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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 1992

Vol. 415 No. 8

Written Answers. - Conference on Water and the Environment.

Phil Hogan

Question:

348 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline the decisions which were made at the International Conference on Water and the Environment which was held in Dublin from 26 to 31 January 1992.

The International Conference on Water and the Environment adopted a comprehensive statement on freshwater entitled, The Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development. A copy of the statement is available in the Oireachtas Library.

The Conference report, which will be available very shortly, sets out recommendations for action at local, national and international levels, based on four guiding principles set out in the Dublin statement:

Principle No. 1— Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and the environment.

Principle No. 2— Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policy-makers at all levels.

Principle No. 3— Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water.

Principle No. 4— Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognised as an economic good.

Based on these four guiding principles, the conference participants developed recommendations to enable countries to tackle their water resources problems on a wide range of fronts. The main matters covered by these recommendations are: alleviation of poverty and disease; protection against natural disasters; water conservation and reuse; sustainable urban development; agricultural production and rural water supply; protecting aquatic ecosystems and resolving water conflicts.
Both the Dublin statement and the Conference report will be studied at the Fourth UNCED Preparatory Committee meeting in March with a view to supporting the preparation of a strong freshwater chapter in Agenda 21 — the action agenda to be adopted at UNCED in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.
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