Summary of 2nd WCAW Meeting in Marseille
Posted on Nov 29, 2007. This article has been read 695 time(s).
SUMMARY OF PRESENTATIONS
5 November 2007
Bratovanova - Some of the main principles according to the Bulgarian Water Act, are as follows:° Acknowledge water as a resource of vital importance and a common protected and defended heritage° Right of each citizen to access to water for drinking and household use° River basin as the basic unit for IWRM° Coordination of actions to achieve good condition of waters° Polluter pays principle° Provision of transparent, precise and understandable information relating to water
Kovac - • NGO and People becoming important in water governance in Slovakia• NGOs provide services to municipal and country-side communities• NGOs assist and mobilize citizens to solve their economic, social, cultural and environmental problems on civic principle• NGOs help solve water problems in harmony with traditions and traditional skills of the region• Examples of water developments: (i) Alternative water-management policy in Slovakia, 1993-94; (ii) Blue Alternative, 1994-96; (iii) Stop Draining Slovakia, 1998-2000; (iv) New theory of global warming, 2001-02; (v) Water Forest, 2005-2007; • New Water Paradigm, 2007 – Address climate extremes in global warming via conservation of rainwater enabling infiltration and evaporation & renewal of small water cycle over land can temper extreme weather events and ensure a growth in water reserves
Kerdoun - ° Algeria only beginning to look at the issue of water governance° Algeria is a rich country but is ‘water-poor’ – cities are well supplied & Government is investing heavily in water sector, launched big projects in dam construction and desalination and water treatment plants° Water conflicts is a serious problem between tourism, industry and agriculture° Water availability is low – 500 cubic metres per capita (stress line is 1700 m3) & Population is increasing rapidly and this put increasing stress on availability° Government is putting a water strategy/policy in place, especially to overcome conflicts based on 5 principles: (i) economic; (ii) consultation; (iii) ecology; (iv) universality/transboundary; (v) water as a collective good/unity of the resource° Tariff – based on progressive tariff° Privatisation is encouraged – national law amended in 1983 to introduce privatisation. Hence, there is a lot of investment by big MNCs, and they have huge influence over government° The public is highly aware of the water situation° Management issues are problematic
Pino - ° Peru is basically coast, mountain & sea - the coast is one of the most arid in the world. Countryside has big water problems but not urban areas ° Lack of infrastructure is a serious problem – need to create infrastructure° Peru wastes 50 percent water NRW & Water theft is also a problem° Municipal management is not a solution as water is a social problem as the poor suffers the most & Access is very limited and this has led to waterborne diseases, e.g. cholera, hence water Quality is suspect/low. Hence, the main question is “How to we make available water to the people, espy the poor?”° Other water issues in Peru: (1) high loss of water; (2) low availability to the poor (3) difficulty in integrating small systems in rural areas; (4) Privatisation needs real democracy but foreign companies are stronger than government. So, it is very difficult. There are issues about transparency, corruption and MNCs, especially during Fujimori’s regime. Under the new government things are improving but a lot remains to be made. Because of all the corruption, a new movement to draft new contract with MNCs. (Example: Mayor in Genoble jailed for 4 years because of corruption dealing with the water utilities); (5) Difficulty in ensuring better distribution to the poor – Solution is to ask both government and people to be more involved, and government to give incentives, utility has to pay more taxes to the state, less tax to be paid if low NRW (Scandinavian countries).
Alberto - 1 Mexico is experiencing a water crisis due mostly to management problems• The valley of Mexico: One of the biggest ecological disasters in earth.• Ecological sanitation vs. conventional sanitation• Pollution is serious• Water represents one of the greatest challenges for the country in many aspects: (i) Food supply (ii) Sovereignty and (iii) National security.• Eleven to twelve million Mexicans (depending on the source) lack potable water.• A considerable number of most of the purification plants in several cities do not function adequately or water is contaminated in the conduction systems, cisterns and storage tanks;• Water from the system is wasted in every city (up to 45%);• Less than 10 percent of the water used is treated• More than half of the country’s dams are full of sediment;• In agriculturare, 70% of the water is used for irrigation and it’s lost is 60% due to obsolete conduction systems and poor resource administration.• Groundwater is also contaminated with arsenic and lead (e.g. in the state of Guerrero) 2 Privatisation since 1989 but is problematic, Bottled water consumption no 2 behind USA 3 Conflicts is a serious issue: between USA and Mexico; between users, communities, and border regions. For example, nearly the whole country faces conflicts because of water, in which private users, communities, municipalities and border regions are involved & there are continuous disputes between the USA and Mexico related to water control in Río Bravo and salinity reduction in Rio Colorado . 4 Official Solutions: (i) Invest US6000 million; (ii) Transfer water; (iii) Public campaigns and Tariff increase – These are not effective 5 Social Scientist’s Proposal - creation of alternative social-econ development6 Floods are also a huge problem 7 Water scarcity does not depend on supply volume but on infrastructure distribution 8 Sanitation is a major problem (conventional flush and discharge = expensive = linear pathogen flow) = solution Ecosans holistic view of sanitation (“ principles: prevent pollution, prevent soil degradation, ;;;; replicates nature……also plants alfalfa grass and corn crops on land previously only cactus grows, compost production, economics, close the loop, 9 Macro_ecological solutions are needed. 10 Oaxaca = only 46 percent pop has access to potable water, high waterborne diseases Q: Only 10 percent wastewater is treated water 90 percent contaminatedQ: From Islamic religious point of view, can Muslims eat the products grown from faeces? A: Do not see a problem but need to find out exactly if this is a problem. Q: Price of water?A: Government subsidised heavily , 1 cubic meter = 1 Peso, but actually cost is 5 Pesos, but subsidised for everybody ( e.g. Coca Cola etc) Q: Privatisation success or failure?A: Failure but government is pushing very hard for full privatisation, as in most other utilities. Failure because of mismanagement, corruption, etc. But NGOs and civil society are fighting it. A lot of public dissent now.
KORIS - 1 Main problem is wastewater – failure & majority of population do not pay2 Water is too cheap 3 Water is wasted4 Centralisation instead of decentralisation5 Blessed with adequate water but people are not using it responsibly6 Agriculture is heavily subsidised and water for irrigation is heavily subsidised (almost free)7 Privatisation is largely a failure, only PBA in Penang is a success.8 Water Forum under SPAN _ but only & NGO is in this forum.9 Tariffs are different in every state10 National Water Saving Campaign 2006-2008
GENERAL DISCUSSION _ NEW THINGS, IDEAS AND EXAMPLES 1 Governance, manifested by management (or mismanagement) is a big problem in most countries 2 Make recommendations in a global way, or recommendations that are workable; 3 In France, now in 2007, the price of water is very high. This is in contrast with the price of water in developing countries. Allege that MNCs are making too much money. 4 Drought is now a serious problem in many parts of the world, in China (during Euro-China discussions in 2007), with climate change water problems will be global problems. 5 The conclusions shows that Citizen movement is imperative in solving the water problems in developing countries 6 Countries should be classified into two groups: (1) water-rich countries – issues: price too high, good privatisation, (2) water-poor countries – issues: privatisation not successful, tariff too low, 7 Benefit – Bangladesh can borrow some of the examples, globally we can disseminate our solutions to global policy makers – our strategy has to be globally applicable 8 IWRM at local level show be employed and promoted, holistic management, relationship hydrological changes in the landscape influence on the climate, keep water cycle in the land and not let it go to the oceans, local 9 Agricultural water use needs to be managed effectively because it uses –è-èà per cent of water resources in any country 10 Transboundary water issues are crucial in effective water governance 11 Paradigm change is necessary, so not all is true about putting heavy investments in water such as building dams, treatment plants etc. We need to look at new paradigm, e.g. holistic management, Ecosans, water saving society, the more we invest, the more people move into cities etc and more demand….we are already 7 years into the MDGs but are we seeing any real change? 12 Sanitation is a serious issue closely related to water & must be put into the water equation 13 Youth must be included in this water movement.
6 November 2007
Chan - ° Role of NGOs gaining importance in Malaysia via Smart-Partnerships with Government and Industry/Businesses° Major water problems: (i) Misconception that water is unlimited via hydrological cycle; (ii) High water wastage; High NRW; (iv) Pollution; (v) Over-reliance on water supply management; (vi) Low Tariffs; (vii) Privatisation is not transparent and not working well; (viii) Lack of coordination amongst agencies; (ix) Destruction of catchments due to deforestation; (x) Climate Change. ° Solutions proposed by NGOs: (i) Change the idea from unlimited water to limited water resources; (ii) Reduce high water wastage; Change pipes and stop thefts to reduce NRW; (iv) Monitor and control water Pollution; (v) Employ comprehensive approach Over-reliance on water supply management; (vi) Low Tariffs; (vii) Privatisation is not transparent and not working well; (viii) Lack of coordination amongst agencies; (ix) Destruction of catchments due to deforestation; (x) Climate Change° Creation of Water Saving Society
Islam - ° Demand management not well developed° Water quality is bad – pollution a social issue; Urbanisation creating more water problems, as rivers are very silted and polluted (Solution is to Prevent logging, Recover water, etc)° NRW 35 per cent° Lack of inter-agency coordination° Excessive dependence on groundwater sources – Water level dropping & arsenic pollution; Need to shift to surface water; Need to protect water tables° Progressive pricing & Awareness campaigns° Rural water management – participatory approach, water management associations, water rights, community water responsibility° Participatory approach has brought success – transparency, sustainability° Water in the coastal environment – lack of coordination, transparency and accountability amongst government machinery° Conflicts of water users a serious issue & Underhand arrangements of land users with authorities° Transboundary water share and illegal occupants – international (without much success) and local conflicts & Role of institutions important here° Water laws are necessary° Privatisation does not necessarily improve performance° Poor needs to be given priority° Water allocation must be free from political influence° Need for transparency, accountability.
Abou Thiam - ° There is political involvement in the water sector° Poverty is high but access to water is low (in rural areas)° Privatisation since 1995-1996 did not improve the situation (only in rich areas but rural areas still supplied by government)° Access to water is a human right° Drinking water is not well distributed in the country° 1981 Water Act passed but until now it is still not enforced; However, the 1981 Act gives free access to both surface and groundwater° Transparency, equity, accountability and participatory is low, good governance needed to resolve conflicts and ensure good water quality° Insufficient human resources, inadequate finance and lack of civil society participation° Water governance to be made national concern; Need for public management & public participation; and communities need to be part of decision making° Cholera (flood) and Malaria are problems° Tariff - Progressive but expensive, role of consumers association important ° NGO – active but participatory is low.
El Maaoui - ° Water consumption in phosphates industries in Tunisia is a serious problem in Tunisia° Population concentration in north (coast of Mediterranean) due to water distribution (800-1000mm in north coast but < 100mm in the south which is desert) & other reasons° 1 ton phosphate needs 5 tons water to wash, Washing phosphate also pollutes the water – 1 – 1.( tons of water), 3-3.5 tons of water is recycled° 8 million phosphate mined = 10 million m3 of water loss° Decrease in groundwater serious and drying of wells° There is currently no solution to phosphate mining in Tunisia° Use very deep wells° Locate acid manufactures only on the coasts.
Fliss - ° Water is not connected to religion, though in other countries water is said to be God given° Privatisation – potable water commissioned by government to a company SONEDE (owned by government), company covers water supply in the entire country, water supply cut by company if bill not paid, SONEDE defines 5 levels: (i) ceiling 20 m3; (ii) 30 m3 = 75 % more (iii)50 m3 215 % > first level (iv) 70 = 380 %(v) >150 m3 = 600 % (not inclusive of tax); Example - 1st bill= Consumed 6 m3 (Poor) = 0.140dinar/ m3 = 8.40 dinar (4.20 e) Tax = 3300 dinar= total 4.902 dinar (2.451 e) The bill also includes the bill/tax for wastewater treatment=7.880 dinar (we pay 900 % more if wastewater is included in water bill); TOTAL BILL=12.032 Dinar (about 6 Euros); 2nd Bill = Consumed 31 m3; Water bill=7.440; Tax=5.253 (tax is less than 1st case); treatment of wastewater=3.7; TOTAL BILL =16.417 Dinars; 3rd Bill=52 m3; TOTAL BILL= 125% more= ?Dinars; the poor pays the most; The less you use, the more you pay (in terms of percentage) (Corruption is needed to build house & in its installations; water supply for illegally built house needs corruption because municipality refuses its authorisation; electricity & water are till now public firms; telephone has been privatised a year ago at 30 % of its capital)° Water is scarce and NRW is high, between 30-45 % (given by SONEDE)° 1956=865 m3(independence), 1990=405 m3/per person/per yr; 2000=324 m3; 2025= 232 m3° Tariff, Supply & Quality are all problematic; Tunisian use only 10 % of what the tourist use ° NGO operation & establishment is very hard, and controlled by government, Citizen has only one outlet – Via opposition Newspapers.
Imam - ° Nile river main source (55.5 BCM/yr) & Ground water: Nile valley, delta; eastern desert; western desert; Limited rain in north coast ;1000 m3 per capita – low water availability° Re-use of agriculture drainage water, municipal and industrial wastewater is practised° The Water resources and supply system: Nile River & its control structure; high Aswan Dam (180 BCM); network of canals (25,000 km); network of agricultural drains (20?000 km); reclaimed desert land – carrier canals & wells° Governance: Regional Level (e.g. with Sudan & other Nile countries) ; National Level (valley & delta); Local Level (tertiary, branch, main canals)° Water Rights – Owned by government, permit is needed to abstract water° Municipal use & “Privatisation” (treatment plants 95 % urban water supply; performance is poor; municipality water departments changed to economic units & later to private company linked to Ministry, holding company for water supply & sanitary drainage….all governorates, setting of tariffs (very low & used for political propaganda) set by parliament, Regulatory Agency); agriculture (farmers can grow anything except rice), farmer pay land tax;-reclaimed land – permit needed to drill well, planned govt projects, private projects (allocation, timing, quality, cost, pricing) ° Stakeholders – Management authority, water users & their associations, others (Environment Affairs Agency; MOH; Law Enforcement; MOE; MOT; Research Org)° Participation of water users & NGOs - government control is strict – no recording of talk ° IWRM studies – National Water Resources Plan (up to 2017) – Review of IWRM policies & legislation: sectoral & national policies; water saving through irrigation improvement projects; re-use of agricultural drainage water° WDM – irrigation, municipal & industrial, fisheries, lakes° Wastewater management – O & M; Timely supply; Equity; Operational losses ° Pilot projects – irrigation improvement & irrigation management transfer° There is funding but Pressure from donors is high° Problem of Water quantity & Quality monitoring – tail-enders ° Poor Inter-sectoral coordination & communication – with WMA, inter-sectoral level.
Maria - ° Water availability is now 4416 m3 but by 2025 will drop to 3822 m3 due to population increase; but regional distribution is not even, 1897 m3 in the north, water pressures is great in the central and north, only the south is not under pressure (in the south, it varies from 7,000-24,000 m3) ° Pollution is serious° Agriculture 54 % wasted; Domestic wastage is about 30-50 %° Mexico does not have a water saving society but one that consumes a lot of water° No vision of water ecosystems° Not enough budget to address all water issues every year° Groundwater 35 per cent of water in Mexico & experience serious problems of over-exploitation and pollution° Surface water – Pollution is significant at certain levels° Infrastructure – 4000 dams, 491 treatment plants, 1593 wastewater treatment plants, 1868 industrial wastewater plants, 3000 km of aqueducts° Concessions and Permits - Federal Law of Water Rights and NOM-OLO-CAN-2000° Tariffs comparatively cheap (only one-fifth of the actual cost) – highly variable, depending on the area (by the nmunicipality); Services/industry= 165 US cents/m3 to 3 US cents/m3; Domestic tariffs – 0.55-12 US cents/m3° Solutions: (i) Promotion of new culture of water; (ii) use results to train farmers & water quality study; (iii) Participation in forums & share experiences; (iv) CONAPESCA - Fisheries regulations – promote a program of subsidies for sustainable use of natural resources for economic activities with MOA.
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