United Nations
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Scientists Say Human-Caused Damage to Global Water System Has Ushered in New Geologic Epoch
24 May 2013 - 09:06 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
Germany, BONN — Scientists who gathered this week in Bonn, Germany, say human-caused damage to the global water system has become so extensive that it should be considered a new geologic epoch, on par with the g
World Will Run Out of Freshwater Unless Current Trends Reversed: UN
23 May 2013 - 08:11 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
new yorK, ny, united states — The world is facing the very real possibility of running out of freshwater unless more is done to reverse current trends, the United Nations warned on May 22, the International Day for Biological
Conversations With Water Leaders: Jan Eliasson on Millennium Development Goals and Sectoral Cooperation
22 May 2013 - 08:57 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
sinGapore — Third in a series “Conversations With Water Leaders” conducted by OOSKAnews in association with Singapore International Water Week.
Maynilad Cuts Supplies to Manila Police Department Over Unpaid Bills
22 May 2013 - 09:42 by Local Press Report
MANILA (Inquirer News) — Tipid. Walang tubig (Conserve.
Dando Launches Water Well Drilling Division
21 May 2013 - 09:04 by Local Press Report
LONDON (Dando) — Long established drilling rig manufacturer Dando Drilling International Limited (a part of the Energold group) have this week announced the launch of new water well drilling services divisi
Private Sector Help Needed to Curb “Out of Control” Economic Losses From Disasters: UN
17 May 2013 - 09:16 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
new yorK, ny, united states — Economic losses due to natural disasters are “out of control” and will continue to rise if disaster risk management does not become a fundamental aspect of government and business investment strate
Syrian Refugees Overwhelming Region Due to Dwindling Resources
17 May 2013 - 08:52 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
Iraq, BAGHDAD — More than 1.4 million people have fled the ongoing violence in Syria for neighboring countries, straining already limited resources like freshwater and food in Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, acc
Russia Supplied Central Asia With $1 Billion in Aid Over Four Years
17 May 2013 - 07:36 by Local Press Report
ST. PETERSBURG (Turkish Weekly) — Russia has provided more than $1 billion USD in aid to the Central Asian countries over the past four years, the Russian embassy in Uzbekistan announced on Thursday. The money, transferred via
45 Countries Have Less Than 50 Percent Sanitation Coverage: UN
16 May 2013 - 08:08 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
new yorK, ny, united states — Despite large gains in increasing the number of people with access to an improved sanitation source, 45 countries still have less than 50 percent coverage, according to a new United Nations’ report
UNICEF Gives Sudan $284 Million for Children’s Sanitation, Drinking Water, Health
16 May 2013 - 07:24 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
KHARTOUM, Sudan — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) last week signed a $284.3 million USD agreement with Sudan to fund projects to improve drinking water, sanitation, health, food and education for childre
Ghanaians Warned of Household Water Contamination
15 May 2013 - 10:07 by Local Press Report
ACCRA (GhanaWeb) — Mr Frank Quansah, Programme Officer of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has advised households to treat and store water properly to avoid contamination. “This is because
Over 1.5 Million Sign on to Europe’s Right to Water Initiative
13 May 2013 - 09:26 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
BRUSSELS, Belgium — Europe’s first citizens’ initiative, “Water Is a Human Right,” has collected more than 1.5 million signatures across the continent, with eight nations surpassing minimum number of signatures requ
Haiti Cholera Victims Threaten Lawsuit Against UN
10 May 2013 - 07:19 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
HAITI, PORT-AU-PRINCE — Lawyers for Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti announced this week that Haitian cholera victims have givien the United Nations an ultimatum: start talks concerning perhaps bi
US Government Announces Additional $100 Million to Syrian Refugees
9 May 2013 - 09:58 by Local Press Report
WASHINGTON DC (US State Department) — The United States is providing an additional $100 million USD in humanitarian assistance to support those affected by the violence within Syria and the more than 1.4 million refugees across the r
Korea, US Release Joint Climate Change Statement
8 May 2013 - 09:05 by Local Press Report
WASHINGTON DC (US State Department) — The Republic of Korea and the United States share the view that anthropogenic climate change represents a threat to the security and sustainable development of all nations.
Eritrea’s Support of Egypt Raises Tensions With Ethiopia
7 May 2013 - 10:16 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The Eritrean government’s recent statements of support for Egypt’s right to Nile River waters, based on a British colonial treaty have raised tensions with neighboring Ethiopia, Ethiopian governmen
Peru’s Foreign Commerce Society Calls on Government to Boost Water and Sanitation Sectors
7 May 2013 - 10:02 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
PERU, LIMA — Peru’s Foreign Commerce Society (COMEX Peru) last week urged the government not to lose focus on the water and sanitation sectors, and to work to meet the UN Millennium Goal Development Goal targ
UN Expert Supports Findings of Myanmar’s Rakhine Investigation Commission
3 May 2013 - 08:02 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
MYANMAR, RANGOON — Tomás Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, this week expressed support for the recommendations released by the Rakhine Investigation Commission, a 27-m
Indian Official Says Country Could Achieve Near Complete Potable Water Coverage by 2015
1 May 2013 - 08:16 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
Bangkok, thailand — India has reduced the number of households without access to safe drinking water by half since 1990, and is on track to achieve near-universal coverage by 2015, according to Indian Minister of Stat
World Bank Opens Spring Meeting With Sanitation Dialogue
22 Apr 2013 - 09:49 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
united states, WASHINGTON DC — The World Bank opened its annual spring meeting on April 19 with a panel discussion on the importance of proper sanitation in achieving all development goals, as well as the importance of private
$260 Billion Lost Each Year Due to Lack of Sanitation: World Bank
19 Apr 2013 - 09:47 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
washington, dc, united states — An estimated $260 billion USD is lost every year from a lack of access to sanitation, according to the World Bank.
New Kenyan President Pledges to Upgrade Basic Services in Slums
18 Apr 2013 - 08:14 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
nairoBi, Kenya — New Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 15 reaffirmed his commitment to carry out upgrade projects in slum areas in order to ensure that residents have access to low-cost housing as well as ba
WaterAid Joins UN’s Water Action Hub
18 Apr 2013 - 09:21 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
new yorK, ny, united states — International water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) NGO WaterAid announced this week that it has joined the United Nations’ Water Action Hub, an online platform that allows users to identify poten
Uganda to Meet Water MDG
18 Apr 2013 - 09:31 by Local Press Report
KAMPALA (The New Vision) — Uganda is likely to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for access to safe water, but it is off track on sanitation, according to Prof.
Cost of Not Fighting Desertification Greater Than Cost of Prevention: UNCCD
15 Apr 2013 - 10:01 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
Germany, BONN — It costs the world some $490 billion USD a year to combat land degradation, significantly more than what it would cost to prevent it, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertific
UN Distances Itself From Criticism of Uruguayan Water Company
15 Apr 2013 - 08:05 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — UN Resident Coordinator in Uruguay Susan McDade last week distanced her organization from recent comments claiming state water company OSE was hiding information about the country’s water situation
Darfur Reconstruction Conference Falls Short of Expectations With $3.7 Billion in Donor Commitments
15 Apr 2013 - 08:03 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
DOHA, Qatar — The International Conference for Reconstruction and Development in Darfur has secured $3.7 billion USD from donor countries, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed ben Abdallah al Mahmoud officials sai
Indian Residents Protest Water Privatization
11 Apr 2013 - 09:43 by Local Press Report
GUWAHATI (Times of India) — Several citizens' bodies on Tuesday staged a protest at the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) office, decrying a possible move by the state government to privatize and commercial
Western Sahara Group Denounces Morocco's Groundwater Use
10 Apr 2013 - 09:49 by Local Press Report
LONDON (Sahara Press Service) — Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) has denounced on its website, the depletion of underground water reserves of occupied Western Sahara by the Moroccan agricultural industry. According to
First OECD Water Governance Initiative Meeting Agrees on Goals, Responsibilities
8 Apr 2013 - 07:49 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
PARIS, France — Participants at the first meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Water Governance Initiative agreed that they wanted to see three major outcomes from the init
Nepal to Meet Access to Water MDG; UN Says
5 Apr 2013 - 09:58 by Local Press Report
KATHMANDU (NZweek) — Nepal is likely to achieve only four out of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a joint press statement released here on Friday by United Nations Development Program and the gov
Kazakh Minister Acting as Negotiator in Rogun Dam Dispute
4 Apr 2013 - 08:10 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — Kazakhstan’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov last week travelled to both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to act as a negotiator between the two nations over the controversial Rogun Hydropo
Indigenous Leader Killed After Dam Protest in Panama
4 Apr 2013 - 09:25 by Local Press Report
CERRO PUNTA (World War 4 Report) — Onésimo Rodríguez, a leader in Panama's Ngöbe-Buglé indigenous group, was killed by a group of masked men in Cerro Punta, in western Chiriquí department, the evening of March 22 following a protest
UNHCR Concerned About Increasing Number of Syrian Refugees in Iraq
3 Apr 2013 - 09:46 by Local Press Report
Geneva (UN Refugee Agency) — The UN refugee agency on Tuesday warned that with the Syria crisis now into its third year, and refugees continuing to cross borders to neighbouring countries in large numbers, pressure to accomm
Asia Most At Risk for Natural Disasters: UN
1 Apr 2013 - 10:06 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
Geneva, switzerland — Asia has once again topped the United Nations’ list of the regions most a risk for natural disasters, both in terms of the number of disasters and the number of victims, according to a new report
Water Cooperation “Never Politically Neutral” Says New Policy Brief
29 Mar 2013 - 07:51 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
United Kingdom, BRIGHTON — The University of Sussex’ School of Global Studies this week released a policy briefing on water cooperation that investigates the claim from the United Nations and other international organizati
Poor Sanitation Costs Pakistan $4.2 Billion
27 Mar 2013 - 08:51 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS — Poor sanitation facilities in Pakistan cost the country over $4.2 billion USD per year, or 6.3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to figures released by the United Nations last
Asia-Pacific Forum Calls for Universal Water, Sanitation Targets by 2030
27 Mar 2013 - 07:16 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
BALI, Indonesia — Parliament members and civil society organizations in the Asia-Pacific region this week called for targets for universal water and sanitation access by 2030.
US Pledges $200 Million for Syrian Refugees in Jordan
26 Mar 2013 - 08:05 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
AMMAN, Jordan — US President Barack Obama on March 22 pledged $200 million USD in aid to Jordan to help the country deal with the influx of Syrian refugees.
GCC Forms Global Dry Land Alliance
25 Mar 2013 - 07:55 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
DOHA, Qatar — Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries plan to launch a global dry land alliance in 2014 to deal with water scarcity and food security in 51 countries, according to officials with the regional gr
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