World Water Development Report 2018: Nature-based Solutions for Water

The United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) panel of the presented this Monday (19), addressed the theme "Nature based water solutions.” During the meeting, speakers presented alternatives so that nature is used for water management improvement, involving the conservation or rehabilitation of natural ecosystems.

According to Stefan Uhlenbrook, director of the UN World Water Assessment Programme led by Unesco, and coordinator of the study, "nature knows what to do, but there are limits on how much we can exploit it". "The ecosystem will soon be its ability to withstand all the degradation that has been taking place," he said.

Water use has increased worldwide, due to population growth and economic development, among other factors. Many countries are already experiencing water scarcity, and should deal with this problem to an even larger extent as of 2050.

The document provides evidence that changes in ecosystems have contributed to the disappearance of several civilizations, and that if something is not done to work with nature, instead of going against it, the end will probably be the same. “The aim of the Forum is to show alternatives and make it clear that if we continue on the same path in which we are, we will face drastic and irreversible consequences, such as floods and other effects resulting from the lack of water”, says the director-general of Unesco, Audrey Azoulay.

The big question, according to some speakers, is that there isn't yet no clarity about the solutions that nature can present. Additionally, there are also urban solutions, such as green infrastructure (green buildings) that are used to manage and reduce the risks generated by the pollution derived from urban runoff.