As you can read in these pages, lots of you are already actively seeking solutions to the world’s water problems, but we all have a part to play. It can be as simple as not leaving the tap running while you wash your teeth, taking a shorter shower than usual or sharing a small bath, and applying the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle – in everything you do. It takes around 3,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans, while it takes 1,500 litres to grow enough cotton for a t-shirt. So make your clothes last longer – and when they wear out, consider garments made from less thirsty crops like linen, hemp or even nettles.

Rio+20 in June 2012 provides the rare opportunity to address sustainable development issues in a unique global setting. In order to address the complex, severe and interconnected challenges that the world is facing, all actors must work together. This paper makes concrete proposals how to involve Local Government Organizations (LGOs) in a strengthened UNEP. LGOs have significant power in environmental matters and thus can help to implement global agreements, shape policy, and ultimately contribute to safeguarding global common goods. Each Local Government can only act locally, but when united and working together through global LGOs, the accumulated impact is significant and should be harnessed by the UN and its members states by meaningfully involving LGOs in a strengthened UNEP. A summary of the proposals made in this paper can be found in the conclusion.

The UNEP magazine for youth