(AGENPARL) – Fri 28 March 2025 Celebration to mark 30th anniversary of global water information system AQUASTAT
FAO-hosted event includes a briefing with UN-Water on the UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation
📍 Sheikh Zayed Centre, FAO Headquarters, Rome + Online | 4 April 2025 | 09:00–10:30 CEST
As part of its year-long 80th anniversary celebrations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will host a high-level event on 4 April 2025 to mark the 30th anniversary of AQUASTAT, FAO’s global water information system, and to present, together with UN-Water, the UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation.
Why this event matters
Launched in the 1990s, AQUASTAT is FAO’s global water information system, covering more than 150 countries and offering comprehensive, comparable data on water resources, agricultural water use, irrigation, infrastructure and policies. It supports governments, researchers and development partners in designing evidence-based strategies and has become a key reference for global water monitoring.
AQUASTAT plays a central role in tracking progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6.4, which focuses on improving water use efficiency and reducing water stress. Its success is grounded in long-standing cooperation with FAO Member Nations, which contribute data and expertise to the system.
The event will also feature the presentation of the UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation, the first coordinated UN-wide framework to guide collective efforts on water and sanitation. Developed under the leadership of UN-Water, the Strategy emphasizes shared priorities in governance, institutional capacity, and data — and highlights FAO’s role in advancing sustainable water management in agriculture and supporting the global water agenda.
Programme highlights
The event will open with remarks by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Alvaro Lario, Chair of UN-Water and President of IFAD, followed by statements from Permanent Representatives to the Rome-based UN agencies. A short cultural segment will precede a series of focused presentations, including a video on FAO’s work with AQUASTAT.
Presentations will cover AQUASTAT’s evolution, its role in SDG 6.4 monitoring, and its use in global water reporting efforts. The UN-Water briefing on the UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation will be presented during the session, followed by insights on FAO’s contribution to UN-Water and global water governance.
The event will conclude with a short Q&A and closing remarks by Lifeng Li, Director of the FAO Land and Water Division.
Media Access
The event is open to journalists. For more information or to request interviews with FAO experts, please contact:
Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. The event will be webcast live here.
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📌30th anniversary of AQUASTAT
📌 AQUASTAT
📌 UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation
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The high-level event will be webcast live from FAO Headquarters on 4 April 2025, 09:00–10:30 CEST. Follow it here.
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