A global system to monitor management of water resources would help governments secure food and water supplies for the future, a U.N. expert due to attend the World Water Weekconference later this month has told AlertNet.

“There’s demand for a global reporting mechanism that will help us see what is the status of water security and how water is used around the world as a resource, whether in agriculture, industrial production or any other way,” said Joakim Harlin, senior water resources advisor for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Fallout from the financial crisis is hampering efforts to prevent climate change, Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, told AlertNet in New York on Monday.

While some people are struggling financially, “the crisis is being used as an excuse by people who probably were never too convinced — or never really wanted to allocate resources to fighting climate change and to promote biodiversity,” he said.