water at a crossroad

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ADAPTING TO A NEW CLIMATE ENERGY AND FOOD CRUNCH BEYOND TOILETS AND TARGETS WATER FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY?

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Page 1: Water At A Crossroad

ADAPTING TO A NEW CLIMATE

ENERGY AND FOOD CRUNCH

BEYOND TOILETS AND TARGETS

WATER FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY?

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4 Preface

6 A Groundbreaking Event

12 Adapting to Climate Change:The Time is Now

18 Before Disasters Strike

24 The Water, Food and Energy Nexus:Breaking New Ground

30 2015 is around the corner!Are we prepared?

36 Weathering a “Perfect Storm”

42 The Governance Challenge

48 Beyond Water Wars: Pledges for Hydro-Solidarity

52 The Right Debate

5 8 Unlocking the Data Treasure Chest

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Water is life” is said inevery language in theworld. And yet, wateris threatened today:

rampant demographic growth, anarchicurbanisation, disturbed climate,pollution, etc. These threats are causedby humans and their erratic behaviour,which is water’s primary enemy.

We are, thus, confronted by a major challenge: the demand forwater is ever-increasing and, at the same time, we must protect,value, stock and even re-use water resources. We must establish harmonious sharing of water between man and nature.

Sharing water is a difficult task and an essentially politicalresponsibility, for the future of water depends not only ontechnological progress, but especially on political commitments.

Beyond the some 25,000 participants present at the Forum of Istanbul and all those throughout the world who, over the courseof three years, contributed to its preparation, the active participationof numerous Heads of State and Government and hundreds ofministers, parliamentarians and mayors constitutes a majorstep for the cause of water. It marks the passage, within theinternational community, from hydro-technical to hydro-political.

Water demands the attention, respect and engagement of all theworld’s leaders. For a long time to come, they will be solicited toincrease the volume of available water to respond to the needsof global growth. For a long time to come, rivers, lakes andunderground aquifers will be stretched a little further to quenchthe ever-increasing thirst of the planet.

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But to increase indefinitely the water supply is expensive, particularlyin the actual context of climate evolution, economic crisis andincreased energy costs. Increasing supply puts natural surroundingsat risk when humans confuse a response to essential needs withthe pillage of hydrological riches.

We can no longer accept to continue to spend more money onproducing water that we then waste and dirty.

We must say it again loudly and clearly, as we did in Istanbul: Thetime of easy water is over.

Today, it is up to Humankind to build bridges, bridges that are asmany sustainable, useful and federating solutions. Bridges thatbring the shores of knowledge, law, money and governance closer together.

This is all possible if only political leaders and all of civil society mobilizes itself and speaks with one single voice that echoesthroughout the world to ensure good quality water in the long termfor future generations. And beyond theories and discourse,to concretely implement the right to access to water and sanitationas a right that is integral to respect for human dignity.

The 5th World Water Forum, by gathering intelligence, culturesand hearts, brought its stone to the edifice. It contributed to spreadingthese ideas and to bringing people together so that the house ofwater may be built in tolerance and solidarity.

With Turkey, with the entire international community, the WorldWater Council will continue to promote this cause.

Loïc FauchonPresident of the World Water Council

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Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

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A GROUNDBREAKINGEVENT

For many reasons, 2009 will be a turning point in human history. At the dawnof a new era, the 5th World Water Forum marked the rise of a new paradigm,a turning from the production-oriented to the eco-oriented, where the wholeis greater than the sum of its parts. The 5th World Water Forum was in manyways a groundbreaking event, featuring:

■ Approximately 16 000 engaged participants and over 30 000 total participants including those in the Fair/Expo:representatives of national and local governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, water operators, business & industry, indigenous groups, youth, and the media;

■ Active participation of people from 182 countries;■ 1 300 political process participants: 165 delegations, 90 ministers and 19 undersecretaries, over 250 parliamentarians,

over 300 mayors and local officials;■ 106 thematic sessions prepared by more than 400 organizations;■ 5 high level panels;■ 7 regional processes;■ 1000 press representatives producing 2000 international articles/features.

Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

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A GROUNDBREAKING EVENT

The 5th World Water Forum succeeded in gauging the com-mitments of political leaders to take up action on water:

> Ministers adopted the MinisterialStatement. A Water Guide, was alsodrafted during the preparatory processto address the global challenges relatedto water within the context of sustai-nable development and global changes.It includes commitments, for example,to intensify efforts to achieve MDGtargets, implement IWRM and infor-mation sharing at the river-basin leveland prevent and respond to water-related disasters.

> A number of Mayors signed the Istanbul Water Consensus (IWC), a new compact for Local and RegionalAuthorities committed to adaptingtheir water infrastructure and servicesto the emerging challenges they are facing, such as climate change, rapidurban growth, depletion and pollutionof water resources or aging infrastruc-ture. The 58 signatories of the IWCcommited to prepare action plans toanalyse and cope with these challenges.Ten major cities will continue to buildon the momentum generated thus faron specific issues, in their special roleas “champion cities” for the IWC.

> Parliamentarians agreed upon the establishment of a permanent interna-tional Parliamentary “Helpdesk” toaid political cooperation on water legislation and its implementation. It will serve to:

• Coordinate: Guide responsibilityfor enacting water and sanitationlaws;

• Showcase: Share best globalpractices and water-related legislation;

• Respond: Quickly answer urgentquestions;

• Link: Unite all parties in a globally cooperative inter-Parliamentarian network.

> Heads of State from a select numberof countries launched a broad-basedAppeal for Action, which seeks to promote water security, climateadaptability and international solidaritythrough a more strategic use of theworld’s most precious resource, water.

Other important achievements included highlighting key issues on the global water agenda that require a multi-stakeholder response.These were addressed through anumber of High Level Panels:

> Environment Ministers and leadersfrom intergovernmental organisations,local government and civil society, representing different perspectives, expressed their common desire for theclimate and water families to workmore closely together. A MinisterialAction Plan will carry the Forum’smessages on water and climate changeinto the UNFCCC process and COP-15discussions.

> In light of the recent financial crisis,decision-makers on the High LevelPanel on Finance provided options onhow to increase the overall funding forthe water sector, at a time of increasingsocial, economic and environmentalchallenges. The panel recommendedthat investment in water infrastructure

World Water Development Report Launch.

Opening of the Thematic Sessions.

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be included in the fiscal stimuluspackages currently being developed to address the economic crisis.

> The High-Level Expert Panel onWater and Disaster identified six specific priorities and 40 action guide-lines to prevent, prepare for, manageand recover from water-related disasters.These are presented in Water and Disaster, the report of the Panel thatwas launched and debated at theForum. Panellists called on the governments of all nations to endorseand adopt those measures immediately.

> The Forum brought together representatives from the water, agri-culture and energy sectors to reflectupon humankind’s rising demands forfood and energy, which are depletingour water supplies. Recognising theunderdeveloped understanding of thewater, food and energy nexus, panellistsexpressed their desire to continue working with the World Water Councilto develop further guidance for morecoordinated management in this domain.

> The 3rd UN World Water DevelopmentReport, released during the Forumweek, made it clear that targets toprovide access to safe sanitation arenot being met. Panellists set out thedaunting challenges of megacities andpollution in industrialized areas andcoastal zones. They urged developmentagencies to move beyond the traditionalparadigm of water-borne sewage and flush toilets to explore creative approaches that employ diverse,appropriate technology and policies.

Hundreds of organisations andthousands of participants joined theconversation around the six leadingthemes of the Forum:

> Participants at the 5th World WaterForum concluded that good adaptationmeasures for climate change and disasters are critical. To do so, morework is needed to continue to dovetailefforts before crises arise. A clear

message emerged that water is the medium through which climatechange acts. Participants recommendedworking on “hotspots” and channellingthe 5th World Water Forum outcomesinto the UNFCCC CoP15 process, aswell as other international processes.

> Forum participants agreed that riverbasin organizations offer a vehiclethrough which a range of partners canwork together. They recommendedthat IWRM be practiced at differentscales to be helpful in allocating waterappropriately. Strong action was recommended to follow-up with theimplementation of IWRM.

> A wide majority of stakeholdersreaffirmed support for the right towater and sanitation and supportedfurther efforts for its implementation.Participants defined 10 priority issuesfor catalyzing institutional change and policies. In an effort to addresscorruption issues, participants calledfor the creation of an international tribunal to address violations and launched an appeal to incorporateanti-corruption safeguards into projectdesigns.

Opening of the Thematic Sessions.

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A GROUNDBREAKING EVENT

> Forum participants recognised thatfinancing needs for the water sectorare still enormous and remain a majorconstraint for further development.They agreed that funds need to be allocated where they can have the biggest impact and require supportfrom both the public and private sector. Participants also recognisedthat although a higher priority for

water should still be requested in national budgets, increased efficiencyand greater innovation can actually reduce financing needs.

> With a view to strengthening scienceand education, participants draftedguiding principles for water education,knowledge and capacity development.Both youth and network associations

were recognized as powerful agentsfor change in this domain, especiallyin the advent of new technologies thatwill improve interconnectedness in future water management strategies.Partners also committed to improvethe organization and availability ofwater-related data, building upon existing systems.

Children's Forum...

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Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange and Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan at the opening Ceremony.

Seven Regional Preparatory Processes,culminating in panel presentations andother activities at the 5th World WaterForum, provided rich contributions to both the political and thematic outcomes of the Forum. These processeswere important catalysts for mobilizingstakeholders, promoting cooperationand impacting political decision-makingin their regions. Organisers and parti-

cipants committed to organize regionalpreparatory fora in the future to supportcontinued progress on water issues inlocal contexts.

Despite the general economic crisis,the attendance of the 5th World WaterForum in record numbers clearly showedhow water issues are gaining politicalmomentum. In the near future, it will

be even more important to open updialogues and bring stakeholders together to compare notes, learn fromeach other and agree upon a commonway forward. ■

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ADAPTING TO

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Rising global temperatures are changing our climate and affecting our water.The signs are all there-extreme weather events, rising sea levels, increasingfloods, melting glaciers and severe droughts throughout the world.

CLIMATE CHANGE: THE TIME IS NOW

We are all responsible,”Loïc Fauchon, Presidentof the World WaterCouncil, told participants

attending the 5th World Water Forum.“Responsible for the current climatechanges, responsible for the tensionswhich reduce the availability of fresh-water that is indispensable to the survivalof humanity.”

According to the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC), the linksbetween water and climate change areundeniable, with water predicted to bethe primary medium through whichearly climate change impacts will be felt by people, ecosystems and economies. Moreover, these climatechange impacts will compound other

existing pressures on water resources,such as population growth, land-usechange and changes in consumptionpatterns.

Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

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In Istanbul, climate change was evokedin every theme at the Forum, fromhow it will impact the achievement ofthe MDGs, to how management, governance and financing strategiesshould deal with its effects or howemerging technologies might help anticipate consequences. To preparefor climate change and withstand theshocks of a changing planet, the worldwill need to adapt and put more resilientwater management systems in place.Where energy production and usestand at the centre of climate changemitigation, water abstraction and usewill be key to adapting to climatechange. Climate adaptation thus translates, to a large extent, into wateradaptation.

When the international community gathers in Copenhagen in December2009 to formulate a new global climatedeal, adaptation and the role of watershould form a central part of theagenda. This was one of the main recommendations emanating from the5th World Water Forum.

Bridging the mitigation-adaptationdivide

While much of the climate change discussion has typically been centredon mitigation measures, i.e. reductionof greenhouse gas emissions, particularlythrough reducing energy use andswitching to cleaner energy sources,now, the international community isincreasingly turning its attention toadaptation measures.

“While there is scientific consensusthat we need to prevent emissions ofgreenhouse gases,” said Lindiwe Benedicta Hendricks, South Africa’sMinister of Water Affairs and Forestry,during the High-Level Panel on Climate Change, “we have to do both,mitigation and adaptation, to respondto the challenges.” Hendricks andmany others stressed that mitigationdoes not have to come at the expenseof adaptation, or vice versa; they are,in fact, two sides of the same coin.

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ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE TIME IS NOW

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“We are all responsible--responsible for the current climate changes, responsible

for the tensions which reduce the availability of freshwater that is indispensable

to the survival of humanity.” Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council.

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“Preparedness is needed for a new anddynamic climate, instead of the climatewe’re used to,” added Mark Smith,Head of IUCN’s Water Programmeand a World Water Council Governor.“Because of the expected impacts ofclimate change on water, adaptation of the way water is managed and theinfrastructure used to store and drainwater and deliver water services is a highpriority.”

Areas more vulnerable to the impactsof climate change-such as small islands,arid zones, low-lying, densely populatedcoasts and river deltas, and mountainareas affected by glacier melt-shouldbe identified and protected. “It isimportant to focus on these hotspots,”noted Henk van Schaik of the Co-ope-rative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC) and Coordinator ofthe 5th World Water Forum’s climatechange topic. “These areas should bethe priority areas for national, regionaland international adaptation policiesand investments.”

Indeed, nearly all of the Forum’sseven regional processes highlightedclimate change as a priority issue fortheir region, and one that needs to bediscussed in the context of regionalspecificities. In addition to focusing onclimate change in each of the regional

reports and sessions, a panel dialogueon regional perspectives on water,adaptation and climate offered the opportunity to compare and contrastclimate change issues and approachesbetween each of the regions, which,in the end, fit together like puzzlepieces to form a global picture of climate change challenges in theworld.

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ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE TIME IS NOW

Show me the money!

But what sources of funding can beutilised to implement adaptation measures, especially considering thecurrent global financial crisis? Thisquestion was raised in discussionsthroughout the Forum.

According to studies by the secretariatof the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) and others, the additionalinvestment and financial flows neededto adapt to climate change are likelyto amount to tens of billions of dollarsannually for the coming decades.Some estimate that adaptation costscould be as much as US$530 billionfrom now until 2030. At present, theGlobal Environmental Facility (GEF)offers the largest source of funding-about US$180 million for adaptationprojects. The World Bank is also establishing a climate investment fundin which donors have recently pledgedover US$6 billion.

But even if funding becomes available,some participants asked how theselending institutions and governmentaid programmes will ensure that the adaptation funds are used most effectively. How should these funds bechanneled so that they can reach thosemost in need? Which proposals aremost likely to generate an adequateand predictable flow of funds?

Generating Political Momentum

In light of so much uncertainty, it is often difficult to convince decision-makers to act. “Inaction isnot an option,” stressed William Cosgrove, a former president of theWorld Water Council and currentContent Coordinator of the recentlylaunched Third World Water Deve-lopment Report (WWDR-3). “Do not wait for things to happen, actnow while preparing for an uncertain future. Leaders in the water domainand decision makers outside it mustwork together to address adaptation.”

If the 5th World Water Forum is any indication, decision-makers, are, indeed, aware of the importance of climate change on the internationalagenda. Politicians at every leveladdressed climate change during the Forum. Heads of State specificallyidentified climate change as a force to contend with and called urgently for adaptation strategies. Ministersdeveloped their body of work aroundthe overarching theme of “GlobalChanges”, including climate change.Local and regional authorities calledon national governments to anticipateclimate change-related effects into the design of infrastructure at the locallevel.

Parliamentarians called on developedcountries to reduce their productionof greenhouse gases and encouragedlinking water to climate through theConference of the Parties (COP)process.

Government representatives taking partin a ministerial roundtable discussionat the Forum on bridging the waterand climate agendas also came to agreement on the increasing importanceof adaptation. In order for countries to become more “climate proof”, theyhighlighted the need to furtherenhance scientific knowledge, coope-ration, monitoring and early warningcapacities.

They emphasized that governments should work to identify and establish new financing mechanisms for adap-tation so that vulnerable communities,especially in developing countries,will have the resources and supportthey need to protect themselves fromthe worst impacts of climate change.

“Water plays a crucial role in adapta-tion,” concluded Tineke Huizinga, Deputy Minister for Transport andWater of the Netherlands and co-chairof the ministerial roundtable on waterand climate change. “Without cross-sectoral cooperation, we won’t be ableto meet our goals for the future. The water community needs to speakwith one voice and agree on puttingadaptation on national agendas at Copenhagen.”

“Inaction is not an option. Do not wait for things

to happen, act now whilepreparing for an uncertain

future. Leaders in thewater domain and

decision makers outside it must work together

to address adaptation.”

William Cosgrove, former president of the World Water Council

and current Content Coordinator of the Third World Water

Development Report (WWRD-3).

Lindiwe Benedicta Hendricks, South Africa’s Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry.

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“Without cross-sectoral cooperation, we won’tbe able to meet our goals for the future. The water communityneeds to speak with one voice and agree on putting adaptation on national agendas at Copenhagen.”

Tineke Huizinga, Deputy Minister for Transport and Water of the Netherlands.

Tineke Huizinga, Deputy Minister for Transport and Water of the Netherlands.

High-Level Panel on Water and Climate Change.

Perspectives on Water and Climate Change Adaptation - New Publication Series.

CPWC has coordinated the production of 16 papers on Water and Climate Change Adaptation, producedtogether with the World Water Council, IUCN and IWA.

The perspectives offer various thematic, geographical and sectoral points of view on water and climate change adaptation. All Perspective Papers, together with the “Introduction, Summary and Key Messages” document, can be found in English,Spanish and French at: http://www.waterandclimate.org/index.php?id=5thWorldWaterForumpublications810

In addition to these 17 digital documents, a synthesis document, “Towards a Framework for Climate Proofing”, is also available in printed form.

From Istanbul to Copenhagen

A major opportunity for the water andclimate communities to come togetherwill be at the UN Climate ChangeConference in Copenhagen in December2009. It is here that the water andadaptation issue can and should be raised, according to a general consensusreached at the 5th World Water Forumin Istanbul. “Adaptation must be an integral part of the global deal that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol,” emphasized Ger Bergkamp, DirectorGeneral of the World Water Council.“The time has come to integrate theadaptation and mitigation agendas. A coordinated focus on water willbridge the old climate change divides,empower people to reduce their vulnerability, and strengthen nationalresilience both now and during the tumultuous years ahead.” ■

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BEFORE DISASTERSSTRIKENatural disasters can happen anywhere, at any time - from the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, from massive floodsin Europe and earthquakes in China to Australia’sworst drought in 100 years.

Even as participants gathered atthe 5th World Water Forum inIstanbul, an earthquake off the small island nation of

Tonga triggered a tsunami in the SouthPacific. Fortunately, there were noreports of injuries or coastal damage,but inhabitants of a crowded urbanarea outside Jakarta, Indonesia, werenot so lucky when heavy rains causeda large dam to burst at 2:00 AM lessthan one week after the Forum. Everyyear, hundreds of millions of people

are affected by natural disasters, causingfatalities and billions of dollars worthof damage. In 2008 alone, 321 disasters

killed more than 235,000 people andcost US$181 billion, according to reports released at the 5th World WaterForum.

Unfortunately, the trend shows no signsof slowing down. Hydro-meteorologicaldisasters, contrary to geological ones,have become ever more devastating in recent decades. And it is not unrea-sonable to conclude that an increasinglycrowded planet and climate change arethe culprits of this escalation. The tollin lives and livelihoods will only worsenif the issue is not brought to the fore-front of the global agenda. 19

Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

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During the 5th World Water Forum,stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific regionwere instrumental in calling attentionto these issues, as well they should.This region suffers most from water-related disasters, accounting for halfthe world’s fatalities between 1980and 2006 and 90% of the affectedpopulations. In a special focus sessionat the Forum, the Ministry of WaterResources of the People’s Republic ofChina and its partners provided adviceon emergency strategies to deal notonly with extensive damage incurredto infrastructures during mega-disasters,but also the secondary threats ofrepairing those structures without causing further harm. At the other endof the spectrum, the Spanish Ministryof Environment and Rural and MarineAffairs and its partners shared their valuable experiences on how to copewith the lack of water using droughtrisk management strategies.

Reducing the risks

“Disasters strike just when you haveforgotten about them,” said JapaneseCrown Prince Naruhito, who deliveredthe keynote address at the 5th WorldWater Forum’s High-Level ExpertPanel on Water and Disasters. “That is why prevention measures are so important: we must act before disastersstrike.”

As pointed out during the 5th WorldWater Form’s sessions and panels,technology and the exchange of reliabledata, especially hydrological and climatic data, are key to reducing andpreventing loss from water-related disasters. This can range from high-tech,region-wide early warning systemsand flood forecasting models to relatively simple, innovative low-cost

structural measures, such as the traditional Japanese “soda mattress”method--a natural system of treebranches and rocks woven together toprotect against riverbank erosion inthe Mekong River.

Disaster prevention starts with localmeasures, stressed many participants.An important ingredient of those localsolutions, too often overlooked, is recognizing that human activity oftenincreases vulnerability, while natureitself is vital to reducing the impacts.In fact, natural buffer areas suchas lakes, wetlands and forests can actually act as shields to help protectfrom floods and to store precious resources.

Whether through conservation or cutting-edge modern technology, disaster management requires an integrated approach that involves stakeholders and different cross-sections of society. One of the majormessages emerging from discussionsat the Forum argued that cooperationthrough a “trialogue” of government,society and science is crucial to manage water-related disasters betterand to bridge technical and capacitydivides, especially in developingcountries. In fact, when improvementsin structural and management systems

are coupled with public awareness andenhanced legal frameworks and funding,the results can be impressive.As reported in one of the Forum’s sessions, effective preparative measuressaved an estimated 650,000 ships and4.15 million people from the disastrouseffects of typhoons in 2008.

High-level commitment required

Given the increasing frequency ofhydro-meteorological disasters, parti-cipants strongly urged governments to integrate water-related disaster relief into national development andfinancial plans. They also actively promoted cooperation and data sharingamong countries to prevent furtherlosses that result from these naturaltragedies.

Those calls were transformed into recommendations emanating from theMinisterial Roundtable on the subject,chaired by Japan and Portugal andmoderated by two UN bodies - Inter-national Strategy for Disaster Reductionand the Convention to Combat Desertification (see text box). But theministers even went a step further byhighlighting the need to integrate riskreduction strategies into climatechange adaptation plans and to clarifyeveryone’s roles and responsibilities.

BEFORE DISASTERS STRIKE

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Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito

“We must act beforedisasters strike.”

Keynote Address of Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito.

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Several countries also pledged to develop a specific action plan toaddress the issue of drought preventionand management.

“We need to recognize that technicalsolutions are not enough to face globalwater challenges,” said Loïc Fauchon,President of the World Water Council.“We also need to recognize that manyactors at the local level have developedcapacities to improve preparednessand response to disasters. These actorsneed to be better integrated in thelocal, regional and national plans.”

During the High Level Expert Panelon Water and Disaster, MargaretaWahlström, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction,noted that her agency had received 90country reports on disaster risk to dateand that major areas of progress

include political support and capacitydevelopment in disaster preparednessand response. On the other hand,major weaknesses still persist in addressing the root causes of disasters,such as land use and poverty.

Plan of action

The Hashimoto Action Plan launchedat the 4th World Water Forum ofMexico in 2006 mentions the issue ofwater and disasters in its priorities. To stimulate the implementation of theHyogo Framework for Action--a globalblueprint to substantially reduce disasterlosses by 2015--the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Waterand Sanitation (UNSGAB) establisheda High Level Expert Panel on Waterand Disasters. This panel prepared andlaunched a specific Action Plan onWater and Disaster during the 5th

World Water Forum (available fordownloading fromwww.waterforum.jp/eng/HLEP/doc/Water_and_Disaster.pdf).

The plan calls on UN agencies, regionalbodies, national governments andlocal authorities to:

• Mobilize and take action beforedisaster strikes;

• Provide early diagnosis, information, warning, and evacuation alert systems;

• Integrate the reduction of disasterrisk and climate change into development planning;

• Improve disaster response;

• Provide safe water and sanitation following disasters;

• Employ cross-cutting initiativesto share water information across organizations, governments and regions.

To implement these priorities, the report sets out 40 concrete actions atthe local, national, regional and globallevels for reducing the loss of life andlivelihoods. For example, the Panelproposes that national governmentsdevelop people-centered warning systems and data collection tools linked to existing widespread communication systems, such as cellphone networks. It also calls for theestablishment of a global code ofconduct for post-disaster provision of water and sanitation to guide andcoordinate organizations in their actions. Reaching beyond the waterbox, it also suggests that developmentbanks convene regional seminars onhow effective disaster planning cancontribute to economic growth.

“We need to recognizethat technical solutions are not enough to face globalwater challenges”

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Abdullah Gül, President, Republic of Turkey and Han Seung-Soo, Prime Minister of South Korea.

Loïc Fauchon,President of the World Water Council.

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MINISTERIAL COMMITMENTS ON WATER-RELATED DISASTERS

SOME MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLERECOMMENDATIONS

> Risk reduction and mitigation strategies shouldbe integrated into national development and financial plans. In addition to mitigation measures, climate change adaptation measuresshould be implemented.

> National legal frameworks on water-relateddisasters should be clarified so that the responsibilities and roles of he stakeholderscan be identified.

> International cooperation on risks associatedwith water-related disasters should be enhanced.

> Measures should be taken in order to increasepublic awareness and training programmesshould be developed and implemented. Best practices and experiences based on scientific knowledge should be exchangedamong countries. Information sharing for decision-making processes and utilizinga combination of existing and emerging technologies to cope with water-related disasters should be promoted.

> We resolve to work and respond to naturaland human-induced disasters, includingfloods and droughts.

> We resolve to proceed, where possible, from crisis management to disaster preparedness and prevention of human-induced disasters and risk management by developing early warning systems, implementing structural and non-structuralmeasures, both for water resources and access to water and sanitation, and buildingcapacity at all levels.

> We resolve to take necessary post-disaster mitigation and rehabilitation measures for affected people and hydrological systems.

> We still strive to improve water-related monitoring systems and ensure that useful information is made freely available to allconcerned populations.

BEFORE DISASTERS STRIKE

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“We were asked to come up withconcrete measures to anticipate,prevent and react to disasters,” said Jerome Delli Priscoli, a senior advisoron international water issues with theUS Army Corps of Engineers and anAlternate Governor of the WorldWater Council. “This is a new kind ofmodel, one that is tangible and helpspeople understand what’s happeningso they can react.”

Many of the recommendations in theAction Plan, related to disasters involving both too much and too littlewater, were espoused by the ministers

participating in the roundtable discus-sion. The Action Plan itself will bepresented to the UN Secretary-Generaland to international agencies thatwork on natural disaster issues.

“I believe we have the most useful updated guidelines for tackling water-related disasters,” said Han Seung-soo,Prime Minister of South Korea andFounding Chair of the Expert Panel.“My hope is that the action plan willbuild bridges in global efforts in management of water-related disasters.”■

The High-Level Expert Panelon Water and Disasters proposes that national governments develop

people-centered warningsystems and data collection

tools linked to existing widespread communication systems, such as cell phone

networks.

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THE WATER, FOOD AND ENERGY NEXUS:

BREAKING NEW GROUND24

High Level Panel on Water, Food and Energy.

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Discussions during the 5th World Water Forum focused on “water and energy”and “water and food” issues in parallel. Nonetheless, participants in both domains drew the same conclusion: More integrated policies and a furtherfocus on multi-functional uses of water are needed to address the increasingcompetition for water from the agriculture and energy sectors. Speakersemphasized that the inter-linkage between water, food and energy could beturned into a win-win situation, rather than a competitive one.

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Recognition of this intercon-nection was also emphasizedin regional discussions atthe 5th World Water Forum,

for example, in the “Message of Fozdo Iguassu”, a product of the preparatoryprocess for the Americas, which calledfor ”the multiple use of water on an efficient and rational basis.”

The production and supply of foodand energy are increasingly inter-linked,

and both depend on a vulne-rable resource: water.Against the backdrop ofwildly fluctuating energyand food prices and moun-ting concern over pressureon renewable natural resources, speakers and participants at the 5th WorldWater Forum began to clarify the interdependenciesbetween water, food andenergy and to define thecontours of a new visionaround the production andsupply of food and energy,

within water boundaries.Undeniably, participants were strivingnot to remain inside the “water box.”

Food (and Energy) for Thought

“We have a patchwork of informationavailable. From this we need to developa more coherent view on the interac-tions between water and energy andwater and food,” said Ger Bergkamp,Director General of the World WaterCouncil during the High Level ExpertPanel on Water, Food and Energy.“Once we map out the relationships,we can see the challenges and start tomove towards solutions.”

At the very least, we already knowthat, often, the same people lack bothaccess to energy and to water servicesand subsist on less than US$1.25 aday, according to the Third WorldWater Development Report. So far,global agricultural food productionhas kept pace with population growth,or nearly. However, 900 million peopleremain undernourished, rural migrantsare leaving farms for cities, and by2030, the demand for food crops in developing countries will have increased by 67%, further straining already overtapped water resources.

THE WATER, FOOD AND ENERGY NEXUS: BREAKING NEW GROUND

26

A minimum of2,500 litres of water

is needed to feed a person for one day,

which is the sameamount used

to produce just onelitre of bio-fuel.

Mohammed Ait-Kadi, President of the General Council of Agricultural Development in Morocco.

Alexandre Müller, Assitant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN and Ger Bergkamp, Director General, World Water Council.

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WWF-Turkey CEO Filiz Demirayaksaid it is time to change our perceptionof water and water use practices consi-derably. We are facing an ecologicalcredit crunch. “The level of urgency to take action on water issues is atthe critical stage. According to WWF’sLiving Planet Index, we have alreadyexceeded natural resources’ reproductivecapacity by 30%,” she said.

A Focus on Farming

With agriculture constituting 70% oftotal water use, rising food pricescould spark the beginning of strategiesfor better resource management. Anders Berntell, Executive Director of the Stockholm International WaterInstitute, noted that when there is competition for a resource, the firststep is to manage demand. He chal-lenged participants to address waterefficiency in agricultural productionand to reduce inefficiency in the entirefood chain, as 50% of food is wastedbetween farm and fork. To do so willrequire closer examination of waterfootprints, in addition to internationaltrade patterns.

But farmers might not be that interestedin more crop per drop; they aremore concerned about income perdrop. “This is about livelihoods,”commented Rodney Cooke, Directorof the Technical Advisory Division forthe International Fund for Agriculture(IFAD). “We have learned that farmersmust be at the centre of water mana-gement initiatives. Farmers are the gatekeepers of our natural resources.”

However, farmers can spur rural deve-lopment only if they have access tocredit and markets. “In Africa, there is a strong need for investment in agriculture, which is linked to invest-ment in water mobilization,” statedAly Abou-Sabaa, Director of the Agriculture and Agro-industry Depar-tment for the African DevelopmentBank.

Of course, the water-food-energynexus could not be discussed withoutevoking bio-fuels. Energy crops arecurrently providing farmers with newopportunities to improve their liveli-hoods, but are sometimes perceived asdraining precious resources away fromfood production. Alexander Müller,Assistant Director General, Food andAgriculture Organization of the UN,said it is “absolutely necessary” tomanage the links between energy andfood production” He pointed out that a minimum of 2,500 litres of water isneeded to feed a person for one day,which is the same amount used to produce just one litre of bio-fuel.Some argued that striking a balancebetween bio-energy and food productionis possible using smarter technologywithin a framework of sustainable development, while others dismissedthe possibility of reconciling the two.

David Andrews, Senior Advisor to thePresident of the 63rd Session of theUN General Assembly on Food Policyand Sustainable Development, agreedthat solutions do exist. “We mustchange the way we look at agricultureand move from a productionist view,which is narrow and works in silos, toa more holistic and ecological point of view,” he recommended.

Water Multi-Tasking

In addressing the interrelations betweenwater and energy production, RichardTaylor, Executive Director of the International Hydropower Association,noted that “There is a vital role for hydropower within modern, smarterpower systems, but not one technologyis a panacea - cleaner energy techno-logies need to be better integrated formore sustainable solutions. Joined-uppolicy on water and energy is not as advanced as it should be, and sustainability assessment tools couldassist in this matter.” He added that estimations of water footprints forall energy technologies are currentlyquite primitive and misleading.

He noted that the footprinting concepthad gained popularity in a variety of sectors, but: “we are in the very earlystages of understanding the water foot-print in the energy sector, and therehave been some quite irresponsible recent statements, which are far fromhaving a sound scientific basis”. Taylor concluded by calling for governments and academia to advanceunderstanding in this area.

A variety of concrete proposals weremade to facilitate interactions withinthe water-food-energy nexus, fromoperating dams in ways that releaseriver currents through energy turbines,but store the water in aquifers orfloodplains, to using better meteringand pricing structures to improve efficiency and lower demand acrossthe food and energy sectors.

Others argued that one way to creategreater cohesion among water, foodand energy policies would be to dealwith water and energy within the sameministry. “Countries need one nationalplan for energy and water,” stressedMilagros Couchoud Gregory, DirectorGeneral for Spain’s National Meteo-rological Institute and a World WaterCouncil Alternate Governor.

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“Water securityis the gossamer that links the web of energy, food, environmental sustainability andhuman security”.

Mohammed Ait-Kadi, President of the General Council of Agricultural Development in Morocco.

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THE WATER, FOOD AND ENERGY NEXUS: BREAKING NEW GROUND

28

The issue is not to take an energy viewor an agricultural view, advised Mohammed Ait-Kadi President of theGeneral Council of Agricultural Development of Morocco. “Water security is the gossamer that links theweb of energy, food, environmentalsustainability and human security,” he said.

Colin Chartres, Director General ofthe International Water ManagementInstitute, has also observed this paradigmshift in a number of countries. “Wateris no long an issue [just] for engineersand scientists. It has become a moreprofound social and economic issue,”he noted.

Recognizing that the dialogue hadonly just begun, Ait-Kadi further called on the World Water Council tolaunch a multi-stakeholder platform to continue to discuss water, food andenergy linkages and create recom-mendations on how to dovetail efforts.The resulting product could resemblethe report drafted by the Intergovern-mental Panel on Climate Change andassist high-level decision makers at theG8 or G20 in making sound policychoices. ■

Anders Berntell, Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute and Filiz Demirayak, WWF-Turkey CEO.

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WATER FOOTPRINTS

A water footprint is a calculationof the water needed for theproduction of any product or service from start to finish.It takes:

> 16 000 litres to produce 1 kilo of beef

> 140 litres to produce 1 cup of coffee

> 120 litres to produce 1 glass of wine

> 23 000 litres to produce a leather bag

> 900 litres to produce 1 kilo of corn

> 3000 litres to produce 1 kilo of rice

> 1000 litres to produce 1 litre of milk

> 1350 litres to produce 1 kilo of wheat

Session Voltage and Volume: Can water and energy policies work hand in hand?

MINISTERIALCOMMITMENTS

In the Ministerial Statement adopted during the 5th

World Water Forum, Ministers agreed to take action:

> “We support country-led development projectsin different sectors related to water, especiallywith regard to energy and food security andpoverty eradication.

> “We will work to build new and maintainstrengthen and improve existing infrastructurefor multiple purposes, including water storage,irrigation, energy production, navigation anddisaster prevention and preparedness that are economically sound, environmentally sustainableand socially equitable.”

The Istanbul Water Guide annexed to theMinisterial Statement recognized that “It is important to conduct national water and energyresource sustainability assessments consideringagriculture and poverty aspects and through

these define sustainable water and energy resources at regional, national and sub-nationallevels.” It also recognized the “multiple benefits of multiple uses and functions of water services,including for the most vulnerable users.”

While this sentiment was again echoed in theMinisterial Roundtable discussions, both onwater for energy and on water for food, theparticipants of the discussion on Water andEnergy agreed that mechanisms and prioritieswere needed to develop a better understandingof the water and energy nexus and to improvethe coherence of water and energy policies.They called for a specific program on the interactions between water and energy andcloser interaction between World Water Foraand other international processes, in particularwith the World Energy Fora. They also encouragedthe proposal of actions to increase water secu-rity in case of volatile energy prices.

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2015 IS AROUND THE CORNER!ARE WE PREPARED?

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According to the third WorldWater Development Report,the link between povertyand water is clear: the

number of people living on less thanUS$ 1.25 a day roughly coincideswith the location and number of thosewithout access to safe drinking water.A closer look at the numbers paints adevastating portrait of a humanitariandisaster. Nearly 1 billion people do nothave guaranteed access to water andmore than 2.6 billion are without basicsanitation.

In developing countries, 80% of healthproblems are linked to inadequatewater and sanitation, claiming thelives of 5 million people per year, 1.8million of whom are children. Overthe past five years, diarrhea has killedmore children than all the people lostin armed conflicts since World War II.In Africa alone, an estimated 5% ofGDP is lost annually due to illness anddeath caused by dirty water and poorsanitation.

In 2000, building upon a decade of

major United Nations conferencesand summits, world leaders adoptedthe United Nations’ MillenniumDeclaration, which set out to reduceextreme poverty by establishing a seriesof time- bound targets known as theMillennium Development Goals(MDGs). Water and sanitation arecentral pillars, but beyond the specificwater and sanitation targets, water isalso instrumental in attaining otherMDGs, from reducing poverty, hungerand child mortality, to improvingschool attendance, especially for girls.

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Speakers and participants at the 5th WorldWater Forum acknowledged that mee-ting the water and sanitation targets is a precondition for making progresson all other Millennium DevelopmentGoals.

In the UN’s 2008 MDG Report, ShaZukang, Under-Secretary-General forEconomic and Social Affairs, reportedthat since 1990, progress had beenmade and 1.6 billion people had gainedaccess to safe drinking water. However,almost half the developing world’s population still lives without improvedsanitation. While the MDGs are criticalin directing international efforts towardsthe same end goal, they have not yetbrought us far enough to reach the desired targets before the 2015 deadline.

What Remedies in Sight?

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Director General of the World HealthOrganization and Chair of the WorldCommission of Environment and Development, known as the “BrundtlandCommission”, observed that half ofthe world’s hospital beds are occupiedby children and adults suffering fromwater-related diseases. Speaking at theclosing ceremony of the 5th WorldWater Forum, she noted: “This hugeeconomic burden could be avoided but our progress is not promising.We need more efforts to energize policymakers and to work with all stakeholders in concerted action.”

Many billions of dollars will be neededover the next six years to meet theMDG targets for safe drinking waterand sanitation alone. “Financing is thekey to achieving the MDGs”, says BenBraga, Director of the National WaterAgency of Brazil and Vice-Presidentof the World Water Council. “We mustestablish innovative financing mecha-nisms to allow the transfer of capitaland technology from North to South,”he urged. One such mechanism couldbe the establishment by the G8 or G20

of a global fund for water and health.

But money alone will not be enough.Political will, good governance, soundinstitutions and skilled labour will beneeded at all levels to better health, encourage economic development, enable populations to regain humandignity, and reduce environmentalimpacts. Moreover, policy-makingand planning must become more interlinked across health, agriculture,energy and water sectors. “We cannot

[continue to] think sectorally,” saidPasquale Steduto, Chair of UN Water.

One way to support further achievementof the MDGs could be through theGlobal Framework for Action (GF4A)on water and sanitation. This initiativeaims to facilitate concerted measuresat national and interna-tional levels to improvenational planning pro-cesses, enhance aid effectiveness, increase investments and tacklecapacity constraints.It seeks to build mutualaccountability betweennational governmentsand development part-ners to deliver results to the sector. Participants at the Forum called uponglobal leaders to firmly commit to theimplementation of the Global Frame-

2015 IS AROUND THE CORNER! ARE WE PREPARED?

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Half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by childrenand adults sufferingfrom water-related diseases.

High Level Panel on Sanitation.

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work. Critics, however, called the lackof progress on the initiative a failureof donor and developing country governments to provide the money andpolitical will needed to move forward.

Sanitation is Lagging Behind

The 2008 International Year of Sanitationhas helped to generate some progresson delivering on the sanitation targetand has created further recognition ofthe importance of sanitation. However,at current rates of progress, the MDGwater target will not be met in sub-Saharan Africa until the 22nd century!This is in many ways astounding, mostremarkably because investing in sanitation makes sense. The WorldHealth Organization estimates that aone-dollar investment in sanitation improvements can save anywherefrom US$3 to US$34 in other expenseslike medical costs, lost productivityand saved time. Yet, investment in sanitation rarely amounts to more than

0.3% of global GDP. The Water Supply & Sanitation Colla-borative Council (WSSCC) considersthat the world could meet the MDGsanitation target with about US$10 billion annually, using existing, provenapproaches and tech-nologies. To do so, ho-wever, will require asignificant change inthe prominence givento sanitation. Accordingto Jon Lane, WSSCCExecutive Director:“The next challengefor sanitation is for allstakeholders to workto turn sanitation froma minor, neglected,subsidy-driven, chari-table activity into amajor, prominent, demand-driven, vi-brant market-driven human acti-vity.”

However, sanitation is not only a

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“… Sanitation [should be turned] from a minor, neglected, subsidy-driven, charitableactivity into a major, prominent, demand-driven,vibrant market-driven human activity.” Jon Lane, WSSCC

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question of latrines. It is also verymuch a matter of urban planning,treatment facilities in mega-citiesand preservation of coastal zones, asargued during the High Level ExpertPanel on Sanitation. Regardless ofscale, Guy Fradin, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, French Agence de l’EauSeine-Normandie, and a Governor ofthe World Water Council concurs:“We must continue to make sanitationsexy to mobilize political will. To dothis, we must continue to talk aboutthe benefits of sanitation for dignity,human health and the environment,”he said.

During the Forum, a special sessionfocused on sanitation, health and dignity, and their implications for genderequity. Women and girls traditionallybear the water and sanitation burden.They are responsible for fetching andstoring water and caring for familymembers who fall ill due to water-related diseases. This and the lack ofsanitation facilities keep many girlsout of school and subjects them to violence. Participants made several recommendations to improve genderequity in the water sector, includingincreased investment in sanitation.Also, the collection of gender disag-gregated data to measure the real gender-specific impact of water andsanitation in projects and programmeswould contribute to improving the situation. In addition, participantsurged for greater involvement ofwomen in decision-making roles,which would naturally result in the development of more gender-friendlynational policies.

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

“Achieving and sustaining the higherlevels of water security needed to meetthe MDGs will be made more difficultby the many emerging challenges,”said Letitia Obeng, Chair, GlobalWater Partnership. “Water is too preciousa resource to be left unmanaged. Itspower needs to be harnessed and its

potential channeled in the right direction,supporting development objectives.”While achieving the MDGs is a nobleobjective, some participants remarkedthat when reached, the MDGs willonly have helped out half of those in need. “Indeed, some progress hasbeen made on the MDGs,” said PascalSteduto. “Post-2015, at least anotherhalf of the world population willneed safe drinking water and sanitation.”That moment will come before werealise it. ■

2015 IS AROUND THE CORNER! ARE WE PREPARED?

34

Ben Braga, Director of the National Water Agency of Brazil and Vice-President of the World Water Council.

Guy Fradin, French Agence de l’eau Seine-Normandie and Klaus Töpfer, Forum Ambassador.

“Post-2015, at leastanother half of the world populationwill need safe drinkingwater and sanitation.”

Pasquale Steduto, UN Water.

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A CALL FOR ACTION

The 5th World Water Forum’s political processes recognized the MDGs as a priority at every level.

> The MDGs were explicitly mentioned in the Appeal of the Heads of States who met in Istanbul.

> Ministers promised to “intensify our efforts to reach internationally agreedupon goals such as the MDGs.” They also called for increased investments to reach the MDGs, especially in Africa.

> Participants at the Ministerial round-table discussions on sanitation pledged to maintain the momentum generated by the International Year of Sanitation.They also committed to mobilize additional resources to address thedelay in meeting the MDG sanitationtarget. A strong consensus was reached that the Right to Water and Sanitation is crucial to advance a wide range of MDGs.

> Local and regional authorities recognized the importance of makingprogress towards the MDG sanitationtarget in the Istanbul Water Consensus,where they acknowledged: “Sanitation is equally important aswater supply and needs to be givendue consideration on the politicalagenda of local, regional and national governments.”

> Parliamentarians called for a new initiative in which 1% of the national water budgets of developed countrieswould be used for water and sanitationprogrammes to reach the MDGs in developing and under-developed countries.

Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the populationwithout sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

-MDG7, Target 10

Session Keeping Sanitation High on the Agenda.

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WEATHERINGA “PERFECT

STORM”While its negative impact has been seismic, the global economic crisis has alsocreated unprecedented opportunities for restructuring and reform, for thosecountries with the means and determination to seize them.

In the past, for example, the stockmarket crash at the beginning of the last century actually provoked greater investment

in utilities such as water, since it wasseen as an unmistakeable value due to its necessity. As Rahm Emanuel,US President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff, put it, “never waste a crisis.”

The unfolding global financial andeconomic turmoil has combined withthe food, energy and water crises to stirup an unprecedented “perfect storm”that is applying enormous pressure ondeveloping economies, observed JamalSaghir, Director of the Energy, Transportand Water Department at the WorldBank, in a technical experts session focusing on the financial crisis and its

impact on the water sector during the5th World Water Forum. “The watersector is under-funded and this couldbecome worse,” he added. “Publicfunding for infrastructure projects world-wide is constrained. And the watersector does not have a good track record of advocating its case with finance ministers. The situation withprivate investment flows is even worse.” 37

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Spotlighting Financing at the Forum

In Istanbul, with 11 packed sessionsdedicated to financing issues, a High-Level Expert Panel, a technical panelon the effects of the economic crisison the water sector and a report relea-sed by the Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development (OECD)on Overseas Development Assistance(ODA), financing and economic issuesat the 5th World Water Forum were inthe spotlight perhaps more than in anyother Forum.

While financial resources are limitedand banks and other financial institutions

are under stress, many observed, investing in water development has be-come even more critical, if only because the plight of those without access to water and sanitation is all themore devastating in difficult times.“During these times of financial crisis,we cannot lose sight of the fundamentaleconomic importance of water for lifeand commerce,” said Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the International Union for Conservationof Nature (IUCN).

“Adequate financing is a major challengefor meeting the Millennium Develop-ment Goals (MDG) water and sanitationtargets,” explained Sha Zukang, UnitedNations Under-Secretary-General forEconomic and Social Affairs, in theHigh-Level Expert Panel discussion.“Yet, in the midst of the current globalfinancial and economic crisis, it is asimportant as ever that we keep thesepriorities clearly in sight. Cutting budgetsfor water and sanitation would be a

WEATHERING A “PERFECT STORM”

38

“Adequate financing is a major challenge for meeting the Millennium DevelopmentGoals water and sanitationtargets. Cutting budgets forwater and sanitation wouldbe a serious mistake.”

Jamal Saghir, World Bank

“The water sector is under-funded and

this could become worse.”

Jamal Saghir, World Bank

Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the OECD and Mehmet Simsek, Minister of Economy of Turkey.

Launching of the ODA report.

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serious mistake. It would not only undermine the MDG progress thus far,for which water serves as a key factorto eradicate poverty, secure healthylives and ensure environmental sustai-nability. It would also limit the resilienceof vulnerable populations to deal withthe economic downturn and its impacts.”

Indeed, representatives of the AfricanRegional Process placed the issue offinancing as one of their foremostconcerns. An estimated US$50 billionper year in investments will be neededto achieve the targets that have beenset for improving access to drinkingwater and safe sanitation, agriculture,power generation and storage inAfrica. Many developing economiesare in an especially difficult position.“The poorest are the victims of theglobal shock,” said Katherine Sierra,Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank.

The central concern is that “the severeglobal economic crisis which has impacted practically every country inthe world has created a new and potentially devastating threat to the solutions we have been trying to put in place for so long,” warned PatrickCairo, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Marketing, Suez Envi-ronnement North America, in anotherpanel session. Concluded MehmetSimsek, Minister of Economy of Turkey: “It is a moral imperative thatwe continue to provide investment in water.”

What Remedies?

In a few economies, water developmenthas been recognized as a priority amid

the crisis. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD argued in severalsessions at the Forum that it is criticalfor countries putting together stimulusplans to include specific provisions forfunding water projects. Such is thecase in the EU, China, South Koreaand the US, where the Obama Admi-nistration allocated over US$10 billionof a total US$800 billion to water-related projects at local and federal levels. Sierra agreed. “The challengehere is to get the biggest bang for thestimulus buck,” she said in the High-Level Expert Panel.

The water community must, nowmore than ever, keep the pressure highon political leaders who control national,regional and local budgets to increaseor at least not to reduce allocations forwater. Financing issues did catch theattention of political decision-makersat the 5th World Water Forum. Headsof State attending the Forum urgedthat the consequences of the recenteconomic and financial crisis be evaluated urgently. Both Ministers andParliamentarians stressed that adequatebudgets for water are essential. Ministerspledged not only to mobilize and increase resources from both publicand private sources, in particular toachieve the MDGs, but also to ensurethat they are used effectively. Finally,both Ministers and Local and RegionalAuthorities committed to promote andimplement realistic, sustainable andinnovative financing strategies for thewater sector, recognizing that socialand environmental aspects must alsobe part of the equation. Local and Regional Authorities went on to suggestthat investment in the water sector be integrated into debt reduction operations, such as exchange of debtagainst water and sanitation investment.Parliamentarians also called for the establishment of a fund for developmentassistance, based on 1% of nationalwater budgets.

While money might not be availabletomorrow, a key task will be to keep

ongoing water infrastructure projectsmoving–at least through planning andpreparation stages-even if they maynot currently be bankable due to thecrisis conditions. This will ensure thatthey can be initiated as soon as the crisis ebbs.

Another important priority: to increaseefficiency of existing water and sani-tation systems, both in investment andoperations, to bring down costs. “Nowis the time to look at the quality of access to water and sanitation,” urgedArjun Thapan, Director General of theSoutheast Asia Department of theAsian Development Bank, during theHigh-Level Expert Panel. “We don’tknow how long the crisis will last. In water and sanitation, we have madeenormous gains in Asia in the last 6-10 years. These gains have to be sustained by focusing on governanceand efficiency.” He maintained thatthese gains in efficiency would proveto finance ministers that the cause wasa worthy investment.

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“It is a moral imperativethat we continue to provide investmentin water.” Mehmet Simsek, Minister of Economy of Turkey

Katherine Sierra, Vice President for SustainableDevelopment at the World Bank.

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WEATHERING A “PERFECT STORM”

Public or Private Financing?

The public-vs-private debate remainedhighly charged at the 5th World WaterForum, inextricably linked to thewider political and moral argumentover whether access to water is a humanright and persistent worries about“commoditizing” water and the impactof putting a price on the provision ofwater services.

Rather than dwell on long-running disputes, Forum participants took apragmatic approach by looking atpractical steps to address the fundingshortfall. Overall, Forum participantsagreed that good and bad private service providers exist, as do good andbad public service providers. The rightsolution for a given circumstance existssomewhere along a continuum balancingthe two. “In developing countries, thereis now a diverse set of private actorsand the debate has moved beyond ‘public vs. private’,” argued Gurría(OECD), which has extensively studiedwater pricing and financing. “It is now

about the conditions under whichwater services can be provided effec-tively and efficiently, whether by public, private or a combination ofplayers.”

A recent study by the World Bank of65 Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)over the last 20 years indicated that indeveloping countries, private operatorsexpanded coverage and increasedoperational efficiency. But direct investment from private sources wasless than expected and the penetrationof PPPs in the water sector remainslow. “The debate about public versusprivate utility provision has maturedsubstantially over the last decade,which was reflected in the veryconstructive session on public–privateroles in utility service provision”,explained Paul Reiter, ExecutiveDirector of the International WaterAssociation and a Governor of theWorld Water Council. “Part of thisevolution in thinking is the acknow-ledgement that all public utilities,which make up more than 90% of

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utilities worldwide, conduct theirbusiness through a combination ofpublic and private resources. Thequestion is therefore not a questionabout public versus private, akin toblack or white, but rather a question ofhow utilities can and should optimizethe mix of public and private resourcesin the “gray zone.”

A Bright Future Nonetheless?

Pricing can in fact be pro-poor, manyparticipants in Istanbul maintained.When tariffs are low, Gurría noted,there is typically a heavy reliance ontaxes to finance water, which is notsustainable over the long term andusually results in inefficient andpoorly funded services. “We got itwrong when we talked about full costrecovery,” acknowledged Gurría in a session on pricing. “Now we say‘sustainable cost recovery.’ Don’t puttoo much pressure on taxes; that’s notgoing to happen. Do as much as youcan to cover costs with tariffs. It’s asales job, a political job. It takes guts.”

Rather than having no access to wateror limited access to low-quality waterdelivered by “sharks” that are out togouge them, “the poor want, can andprefer to pay,” the head of the OECDconcluded. “You cannot say that thereis no social sensitivity in this analysis.This is about how we can make it possible for water to be available tothose who don’t have it today - andhow we can protect the most vulnera-ble.” When all the debates are over,that will be the true bottom line.

The sector too must stress the far-reaching benefits of investment inwater development. “This crisis repre-sents an opportunity to put more investment into the water sector andprovides the cross-cutting benefits inhealth, education and poverty alle-viation,” explained Jeremias Paul,Undersecretary of Finance of the Philippines, in a panel discussion onthe economic crisis. “The key problemessentially is that people who presentwater projects only do so from theirsectoral perspective.”

The water community has to be morepolitically savvy, Gurría advised. Hesuggests that the water sector stresshow investment would provide a“double dividend”: stimulus for ailingeconomies and incalculable social benefits for the poorest people. “Envi-ronment ministers and water peoplewant to seduce the finance ministers.But you also want to get the Prime Ministers in there.The question is how to tell the rightstory. It was tough enough before;with a crisis, it is tougher. We have totry harder.” ■

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“It was tough enoughbefore; with a crisis, it is tougher. We have to try harder.” Angel Gurría, OECD

Paul Reiter, Executive Director of the International Water Association.

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THE GOVERNANCECHALLENGE

For an entire day at the 5th

World Water Forum, VictorRuffy, a longtime member ofthe Swiss Federal Assembly,

presided over a conference that broughttogether more than 260 legislatorsfrom around 60 countries to discusscritical priorities in the water sector.Asked to explain the significance ofthe Parliamentarians’ Process, Ruffyindicated that essential points wereevoked in the keynote address deliveredby William Cosgrove, former presidentof the World Water Council and ContentCoordinator of the 3rd World WaterDevelopment Report. “It was all aboutchanging mindsets,” he remarked.“This was fundamental.”

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Indeed, if the global priority is to address water stress and all its relatedchallenges, such as climate change, sanitation and public health, lawmakersand government leaders have to beconvinced that it is time to act. Why?Simply because they are the peoplewho actually have the power to drivechange, implement policies and enforcethe rules. In his speech, Cosgrovespelled out the critical reasons whynations must put water and its access

and management at the very top oftheir political agendas. Detailing thepressures of population growth and the need to provide food, health andeducation to the world’s poorest people,Cosgrove stressed the need for coordi-nated action. “Make sure that when legislation is brought to you that thereis consideration of what its impact willbe on water,” he advised. “When thetime comes for considering budgets,make sure they reflect those priorities.”

The key to success in addressing waterstress is good governance. In thestatement adopted in Istanbul, Ministerscommitted to improve governance atthe national level through the promotionof water management reform and byengaging all stakeholders in decision-making processes. They also committedto strengthen the water sector laws and regulatory frameworks, preventcorruption, and increase transparencyin decision-making processes, “Withincreasing water shortages, good governance more than ever is essentialfor water management,” declared Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-Generalof the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) at the 5th World Water Forum’s opening plenary session.

In their statement, Ministers also acknowledged that good water governance is a challenge because“water is a cross-cutting issue.” Theyvowed to communicate the urgentneed for action to the highest politicallevels. “We must have a follow-up,”Ruffy urged. “This would make politicians more credible. If there is nofollow-up, it would be catastrophic.”

Ugandan legislator David Ebongagreed. “The biggest problem inAfrica today is governance,” he said atthe end of the parliamentarians meeting.“The political and technical issues and priorities are clear. But withoutgovernance, it all falls apart.” Thewater sector and parliamentarians haveto be engaged together, Ebongconcluded, because legislatures provide oversight of spending and implementation. “We are the glue thatbrings everything together.”

To help bolster good governance in thewater sector, parliamentarians at theForum agreed to create a “Water Legislation Helpdesk” to aid legislatorsacross the globe with the developmentand implementation of water and sanitation legislation. By collatingdata and information and identifying

THE GOVERNANCE CHALLENGE

“With increasing watershortages, good governancemore than ever is essential for water management.” Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO.

Mayors' meeting.

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best practices-which mechanisms orpolicies have succeeded and whichhave failed-this facility would providevaluable advice to lawmakers on howto draft legislation or improve existingrules and regulations.

In Istanbul, more than 50 local and regional authorities also demonstratedtheir will to lead the way when theybecame the pilot signatories to thenon-binding yet visionary IstanbulWater Consensus. This process waslaunched a year earlier and was perso-nally guided by the Mayor of Istanbul,Mayor Kadir Topbas. By agreeing tothe landmark set of commitments,these cities and regions, which typicallyhave the on-the-ground expertise inmanaging water and sanitation sys-tems, grasped “a unique opportunity togive original and concrete answers toour problems,” said Loïc Fauchon,President of the World Water Council,at the start of the conference of localand regional authorities. “Municipalitieswill take concrete measures thatconcern citizens.”

That cities and regions are taking the leadin implementing a comprehensive andsustainable wateragenda unders-cores their criticalfrontline position.“Local and regionalgovernments havea special responsi-bility,” said MagedAbu Ramadan,Mayor of Gazaand Chair, Asso-ciation of Pales-tinian Local Au-thorities, at a ses-sion that broughttogether parlia-mentarians andlocal and regionalauthorities. “They are the level of go-vernment that is closest to the peopleand most responsible to their needs.”Jean-Claude Gaudin, the Mayor ofMarseilles, went on to observe that cities

and regions “are the foremost actorsin addressing the lack and unequaldistribution of water.”

“Local governments are capable ofplaying a lead role in bringing waterto people,” Stephen Kabuye, theMayor of Entebbe, added, explainingwhy his city was one of the first to signthe Consensus. “Local authorities collaborating in this network cannot

actively work inisolation.They need tostrengthen eachother by workingtogether. Tangibleand sustainable results can beachieved throughcooperation at thelocal and regionallevels.”

Mayors, localauthorities andregions “are thepillars of waterg o v e r n a n c e ,”

Fauchon remarked. “Nothing to dowith water can be done without goingthrough the local and regional authori-ties.” He continued: “Rapid urbanizationand the growth of cities are increasing

Michelle Vauzelle, president of the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur

and Jean-Claude Gaudin, Mayor of Marseilles.

“The biggest problemin Africa today is governance.

The political and technical issues andpriorities are clear.

But without governance,

it all falls apart.”

David Ebong, Ugandan legislator.

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THE GOVERNANCE CHALLENGE

“Many decisions taken at all levels of government both influence and dependsignificantly on water.Yet this connection is rarely recognizedand much less actedupon.”

Istanbul Declaration of Heads of States on Water.

Dialogue Local Authorities and Parliamentarians.

the demand for clean water. Certaincities are potential sanitary bombs.We should be careful that they do notexplode with disease and other da-mage. Our cities are the battlefieldswhere this struggle will be won or lost.”

A number of signatories of theConsensus will serve as champions orrole models for others, helping to recruit new subscribers by their example.“We will talk about best practices,” explained Reinaldo Bautista, theMayor of Baguio City, at a pressconference convened by the WorldWater Council. “We hope to share this,especially being the first in SoutheastAsia.” Walter Kling, AdministrationManager of the City of Vienna, said:“We are prepared to contribute and topromote the Istanbul Water Consensus.It is really the work we will do in thenext three years that will prove what achampion city is.”

Cities and regions will have to colla-borate with national governments andlegislators to find fresh solutions towater stress and achieve good watergovernance. The Heads of State gathered at the Forum recognized that“Many decisions taken at all levels of government both influence and depend significantly on water. Yet thisconnection is rarely recognized andmuch less acted upon.” A trialogue

session between Ministers, Parliamen-tarians and Local and Regional Authorities attempted to bridge this divide at the Forum. Likewise, the riskmanagement discussions at the Forumstressed the need for discussion, notonly among different levels of govern-ment, but between government, thescientific community and civil society.

A major challenge for all political actors at every level will be to addressthe problem of corruption. Water is ahigh-risk sector for graft, according toTransparency International. The WaterGovernance Facility (WGF) of theUnited Nations Development Pro-gramme (UNDP) estimates that corruptpractices may siphon off as much as30% from the public water sector budgets every year, translating into a US$48 billion loss over the next decade. In a thematic session on theissue, Håkan Tropp, Director of theWGF and Chair of the Water IntegrityNetwork (WIN) stated that corruptionis the “missing link” in water gover-nance. “This is an area we didn’t daretouch upon in the past. If we are goingto get serious we have to understandthat the water crisis is a governancecrisis. We must address the issues ofintegrity and corruption in the sector.”

Adding escalating water stress to theruinous effects of corruption, it becomes

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Jasper M. Tumuhimbise, National Coordinator of the Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU).

evident that corruption has forced policymakers to a critical crossroads.“Changes within the water sector topromote water integrity will go a longway to reduce corruption, but broaderchanges will be needed to enable andprovide incentives to stakeholders,”explained Tropp.

A major priority must be to confrontthe special challenges that women facein dealing with poorly run water andsanitation systems and corrupt prac-tices. “Women are over-representedamong the poor, and their capacity topay for water, their bargaining abilitiesand their capacity to negotiate corruptwater systems are highly dependent onpower and gender relations in theircultures,” Caroline Toroitich of SNVNetherlands Development Organisation,Kenya, and a member of the Genderand Water Alliance, explained in onethematic session. “Even if women arenot asked to pay extra, they are oftensubjected to sexual harassment or forcedto provide sexual favours,” Toroitichadded. “We must increase understandingon how powers of water control andaccess are gendered in legal and cultural ways.”

Clearly, the water governance challengefacing policymakers and governmentleaders at all levels is complex andmultifaceted. It is not just a matter

of legislation or regulation. While policies matter, good governance willemerge if people demand it and fightfor it-and if leaders respond. “Peopleneed to be empowered,” concludedJasper M. Tumuhimbise, NationalCoordinator of the Anti CorruptionCoalition Uganda (ACCU). After all,“water is a right.” ■

Corrupt practices may siphon off as much as 30% from the publicwater sector budgets every year, translating into a US$48 billion loss over the next decade.

Parliaments for Water Meeting.

Ministerial Conference - closing.

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There are more than 263transboundary river basinsaround the world andhundreds of transboundary

aquifers on which over 3 billionpeople depend. At the start of thesession on transboundary waters tomark World Water Day, participantswatched “One Water”, the award-winning documentary that celebrateswater and the many ways in whichit affects people’s lives. Filmed in 15countries around the world, the filmtakes the audience to places where

water is plentiful and to other areaswhere it is in short supply. Themessage was clear: everyone mustconfront the challenge of waterstress and scarcity together if lives,especially those of the poorest, areto be saved.

International solidarity is one of themost important ways of addressing theglobal water crisis. Cooperation mustbe comprehensive and coordinated.“Water cuts across all spheres ofhuman life,” explained Koïchiro

Matsuura, Director-General of theUnited Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization (UNESCO),in the opening plenary session, whichwas attended by several governmentleaders and senior representatives ofinternational organizations. “It is onlythrough an integrated approach involvingall stakeholders across all sectors anddisciplines–not just science, but alsoeducation, culture and communication–that we will find the solutions to themany water problems we face. Theincreasing worldwide pressures on

BEYOND WATERWARS: PLEDGES FOR

COOPERATION

Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

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water in this time of unprecedentedchange demand a global response.”

Collaboration and solidarity must bethe governing principles of all effortsto address the water challenge, agreedAndrás Szöllösi-Nagy, Director ofUNESCO’s Division of Water andSecretary of the International Hydro-logical Programme, speaking in aconcluding thematic session. Whilethis may be widely accepted, there arenumerous obstacles to putting thisideal into practice, he observed.Among the impediments: lingeringhistorical enmities and differences,financial limitations, the lack of tech-nical and institutional capacity, andthe absence of political will.

However, the Heads of State attendingthe 5th World Water Forum specifi-cally reaffirmed their political will “totake rapid action, bearing in mind the

key elements of success: Solidarity,security, adaptability and usefuld ia logue and cooperation ontransboundarywaters betweenneighbors.” TheMinisters, like-wise, committedto taking “con-crete and tangiblesteps to improveand promotecooperation onsustainable useand protection oftransboundarywater resources”,including sharing data and implementinginstruments for improved management.

The overarching theme of the 5thWorld Water Forum was “BridgingDivides for Water”, a clear call for thewater community and all stakeholdersto come together to take action. Theconsensus expected among participantsin Istanbul was that cooperation andtransboundary solutions were essential,but results fell somewhat short ofexpectations. Moreover, new chal-lenges appeared. In discussions, it wasevident that the recent food and energycrises have exacerbated tensionsbetween the hydroelectric andagricultural sectors, the economicimpacts of which created an evengreater schism between upstream anddownstream users.

However, progress has been made ontransboundary cooperation during the4th and 5th World Water Fora, in thatmany official statements and repre-sentatives of the global water userscommunity have recognized the needfor increased cooperation and havesupported efforts through programssuch as UNESCO’s “From PotentialConflict to Cooperation Potentail”, theUS Agricultural Resources Model, theInternational Network of BasinOrganisations’ Associated Programme,Twinbasin, and the European Water

Initiative. Despite the support lent bythese programmes at the global scale,

policy statementshave not beenconverted intoactions on theg r o u n d . F o rexample, the 1997UN Conventionon non-navigationuses of water-ways has still notobtained enoughsupport for itsr a t i f i c a t i o n ,including froml e a d i n g G 8member states,

although France did announce itspledge to ratify the treaty at the 5thWorld Water Forum.

Sibylle Vermont, Vice Chair of theUnited Nations Economic Commissionfor Europe’s Convention on theProtection and Use of TransboundaryWatercourses and international Lakesnoted that the 1997 UN Conventionfosters cooperation because it obligessignatories to enter into bilateral andmultilateral negotiations and establishjoint bodies.

50

BEYOND WATER WARS: PLEDGES FOR HYDRO-SOLIDARITY

Jose Luis Luege Tamargo, Director General of Mexico’sNational Water Commission.

“It is only through an integrated approach

involving all stakeholders across

all sectors and disciplines… that wewill find the solutions

to the many water problems we face.”

There are more than 263

transboundary river basins around

the world and hundreds

of transboundary aquifers on which

over 3 billion people depend.

Yoshiro Mori, former Prime Minister of Japan and President of the APWF.

Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO.

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The result of these discussionsemphasized the need to move moretowards actions through the imple-mentation of policies. Participants alsoagreed that international law could bereinforced by developing togetherpractical positions and definitions ofresponsibilities, criteria, obligationsand cost-sharing strategies. It was feltthat future actions must:

• Recognize that the onset of global changes will requireadaptive strategies to be put in place;

• Promote the strengthening and reproduction of existingcooperation and basin organizations and build theircapacities;

• Encourage the flexibility of legal and institutionalframeworks both at the globaland regional level in order todeal with changes and

• Increase education and trainingon basin management andtransboundary cooperation.

At the Forum, participants identifiedpriority regions that urgently requireimprovements in transboundarymanagement mechanisms. Theseinclude the Nile River Basin, which isshared among 10 African countries;the Jordan River; the Aral Sea basin;the Senegal River; and the Juba andShabelle Rivers between Somalia andEthiopia. In many cases, though thenations involved may not be at war,distrust or conflict has preventedcooperat ion over shared waterresources.

Water should be an instrument ofpeace–a means to achieve humansecurity rather than a source ofdiscord. Water professionals thus havea responsibility to be promoters andleaders of the transformation of trans-boundary waters into zones of peace.The development of regional basininformation and monitoring systems,in addition to training, public partici-pation and awareness-raising activities,are just a few tools available to them toturn this goal into reality. ■

51

Water should be an instrumentof peace - a means to achieve human security rather than a source of discord.

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Andras Szollosi-Nagy, Director of UNESCO’s Division of Water and Secretary of the InternationalHydrological Programme.

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THERIGHT

DEBATE53

“We acknowledgethe discussions within the UN system regardinghuman rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation. We recognize that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a basichuman need.”

Ministerial Statement, 5th World Water Forum, Istanbul, 2009.

Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

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The ministerial statement issuedat the 5th World Water Forumand the vigorous debate thatit produced form a step

forward in forging a global consensuson the right to water and sanitation.Many Forum participants, however,were disappointed that the ministerialstatement issued in Istanbul did notexplicitly recognize the right to waterand sanitation. “The ministerial decla-ration seems to go back in time and goback on commitments on the right ofwater,” argued Sara Ahmed, Chairpersonof the Gender and Water Alliance, in a statement at the closing plenary. “It is the role of governments to protecttheir people and those most at risk.Many countries have enshrined theright [to water] in their constitutionsand we commend them for doing so.But the human right to water has beenless well implemented. The right towater and sanitation is a fundamentalhuman right.”

The main debate, however, actuallyconcerned the distinction betweenwater as a human right or as a socialand economic right, the latter conceptalready widely accepted by a majorityof countries. As a result, many officialspreferred to defer taking a definitiveposition on the matter until the UNCommittee on Human Rights producesits commissioned report, thoroughlyevaluating all the implications involved.Indeed, the UN Human Rights Councillast year adopted by consensus a reso-lution sponsored by Germany, Spainand more than 40 other nations callingfor the appointment of an independentexpert on human rights obligations related to the access to safe drinkingwater and sanitation.

The debates in Istanbul underscoredthat more and more people are reco-gnizing the moral imperative of providing access to water and sanitationto everyone. “The right to water is anessential element of human dignity,”Loïc Fauchon, President of the WorldWater Council, repeated on several

occasions during the Forum. “Dignityis not negotiable.” In his address at the opening ceremony, Abdullah Gül,the President of Turkey, declared that“water is the most fundamental elementand is essential to our survival. Withoutwater, we cannot fight poverty, hunger

or disease. Water does not only meanlife; it means civilization.”Jean-Louis Borloo, the French Ministerfor Ecology, Energy and SustainableDevelopment, stated plainly during a ministerial roundtable: “Water is theright to life.”

The concept of the right to water -what it includes, what it doesn’t include- was initially elaborated in a report released at the 4th World WaterForum, following extensive stakeholderconsultations (Right to Water: FromConcept to Implementation, WorldWater Council 2006). This documentenabled further awareness-raisingamong political decision-makers. Butit was just the beginning. Discussionsat the 5th Forum went beyond the 54

THE RIGHT DEBATE

Sara Ahmed, Chairperson of the Gender and Water Alliance.

Loic Fauchon, President of the World Water Council.

Abdullah Gu l, the President of Turkey. Jean-Louis Borloo, the French Minister forEcology, Energy and Sustainable Development.

“The right to wateris an essential element of human dignity. Dignity is not negotiable.”

Loïc Fauchon, World Water Council.

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preliminary dialogue to emphasize theneed for implementation and the rightto sanitation.

Building upon its debut at the 4thWorld Water Forum in Mexico, AsVirginia Roaf, Researcher and Consul-tant at the Centre on Housing Rightsand Evictions, pointed out in a panelsession,maintained that the 5th WorldWater Forum was “the first time theright to water and sanitation has had

such significant time dedicated to it.”She also noted that more than 30countries already recognize the rightto water and sanitation-some, likeUruguay, in their constitutions-andmany international conventions andresolutions make reference to the right to access. In addition, somegovernments, like France in 2006,have enshrined the right to water andsanitation in their national legislation,accompanied by tariff measures toease the burden on poorer households.

The growing international consensuswas evident in both the ministerial andparliamentary sessions when, countryby country, government representativesand legislators delivered often impas-sioned statements declaring their supportfor recognizing the access water as abasic human right. Political leadersfrom the Americas were among thosewho most actively argued the point.Renee Orellana, Bolivia’s Minister ofWater and the Environment, was oneof the more strenuous supporters.Meanwhile, José Luis Genta, the Director for National Water and Sani-tation in Uruguay’s Ministry of Housing,Land Planning and Environment, proposed the drafting of a global waterpact and strongly supported the principlethat water is a public good.

If the Ministerial Statement fell shortof expectations, the Ministerial round-table discussions came a long way inaddressing the issue. There were strongviews among ministers that the rightto water was not adequately consideredin the Ministerial Statement of the 5th

World Water Forum and that GeneralComment No. 15 of the UN Committeeon Economic, Social and Cultural

Rights should take precedence.In addition, a majority of participantsrecognized the access to water as ahuman right and expressed commitmentto all necessary actions for the pro-gressive implementation of it. Theyalso acknowledged that the Right toWater and Sanitation is crucial for advancing the MDGs.

Consider, too, the significance of theparliamentarians’ declaration that the“Right to water and sanitation shouldbe recognized as a human right.”Or moreover, the Istanbul WaterConsensus, signed by over 60 localand regional elected representativesduring the Forum. The champion cities and regions that supported thedocument acknowledged that “accessto good quality water and sanitation isa basic right for all human beings and plays an essential role in life andlivelihoods, the preservation of thehealth of the population and the fightagainst poverty.” Signatories also asserted that “water is a public goodand should therefore be under strictpublic control, independently of whetherthe services are delegated to the privatesector or not.”

Indeed, while the right-to-water de-bate remained vigorous, participantsin Istanbul generally adopted a morepragmatic or practical approach. Especially in view of the current direglobal economic conditions, it iscritically important not to let any divisions over words impede real action in addressing the immediatepriority of providing water and sanitationto the over 1 billion people in theworld currently lacking access. Stake-holders involved in the Forum’s “governance” theme concluded thatlegislation in itself is not sufficient.Implementation is, in fact, the key tomaking a difference and should be thefocus of attention.

55

Virginia Roaf, Researcher and Consultant at the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions.

“Water is the most fundamental element and is essential to our survival… Water doesnot only mean life; it means civilization.”

President Abdullah Gül, Turkey.

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The water community should concen-trate on the priorities at hand, AniaGrobicki, Executive Secretary of theGlobal Water Partnership, advised atone thematic session. “We need tofocus on institutional change and institution building, policy change,and the regulatory frameworks thatneed to be put in place.”

“Proponents of the right to water,”said Natalie Erard, a Swiss Foreign Ministry human rights specialist,“should ask ourselves what we canbring back home to turn reflection intoaction. We need sound mechanisms toimplement this right. We need goodgovernance and frameworks so we canuse the best practices of stakeholders.It may seem like it will take a longtime, but we are moving step by step.We need to be very practical and innovative in using all the tools thatwe have.” ■

> September 2006: The Summit of the Non-AlignedMovement in Havana, attendedby ministers from 116 developingcountries officially supports the right to water approach.> November 2006:At the First Summit of Africa-South America held in Abuja(Nigeria), the Heads of State declare “We shall promote the right of our citizens to haveaccess to clean and safe waterand sanitation within our respective jurisdictions.”> November 2006:The UK officially recognizes the human right to water.

> December 2006: The French Parliament votes a law stating that “each individualhas the right of access to safewater for drinking and personalhygiene in conditions that areeconomically acceptable to all.”(Law on water and aquatic environments).> March 2007:In a speech given by Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation on the occasion of World Water Day, the Netherlands recognizesthe human right to water.

56

THE RIGHT DEBATE

“Access to good quality water and sanitation is a basicright for all humanbeings.”

Istanbul Water Consensus for Local and Regional Authorities.

FROM MEXICO CITY TO ISTANBUL: PROGRESS ON THE

Ministerial Conference.

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> December 2007:In the Beppu Declaration, the representatives of 36 Statesof the Asia-Pacific region statethat they recognize “the people’sright to safe drinking water andbasic sanitation as a basic humanright and a fundamental aspectof dignity.”> March 2008:The UN Council on HumanRights adopts a resolution requesting a new study on the implementation of rightto drinking water and sanitation.This resolution was supportedby 47 countries.

> October 2008:Ecuador’s new Constitution includes the right to water and sanitation.> November 2008:The UN Council on HumanRights appoints Mrs. Catarina deAlbuquerque as the IndependentExpert on human rights.> November 2008:The eight SACOSAN memberStates (India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives,Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)reaffirm the right to water and sanitation in the Delhi Declaration.

> January 2009:The new Bolivian Constitution,adopted by popular referendum,explicitly guarantees the right to water and sanitation.

57

RIGHT TO WATER

“We need sound mechanismsto implement this right.”

Natalie Erard, Swiss Foreign Ministry

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58

Aral Sea.

JULY - SEPTEMBER, 1989 OCTOBER 5, 2008

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UNLOCKINGTHE DATA TREASURE CHEST

Dialogue & Debate at the5th World Water ForumI s tanbul 2009

Reliable weather and waterdata provides a backbone to any water management decision, whether it is to

open or close sluice gates or to switchon the sprinklers. Despite the importanceof dependable data, the past decadeshave witnessed a global decline in thecoverage and reliability of systems forcollecting in situ hydrological data. At the same time, it has become clear

that for data to be even more valuable,institutions need to cooperate andcoordinate their activities so that dataand information can be turned into services that can help users. To do sorequires a common integrated data and information system that includesindicators, statistics and accounts.How can such a system be created andmaintained?

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During the 5th World Water Forum,speakers and participants zoomed inon this issue and asked themselves:How can we unlock the data treasurechest? Data addressing any aspect of

freshwater are of greatpotential value and shouldbe collected and storedwith great care--as if in atreasure chest. But today,the treasure chest is onlypartially filled because ofthe difficulty of obtainingthe needed data. Further-more, the treasure chest isoften locked because ofdata ownership issues, thecost of collecting or acces-sing data, and in some

cases because of sensitive nationalsecurity or sovereignty issues.

The aim of including this topic on theForum’s agenda for the first time wasto raise awareness of the importanceof having an adequate database for effective management and decisionmaking, to build common understanding,

trigger cooperation, encourage impro-ved practices, and foster political commitment.

“In today’s globalized world, everyoneis either upstream or downstream ofeveryone else, and we are all sufferingfrom a lack of data,” explained ArthurAskew, current President of the Inter-national Association of HydrologicalSciences, and a Governor of the WorldWater Council. “Where there is a lackof data, there are local and globalconsequences.”

Referring to data as “the poor cousin”in the water sector, Askew sounded a note of optimism. There is growingrecognition that investment in the collection, analysis and storage ofwater-related data is more importanttoday than ever before, as many regionsof the world are facing water shortagesor increased potential for droughts andfloods brought on by climate change.

András Szöllösi-Nagy, Director of theDivision of Water and Secretary of

UNLOCKING THE DATA TREASURE CHEST

“In today’s globalized world, everyone is either upstream ordownstream of everyone else, and we are all suffering from

a lack of data. Where there is a lack of data, there are local

and global consequences.”

Arthur Askew, President of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences.

Wrap Up Session Theme 6 - Richard Meganck, Lidia Brito & Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy.

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UNESCO’s International HydrologicalProgramme (IHP) and a Governor ofthe World Water Council, noted thattoday, we have 30% less data aboutAfrica’s hydrology than we did 20years ago. At the same time, “fromdata to knowledge and wisdom is along road”, he noted. “No sustainabledecisions can be made without data.”

For example, in the High Level Panelthat explored the nexus between water,energy and food, several participantsagreed that it is important to work with farmers on achieving more efficient water management. However,successful collaboration will dependon getting better flows of data in realtime. Similarly, the High Level ExpertPanel on Water and Disasters stressedthe importance of data and transparentdata-sharing in optimizing the effecti-veness of early-warning systems, thus,saving more lives.

Ricardo Martínez of the National WaterCommission of Mexico commentedthat every day, decisions are beingmade with less and less data. Martíneznoted that more resources should beallocated to the local level where thedata has to be collected. He called fora paradigm shift in this regard andpointed to the critical lack of integrationacross levels of data collection and use.

“We need an integrated framework ifwe are to have a holistic approach towards [transforming] data into information. This should also includeinformation about economic variables,”Martínez recommended. “We need to build bridges between the watersector and the economic, social andenvironment sectors.”

In a report1 launched at the 5th WorldWater Forum, IBM drew attention totoday’s data drought, noting that“every aspect of the hydrologicalcycle is in critical need of purposefuldata collection and analysis. Until that goal is achieved, management of fresh and oceanic water systems

will continue to be inefficient and uncoordinated.”

The IBM report quoted Water ResourceManagement Expert Doug Miell:“You can’t manage whatyou can’t measure. We needall kinds of data collection,including real time, becauseit is a lack of credible, avai-lable and viable data that isholding us back.”

However, there are stillmany barriers to data avai-lability to overcome, espe-cially recognition fromdecision makers that datacollection is important enough to be supported institutionally and throughadequate funding. Despitegrowing acceptance of the importanceof accurate, reliable water-related dataas the bedrock of informed decisionmaking, funding is typically poorly recognized in national budgets. Askewpointed to a common false belief thatspending money on long-term collectionof water data is unnecessary. “We need 20 to 30 years of data beforewe understand the basic nature of a body of water; but the hydrologicalregime is changing and nothing is stable, so we cannot stop measuring,”he said. “We need long records if weare going to make good estimates of the future probability of floods ordrought.” Investing in water recordscan, thus, truly contribute to maintainingthe data treasure chest, helping to address directly future water challenges.■

1 A Global Innovation Outlook Report: Water, 16 March 2009,www.ibm.com/imb/gio/water.html

“Every aspect of the hydrological cycle is in critical need of purposeful data collectionand analysis. Until that goal is achieved, managementof fresh and oceanic watersystems will continue to be inefficient and uncoordinated”.

A Global Innovation Outlook Report: Water, IBM.

Session Barriers to Data Availability.

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UNLOCKING THE DATA TREASURE CHEST

POLITICAL COMMITMENTSON DATA

> The Istanbul Water Guide, annexed to the Ministerial Statement, recognized the need to invest in data. “The collection, analysisand compatibility of critical data and information should not be regarded as an expenditure, but as a creditable investment, often financed by taxpayers,with high-quality returns.”

> Ministers also called on the international development partner community to support projects to improve data collection, whichthey recognized as “the foundation of all Integrated Water Resource Managementprocesses.” They also recognized the need to:

■ Monitor and assess data to identify trends;■ Promote international and interstate data

exchange and cooperation between countries, and;

■ Strengthen the use of data in decision making.

> Parliamentarians who gathered at the Forum also recognized the importance of accessand sharing of data, calling for the WorldWater Council to create a permanent international parliamentary helpdesk to facilitate political cooperation on water legislation and its implementation, based on sound knowledge. Data collection, management and sharing are critical to monitor progress in this area.

TECHNOLOGY OFFERS INNOVATIVESOLUTIONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

> Computers could help monitor water, such as installing smart meters to limit lawnwatering to evening hours, or using sensorsto detect leaks in pipes. Software solutionsalready exist to help us fully understand a resource such as a river basin by visualizing,interpreting and analyzing a wide range of data in a single representation known as a single earth model.

> In discussing how science and innovation can help address future water issues, particularly in developing countries, KalanithyVairavamoorthy, Chair of Water Engineering,University of Birmingham and Chair,UNESCO IHE Institute for Water Education,said new technologies could help data-scarcecountries.

> “By embracing new developments in technology, we will be able to generate optimal water management solutions and strategies that are robust, adaptable and sustainable under future global change pressures,” he said. “We need more imaginative and powerful ways to harnessthe potential of technology. For example, in developing countries, using SMS to textlocal data could help [unlock] the data treasure chest.”

> In fact, the data treasure chest is alreadybeing unlocked. Google Earth’s IntegratedWater Model will create a community spacefor people to post data about issues such as local pollution and water quality. “People will do the groundwork and post a pin on a Google map,” explained Vairavamoorthy. “This will inform decisionmaking by investors, for example. It will also force water companies to becomemore transparent. Water losses and leakageswill be exposed, resulting in pressure from the general public to operate a better system.”

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DIALOGUE & DEBATE AT THE 5TH WORLD WATER FORUM - ISTANBUL 2009

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DIALOGUE & DEBATE AT THE 5TH WORLD WATER FORUM - ISTANBUL 2009

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DIALOGUE & DEBATE AT THE 5TH WORLD WATER FORUM - ISTANBUL 2009

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WORLD WATER COUNCIL - CONSEIL MONDIAL DE L’EAU

Espace Gaymard - 2-4 Place d’Arvieux - 13002 Marseille - FranceTel : +33 (0)4 91 99 41 00 - Fax : +33 (0)4 91 99 41 01

[email protected]

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