the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, were read
out to those taking part in the meeting. Mayor Luzhkov, 
having
noted that the Moscow megapolis is also encountering problems with supplying
fresh water, wished the assembly success in helping to determine a clear and
concise position for the Russian delegation to Kyoto.
Nikolai Mikheev, Adviser to the RF Ministry of Natural Resources and President of the Water Users’ Union, said that today Russia’s rivers are no longer blue, but brown from major pollution. In recent years, water quality has improved by 5–10%; however, this has most likely occurred as a result of reduced industrial production. The restoration of the economy is needed – but not pollution. Mr. Mikheev proposed that Russian fresh-water legislation be tightened up, all the way down to court decisions on pollution, and spoke out in favor of giving NGOs a decisive voice in matters of environmental protection. He spoke strongly against the privatization of water resources, and called for an action to be taken to prevent overuse of Lake Baikal’s water for the momentary benefit of the energy companies.
Mr Julian Schweitzer, World Bank Resident Representative and WB Country Director for Russia, concentrated on concrete projects, financed by the Bank in Russia. The Republic of Komi was granted US$99 million loan to contain one of the world’s largest oil spills, clean up affected territories and mitigate environmental and social consequences to the effected ecosystems and communities in the Pechora River basin. The objective of another US$122.5 million loan is to arrest decline of water and wastewater services in a number of medium-size cities. The World Bank supports improved water quality and pollution abatement projects in the Upper Volga, the Urals, the Lower Don, Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk Oblasts, and Karelia. "The Bank stays ready to scale up its support to the Government in the water sector in order to contribute to economic growth, achieve public health improvements, and protect aquatic ecosystems", Mr Schweitzer concluded.
"It was a lively, creative, intriguing conversation, in which more than 20 different people took part", said Mr Alimov, summing up the results of the discussion. He thanked Mr Frederick Lyons, and Alexandre Gorelik, Director of the UN Information Centre, for their organization’s initiative to hold it. The February meeting was the first in a series of events, planned by the UN team in Russia as part of the International Year of Fresh Water.
|
 |
United Nations Development Programme |
In
January 2003 UNDP, the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Ministry
of Environment of Estonia, and the Peipsi Center for Transboundary Co-operation
launched new project "Development and Implementation of the Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe
Basin Management Programme". The project financing in the amount of 1 million
US dollars is provided by the Global Environmental Facility. The main aim of
this project is to support the work of the water management authorities in both
Estonia and Russia, including the Estonian-Russian Transboundary Water Commission,
at developing a water management plan for Lake Chudskoe in order to reduce pollution
in the lake, preserve natural resources and foster the region’s economic development.
Lake Chudskoe is the largest transboundary water body in Europe and the fourth largest lake in Europe. The area of Lake Chudskoe is 3555 km2, of which 44% belongs to the Republic of Estonia and 56% to the Russian Federation. The lake is unique in its natural amenities – shallow, euthrophic and very biologically productive. It is also rich in historical and cultural heritage. Different cultural and ethnic groups live around the lake –Russian and Estonians, Setu and Russian Orthodox Old-Believers. Lake provides important source of livelihood for the local population on the both sides of the Russian-Estonian border.
One of the main environmental problems that the project will
address is eutrophication. The main task in managing 
the
lake is to slow down the pace of nutrient runoff, mostly by building new wastewater
treatment facilities. The project activities will take place both in Estonia
and Russia. They will include the development of the water management plan of
the border lake and launching of a co-ordinated water monitoring programme.
The project will work out water supply and sewage system for small settlements
around the Chudskoe Lake, provide training on water protection and transboundary
water management for local authorities and environmental specialists.
Due to the economic difficulties in the area and high unemployment, there is great pressure on the lake’s fish resources. Fishing has been the main source of income for most of the population around Lake Chudskoe, but with the decreasing fish stock the lake cannot provide living for the same number of people any more. Therefore there is an urgent need to diversify economic activities in the region. In this respect, the UNDP/GEF project is going to promote eco-tourism activities in both Estonia and Russia, including establishment of Lake Chudskoe museums, providing training for local guides and creation of several nature-tourism tracks. A range of public awareness and educational activities will be organized in the course of this three year project to raise awareness of the local population on the eutrophical problems and strengthen capacities of Estonian and Russian NGOs to participate in the management of the Chudskoe basin.
Project contacts:
Mrs. Elena Armand
Head of UNDP Environment Unit
E-mail: elena.armand@undp.ru
Ms. Natalia Aliakseyeva
Project Manager
E-mail: natasha@lake-peipus.net
