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This
paper is being continuously updated, based on discussions within the Issue
Advisory Group. Stakeholder Forum, with its Implementation Conference
Team, is facilitating the consultations. The coordinator for freshwater is Jasmin
Enayati (jenayati@earthsummit2002.org).
Implementation
Conference: Stakeholder Action For Our Common Future
Freshwater
Issue
Paper V4 – WORK IN PROGRESS! - 25 April 2002
Preamble
1.
Framework for the IC process
2.
History of the IC process on freshwater so far
3.
Planned activities between now and the IC event
4.
Possible focus areas and possible joint stakeholder action
Preamble
“Water
is essential to our health, our spiritual needs, our comfort, our livelihoods,
and our ecosystems. Yet everywhere water quality is declining, and the water
stress on humanity and our ecosystems increases. More and more people live in
very fragile environments. (…) The reality of floods and droughts touches
increasing numbers and many live with scarcity. (…) The primary responsibility
for ensuring equitable and sustainable water resources management rests with
governments. It requires the participation of all stakeholders who use or
protect water resources and their ecosystems. (…) There is enough water for
everybody in the world, but only if we change the way we manage it. The
responsibility to act is ours – for the benefit of the present and future
generations…we need new coalitions” (from the outcome documents of the Bonn
Freshwater Conference).
1.
Framework for the IC process
The
IC process is designed to facilitate joint stakeholder action in order to
contribute to the implementation of recent international agreements, such as:
The Hague Ministerial Declaration at 2nd World Water Forum; the Millennium
Summit Targets; the Bonn International Conference on Freshwater, the CSD-8
decision, and Chapter 18 of Agenda 21 (see Freshwater
Resources).
Each
possible stakeholder action plan should be examined for its potential to
contribute to poverty eradication; social inclusion and empowerment; good
governance; and gender equity.
The
work on freshwater should take advantage of the media attention it can generate.
Linkages to energy issues, health issues, food security, and corporate /
stakeholder citizenship should be developed.
The
IC process should also aim to influence the intergovernmental process towards
the Johannesburg Summit. For some focus areas, it seems most effective to take a
two-pronged approach, aiming to impact the type 1 and type 2 Summit outcome
documents so that they become mutually reinforcing. Hence, the group may choose
to develop joint statements and lobbying strategies as well as develop joint
implementation action.
2.
History of the IC process on freshwater so far
 |
First
explanatory meeting held in Bonn, 5 December 2001 |
 |
First
IAG meeting held in New York during PrepComm II, 29 Jan 2002 |
 |
Issue
Paper V1 available Jan 2002; version 2 available in March |
 |
IAG
telephone conference 15 March 2002 (discussion of priorities and possible
joint action) |
 |
Draft
Collaborative Stakeholder Action Plans available 25 March |
 |
Second
IAG dinner meeting in New York during PrepComm III: 26 March 2002 |
 |
IAG
comments on version 3 of the freshwater issue paper by 12 April (identify
5-10 main main themes and key points; structure
these themes and advise what could be done to deal with them – think of
action plans; suggest IC participants) |
3.
Planned activities between now and the IC event
 |
IAG
meeting at Swiss Conference on
sustainable water management (25/26 April) |
 |
Possibly
IAG telephone conference |
 |
SF
to produce Issue Paper V5 |
 |
IAG
meeting at PrepCom IV in Bali |
 |
Pursue
an iterative process of developing the Issue Paper; developing Action Plans;
identifying interested parties and participants; and considering how
possible outcomes could be financed. |
4.
Possible focus areas and possible joint stakeholder action
General remark:
List
of focus areas includes both ends (eg access to safe and affordable drinking
water) and means (eg. private sector engagement). One suggestion was to focus on
ends within the IC process and consider multiple means/leverage points to
achieve them (eg. governance, regulation, review of public/private engagement,
capacity-building, financing.
Questions:
 |
Which
of these ideas should be developed further into IC outcomes? |
 |
Suggest
people who should be at the IC to deal with these suggestions should these
suggestions get there |
Possible
Focus Areas *
as
identified in international agreements
|
Desirable
(Inter)Governmental Action
(Type
1)
|
Possible
Joint Stakeholder Action Towards Implementation
(Type 2) |
Equitable
access to safe and affordable drinking water
§
Halve,
by the year 2015, the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to
afford safe drinking water (Millennium Target)
§
Meet
the water security needs of the poor – for livelihoods, health and
welfare, production and food security and reducing vulnerability to
disasters. Pro-poor water policies focus on listening to the poor about
their priority water security needs.
§
Sectoral
themes such as water need to be harmonised with, and possibly integrated
into, national strategies for poverty reduction such as Poverty Reduction
Strategy Papers PSRPs), which are themselves multi-stakeholder processes
- should there be greater emphasis
on the linkages between NSSDs and PRSPs [remembering that PRSPs are
specific to Debt Relief and that there will be other poverty-reduction
strategies in other countries, especially outside Africa].
PRSPs: we might have to look at the overall level of indebtedness of
national governments, especially to the international financial
institutions. Debt reduction should be a big focus in the
freshwater, poverty reduction debate
|
§
Reaffirm the
recommendations of the Bonn Conference on priority actions for mobilising
financial resources
§
Reaffirm
that water resources development should be based on optimal solutions for
all users within catchment basins, including protecting water rights,
providing sufficient amounts of water for domestic and other uses;
recognizing the needs and special circumstances of Indigenous Peoples and
the poor
§
Include
gender impact assessments for all water projects to ensure equal
responsibilities and benefits among women and men, including distribution
of work, paid opportunities and capacity building
·
Restructured sector
investments by reallocating a higher proportion of funds to affordable and
appropriate projects in rural and low-income urban areas, where needs are
greatest.
Bonn
recommendation should be reaffirmed, evaluated and turned into action (Jim
Oatridge)
|
·
Identify strategies
and existing programmes and projects for access to clean water and
sanitation (good practices; lessons learned)
·
Involve small and
medium sized businesses in developing countries; create partnerships and
generate support for their actions to provide water & sanitation,
particularly in rural areas. Very important to recognise the wider range
of actors in sector.
– local entrepreneurial, self-help skills are often
under-stated and certainly under-represented in multi-stakeholder
discussions. (e.g. Community based Water Services Providers and Water
Users Committees, and the Business Partners for Development model - Sarah,
RandWater)
- involve small and medium sized businesses in developing countries in the
partnership proposal for water access and water resource management. the
big organizations are already well represented and can function as
providers of information , knowledge banks, training and capacity building
in transferable issues, albeit not all of them (Maria, IMAH).
·
Consider ability
for employment generation
·
Social transition
measures, for example, measures of re-education & training for workers
who lose their jobs when water utilities get an "effectivity
increase" (for example, through privatisation & outplacements)
·
Clear distinction
between water for basic human and livelihood needs and water for
commercial purposes
·
Examine balance of
available resources in watershed management (conflicting needs between
rural and urban users)
·
Stakeholder to
conduct joint reviews of water strategies at national level in developing
countries (GWA annual facts and figures report 2002 will concentrate on
policies and institutions – identify stakeholder partnerships for
collection of data)
·
Review stakeholder
participation in national strategies for poverty reduction and/or PSRPs as
they relate to water issues, assess lessons learnt, and develop strategies
for improvement where necessary.
- WaterAid is engaged in a major
review [with ODI] on behalf of DFID of the water and sanitation aspects of
PRSPs – countries included are Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda and
Kenya. There will be a
high-level conference presenting these findings [the end of Phase I of the
research project] in May 2002.
– promotion of watershed development and water harvesting technologies
should be included in national poverty reduction strategies where
applicable (proved to reduce poverty, improve livelihood opportunities,
increase food availability)
·
Identify
opportunities for gender impact assessments by donors and stakeholder
partnerships (using Methodology for Participatory Assessments – a
framework for sustained and equitable WSS services with gender, demand,
poverty and equity objectives – developed by Water and Sanitation
Program/WB and IRC Int’l Water and Sanitation Centre).
·
Identify
opportunities for stakeholder partnerships in providing ‘facts and
figures’ on gender and water (GWA annual report based on Human
Development Report)
·
The collection of
gender disaggregated data to distinguish differences in needs, interest
and priorities for water use
·
Identify
opportunities for broadening the scope and impact of good practices
through stakeholder partnerships (eg, GWA programme with grants for pilots
to test, validate and replicate good practise)
·
look at lessons
learnt and means of implementation (infrastructure, capacity-building,
technical skills, finance); e.g. BOT (build – operate - transfer)
|
Provide
equitable access to safe, sufficient and affordable sanitation
§
To
halve, by 2015 the present proportion of people without effective and
hygienic sanitation (Bonn Rec.).
Need
a target and local specific plan of action to half the present proportion
by 2015 and ensure services by 2025
|
§
Adopt a sanitation
target corresponding to the MDG on access to water, eg: “A global plan
of action, with financial and technical assistance from developed
countries, to have, by 2015, the proportion of people without access to
sanitation, with assistance provided to national and local governments for
the development and implementation of efficient sanitation systems and
infrastructure while safeguarding human health” (WSSCC)
·
Clear government
responsibility and political will to ensure integrated approaches to
sanitation and hygiene improvement are mainstreamed into government sector
policies and championed by a single line Ministry
·
Agree
a programme of action for implementing Agenda 21 – see WSSCC draft
language
|
·
Sanitation
is linked to pollution control very closely. It is only fair that the
Polluter Pays Principle should be adopted and given enforcement
‘teeth’ in each country. This is one way in which diseases such as
cholera can be prevented (Sarah, Randwater)
|
Financing
& Resources
|
Governments
to commit to providing adequate resources for reaching targets.
Mobilize
international and domestic financial resources at all levels for water and
sanitation infrastructure and services, transfer of technology and
knowledge and capacity building, ensuring that water and sanitation
infrastructure and services meet the needs of the poor, low-income and
vulnerable groups and are gender-sensitive. Sound methodologies are
needed to assess the environmental, economic and social costs and benefits
of new water resources developments to ensure the best
use of resources (WSSCC)
|
§
Review
of the resources required to achieve the Millenium Development Goals
§
develop
new finance mechanisms for investment in public infrastructure without
privatisation.
§
Discussion
on the need to focus on sustainability of outcomes and institutional
arrangements
|
Integrated
water resource management for protecting ecosystems and sustainable water
resources
§
Stopping
the unsustainable exploitation of water resources by developing integrated
water management strategies (Millennium Target)
§
Preventing
pollution
§
Water
management organisations from community to basin level to include
effective representation of women and men of all social strata
|
§
Call on governments
to work with each other and with all stakeholders to develop and implement
integrated water management strategies
§
Intensify
the water pollution prevention to reduce health hazards and protect
ecosystems by introducing affordable sanitation, treatment of waste water,
monitoring and effective legal frameworks (WSSCC)
§
Support
research efforts and refer to suitable international agencies (CGIAR for
agriculture)
§
Comprehensive
monitoring programmes and data bases on the various uses of water in major
catchment basis, in order to achieve demand-based, multi-stakeholder water
management strategies
§
Affirmative
action required to secure balanced participation through clear criteria
setting
§
Develop
plans for transboundary action
|
§
Build on existing
mechanisms
§
Use
appropriate technologies, especially in agriculture
§
Focus
on water conservation (Protection of water resources from external
contamination; indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater; stormwater
management)
§
Respect
the linkages between ecosystems, habitat, and protection with efficiency,
and with demand management, incl prices; pricing signals needed.
§
Capacity
building regarding legislation and enforcement; working with UNEP Regional
Centres
§
Global
Water Partnership: aim to transfer the GWP Toolkit for regional level to
national level
§
Design
and conduct further research into non-conventional uses of water, such as
wastewater, brackish and saline water, including cost effective
desalination and water harvesting
§
Develop
recommendations on the design of such programmes and data bases
§
Produce
proposals for ‘Integrated Least Cost Planning’ to be accepted and
implemented by all players in the supply chain (Sarah, RandWater)
|
Risk
Management
Desertification
Drought
planning
Flood
planning
Climate
Change
Insurance
Crop schemes
|
§
Call
on governments to include Risk Management as part of their water resources
planning disciplines.
§
Call
on governments to work on the UNCCD (UN Convention to Combat
Desertification) to implement its resolutions. Desertification should be
taken as a systemic issue (socio-economic, climate problem)
|
§
Identify,
review and promote good practice in community-level stakeholder action to
prevent flooding
§
Promote
rainwater harvesting systems
and look at existing approaches for efficient use of rainwater harvesting
(e.g. historical irrigation practices)
§
Develop
with individual local authorities early warning systems and disaster
preparedness and management systems
§
Identify
how to support UNEP's capacity, e.g "Early Warning Assessment"
(identify areas of risk)
§
Regeneration
and development of the eco-systems, catchment basins and watersheds with
involvement of local residents
§
Promote
appropriate farming methods to prevent desertification.
IFAP is
carrying out a study on good farming practices in the fight against
desertification and its negative impacts for WSSD. This could be
undertaken as a joint research project, including the scientific
community, Indigenous Peoples (to include traditional techniques),
women’s groups, private sector.
|
Valuing
Water
This
does not have to stand on its own. It could fall under two other main
issues : Finance and also Education (Sarah, RandWater)
Ongoing
discussions about water pricing vis-à-vis cultural and spiritual meanings
of water
Additional
point is the tension between using water pricing to restrict / minimize
the use of water [an ecological argument] and the inability of poor people
to afford water on a full-cost recovery basis.
|
§
Link up with Human
Rights Commission (Convention on Rights of the Child refers to Right to
Water)
WaterAid
is doing some work with others on a draft of the Right to Water. This
might form a topic in its own right.
|
·
Water pricing: look
at mechanisms of affordability and promote appropriate systems (eg tiered
tariff systems: public/private.)
·
Appropriate levels
of service that people can afford are very important for the developing
world.
§
Share
case studies for the provision of ‘life-line’ water services e.g. the
6 kl per month Free Basic Water model in South Africa.
§
Need
for capacity building for experts on water pricing, adequate cross-subsidy
systems, etc
§
The
value of water is not just about pricing – it is also a major education
requirement. Certainly in the developing nations there is a strong need
for basic education about water as a resource.
§
Valuing
water in non-financial sense
|
Private
sector engagement in water supply and sanitation
§
Ongoing
discussions about the actual scope and the actual impacts of private
sector engagement
§
Private
Sector engagement discussion could be:
o
Philosophical –
i.e. only the state should provide basic services; basic services should
be free at the point of delivery; profits should not be made from basic
services. However, there is a cost in providing services, and that cost has
to be met by someone e.g., Government, Local Authorities, "the rich", via
cross-subsidiaries etc, and investment in infrastructure has to
have a return either by way of profit or by Government providing
subsidised loans etc. (Jim Oatridge)
o
And / or financial
– what are the incentives required to achieve the financial resources
required to meet the Millennium Development Goals?
o
And / or governance
focused – how do you achieve managerial systems of control with
disparate power / financial imbalances; what is the role of regulation and
the regulator; can poor people become consumers; is this a monopoly or a
cost problem?
|
Call
on governments at the Summit not to discount the role of public-public
partnerships. Public sector involvement can’t be automatically
associated with less efficient delivery, and there are public sector
organisations with capacity that should be maximized rather than
marginalised.
Promote
public-private partnerships by providing stable and transparent regulatory
frameworks, involving all concerned stakeholders, and monitoring the performance
and improving accountability of public institutions and private
sector companies through good governance and the development of a code of
ethics. (WSSCC)
|
§
Design and conduct
a multi-stakeholder review of the social, economic, and environmental
impacts of privatisation in the water sector
§
Include
all types of utilities (not a question of either/or)
§
Link
to existing initiatives
(e.g Tearfund's questionnaire on responsible business in the water sector;
WaterAid's Assessment of approaches in public/private management; analysis
by TU; WaterAid’s PSP research will produce a final report in late April
/ early May, after which there will be specific findings and positions.)
§
Share
information on the way PPP contracts are regulated and develop
best-practice guidelines for nations to adopt/ use.
§
Establish
Performance Management systems which can be monitored and benchmarked
(Sarah, RandWater)
§
Discussion
on the need to focus on sustainability of outcomes and institutional
arrangements.
|
Governance
General
comment – governance is a very complicated issue in nations where there
is a high degree of lawlessness –e.g. high crime, violence,
intimidation, corruption etc. Where the moral fibre is seriously damaged
it is extremely difficult to manage in any of these focus area. On top of
that many countries have the added complications of a very heterogenous
society in terms of many cultures and languages which makes communication
difficult, and the building of a common vision and framework of how to get
there. The whole issue of rights versus responsibilities can be a
very ‘hairy’ one, particularly in less educated communities (Sarah,
RandWater)
|
·
Renew commitments
by Governments and other stakeholders to priority actions in governance in
water and sanitation and capacity building at all
levels, and to provide new and additional financial resources and
innnovative technologies to developing countries in order to promote the
implementation of Chapter 18 of Agenda 21 (WSSCC)
·
Promote closer
coordination among the various international and
intergovernmental bodies working on water-related issues, both within
he UN system and between the UN, international financial
institutions, NGOs and other organizations within civil society. WSSCC
·
Recognise that the
Ministerial Declaration of The Hague, the World Commission on Dams, and
the Bonn Conference process have demonstrated that people and governments
of different and sometimes opposing views can converge in constructive
alternatives and form new partnerships on water resources management that
go beyond sectoral approaches
·
Reaffirm the
recommendations of the Bonn Conference on priority actions in the area of
governance; including that participatory approaches to water resource
management should be strengthened
·
Reference to Codes
of Conduct (and their monitoring) in the water sector, particularly those
developed and adopted by a variety of stakeholders
·
General Assembly to
establish a process to globalise the Aarhus Convention
·
Develop
institutional frameworks that work effectively to support sustainable
development (to facilitate the building of partnerships among major groups
and with governments for structuring implementation of Agenda 21). Develop
institutional framework for water rights and access to water (Nora, IFAP)
·
National Water
Authorities (consultative bodies that include all stakeholders, taking a
participatory approach) would ensure harmonisation of water policies.
Examples: the Netherlands, France, Italy, Algeria (Water Ministry),
Lebanon.
IFAP’s Mediterranean Committee is
developing this idea.
·
Strong independent
regulators and ‘ombudsmen’ to be established in each country- and the
regulator should have ‘teeth’.
·
Establish an
international water authority for managing the water resource (not for its
supply).
|
·
Develop a
multi-stakeholder statement / campaign on good governance, transparency
and accountability in the water sector (towards Summit process &
beyond)
·
Use Jo’burg as a platform for public commitments on water
governance; local governments would commit themselves to providing an
inventory of water resources; other stakeholder groups could commit to
making certain advances within 6 / 12 months (Kyoto – one step) within
their area of weakness
·
Create linkages
with the 'C41' process on national governance (WRI / IUCN / USCIB)
·
National
multi-stakeholder councils to develop water management strategies (this
might include advising on the regulatory framework)
·
Improve public
governance by supporting public water managers, departments, etc.
(involve workers for reforming public water systems, for abetting
polluting practices in industry, and to reach out to community members)
·
Local
multi-stakeholder councils & Forums to develop water management
strategies (which might include collaborative management mechanisms on
access, price, and delivery of water & sanitation (e.g. pilot
communities?) and gender issues – GWA developing advocacy tools for
local governments to mainstream gender)
·
Develop and monitor
a Code of Conduct for public and private delivery of water &
sanitation (support public water managers, departments)
·
Address corruption
- But remember that big blue-chip companies have resources to address this
issue [at least in PR terms] – much corruption is petty-corruption
affecting local government and the borehole contract – way out of the
normal discussions of international conventions and Codes of Practice.
·
Set up joint
information centres providing data on water quality for citizens, based on
existing experience with such services (eg Eco-Telephone in the Ukraine);
establish links with The Access Initiative (WRI et al)
·
look at the
feasibility of the Aarhus Convention by focusing on water as one element (e.g
focus on water policy, collection of data etc. in 1-2 countries)
·
Introduce more
concrete measures of implementing principle 10 of Rio Declaration (access
to environmental information)
·
Investment for
integrated rural development plans (economic and social infrastructure,
capacity building for local governance).
·
Establish
Performance Management systems which can be monitored and benchmarked
(Sarah, RandWater)
|
Monitoring
pledges and commitments
Review
of international and national commitments that come out of WSSD
This
should be built into every Focus Area as part of the “Means’ – the
way we do things – or it can be assimilated into Good Governance
|
|
§
Establish
multi-stakeholder review mechanisms to follow-up, held citizens in each
country, hold their governments / officials to account on the agreements
they enter.
§
Establishing
an institutional framework to facilitate the building of partnerships
among major groups and with governments for structuring implementation of
Agenda 21 (Nora, IFAP)
|
Water
for Food
§
Securing
water for food production
§
Irrigated
agriculture offers large potential in terms of water savings, the benefits
of which can be shared with other sectors.
§
Water-rich
food should not be produced in water scarce areas (However, if poorer
countries can produce high value produce for export, thereby creating real
inward wealth, then this may be a way of raising funds for investment in water
infrastructure. What is necessary is that such exports reflect a
"full price" for the value of water exported – Jim)
§
Water
management is closely tied with secure land tenure arrangements and access
to land
|
§
Review agricultural
production and exports and its impacts on water resources
§
Review
laws and policies to ensure women especially equal rights to water and
access to land (and for farmer – men and women)
§
Training
and Credit for women and farmers to improve land and water use for food
production
|
§
Develop
partnerships between researchers and farmers to develop appropriate
agricultural technologies
§
Establish
a capacity building fund in each region for major groups (Nora, IFAP)
§
Develop
partnerships between researchers and farmers to develop appropriate
agricultural technologies.
IFAP is involved in a dialogue group
with the International Water Management Institute. One of their aims is to
involve farmers in research work to develop suitable technologies
§
Stewardship
programs for agricultural good practice
§
Use
water saving technologies, eg new / low cost irrigation technologies
§
Develop
with supermarket chains water maps of food production & develop
appropriate alternatives to ensure that people in water scarce areas grow
crops with low water requirements or of high value compared to the water
used.
§
create links with
existing scoping exercises of decentralised freshwater management (e.g.
WELL, info will be provided)
§
Water
management is closely tied with land tenure arrangements [concrete action
ideas available from discussions on land / women's access to, management
and control of land, CSD 2000]
§
Use
water permit systems to control what the water is used for and how much
can be allocated to various farming crops.
|
Water
and Health
-
link to sanitation -
§
Access
to water and sanitation facilities is a basic human right that safeguards
health and human dignity. Every human deserves the right to be protected
from disease and other health hazards posed by poor disposal of excreta
and human waste.
§
Children
are the first and most vulnerable to fall prey to such hazards, deserve a
better environment and highest standard of living possible (nearly 2
million children die each yr. from diarrhoea)
§
Health
and social consequences because of the lack of WSS are especially harsh
for women and girls: loss of dignity when there are no latrines;
compelling them to wait until dark exposing them to harassment and sexual
assaults; lack of education due to the absence of school WSS facilities;
increase of heavy workloads and infectious diseases associated with the
lack of WSS
§
Investments
in water quality and quantity can reduce deaths by diarrhoea by 17%,
sanitation can reduce it to 36% and hygiene promotion by 33%
|
§
link up with Human
Rights Commission (Convention on Rights of the Child refers to Right to
Water)
§
The UN reporting
under the Convention of the Elimination of the Discrimination against
women (CEDAW) should include indicators/statistics relating to gender and
water
§
Reaffirm
Millennium Declaration signed in 2000 to promote a sanitation target which
has been overlooked
|
§
Identify
stakeholder partnerships to join the Water Supply and Sanitation
Collaborative Council (WSSCC) in promoting the WASH campaign including
testing and adapting ‘communication for development strategy’ used by
UN organisations in implementing health, water and environmental
sanitation programmes
§
Identify,
review and promote good practice in community-level stakeholder action to
advocate hygiene and safe water practices and promotion of appropriate
technologies (rainwater harvesting)
§
Promotion
of private sector participation
§
Development
of indicators to track progress
§
Strengthening
public accountability, improving regulations, legislation and effective
monitoring.
|
Large
infra-structure projects
(not
a priority area; use as a reference point)
This
could fall under ‘Good Governance’
|
Adopt
a reference to the World Dams Commission recommendations and the need for
national governments to review and incorporate them in national
legislation
|
·
Promote the
recommendations of the World Commission on Dams
look
at alternatives to major dams (micro-dams), possibly in cooperation with
former WCD)
|
Capacity-building,
training and education
Capacity-building
should take a 3 level approach:
(a)
At the Government level, there is a need to build capacity within
Government (national, regional and local, as
appropriate) to develop the enabling conditions, i.e.
water policies, water laws, regulatory frameworks, water enforcement
provisions. It is also an area where ODA monies could be best
targeted.
(b) At the utility level, there is a need to build
"management" capacity i.e. strategic planning, investment
plans, business and business plans, management and accountability
processes etc.
(c) At the water operator level, there is considerable need for
operator training on plant operations, maintenance etc.
§
Capacity building
and training targeted at:
§
capacity
of women to manage water and related financial resources to improve
efficient water use
§
increase
scientific and technical education for women
§
support
water professionals in integrating gender perspectives in their work at
all levels
§
Farmers
are not organised enough to be able to participate as effective partners
in Sustainable Development and its implementation.
|
§
Reaffirm the
recommendations of the Bonn Conference on priority actions in the areas of
capacity building and sharing knowledge such as monitoring, assessment and
management of water resources
§
Promote public information and
participation at all levels in support of policy and decision-making
related to water resources management and project implementation, using
the watershed or integrated river-basin approach, to enhance the
sustainability of water projects. In this regard,
women, as the main providers and users of local water resources, should be
empowered to play an active role in water resources management and policy
– WSSCC
§
Support through technological,
technical and financial programmes the diffusion of technology and
capacity-building for non-conventional water resources and conservation
technologies, including desalination, recycling and rainwater
harvesting technologies, to developing countries and regions facing
water scarcity conditions or subject to drought and desertification (WSSCC)
§
Make
available sufficient resources for capacity-building, training,
education.. to all stakeholders including farmers women and men.. and
marketing communications programmes e.g. social marketing campaigns to
promote positive ‘water wise’ behaviours.
§
Support
electronic and non-electronic knowledge banks and other tools for
knowledge exchange and management (eg via UNEP's Freshwater Portal)
§
Include
local communities, local authorities, trade unions, and women's groups and
farmers in the development of capacity-building tools
§
Support and elaborate proposals
on the activities leading to the International Year of Freshwater 2003 and
beyond. WSSCC
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§
Highlight the need
to build capacity, especially at a district level to implement programmes.
§
Capacity-building
for local authorities to enable them to set up water management systems,
particularly in Africa (and gender issues through GWA training programme
and advocacy tools)
§
Developing
and linking knowledge banks, including indigenous technologies such as
rainwater harvesting, e.g. Intermediate Development Technology Group (ITDG)
on training, capacity-building; IRC's STREAM project (global database on
water projects);
§
Work
with an international agency to set up an information and technology bank
for effective water and sanitation management as well as public
information and community education materials; possibly including existing
distance learning programmes; eg linked with UNEPs Freshwater Portal and
UN system-wide World Water Assessment report and GWA’s annual facts and
figures report
§
Develop
community-based indicator programmes to feed into the World Water
Assessment Report. Data should be disaggregated by gender.
§
Train
water experts and policy makers to work in a gender-inclusive manner (GWA
training on gender and water as well as capacity building to become gender
ambassadors)
§
Develop
empowerment measures for women to take up leadership and managerial roles
in water resources policies and management.
§
Expand
existing local authorities twinning programmes to include all appropriate
stakeholders and enable transfer of stakeholder capacities in the water
and sanitation sector
§
spread
information into training tools in order to empower local
communities and they will do their job on good governance
§
NORA,
IFAP: More resources
by national and local authorities into building
up the capacity building of Farmets Organisations to contribute to
self-help development in establishing stakeholder consultation processes.
§
SARAH,
RANDWATER:
§
Training
for communities to manage and maintain their own water projects e.g
the Mvula Trust model in South Africa, and the training and
providing work for Community Leakfixers (SMME) in South Africa. Training
should be in hard and soft skills e.g. training Community Liaison Officers
is as important as training Project Book keepers.
§
Education
and awareness campaigns should address the basics e.g. how water gets to
my tap; the water cycle; how to ready my bill; the value of water and why
we should pay for it; hygiene and sanitation; the wise use of water etc.
§
But
education and awareness are only the first step to changing behaviours.
Professionally managed ‘Social Marketing Campaigns’ should be
established to promote positive water behaviours and outcomes.
§
Partnerships
with the media for maximum impact
§
Legislate
water issues as part of the school curriculum – supported by sponsored
resources for teachers in the classroom.
§
Employ
full time custodians/ wardens for water & sanitation monitoring and
training – officials and contracted community members.
§
Run
stakeholder forums with regular meetings. Benefits include: ongoing
information sharing e.g. best practice case studies & industry
developments; joint problem solving and policy development. Breaking down
silos within and between organisations builds capacity within the whole
sector.
§
Implement
Performance Management systems that allow people to benchmark their own
development.
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Household
consumption patterns
Part
of Education above ?
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§
Develop multi-media
campaigns on water related issues; eg design and run awareness raising
campaigns related to the International Year of Freshwater (2003) e.g. how
to read my meter, how to audit my water use; how to fix my leaking tap
etc.
§
Empower
people at local level to set up water user associations
§
Share
and replicate successful public awareness and education tools on water,
its sustainable use and conservation (Water Wise campaigns) between
countries and communities, eg via water suppliers and local authorities
§
Establish
incentives & disincentives, a ‘carrot & stick’ approach. There
have to be negative consequences for wasteful use of water.
§
Each
household/ institution has to be individually metered for equity reasons
the ability to measure. The service providers have to read meters
accurately & regularly and send accurate bills on time.
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Focus areas that bear potential for effective joint stakeholder action should be
included.
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