This report focuses on the growing water and sanitation crisis that causes
nearly two million child deaths every year. It complements and reaffirms
the message of the 2nd UN World Water Development Report that poverty,
unequal access, wars, migration and unsustainable consumption patterns are
the leading causes of the water crisis rather than just scarcity of
freshwater resources.
To accompany the launch of this year's HDR, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) is organizing the H2O Virtual Knowledge Fair, a fair on
water with a focus on the regions of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the
Middle East and Northern Africa. The Fair will be online on 15-17 November
and will include 3 live discussion forums and multimedia presentations.
Human
development report 2006: ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the
Global Water Crisis’
H2O
Virtual Knowledge Fair
New
EU groundwater directive
The European Parliament and
Council agreed on a joint text for a new Groundwater Directive. There is
now "a clear and legally-binding obligation for Member States to
prevent the input of hazardous chemicals and ensures that agriculture must
also respect the 50 mg/litre Nitrates standard", says the European
Environmental Bureau (EEB).
"Groundwater is Europe 's biggest drinking water resource and a
precautionary approach to protection is the only way of guaranteeing
safety and security of supply", the EEB added. The Groundwater
Directive, which forms part of the EU Water Framework Directive, has been
the subject of heated debate between environmentalists and agricultural
lobbies since it was first proposed in 2003. Many governments had also
initially opposed the nitrate rule and had pressed for an exemption for
agriculture. The directive is expected to be formally adopted early in
2007. Member States will have two years to transpose the directive into
national law. It should therefore take effect from early 2009.
European Commission - Groundwater protection against
pollution under the Water Framework Directive
Netherlands
US$ 25 million grant to Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative
The Netherlands has given the African Development
Bank (AfDB) a grant of US$ 25 million (EUR 19.6 million) for its Rural
Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) Trust Fund. Earlier, France
and Denmark had contributed to the fund. The RWSSI supports innovative
approaches to services delivery in 11 countries (*) and expects to extend
its operations to all African countries that have defined a national water
strategy. The main target is to extend coverage of safe water and basic
sanitation to 80 per cent of the rural populations by 2015 from the base
level of about 47 per cent coverage for water supply and 44 per cent for
sanitation in 2000. The AfDB will contribute 30 per cent, regional member
countries 20 per cent, and donors 50 per cent of the € 11.1 billion
needed.
AfDB – Water Initiatives [*] Mali, Rwanda, Ghana, Benin, Senegal,
Uganda, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Morocco, Chad and Tanzania. Other countries
soon to join include: Mauritania, Niger and Zambia by the end of 2006);
and Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nigeria and Cameroon in 2007.
Report in newsletter WWC
Capacity
Building For Ecological Sanitation
UNESCO/IHP and GTZ (2006) published
"Capacity building for ecological sanitation : concepts for
ecologically sustainable sanitation in formal and continuing
education". This publication deals with educational aspects and
guidelines linked to ecosan capacity building. It constitutes a means of
providing educational tools, upgrading existing ones, and suggesting
revised teaching plans. The concept behind ecological sanitation (ecosan)
is that sanitation problems could be solved more sustainable and
efficiently if the resources contained in excreta and wastewater were
recovered and used rather than discharged into the water bodies and the
surrounding environment. The publication includes chapters on ecological
sanitation as the new sanitation paradigm; capacity building, knowledge
management, and research and development for sustainable sanitation.
Download (pdf 4.4 mb)
OECD
makes water a priority.
On 11 July, 2006, the UN Secretary General’s
Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB held a joint meeting in
Paris with the OECD. Angel Gurria, Secretary General of the OECD,
announced that this institution has set water, in addition to migration
and health, as priority issues for the coming years.
"Water is a good proxy for other issues such as poverty, gender
and health, which are all critically important. Dirty water and poor
sanitation are responsible for numerous diseases and 1.7 million deaths
every year. And with 40% of people living in river basins shared by two or
more countries, water, not oil, could be the cause of the next major war.
Water is a public good and a human right, but it poses a massive challenge
to global finances and security. Through our own work, and in coordination
with other organisations, the OECD will contribute to the best use of
available water resources.
We used to focus on finding the financing for water. Now, we recognize
that financing is essential, but capacity-building is much more important.
Water is a local issue, and it should be dealt with locally. In many
places, municipal authorities are in charge of water administration, but
too often, they lack the technical skills needed to manage projects."
Report in newsletter WWC
A
Water Resources Minister in Australia
To face the severe water crisis affecting
Australia, Prime Minister John Howard has decided to create a federal
ministry in charge of the subject. In this way, a new Office of Water
Resources will coordinate plans for federal services on recycling,
cleaning and marketing water in order to incite the States to act.
Rural areas are currently experiencing extreme drought and more drastic
water restrictions are being applied in the capitols of the country with
the arrival of summer. Several weeks ago, the Prime Minister declared that
he was ready to spend fortunes on water projects. Criticising the States’
lack of reactivity, he sees the creation of this new Office of Water
Resources as a means of increasing pressure on them to encourage them to
act.
Source : The Australian and WWC
newsletter, 25 September 2006
Right
to Water report presented to the Human Rights Council
The International Council on
Environmental Law (ICEL) presented their report on the right to water to
the current session of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights.
Conclusions of the report:
1) In order to enforce the right to water at national level, each country
should introduce appropriate rights and duties related to water services
both for citizens and public authorities. The list of rights and
duties as stated in the report may be considered in this exercise.
2) In order to improve access to water supply and sanitation in rural
areas and for poor families, new laws will generally be needed to finance
solidarity mechanisms.
3) Areas of critical importance for the implementation of the right to
water in developed countries are:
a) improving access to water supply and sanitation especially in small
rural villages;
b) defining and implementing the concept of affordability which is part of
the Millennium Development Goals; designing equitable and efficient water
tariffs to promote better access to water services;
c) financing water for the poor (solidarity funds); adopting suitable
procedures in case of non-payment and identifying which stakeholders will
bear the cost of unpaid water.
Full report
more on right to water
ICEL website
Community
Led Total Sanitation
Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an
innovative methodology for mobilising communities to completely eliminate
open defecation. CLTS is characterised by participatory facilitation,
community analysis and action, and no hardware subsidy. In a matter of
often just weeks, communities mobilise themselves to construct latrines
and achieve total sanitation.
Livelihoods connect - CLTS documentation
French
senate adopts right to water
On 11 September 20006, the French Senate adopted
the following amendment to the French water bill: "Each person has
the right of access to drinking water for his or her own supply and
hygiene at economically acceptable conditions" When the new water law
is promulgated, the right to water will be part of French law. It applies
both to privately managed and publicly managed water utilities. With
rising water prices and declining water subsidies, affordability is
becoming an important issue.
The French government together with French mayors, enterprises,
administrations and NGO's supported the right to water at the 4th World
Water Forum in Mexico, March 2006. Despite the lobby by France and many
others, the assertion that access to water is a human right was not
included in the ministerial declaration. In Europe, the right to water is
formally recognised in several countries including Belgium, Spain,
Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Ukraine. Social tariffs for water exist in
such countries as Bulgaria, UK, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Luxembourg,
Malta, Hungary, and The Netherlands.
Sénat - Projet de Loi sur l'eau et les milieux
aquatiques [in French]
Belgium government recognises water as a human
right, Source Weekly
Web site: WWC – Right to water
Henri Smets, Right-to-water list (Source)
Bert Diphoorn replaces Kalyan Ray as water
chief UN Habitat
UN-HABITAT announced the appointment of
Mr. Bert Diphoorn as the new chief of its water and sanitation
department. Mr. Diphoorn, 53, a Dutch national, gained
international recognition for his organisation of the Second World Water
Forum in The Hague in 2000. Mr. Diphoorn, who spent many years as a
water specialist in the Dutch foreign ministry, was appointed Head of
its Water Support Unit in 1997. In 2003, he was seconded by the ministry
to the African Development Bank where he helped establish its water
facility.
IDB
Intrafund: funding for preperation of infrastructure projects
source:
IDB http://www.infrafund.org/
The
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has identified the lack of funding
for project preparation as a major bottleneck for the much-needed
scaling up of infrastructure investment in Latin America and the
Caribbean (LAC). In order to help plug this gap, the IDB decided to
contribute US$20 million for the creation of the Infrastructure Fund (InfraFund)
The InfraFund is dedicated to assisting public, private and
mixed-capital entities in Latin American and Caribian countries in
the identification, development and preparation of bankable and
sustainable infrastructure projects that have the potential of reaching
financial closure.
ARMENIA:
rural water supply among ADB priorities
Rural development, including water supply systems
and waste management, is one of the three priority areas identified by the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its interim operational strategy for
Armenia. Armenia joined the ADB in September 2005. Donor involvement in
Armenia’s water sector has been limited, focusing mainly on urban areas.
Armenia, a former country of the Soviet Union, has a population of 3
million. Water supply coverage in 2002 was 99% for urban areas and 80% for
rural areas, and sanitation coverage was 96% and 61% respectively.
Strategy for Armenia : as approved by the Board of Directors EBRD
on 7 February 2006.
World Bank (2004). Rural infrastructure in Armenia : addressing gaps in
service delivery.
ADB – Armenia;
World Bank – Armenia
IRC newsletter (Source)
EUROPE:
environmental NGOs file complaint against 11 countries for breaching EU
water directive
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and
WWF, on behalf of 17 national environmental organisations, have
submitted a complaint to the European Commission against eleven EU
Member States for failure to correctly apply the EU Water Framework
Directive. Environmental NGOs say that if the ‘polluter pays’
principle continues not to be applied, citizens will have to pay the
whole bill and the main goal of the directive – good ecological status
of all European waters by 2015 – will not be achieved.
The complaint refers to the situation of
some of the last rivers with outstanding natural value in Europe, such
as Vistula in Poland; Danube in Germany, Austria and Hungary; Elbe in
Germany; Kemijoki in Finland and Shannon in Ireland.
The NGOs accuse the 11 EU countries of
excluding, in their economic assessments of water service costs,
environmental damage caused by businesses through infrastructures such
as dams, weirs and dikes.
IRC newsletter (Source)
empower
women by providing access to water and
sanitation
Water Affairs Minister Lindiwe Hendricks of
South Africa stressed during the water, sanitation and forestry awards,
that women must have access to resources such as water so
they can be empowered to fight poverty: "We must reaffirm our
commitment not only to the delivery of water, sanitation and forestry
services, but to ensuring that we mainstream gender to ensure that women
can also benefit from the development opportunities that arise when we
provide such services."
Hendricks emphasises the need to align the
institutional reform -initiated by the National Water Act- with the
Water Allocation Reform programme (WAR). This, she said would allow
women not only to have water but also the representation on the relevant
water structures and institutions.
In
Stockholm during the Water Week, she repeated the message and added the
importance of access to gender-sensitive sanitation as well.
IRC newsletter (Source)
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, key
note address by by Mrs Lindiwe Hendricks at the Women in Water,
Sanitation and Forestry Awards, 10 Aug 2006
Mexico:
right to water going to be recognized!
One of the jobs of the newly elected
government, will be to acknowledge that water is a human right. This
means that government must make sufficient investments for all
inhabitants of the country to have access to supplies.
The lower house water resources committee has been working to
promote water for all Mexicans and has been at the centre of efforts to
create a water ministry. Despite
the progress made in water and sanitation works around the country in
recent years, there are still some 30,000 communities in Mexico that do
not receive water.
IRC newsletter (Source)
Rivers
form part of conflict Israel -
Lebanon
Water has been and will continue to be of
great importance in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict, though the truth of
this is often overlooked. Worthy of consideration in this context are
two waterways of south Lebanon. The Hasbani River (and its tributary
the Wazzani): The river supplies 20-25% of the water flowing into the
Sea of Galilee, which feeds Israeli supply. It rises in Lebanon and
flows for about 50 kilometres through its territory before joining the
River Jordan and emptying into the Sea of Galilee. The Lebanese moves
to use this water for drinking water supply in the South have been met
with increasingly sharp Israeli responses. The Litani River: The
entire basin is contained within the borders of Lebanon. It rises in
the northern Bekaa Valley, then empties into the Mediterranean near
Tyre, and at its closest point flows 4 km from the Israeli border.
Israeli interest in Lebanese water has long featured in the history of
the two sides, and in particular the Litani River.
IRC newsletter (Source)
Bottled
Water: part of the problem - not a solution
(source: amongst others:
Source-weekly)
Bottled water is popular: not only in the "rich" countries,
where it is a form of luxury, but also in developing countries - but
sometimes for very different reasons. Some examples are given below.
If and when however water is bottled:
Ø at least it should be clear were the water comes from and what it
contains
Ø bottles should be recyclable
Ø transport should be reduced to a minimum.
Global consumption of bottled water has doubled in five years, consuming
huge quantities of energy, producing toxic waste and putting stress on
supplies near bottling plants, says the Earth Policy Institute. Each year,
2.7 million tons of plastic are used to make water bottles. Discarded
bottles take 1,000 years to biodegrade, while incineration produces
chlorine and heavy metals.
Consumers associate bottled water with health, but EPI says 40% of bottled
water began as tap water and bottled water is often no healthier than tap
water but can cost 10,000 times more. Tap water is distributed through
energy-efficient pipes while transporting bottles requires massive
quantities of fossil fuels.
The United States consumes most, followed by Mexico, China and Brazil. At
two glasses a day, Italians drink most per person. In 2004, 1.4 million
bottles of Finnish tap water were shipped to Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the
United Arab Emirates show the fastest growth, while India's consumption
has tripled.
Environmental
cost of bottled water - correct labeling necessary
BPW Canada recently passed a resolution
about (labelling) bottled / mineral waters, which they hope will get wide
support from everywhere:
Resolution
BPW Canada
Potable water from the tap in the UK - and other European countries -
is subjected to stringent quality controls and the information about its
bacteriological and chemical content is easily available. EU Regulations
set quality standards for all bottled water but there are no labeling
requirements.
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM -
UK), has published their position and advise about bottled water:
"Branding and bottling of water where there already exists a
wholesome and safe supply of mains drinking water cannot be seen as a
sustainable use of natural resources, and adds to the overall levels of
waste and pollution to be managed in modern society."
French tap water ads
make a splash:
Bottled water: getting consumers back on tap water
The
latest campaign has been launched by the Syndicat des Eaux d’Ile-de-France
(Sedif), the public water utility that serves four million inhabitants in
the region surrounding Paris, France.
Sedif is spreading its message through posters displaying bottles
resembling known brands that are labelled "Eau du Robinet", or
tap water. The posters carry texts like "You're free to pay 100 times
more", "Ideal for those living on the fifth floor without a
lift" and "What could be more environmental than no packaging at
all?".
France is not only a leading exporter of bottled water but has also seen
consumption double in 20 years to reach 130 litres a year per inhabitant,
second only to Italy. Sedif hopes its campaign will improve the image of
tap water and also reduce the costs of plastic refuse
collection.
Bottled
rainwater
for the poor
A new pilot project on bottling purified
rainwater is carried out by CIDECALL, the International Centre for
Demonstration and Training in Utilising Rainwater, Texcoco University,
Mexico. They are producing ½ litre recyclable PET bottles branded "Lluviatl".
The aim is for poor communities to provide themselves with water and
generate income selling it too.
Ethos
Water signs agreement
Starbucks and PepsiCo signed a distribution agreement for Ethos Water to
increase distribution of Ethos water to retail stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Further, by continuing to make a US$ 0.05 (EUR 0.04) donation for each bottle of
Ethos water sold in all distribution channels, both companies are affirming
Starbucks contribution goal set last year of at least US$ 10 million (EUR 8
million) by the end of 2010 to help children and their communities around the
world get clean drinking water.
Ethos
Water
Related
information on bottled water:
CIWEM
Policy Position Statement on Bottled Water
What’s
in your Water Bottle
The
real cost of bottled water, WWF, 3 May 2001
Fight
Bottled Water and Bulk Water Export, Public Citizen
Bottled
water: “environmental madness” and often not safe, Source, 23 Nov 2004
Mexico:
only the poorest drink from the tap
Nepal:
increased use of bottled water pollutes Pokhara, 01 Jul 2004
BNamericas.com,
water and waste news [ (subscription site), 7 Nov 2005.
International
Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (newsletter)
Water
Observatory, Jul 2006
Finfacts
Business News Centre, 25 Jun 2006
Emily
Arnold and Janet Larsen, Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain, Earth
Policy, 2 Feb 2006
Facts
and figures about bottled water
New
Policybrief UN Water on gender
The new policybrief on water and gender has been
published.
Download (pdf., 1 MB)
Lebanon:
Lack of water and sanitation adds to risks
(Source: source-weekly and http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L27728052.htm,
Dominic Evans, Reuters, 28 July 2006)
The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has warned that lack of clean water
and sanitation is threatening lives in south Lebanon, where Israel's
bombardment has cut off water supplies.
Daniel Toole director of emergency programmes for UNICEF says that a
shortage of water sanitation equipment, the destruction of roads and heavy
fighting means that the United Nations has only managed to transport water
purification kits for 1,000 families, while sanitation services are also
disrupted.
"Without proper sanitation children will get diarrhoea, they will get
sick and they will die. If we cannot get in with means to store water and
to transport clean water we will have disease."
CAP-Net
and Gender and water Alliance publish new tutorial for water managers: Why
gender matters
This tutorial is to demonstrate how a gender
approach makes water management more effective. The general section of the
tutorial deals with efficiency of water use and environmental
sustainability, social benefits and equity from use of water resources,
and gender barriers. The resources part of the tutorial includes selected
references, references to manuals and tools, and links to resource centres.
Cases are included as examples of successful inclusion of gender issues.
The CD contains the self-study tutorial with resource materials in English
and Spanish.
Download PDF [1.57 MB]
More
information
UK
Department for International Development (DFID) launches new White Paper
(Source: FAN newsletter july)
DFID sets out their plans to double its bilateral
spending on water and sanitation in Africa to £95 million a year by
2007/08 and more than double funding to £200 million a year by 2010/11.
It also details plans to work directly and with others in Asia to expand
water and sanitation across the region, work with Civil Society
Organisations in all regions to help them demand better access to water
and sanitation and support UN Water to coordinate international assistance
more effectively.
Download printable version (pdf., 1.2 MB)
African
Development Bank Increases Operational Focus on Water and Sanitation
(Source: FAN newsletter july)
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has
reaffirmed the importance it attaches to the infrastructure development on
the African continent, with particular emphasis on the Water and
Sanitation Sector: a Water and Sanitation Department has been established
to consolidate and enhance the AfDB’s leading role in water sector
activities in the region. The Department will centralize the AfDB’s
water sector activities for better coordination and facilitate the
definition and implementation of sustainable solutions across the water
value chain, from strategy, policy-making and institutional reforms to
project implementation and monitoring. It will spearhead the Bank’s
contributions to national efforts to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) targets in the Water sector and the related areas nutrition,
education, health, gender empowerment and environment. Headed by Mr.
Kordjé Bedoumra, also Director of the African Water Facility, the
Department will be instrumental in ensuring that the AfDB plays a
leadership role in water sector activities on the continent. In this
connection, it will reinforce the implementation of the major Rural Water
Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) and ensure financing for projects
and studies in the water sector through its public sector operations
window.
Press release (pdf., )
The Right to Water
The right to water is one of the main topics for the NGO community including BPW and Women for Water, since a legal right - nationally and/or internationally - will give guarantees for basic amounts of and services in water and sanitation, give quality criteria and "protection" in case of privatization, etc..
During the World water Forum in Mexico, a lot of sessions - including one co-organized by Women for water - were devoted to this topic.
The EU issued an additional statement to the Ministerial declaration of the WWF4 about the basic right to water and promised to continue talks about legislation. This came after the NGO's including "Women for Water" and local governments pushed for this during the Forum in sessions and a letter to the Ministers.
Proposal civil society for Ministerial Statement
Furthermore the Ministerial Declaration specifically reconfirmed the CSD13 outcome " that Governments have the primary role in promoting improved access to
safe drinking water, basic sanitation, sustainable and secure tenure, and adequate shelter, through improved governance at all levels and appropriate
enabling environments and regulatory frameworks, adopting a pro-poor approach and with the active involvement of all stakeholders".
The women and women's organization present in Mexico for the 4th World water Forum have send out a declaration with recommendations for action. Among those:
- The human right to water must be implemented and enforced by all stakeholders at all levels
- Governments must immediately implement their international commitments to women’s rights and gender equity in relation to water and sanitation;
- Water services must not be included in World Trade Organization or other trade agreements, or through loan-conditionality programs by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and regional development banks.
The World Water Council published a brochure on the right to water before the WWF and has now published a synthesis document of all the discussions in Mexico.
Synthesis of the outcomes of WWF4 on the right to water (download pdf 190kb)
FAN gathered together in one document, the official outcome texts from UN Commission on Sustainable Development 13th session on water, the General Comment 15 on the Right to Water and the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Download FAN booklet (pdf, 3,2 mb).
Green Cross and others are promoting the right to water.
Publication from IUCN (July 2004) provides a legal review of international conventions and agreements concerning human rights and water. It concludes that implementing the internationally-agreed goals on water provides a framework for the right to water to be realized.
Download booklet (pdf, 390 kb).
More information about the topic and developments can be found on:
very good right to water information compilation by WaterAid, FAN e.o.
right to water information by the World water Council
legal resources for right to water (COHRE - January 2004) (download pdf 1.5
mb)
women take the lead in drinking water projects,
Kerala, India
(source: Source Weekly )
Participation of women from decision-making to post-implementation is the common element in successful drinking water projects in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Women are the main beneficiaries of any water scheme because they are the ones who suffer most when water is scarce.
The success of both rainwater harvesting (RWH) and open well schemes was due to the involvement of women. The Malanadu Development Society (MDS) supported a RWH scheme in Panakkachira, Kottayam district, which involved the construction of common ferro-cement water-collection tanks, shared and maintained by two families. Women supervised the construction, and had the highest attendance at community meetings and awareness campaigns.
The open well schemes were implemented in Kaduthuruthy, Palai, by self-help groups (SHGs). Some 60 per cent of the members of the SHGs are women, including the president and the treasurer. The schemes were supported by the NGO Palai Social Welfare Society (PSWS) as part of the Jalanidhi water project of the Kerala Rural Water Supply & Sanitation Agency (KRWSA), funded by the World Bank.
KRWSA
Palai Social Welfare Society (PSWS)
Romania
(source: EMWIS flash)
Buracharest is constructing a new wastewater treatment plant, first installation of its kind in the Romanian Capital and will contribute to the improvement of the water quality of the Dambovita River and subsequently of the Danube. The plant – once both phases completed - will be one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in Europe covering almost 2 million citizens of Bucharest whose untreated effluents represent one of the main sources of water pollution of the Danube river basin.
See EC website for more details
EUROPE: low impact of public participation in water policy
(source: Source weekly)
A study under the ADVISOR project research programme found that the impact of public participation on the decision-making process in European water policy because of the methods used is very small. The study reviewed water related projects in Spain, Portugal and Greece, a flood protection project in the Netherlands, and the designation of a rural area as a nitrate-vulnerable zone in Scotland.
Some major findings of the study were:
* there was an uneven distribution of participatory processes in the decision making process, which made the impact of public participation
very small;
* participation was mostly limited to public information without real stakeholder involvement in evaluation;
* public and stakeholders should be involved as early as possible in the decision making process, with a clear indication of roles and follow-up;
* instead of just public hearings and comments, alternative participatory tools are needed such as visioning workshops, participatory modelling,
citizens’ juries or social multi-criterion analysis.
To overcome these problems, the ADVISOR project developed guidelines on an Integrated Deliberative Decision Process (IDDP). guidance document (download pdf 2.3
mb)
Nakuru,
Kenya: Private Water Firm puts more equity in its budget
(source: WASTE newsletter)
Nakuru, the greenest town of Kenya. This is the
aim of the Environmental Forum in Nakuru. The platform is facilitated by
Practical Action and members come from all sectors: governmental formal
business, informal business, environmental groups, civil society
representatives, the university and a banking institution.
The privatised water board (now called NAWSSCO) of Nakuru presented it's
first budget. A lively discussion developed on the future prospect with
regards to the production of safe drinking water in a town that is fast
growing and that new industries are already avoiding due to lack of water.
It was clear that drastic measures should be taken to ensure drinking
water for the population. A remarkable advice was given and accepted by
NAWSSCO to forget about the renovation and development of a totally new
sewer system (too high water consumption), to abandon the digging and use
of pit latrines (groundwater pollution, also effecting tourist attraction
lake Nakuru) but instead start a massive campaign for waterless or semi
dry toilets.
The NAWASCO representative promised to reconsider the budget and include
issues such as equity: providing water and sanitation services not just
for the affluent class who would then draw considerably on scarce
resources, but also for the lower income groups of the population. It was
concluded that the same budget could provide a considerable larger number
of people safe drinking water (even though less in quantity per head) and
sanitation if other technical options for sanitation solutions would be
implemented: - (semi)dry toilets saving almost 40% of the household water
consumption, generating useful nutrients such as: Nitrate, Phosphorus and
Kalium - communal toilets privately run - introduce a smart collection
system linked with reuse of grey household water (pour flush latrine)
since on-site sanitation is hardly possible let alone it would be safe in
densely populated urban areas.
Aquastress
Summer School
(source: EMWIS flash)
A Summer (elementary) School for children on water stress has been implemented
in Cagliari (Sardinia Region, Italy). The course was organised in relation to
the students age, with different activities as frontal lessons, discussion,
round tables, practical activities, games and a guided visit to Mulargia dam in
the test site area. All the students received a participation attest at the end
of each session.
Water stress is a global problem with far-reaching economic and
social implications. The mitigation of water stress at regional scale depends
not just on technological innovations, but also on behavior and new integrated
water management tools and decision-making practices.
More about Water stress
Danube
Canal: “significant adverse transboundary effects” on the environment
(source: EMWIS flash)
The UNECE Inquiry Commission has concluded that the building of the Bystroe
Canal in the Danube delta is likely to have significant transboundary impacts.
Ukraine is developing the canal without having previously notified Romania, as
it is required to do under the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact
Assessment in a Transboundary Context, also known as the Espoo Convention. Both
Romania and Ukraine are Parties to the Convention.
UNECE website for further details.
WSSCC
Secretariat
(source: WASH website)
In 2005, the Council agreed in principle to transfer its hosting arrangements
from WHO to UNICEF; in the course of detailed consultations, both parties came
to conclude that a more thorough analysis of the Council's needs was required.
WHO has extended support relating to this decision and continues to be the
Council's host until 30 September 2006.
Gourisankar Ghosh had reached retirement age in January 2006. The Council will
utilize his experience and institutional memory in the capacity of Special
Adviser to the Chair, until the end of August 2006. The post of the Executive
Director for the Council will be advertised at the soonest time possible.
Pending the recruitment of the new Executive Director, Dr Maria Neira, WHO's
Director of Public Health and Environment, will act as the Officer-in-Charge of
the Council Secretariat.
More info on the WASH site
European
award "Our Waters"
(source: EMWIS flash)
This interesting award seeks for creative and feasible ideas with benefit for
our waters. With regard to an EEC directive (water framework directive) the
entire Europe is asked to achieve or to keep the good status of all waters. This
award aims to lFurther
information earn from the creativity of others. Every
water user can participate. The best ideas will be given an award at the
European Parliament in summer/autumn 2007.
Further information
Women
for Water and partners lobby for (new) funding
To meet the water supply and sanitation challenge we need to
develop financing mechanisms that target not only Governments of the South, but
also local stakeholders and NGO's.
Women for Water and partners send a letter to Louis Michel, to the President and
Vice-President of the Development Commission and of the ACP-EU Joint
Parliamentary Assembly and EU-parlementariens under the title: "The ACP-EU
Water Facility : a response adapted to local stakeholders’ expectations, that
should be continued"
It's an appeal to the EU member states and the Commission to continue and
further improve the funding for water and sanitation through the water Facility.
Letter to
the EU (pdf, 165kb)
Guidelines for Safe Recreational Waters
WHO published guidelines for swimming pools and similar recreational-water. The world's first-ever international guidelines on how to create safe places to swim and bathe were launched last Tuesday. The guidelines aim to protect people from the risks associated with swimming pools, spas and other recreational bathing areas.
The Guidelines include both specific values for contaminants and a set of recommended best practices to support safe management and use of recreational waters, pools and spas and prevent unnecessary disease and injury. They mention risks from poor water quality; the contamination of facilities such as pools and hot-tubs; and air quality in indoors bathing facilities.
WHO
Water companies feature in list of corporations abusing women's rights
Bechtel, Biwater, Coca-Cola, RME Thames Water and Suez Lyonaisse feature among the first MisFortune 500 list. MisFortune 500 challenges corporate malfeasance against women worldwide and reclaims their rights to decent work, a clean and healthy environment, and access to quality public services, land, water and food. MisFortune 500 is a parody of Fortune magazine’s annual listing of top profit-making companies. Instead of ranking ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ The web site exposes corporate activities that violate women’s rights, threaten lives and livelihoods, and destroy the environment. It is a project of Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO), an international organisation that advocates for women’s equality in global policy.
Source: MisFortune 500
RUSSIA: Putin signs Water Code into law
President Vladimir Putin has signed into law the country's Water Code, which will come into force on 1 January 2007.
Some elements of the new code are: all water resources except self-contained bodies of water, on federal, regional or private land, are federal property; self-contained bodies of water larger than 3,000 square meters or located within 1 kilometre of a settlement cannot be privatised; a simplified procedure for acquiring "special" water use rights, which are based on an agreement between private parties as opposed to "specific" rights based on government regulations; a provision for water user fees to be paid to the federal government.
Russia – Federal Water Resources Agency
Ask IRC – Legislation databases
WaterWiki - Russia
Source: Prime-Tass / AmCham Russia, 5 Jun 2006
MEXICO, CHIHUAHUA: plan to reuse 85 per cent of urban wastewater for irrigation
The state Chihuahua will receive more than 100 million pesos (EUR 7 million) from the national water commission (Conagua) to improve its wastewater recycling infrastructure. The money will be used to install wastewater treatment plants in all towns with a population of more than 16,000. The treated wastewater will then be used for irrigation, saving potable water for human consumption.
The state, which is suffering from a 13-year drought, currently reuses some 30 per cent of its wastewater. It hopes to eventually treat and reuse 85 per cent of all wastewater, says governor José Reyes Baeza.
While much of central and northern Mexico suffers from water shortages, it is a particularly serious problem in the desert state of Chihuahua. The state government is currently spending 126mn pesos to build wells, tanks, and water distribution systems in underserved urban areas.
Source: BNamericas.com
Rain
Water Harvesting in the city
Are you a water harvestor? The Centre for Science and Environment
(SE) in New Delhi is asking for your help in creating a nation-wide
database of Urban Rain Water Harvesting (URWH).
CSE is compiling a database of all the urban rainwater harvesting systems
(URWH) implemented across the country over the past few years. They want
to find out how many people are practicing URWH, where and how they are
doing it and what has been the impact.
If you have knowledge of URWH in/near houses, offices, institution,
or if you have helped others build a system, or if you are involved in
protecting a lake or waterbody, they would like to know.
Take
a few minutes of your time to complete a simple questionnaire
For
more information: Salahuddin Saiphy, Centre for Science and Environment 41
Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi 110 062 Phone: (011)
29955124 / 29956399 / 29956394 (Ext. 267)
South Africa Case Study summary / WWDR2 (Download pdf., 360 kb)
Sri Lanka: rebuilding life after the tsunami
The tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004 was the biggest natural disaster to strike Sri Lanka, resulting in 38,900 deaths and 443,000 displaced people. It is also estimated to have orphaned hundreds of children. The disaster also severely damaged the local fishing industry and hurt agricultural productivity, infiltrating 10,000 ha with seawater. Groundwater has become highly saline and wells have filled with saline water.
BPW Sri Lanka and women for water partner NetWwater are actively involved in trying to restore water and sanitation facilities.
women for water partner database and information
Sri Lanka Case Study summary/ WWDR2 (Download pdf,. 310 kb)
Water pricing in Mongolia
In 2004, 40% of the population of Mongolia lacked access to safe water resources and only 25 % of the population had adequate access to sanitation facilities, mainly because of poverty.
Although the Mongolian Government gives priority to the interests and water needs of the poor, weak regulations have led to a pro-industry and pro-wealthy pricing scheme. The charges applied to rural consumers for 1,000 litres are 84 times higher than what industries and mining companies pay. As a result, those with the lowest income pay the most and consume the least: the decentralization of water tariffs has promoted economic growth by providing low-costs water to business and industry but disregarded the needs of the poor.
Mongolia Case Study summary/ WWDR2 (Download pdf., 520 kb)
Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga (women representative CSD 13) elected in Steering Committee Gender & Water Alliance
GWA is happy to present the result of the elections for its Steering Committee. The following people will be joining the steering committee of GWA as of 10th of May 2006:
For the Asian seat: Ms. Sara Ahmed
For the Dutch seat: Ms. Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga
For the Francophone seat: Mr. Jean Bigagaza
For the Lusophone seat: Mr. Demetrios Christofidis
For more information about the steering committee and its members visit: GWA
organisation/Steering Committee
Development Marketplace: Award winners are innovative water projects
(Source: World Bank)
Two thirds of the 30 winners of the US$ 5 million (EUR 3.9 million) grant of the Development Market Place 2006 competition are innovative clean water and sanitation projects. Of the 17 water projects and two sanitation ones, three interesting ones:
Entrepreneurial Approach to Safe Water in Kenya using WaterGuard bottles
UV Buckets to Disinfect Water in Rural Mexico
Self-Sustainable Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Rajasthan, India.
EU acknowledges (again) the basic
right to clean and safe drinking water in World Water Forum IV
The
World Water Forum in Mexico ended with two "new" developments: The EU issues an additional statement to the Ministerial
declaration about the basic right to water and will continue talks about
legislation. This came after the NGO's including "Women for
Water" and local governments pushed for this during the Forum in
sessions and a letter to the Ministers.
Proposal civil society for Ministerial
Statement
Furthermore
the Ministerial Declaration specifically reconfirmed the CSD13
outcome " that Governments have the primary role in promoting
improved access to
safe drinking water, basic sanitation, sustainable and secure tenure, and
adequate shelter, through improved governance at all levels and
appropriate
enabling environments and regulatory frameworks, adopting a pro-poor
approach and with the active involvement of all stakeholders".
The
women and women's organization present in Mexico for the 4th World water
Forum have send out a declaration with recommendations for action.
Among those:
The
human right to water must be implemented and enforced by all stakeholders
at all levels
Governments must immediately
implement their international commitments to women’s rights and gender
equity in relation to water and sanitation;
Water services must not be
included in World Trade Organization or other trade agreements, or through
loan-conditionality programs by the World Bank, International Monetary
Fund and regional development banks.
Declaration
Women's Caucus (download worddoc., 40kb).
Ministerial
Decleration WWF4 (download pdf., 80kb).
Reports
from FAN about WWF4.
Picture
gallery WWF4 Mexico by WECF.
Daily
impressions of WWF4 by IISD (International Institute for Sustainable
Development) including lots of photo's.
Official
site 4th World Water Forum.
Women
for Water Partnership
Information regarding the Dutch participation in the 4th World Water Forum and all its side events
The
Children's World Water Forum on Unicef
Big water companies quit poor
countries: Political and consumer pressure forces rethink
(John Vidal, environment editor - Wednesday March 22, 2006 - The
Guardian )
Millions of people could have to wait years for clean water as some of the
world's largest companies pull out of developing countries because of
growing doubts about privatisation projects, a major UN report reveals
today. Political and consumer unease about multimillion-pound schemes that
were intended to end the cycle of drought and death that has afflicted
many countries is forcing major multinationals to think again. "Due
to the political and high-risk operations, many multinational water
companies are decreasing their activities in developing countries,"
says the UN's second world water development report, published today in
Mexico City.
"In many settings, privatisation is a heavily politicised issue that
is creating social and political discontent and sometimes outright
violence."
More
...
BRAZIL:
water situation is worrisome
(Source:
Agência Brasil Radiobras)
A
large volume of water is lost in Brazil between the treatment station and
the final consumer's tap. In some regions these losses amount to 60% of
the water that has already been treated and is ready to use. Says Nelton
Friedrich, the director of the Coordinating Body of Itaipu, and one of the
speakers at the international forum on the "Rio de la Plata"
Basin, in Foz do Iguaçu. Representatives of the five countries that
utilise water from this Basin are participating in this forum: Brazil,
Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia.
National
Water Agency reports show that 70% of the water courses in the region
extending from Rio Grande do Sul to Bahia possess high levels of
pollution, completely out of control in some cases, says Friedrich.
"This demonstrates that while the world faces a crisis involving
water scarcity, we have it in abundance on the surface, below ground, and
deeper in the earth, in the aquifers, except that we are not taking good
care of it."
more
information in English and Spanish
BPW
St. Petersburg NW organises Water Seminar
In
December 2005 BPW St. Petersburg NW organized a seminar to discuss
watertopics and the involvement of women. Lesha Witmer, Chair of the
Taskforce of BPW International was one of the Keynote speakers. Also
representatives of the Waterservice Company and the City gave their views.
The
approx. 40 participants agreed they will meet again soon and discuss
future activities and projects. One of the topics to be taken up by the
BPW clubs might be the fluoridisation of the drinking water and
responsible water use.
Photo
impression water seminar and visit BPW the Netherlands
Presentation
Lesha Witmer St. Petersburg (pps 1,3 mb)
Information and games for children on water from UNICEF
Children's game
EU funding game for children
More information for children
SUDAN:
NGOs provide water to end conflict and disease
The signing of the peace accord by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan
People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) opened up the country for
provision of services. A local Community Based Organisation, Sudan Women
in Development and Peace (Swidap), has teamed up with Pact's Sudan Country
Program, a non-governmental organisation supporting local Sudanese CBOs to
provide water to the people of Ayod in Upper Nile, Southern Sudan.
Social and economic infrastructure not destroyed by the 21-year-old war
was ruined by lack of investment and maintenance. Up to half of the hand
pumps in south Sudan no longer function and only 25 per cent of the
population has access to safe drinking water. One out of every four
children dies before reaching age five and nearly half of those deaths are
caused by water-related diseases. Conflicts due to water scarcity is
another major issue. The provision of community boreholes is essential to
implementing sustainable local-level peace initiatives.
Pact
Sudan Country Program
Water
resources during armed conflicts
As
we see the toll taken on the civilian population by e.g. the war in Iraq,
taking stock of tools protecting water resources and facilities during
wartime appears more urgent than ever.
Water: a military weapon and target during armed conflicts.
Because it is indispensable to life, water is often at stake during armed
conflicts.
Since ancient times, the destruction of water resources and facilities
have been used as weapons against the enemy. History is full of such
examples from all over the world, showing a great variety of ways and
means to use water in military conflicts.
Read
more (download worddoc., 40 kb).
Based
on the title of the first UN World Water Development Report '