水資源、森林與就業一家親 聯合國啟動整合新計畫

Nearly half of the world’s workers are employed in water-related sectors, while at the same time, the water security of eight out of 10 people is under threat, the United Nations said today, highlighting the links between water, forests and jobs.

Today is World Water Day, marked with events across the world, while yesterday was the International Day of Forests. It is no accident that the two days are marked together as water and forests are interdependent and billions of people depend of both resources for employment.

Forested watersheds and wetlands supply 75 percent of the world’s accessible fresh water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and ecological needs, while over one-third of the world’s largest urban centers depend on protected forests for their water.

In addition to the billions of workers in water sectors, 1.3 billion people, one-fifth of the global population, depend on forests for employment, forest products, and contributions to livelihoods and incomes.

Forests provide and regulate water at the local and regional levels, from groundwater recharge and erosion control to promoting precipitation through evapotranspiration.

In addition to boosting supplies, forests also maintain water quality. Every $1 spent on sustainable forest watershed management can save $7.5 to $200 in water treatment costs, estimates the FAO.

On Monday, at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s headquarters in Rome, a event took place to recognize the International Day of Forests on the theme of Forests and Water.

There the FAO opened a new effort to enhance the function of forests in improving water quality and water supplies.

The program will begin by boosting water security in eight West African countries: Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sierra-Leone.

The agency will work with local communities to raise their awareness of the interactions between forests and water and help them to integrate forest management in their agricultural practices to improve water supplies.

First a forest-water monitoring framework will be established to help countries assess potential forest benefits in terms of water resources.

Irina Bokova, who heads the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, also sees the need for increased funding to ensure a forested, water-secure world.

Bokova called for governments, civil society and the private sector to work together to promote “high-quality jobs, while preserving the environment and ensuring sustainable water management will help to eradicate poverty, promote growth and craft a future of decent work for all.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that people with the least access to water and sanitation often also lack access to health care and stable jobs, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

He called for action to address water inequality, as parts of effort to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Goal 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.