The GEF SGP International Waters Resource Guide has been prepared as a readily accessible resource source for International Waters information. This resource guide was designed for the use of National Coordinators, National Steering Committees, NGOs, and other constituencies interested in working with GEF SGP on IW issues.

International Waters Concept
Marine and freshwater systems, including surface water and groundwater, constitute the world's water resources; these provide drinking water, sustenance, income, transportation routes and other amenities to populations across the world. The majority of the earth's water resources are shared by two or more countries, within the GEF context, the term "international waters" refers to the following: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed seas and estuaries, in addition to rivers, lakes, groundwater systems, and wetlands with drainage basins that overlap or share borders.

The GEF International Waters Focal Area
IW targets transboundary water systems, such as river basins with water flowing from one country to another, groundwater resources shared by several countries, or marine ecosystems bounded by more than one nation. Some of the issues addressed are: transboundary water pollution, over-extraction of groundwater resources, unsustainable exploitation of fisheries, protection of fisheries habitats, invasive species, and balancing competing uses of water resources.

International Waters Issues
Poorly managed and careless human activity is threatening shared water resources internationally and across sectors endangering the livelihoods of billions of people who depend on them.  Major threats include sea and land-based pollution, depletion of freshwater resources, habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and over-harvesting of living and non-living aquatic resources.

Addressing these threats requires GEF projects in the international waters focal area to aim at achieving a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach to the sustainable management of international waters and to incorporate both developmental and ecological needs. Action programs take remedial and preventive approaches to restore and maintain the proper functioning of critical shared water-bodies and foster sustainable resource use. Rather than an international waters convention, regional and international agreements often provide guidance and the legal framework for developing projects in this GEF focal area.

GEF SGP role in international waters
SGP contributes to the protection of international waters through support to initiatives led by community groups and non-government organisations that prevent degradation of water-bodies shared by two or more countries. Promoting innovative local solutions to marine and freshwater environmental problems, SGP works with communities living near threatened water-bodies to prevent the release of harmful substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (known as POPs) and heavy metals that cannot be neutralized by marine and freshwater ecosystems, or that accumulate in living organisms. SGP focuses its support for community-led international waters projects on three areas:

• Addressing seriously threatened water-bodies and transboundary threats to their ecosystems, such as pollution, overexploitation of living and non-living resources, habitat degradation, and non-indigenous species,
• Using integrated approaches to land and water resource management to prevent the degradation of international waters,
• Overcoming barriers to the adoption of best practices to limit contamination of international waters.

Complementing medium and large size GEF projects, SGP allocates grants of up to $50,000 directly to nongovernmental and community-based organisations to help citizens and communities restore and maintain critical shared water-bodies and foster their sustainable use while generating livelihoods. Advocacy promoting increased awareness of international waters issues are important components of SGP’s work.

Next: Project Planning