UN Days, Weeks and Years > International Decades

As well as the annual celebration of certain UN-designated days and weeks, we find ourselves in the midst of celebrating several on-going internationally-declared decades (proclaimed by the UN General Assembly). Often, an international decade is launched by either an international year or on an international day.

1993-2002	Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa
1993-2002	Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons
1993-2003	Third International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
1994-2003	International Decade for the World's Indigenous People (following 1993 International Year for World's Indigenous People)
1995-2004	United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education
1997-2006	United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (following 1996 International Year for the Eradication of Poverty)
2001-2010	International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (following 2000 International Year for the Culture of Peace)
2001-2010	Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism
2001-2010	Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa
2003-2012	United Nations Literacy Decade: Literacy for All (from 8 September 2003 - International Literacy Day)
2005-2014	Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People
2005-2014	United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
2005-2015	International Decade for Action, “Water for Life” (from 22 March 2005 - World Water Day)
2006-2015	Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions (relating to the Chernobyl disaster)
2008-2017	Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
2010-2019	United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification
2011-2020	United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety

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For further information, we suggest you visit the UN's Conferences and Events site. Specifically you should check out "Conferences and Observances" in the "Background Information" section. (As the UN changes the URL of this page at least once a year we choose not to give you a direct link that may soon become dated.)

WATER FOR FOOD - WATER FOR LIFE

 

Water for Food, Water for Life:  A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management is available

The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture critically evaluates the benefits, costs, and impacts of the past 50 years of water development, the water management challenges communities are facing today, and solutions people have developed. The results will enable better investment and management decisions in water and agriculture in the near future and over the next 50 years. The assessment is produced by a broad partnership of practitioners, researchers and policy makers.

Part I: Setting the Scene • Introduction • Conceptual Framework
Part II: Trends and Scenarios • Benefits, Costs and Challenges of Managing Water for Agriculture • Investment Options for the Future
Part III: Integrating Issues • Water for Food to Fight Poverty • Policy and Institutional Reform Processes for Sustainable Agricultural Water Management • Agriculture, Water and Ecosystems • Pathways to Improving Water Productivity
Part IV: Thematic Chapters • Managing Water in Rainfed Agriculture • Re-inventing Irrigation • Groundwater Use in Agriculture: A Global Assessment of Scale and Significance for Food, Livelihoods and Nature • Agricultural Use of Marginal-quality Water Resources Presents Opportunities and Challenges • Inland Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Productivity • Integrating Water and Livestock Development • Rice: Feeding the Billions While Providing Unique Ecosystem Services • Conserving Land—Protecting Water • River Basin Development and Management • References, Index

Summary in English. Click here to download (PDF 5MB)
Summary in Arabic. Click here to download (PDF 1MB)
Summary in Russian. Click here to download (PDF 2MB)
Summary in Spanish. Click here to download (PDF4MB)
Summary in French. Click here to download (PDF4MB)

Download the chapters 

• 1 Setting the scene (PDF 656KB)
  Authors: Jean-Marc Faurès, C. Max Finlayson, Habiba Gitay, David Molden, Lisa Schipper, and Domitille Vallée
• 2 Trends in water and agricultural development (PDF 3MB)
  Lead authors: David Molden, Karen Frenken, Randolph Barker, Charlotte de Fraiture, Bancy Mati, Mark Svendsen, Claudia Sadoff, C. Max Finlayson
• 3 Looking ahead to 2050: scenarios of alternative investment approaches (PDF 3MB)
  Coordinating lead authors: Charlotte de Fraiture and Dennis Wichelns
  Lead authors: Johan Rockström and Eric Kemp-Benedict
• 4 Reversing the flow: agricultural water management pathways for poverty reduction (PDF 2.5MB)
  Coordinating lead authors: Gina E. Castillo and Regassa E. Namara
  Lead authors: Helle Munk Ravnborg, Munir A. Hanjra, Laurence Smith, and Maliha H. Hussein
• 5 Policy and institutional reform: the art of the possible (PDF 1.5MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Douglas J. Merrey
  Lead authors: Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Peter P. Mollinga, and Eiman Karar
• 6 Agriculture, water, and ecosystems: avoiding the costs of going too far (PDF 3.4MB)
  Coordinating lead authors: Malin Falkenmark, C. Max Finlayson, and Line J. Gordon
• 7 Pathways for increasing agricultural water productivity (PDF 2MB)
  Coordinating lead authors: David Molden and Theib Y. Oweis
  Lead authors: Pasquale Steduto, Jacob. W. Kijne, Munir A. Hanjra, Prem S. Bindraban
• 8 Managing water in rainfed agriculture (PDF 2MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Johan Rockström
  Lead authors: Nuhu Hatibu, Theib Y. Oweis, and Suhas Wani
• 9 Reinventing irrigation (PDF 3.2MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Jean-Marc Faurès
  Lead authors: Mark Svendsen and Hugh Turral
• 10 Groundwater: a global assessment of scale and significance (PDF 1.6MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Tushaar Shah
  Lead authors: Jacob Burke and Karen Villholth
• 11 Agricultural use of marginal-quality water—opportunities and challenges (PDF 1.5MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Manzoor Qadir
  Lead authors: Dennis Wichelns, Liqa Raschid-Sally, Paramjit Singh Minhas, Pay Drechsel, Akiça Bahri, and Peter McCornick
• 12 Inland fisheries and aquaculture (1.6MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Patrick Dugan
  Lead authors: Vasu V. Sugunan, Robin L. Welcomme, Christophe Béné, Randall E. Brummett, and Malcolm C.M. Beveridge
• 13 Water and livestock for human development (PDF 1.8MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Don Peden
  Lead authors: Girma Tadesse and A.K. Misra
• 14 Rice: feeding the billions (PDF 1.7MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Bas Bouman
  Lead authors: Randolph Barker, Elizabeth Humphreys, and To Phuc Tuong
• 15 Conserving land—protecting water (PDF 1.7MB)
  Coordinating lead author: Deborah Bossio
  Lead authors: William Critchley, Kim Geheb, Godert van Lynden, and Bancy Mati
• 16 River basin development and management (PDF 2.7MB)
  Coordinating lead author: François Molle
  Lead authors: Philippus Wester and Phil Hirsch

Asian Irrigation Forum

Asian Irrigation Forum

ASIAN IRRIGATION FORUM 2012 -Manila, Philippines : 11 April 2012 - 13 April 2012

Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. 
 CA water for Food, Water for Life Briefs