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UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes
Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes
 
done at Helsinki on 17 March 1992
Task Force on Extreme Weather Events
under the Protocol on Water and Health

The Task Force on Extreme Weather Events was established by the first Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health ( Geneva, 17–19 January 2007) with the following mandate:

(a) Share experience on, and identify, relevant local/national good practices regarding the safe operation of water supply and sanitation facilities in urban and rural areas which are subject to the impact of short-term critical situations; and prepare guidelines to respond to short-term critical situations; and

(b) Draft a strategy paper on how to cope with the potential impact of climate change, and on adaptation and mitigation programmes for water supply and sanitation.

Further to this decision, the joint meeting of the bureaux of the Water Convention and the Protocol on Water and Health held on 13 September 2007 called for close cooperation and integration of the results of the activities carried out by this Task Force and the Task Force on Water and Climate established under the auspices of the Water Convention

The first meeting of the Task Force took place on 21-22 April 2008 in Rome, Italy. The Task Force considered implementation of its mandate related to preparation of guidelines on the safe operation of water supply and sanitation facilities in urban and rural areas in case of short term critical situations, and to preparation of a strategy paper on how to cope with the potential impact of climate change, and on adaptation and mitigation programmes for water supply and sanitation. The Task Force discussed, among other issues, cooperation with the Protocol’s Task Force on Surveillance and the Task Force on Water and Climate established under the Water Convention.

The meeting was open to experts from Parties and non-Parties to the Protocol representing governmental authorities, the private sector and non-governmental organizations as well as other interested stakeholders. In this respect, focal points are requested to facilitate nomination of relevant experts from their respective countries.

The documents, presentations and other material for this meeting can be found in the table below. They will be posted on this web-site as soon as they become available.

Documents
...
Agenda
Report  
Concept note for the Guidance on the environment and health aspects of water and adaptation to climate change
Guidance for discussion on item 6
Information notice on the Workshop on water and adaptation to climate change
Draft Guidance on water and climate adaptation
Eng Eng only
Guidance for reporting
Background Material  
Human health, IPCC
Using climate to predict infectious disease epidemics,WHO
Global climate change: implications for international public health policy, WHO
Global Health Impacts of Floods: Epidemiologic Evidence, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Emerging challenges-New Findings, GEO YEAR BOOK 2004/5
Newsletter of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, # 14, 2000
Climate change and food security; A framework Document, FAO
Presentations  
Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, Ms. Luciana Sinisi, Chairperson of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events
Work of the Task Force on Water and Climate, Mr. Jos Timmermanm, Centre for Water Management, Netherlands
Guidance document on Water and Climate adaptation, Mr. Jos Timmerman, Centre for Water Management, Netherlands
Work of the Task Force on Surveillance, Ms. Monica Francesca Blasi, Ms. Paola Meli, Mr. Mario Carere, Mr. Enzo Funari, National Institute of Health, Italy
Extreme weather, water and health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, European Centre for Environment and Health
Water, Climate Change and Health, Mr. R Aertgeerts, Regional adviser, water and sanitation, Co-secretary, Protocol on Water and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, European Centre for Environment and Health
Work on water and climate adaptation under the Water Convention and the Protocol on Water and Health, Ms. Francesca Bernardini, UNECE
Numerical models for the monitoring and forecasting of hydrological disasters triggered by extreme meteorological events, Ms. Gabriella Ceci, EuroMediterranean Centre for Climate Changes
Drinking-water outbreak due to karst water flood ing - e nvironmental-h ealth aspect, National Institute of Environmental Health, Budapest
Contribution to the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health – Italy 2009; Ms. Benedetta Dell'Anno, Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, Italy