Each year, the
United Nations allocates a calendar theme to bring a cause of international
significance to the limelight and give certain issues the kind of attention
they deserve. It is not uncommon for a year to share two or more related
themes. 2012 for instance was the International Year of Cooperatives and the
International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. 2013 has been declared
International Year of Quinoa and International Year of Water Co-operation.
The
International Year of Water Co-operation recognizes that ‘water is critical for
sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the eradication
of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable for human health and well-being.’ In
a release, the UN states that 2013 will focus on ‘lessons that can be learned
from successful water co-operation initiatives. It will also emphasize key
water management issues such as water education; water diplomacy; sharing of
water resources across national and community borders; and national and
international legal frameworks on the use, and sharing of water.’ World Water
Day celebrations on March 22 and World Water Week in August will be devoted to
the theme of water co-operation around the world.
According to the UN ‘the
objective of this International Year is to raise awareness, both on the
potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water
management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and
services. The Year will highlight the history of successful water cooperation
initiatives, as well as identify burning issues on water education, water
diplomacy, trans-boundary water management, financing cooperation,
national/international legal frameworks, and the linkages with the Millennium
Development Goals’. It also will provide an opportunity to capitalize on the
momentum created at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20), and to support the formulation of new objectives that will contribute
towards developing water resources that are truly sustainable.
Similarly, The International Year
of Quinoa (pronounced kéen-wa) aims to focus world attention on the
‘nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of quinoa,’ a seed
originally cultivated for food in the Andes, primarily in Peru, Bolivia, and
Ecuador. The main objective of designating 2013 as the International Year of
Quinoa (IYQ) is to raise awareness of how quinoa can provide nutrition,
increase food security, and help to eradicate poverty around the world. Complimenting
this year’s theme; the United Nations has released an IYQ slogan: ’a future
planted thousands of years ago’ recognizing the contribution of the Andean
indigenous people as the original custodians of quinoa. Thanks to their
traditional knowledge and practices of living well in harmony with mother earth
and nature the Andean people have been able to maintain, control, protect and
preserve quinoa as food for present and future generations.
Quinoa is gluten free and
contains high-quality protein, complete with all essential amino acids. The
crop appears to adapt to different ecologies, making it easy to grow in a
variety of climates and soils. According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the UN, ‘Quinoa has a remarkable adaptability to different
agro-ecological regions. It can grow at relative humidity from 40% to 88%, and
withstands temperatures from -4 ° C to 38 ° C. It is a highly water efficient
plant, is tolerant and resistant to a lack of soil moisture, and produces
acceptable yields with rainfall of 100 to 200 mm.’ Quinoa’s nutritional
importance and adaptability propose great potential in areas where ecological
conditions do not readily support other food crops, and in regions of the world
where animal protein is not significantly featured in the diet. It can grow under the harshest conditions,
withstanding temperatures from -8 ° C to 38 ° C, it can be grown from sea level
up to 4000 meters above sea level and it can withstand drought and poor soils.
It is absolutely
imperative that there be awareness raised on both these issues that have been
recognized by the United Nations.
Senel Wanniarachchi- UNIC Colombo
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