Achim Steiner (UNDP) on Water - Opening of the…

This year's conference topic will be Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis. Water is central to the wellbeing of people and the planet. The availability of safe water and adequate sanitation is changing worldwide. Without effective management of our water resources, we risk intensifying disputes between communities and increasing tensions among nations. The 2019 UNIS-UN conference will examine the role of water in relation to sustainability and geopolitics. We will investigate how growing demands, climate change, and increasing pollution are affecting water security. In addition, we will consider the political and economic implications of mass migration due to flooding and drought, innovative solutions in cleaning up the ocean, and the consequences of ice melts in the Arctic on trade and travel. The conference will include two debates: day 1: "Climate migration is the biggest threat to worldwide political stability", and day 2:"Developed countries have a greater responsibility for the industrialization of developing countries because of their role in causing environmental damage". Debates are one of the many ways students from UNIS and visiting schools are able to interact and exchange ideas on pertinent world issues.