The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wansup) announced that it will jointly publish and release with UNESCO the National Water Assessment Implementation Guidelines. The guidelines mark the first step toward UNESCO’s Water Sciences Report, which is expected to have influence comparable to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports.

The Water Sciences Report, which UNESCO aims to publish by 2032, is a report that comprehensively evaluates water quality, hydrology, and ecology around the world through scientific assessment. It undergoes intergovernmental verification and serves as a foundational resource for international policy discussions. In particular, the Report is expected to attain a status comparable to that of the United Nations’ IPCC Assessment Reports. 

The National Water Assessment Implementation Guidelines, jointly published by South Korea and UNESCO, serve as the starting point for the Water Sciences Report. Aimed at UNESCO member states, the guidelines introduce comprehensive methods and procedures for conducting national water assessments. Beginning with national water assessments and progressing through transboundary basin assessments, the ultimate goal is to publish the international-level Water Sciences Report, providing scientific evidence and policy directions to support decision-making by countries and international organizations.

The National Water Assessment Implementation Guidelines present a total of nine procedural steps: 1) setting vision and goals, 2) problem identification, 3) data collection, 4) modeling, 5) risk indicators, 6) analysis and report writing, 7) verification and reanalysis, and 8) information sharing and communication. The guidelines are scheduled to be released this week on the website of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) National Committee of the Republic of Korea (ihpkorea.or.kr).

The Ministry of Environment has participated in UNESCO’s leading group of countries on this agenda since its conceptual stage for the preparation of the National Water Assessment Implementation Guidelines. At the 2023 UN Water Conference (March 2023), the Minister of Environment hosted a high-level meeting to express the government’s commitment to actively leading this agenda within the international community.

Since then, the Ministry of Environment has established a cooperative relationship with UNESCO by forming an expert consultative body and conducting joint research. As a result, at the 26th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Council of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) in June 2024, South Korea was introduced as a leading country, and the Pre-feasibility Study for the UNESCO Water Sciences Report was adopted as a resolution by the Council.

Meanwhile, prior to the joint publication of the National Water Assessment Implementation Guidelines, in March of this year, Professor Lee Joo-heon of Joongbu University (Vice Chair of UNESCO IHP National Committee of the Republic of Korea) was elected as co-chair of the pre-feasibility study task force, which is composed of international experts.* This has laid the foundation for South Korea to continue playing a leading role in the water assessment agenda.

* 12 member states, 6 UNESCO Water Family members, 3 from the scientific community, and 3 from UN agencies (WMO, UNEP, FAO)

This is also the result of Minister of Environment Kim Wansup’s meeting in early March with Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences. During the meeting, he expressed South Korea’s intention to contribute to the Water Sciences Report and requested support for Professor Lee Joo-heon, who is serving as a technical advisory member for UNESCO’s science-based national water assessments.

Going forward, the Ministry of Environment plans to have experts in Korea-a leader in water management-participate in piloting the development of the Korea Water Sciences Report within this year, and to continuously expand outcomes by sharing water assessment methodologies with UNESCO member states.

Kim Hyo-jung, Director General of Water Use Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, “The newly published National Water Assessment Implementation Guidelines will serve as an important standard for the future publication of the Water Sciences Report.” She added, “By actively participating in this agenda, which is expected to have influence in the water sector comparable to that of the IPCC assessment reports, we aim to enhance South Korea’s international standing in future intergovernmental consultations.”

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