Side event title:
From Freshwater Ecosystem Conservation to Green Water Preservation:
Towards a Broader Understanding of the Global Hydrological Cycle
Co-organizers:
- French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- French Water Partnership
Description of the session:
As the role of green water in the global hydrological cycle, particularly in rainfall patterns, is
increasingly recognized, this event will highlight the interconnections between biodiversity
preservation and water resilience. Building on the report of the Global Commission on the
Economics of Water presented at the One Water Summit, recent initiatives (cooperation on
ecosystems conservation and restoration in transboundary basins, Freshwater Challenge, etc)
and the IPBES Nexus Assessment, this side event will showcase efforts to preserve ecosystems
in order to ensure the sustainable management of water resources — both in quality and quantity
— and explore its interdependencies with other major global crises, including climate, health
and food security.
Objectives:
This side event will aim to :
- Emphasize the importance of integrating green water considerations into global water
governance and further incorporating water-related issues into global biodiversity
efforts, in the lead-up to the 2nd United Nations Conference on Water (Abu Dhabi,
December 2026) and COP17 in Armenia. - Strengthen synergies between the “Biodiversity” and “Water” agendas through a Nexus
approach to hydrological and ecological issues.Key questions this session will address :
- How can the findings of the IPBES Nexus Assessment be applied to strengthen the
preservation of the global hydrological cycle, focusing on water-related ecosystems, but
also on green water – including through wetland preservation -? - In what ways can initiatives at the international level such as the Freshwater Challenge,
or at regional levels, such as cooperation on ecosystems conservation and restoration in
transboundary basins contribute to protecting the hydrological cycle, also safeguarding
green water, and addressing interlinked challenges across biodiversity, food security,
health, and climate? - What opportunities exist to integrate Nexus-based recommendations and the recognition
of the hydrological cycle as a global common good into upcoming international
processes such as COP17 in Armenia and the 2nd UN Water Conference in 2026? - How did the outcomes of the most recent Ramsar COP contribute to advancing these
objectives?
Participating Countries:
o France – Represented by Barbara Pompili, Ambassador for the Environment
NGO and IO Partners:
o IPBES – David Obura, Chair
o Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – Musonda Mumba, Secretary
General
o French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) – Cyrille Barnerias, Director of European and
International Relations
o French Water Partnership – Marie-Laure Vercambre, Director General,
o WWF – Zambia, Nalucha Bernadette Nganga-Ziba, Country Director