CURRENTS - newsletter from the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)

Issue n°29, October 2006

OCTOBER IN FOCUS

3-5 October: WWAP at the Humanitarian Development Summit

The Humanitarian Development Summit (HDS), organized on 3-5 October in Nairobi, Kenya, was a multi-layered event allowing for interaction between government officials, NGOs and other relevant national and international partners through workshops, exhibitions and seminars. It brought together national and international competing authorities to discuss Africa’s development needs through specific sessions on topics such as education and information; HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; water and sanitation; energy and environment; shelter and displacement; and food and agriculture, among others.

Mr. Engin Koncagül, WWAP case studies programme officer, was invited to attend the session on water and sanitation to present UNESCO and WWAP’s work with a view on assessing the development made in providing freshwater throughout the world, the importance of capacity-building with regards to education and training for the maximum utilization of water resources, identifying effective water management strategies and policies in light of the findings of the 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, ‘Water: A shared responsibility’ (WWDR2, 2006).

The 3-day exhibition, where WWAP held a stand, was a good opportunity to disseminate WWDR2 and showcase WWAP’s 5 African case studies, developed in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, South Africa and Uganda. Mr. Samuel Kioni and other representatives of the Kenyan Ministry of Water and Irrigation, which developed WWAP’s Kenyan case study, were also at the stand to present the case study’s conclusions and answer questions. The full Kenya National Development Report will soon be made available online.

:: Humanitarian Development Summit
:: Kenya case study

FORTHCOMING INTERNATIONAL DAYS

6 November: International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict

Organizer: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
:: Read more

20 November: Universal Children's Day (16th anniversary of Convention on the Rights of the Child)

Organizer: the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
:: Read more

20 November - Africa Industrialization Day

Organizer: the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
:: Read more

WWAP NEWS

Launch of the WWDR2 executive summary in Spanish and Basque

The Spanish and Basque editions of the executive summary of the 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, ‘Water, a shared responsibility’, were officially launched on 29 September 2006 in Bilbao, Spain. These editions were published and launched by the UNESCO centre of the Basque Country (UNESCO Etxea) and the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country’s Department of Environment and Territory Management.

Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, presented the 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, ‘Water, a shared responsibility’ (WWDR2) and its executive summary during the event.

:: WWDR2 executive summary in Spanish [PDF format – 1,5 MB]
:: WWDR2 executive summary in Basque [PDF format – 2,62 MB]
:: WWDR2 executive summary in English [PDF format – 2,62 MB]

WWAP CASE STUDIES

9^th International Riversymposium: 'Managing rivers with climate change and expanding populations'

The 9^th International Riversymposium that took place in Brisbane, Australia on 4-8 September 2006 focused on river management and the integration of science, business, institutions and the community in managing the problems facing rivers, waterways and catchments around the world. This year the symposium explored 'Managing rivers with climate change and expanding populations' using several case studies, the Chao Phraya River Basin case study which was developed for WWDR1 and followed up in the subsequent Thailand National case study report developed for WWDR2 being among them.

The case studies were presented by Mr. Surapol Patanee, WWAP’s focal point in Thailand. The Chao Phraya River Basin covers 30% of the country's total area and is home to 8 million people in Bangkok alone, and 23 million people in all. The basin is likely to face water scarcity due to increasing water demands and augmenting population in the basin, which also led to the pollution of water resources and land degradation in some parts of the basin.

:: Riversymposium programme
:: WWAP’s case studies in Thailand

Full Sri Lanka National World Water Development Report Online

The full Sri Lanka National Water Development Report (NWDR) is now available online. The NWDR is a comprehensive report that gives a broad overview of the status of the water sector in Sri Lanka and the progress made by its government to address the challenges related to sustainable water resources management and efficient provision and delivery of water for different uses, and examines water-related challenges in terms of the 11 WWAP challenge areas.

The NWDRs prepared by each case study country provided some useful practical experience and lessons which were captured in the preparation of WWDR2. In addition, summaries of the case study reports were published in the case study section of the WWDR2.

:: Full Sri Lanka NWDR [PDF format, 21.8 MB]
:: Read more about the Sri Lanka case study
:: Read more about the WWAP case studies

Full Mali case study report now available online

The full Mali National Water Development Report (NWDR) is now available online in French. The NWDR is a comprehensive report that gives a broad overview of the status of the water sector in Mali and the progress made by its government to address the challenges related to sustainable water resources management and efficient provision and delivery of water for different uses, and examines water-related challenges in terms of the 11 WWAP challenge areas.

The NWDRs prepared by each case study country provided some useful practical experience and lessons which were captured in the preparation of the 2^nd UN World Water Development Report, ‘Water, a shared responsibility’ (WWDR2, 2006). In addition, summaries of the case study reports were published in the case study section of the WWDR2.

:: Full Mali NWDR [PDF format, 4,19 MB, in French]
:: Read more about the Mali case study
:: Read more about the WWAP case studies

Water and risk management in Mali

The Republic of Mali is situated in the heart of western Africa, and over 50% of its total surface area of 1,241,000 km² is located in the Sahara Desert. Mali is one of the world’s poorest countries, 90.6% of its population lives on less than 2 US dollars a day. Like many other African countries, agriculture is the main economic sector. Agriculture provides employment for more than 80% of the population, and represents 40% of the country’s GDP. Approximately 80% of Mali’s agriculture is rainfed.

One of the best known characteristics of Sahel countries, including Mali, is the great climatic variability translating into recurrent and often too severe droughts which have devastated agricultural production and livelihoods in the past. Due to consecutive years of droughts, the cultivated area has decreased and so has agricultural production. For example over 100,000 ha in the interior delta of Niger and approximately 30 000 ha of land between Tombouctou and the border of the Niger were abandoned due to insufficient rain.

As for flood related problems, an early warning network was installed in the framework of the Hydroecologic management of Upper Niger project (GHENIS). The warning network in place, though incomplete, proved to be highly useful during the floods in Bamako in 2001. With the data coming from Banakoro, hydrologists were able to give real time information to the authorities on the spread of the waves. Unfortunately, due to the poor state of equipments and poor maintenance, today the network has lost its capacity to act as a real warning system.

Moreover, the only records of water related disasters are assessment reports drafted following serious disasters such as the floods in Bamako in 2001 and the floods in 2003. In order to make an objective diagnosis of the current national situation and to take precaution against likely risk of future disasters, a monitoring mechanism and a water-related disasters database would have to be implemented.

This is an excerpt from the Mali National Water Development Report, an extract of which was included in the case study chapter of the 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, 'Water, a Shared Responsibility' (WWDR2, 2006).

:: Read more about the Mali case study
:: Read more about the WWDR2 Case Studies

WWAP PARTICIPATES

19-21 September: Biodiversity in European Development Cooperation Conference, Paris, France

This conference offered cutting-edge debates on the dual challenge of poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation. High-level speakers and participants from European and partner countries, civil society and multilateral organizations charted ways to make development aid contribute more effectively to the Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 7 to ensure environmental sustainability. The results of the conference will contribute to European and international efforts to achieve the 2010 Biodiversity Target and the 2015 Millennium Development Goals.

WWDR2 editor Janine Treves-Habar represented WWAP and UNESCO’s International Hydrology Programme (IHP) during this conference, where she met with potential partners and presented WWDR2 to professionals and decision-makers of the water sector.

:: Official Conference website

20-21 September: Thematic days on water management and sanitation at the University of South Florida, United States

During these thematic days, organized by the Patel Centre for Global Solutions, Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, made a presentation of WWDR2 and WWAP’s work. He also participated in several roundtables with fellow researchers, on appropriate technologies in water and sanitation and on water-borne diseases. He also participated in local radio programmes.

28 September: International seminar on sound water governance, Vitoria, Spain

This seminar was organized by the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country’s Department of Environment and Territory Management and the UNESCO centre of the Basque Country, Spain (UNESCO Etxea). The focus was on sharing experience in sustainable development of the world’s water resources.

Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, gave a keynote speech during the seminar and also presented WWDR2 and its executive summary during the event. Among the keynote speakers were Esther Larrañaga, Environment and Territory Management Minister of the Basque Government, Antonio Félix Domingues, Coordinator of the Brasilian National Water Agency, Tomás Epalza, Director of the Basque Government Water Sector, José Corominas, Director of Andalucia’s Water Agency, Mikel Mancisidor, Director of UNESCO Etxea, Jorge Santiso, from the Galician Environment and Sustainable Development Council, Ana Oregi, Vice-Minister of Environment and Territory Management of the Basque Government and many other decision-makers on a national or regional level. The Spanish and Basque editions of the WWDR2 executive summary were officially launched the next day in Bilbao, Spain.

:: UNESCO Etxea

Higher Education: Engineers without Frontiers Master in engineering applied to cooperation for development and Postgraduate course on humanitarian cooperation and technologies for human development, Barcelona, Spain

This master and course aim to increase the professional knowledge base and capacity-building for humanitarian assistance and cooperation projects for human development. It is designed for technicians, engineers, project decision-makers, and all those who participate in managing cooperation processes for development and humanitarian assistance.

Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, gave a lecture on governance and presented WWDR2 to the participants on 14 October 2006.

:: Engineers without Frontiers (in Catalan)

27 October: Conference on hydraulic-forestry systems for territory protection, Saint Vincent, Italy

This Montagna sicura – Montagne sûre foundation conference, organized with the collaboration of the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory Management, the Autonomous Region of the Aoste Valley, the University of Padua, the Italian Academy of Forestry Sciences and WWAP, will follow the international RISKYDROGÉO project conference.

Hydraulic-foresty systems have been studied and used in Italy for the past century. The conference aimed to highlight the importance of these systems which take into consideration the multidisciplinary processes involved in the protection of territories. Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, is a member of the conference’s scientific panel.

:: Read more [PDF format – 188 KB, in Italian]

Steering committee for the Feasibility study on the development of a regional water observation mechanism in the Mediterranean region

In November 2005, the Euro-Mediterranean Water Directors agreed to carry out, with voluntary countries, a study of the feasibility and objectives of creating a water observation mechanism in the Mediterranean within the Euro-Mediterranean Information System on Know-How in the Water Sector (EMWIS). The goal is to monitor indicators towards the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals related to water and sanitation in the Mediterranean, as well as the implementation of the water-related section of the Mediterranean Strategy of Sustainable Development.

Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, is a member of the steering committee, which met on 7 September and 12 October in Paris, France, to validate the terms of references, and discuss country and regional level analysis, which have already begun, as well as potential contributions and coordination. The council aims to formulate a vision and main orientations for this observation mechanism.

:: EMWIS Regional Water Observation Mechanism

WWAP PARTNERS

World Water Day 2007: ‘Coping with Water Scarcity’

World Water Day is celebrated on 22 March of every year. Each celebration follows a different theme to reflect the many facets of freshwater resources, and a different United Nations agency is selected to coordinate events around the world. World Water Day 2007 will be guided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the theme 'Coping with Water Scarcity’.

The theme highlights the significance of cooperation and the importance of an integrated approach to water resource management at both international and local levels. Equity and rights, cultural and ethical issues are essential and must be addressed when dealing with limited water resources. Imbalances between availability and demand, the degradation of groundwater and surface water quality, intersectoral competition, interregional and international disputes, all of these questions revolve around coping with scarce water resources.

:: More information on Coping with Water Scarcity [PDF format - 476 KB]
:: More information on World Water Day
:: Contact WWD-2007@fao.org

2 October: World Habitat Day ‘Cities, magnets of hope’

Every year, the first Monday of October marks World Habitat Day, an occasion for the international community to focus on the state of the world’s human settlements and the challenges surrounding them, including the basic right to adequate shelter for all. This year’s Day, celebrated on 2 October 2006, centres around the theme of ‘Cities, magnets of hope,’ and aims to focus attention on the fact that the Earth is witnessing the largest migration of people into towns and cities. Fifty years ago, just one third of the world’s population lived in cities; in 2000, this number had risen to one half, and by 2050, it is estimated that some 6 billion people – or two thirds of the global population – will live in urban areas.

The challenges related to this are numerous, and important: uncontrolled urban expansion creates unhealthy habitats for humans, who are deprived of basic services such as clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, and electricity, as well as depleting natural resources and destroying natural ecosystems. World Habitat Day 2006 provides an opportunity for governments, institutions, civilians, and professionals to take concrete action towards a more sustainable development of human settlements throughout the world. World Habitat Day is organized under the auspices of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).

:: Official World Habitat Day website
:: World Habitat Day 2006 brochure [PDF format – 670 KB]

11 October: International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

More than 200 million people are affected every year by natural catastrophes and children under 18 are among the most vulnerable. The International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, celebrated each year on the second Wednesday of October, is a vehicle to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including prevention, mitigation and preparedness. This year, the day is linked to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction‚ (UN/ISDR) global campaign on disaster risk education and school safety, Disaster risk reduction begins at school‚ of which UNESCO is a key partner.

The Campaign aims to inform and mobilize Governments, communities and individuals to ensure that disaster risk reduction is fully integrated into school curricula in high risk countries and that school buildings are built or retrofitted to withstand natural hazards.

:: 'Disaster risk reduction begins at school' campaign
:: Message from Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, on the occasion of the Day
:: Educational Riskland game

16 October: World Food Day

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. The World Food Day and TeleFood theme for 2006 is ‚'Investing in agriculture for food security'.

Agriculture must play a starring role on the world stage if we are to bring down the curtain on hunger. Investment in infrastructure in rural areas, especially in water, roads, power and communications, has a crucial role in kindling agricultural growth. If countries get these conditions right, dramatic benefits to agriculture and poor rural households can be expected.

:: Official website

24 October: United Nations Day

In 1945, representatives of 50 nations attended the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, United States, to draw up the UN Charter. The Organization officially came into existence on 24 October 1945 and UN Day has since been celebrated every year on that date. There are 191 Member States today.

Within the framework of its mandate, the UN set 8 goals for development called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, calling on the nations of the world 'to halve by the year 2015 (...) the proportion of people who are unable to reach, or to afford, safe drinking water' and 'to stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources, by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels, which promote both equitable access and adequate supply. Water was first explicitly recognized as a fundamental human right in the General Comment which was adopted by the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in November 2002, thus compelling its 145 State Parties to progressively ensure that everyone has access to safe and secure drinking water, equitably and without discrimination.

:: United Nations website

25-27 October: 2^nd International Symposium on Desertification and Migration, Almería, Spain

A third of the Earth's land surface, or over 4 billion hectares, is threatened by desertification. This natural disaster affects over 250 million people directly and threatens the lives of some 1.2 billion people in 110 countries who are among the world's poorest and who depend on land for most of their needs. It is estimated that over 135 million people may be at risk of being displaced as a consequence of severe desertification.

Within the framework of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (2006) the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Spanish Government, the Andalusian Authorities of Spain and the University of Almería, Spain are organizing this symposium to tackle the important existing links between land degradation, poverty and one of the most evident and important consequence of the desertification: migration. This symposium is conceived as a sequel and a revision of the 1^st International Symposium on Desertification and Migration (February 1994, Almeria, Spain), while incorporating new approaches, such as the interaction between physical planning and desertification and the environmental problems deriving from migration dynamics, both at their source and in terms of habitat.

:: Read more

FACTS AND FIGURES ON WATER IN SRI LANKA

• 19.5 million people live in Sri Lanka, over a surface area of 65,600 km². Water bodies, a considerable portion of which are man-made, cover about 4% of the land.
• Sri Lanka has more than 100 water basins, varying from 10 to over 10,000 km² in size.
• Sri Lanka is considered one of the world’s twenty-five ‘Biodiversity Hotspots’ (i.e. both vulnerable and very rich in biodiversity). Overall, there are 3 Biosphere reserves, one World Heritage site, 3 Ramsar sites and 41 wetland sites included in the Asian Wetland Directory.
• Environmental degradation of the coastal zone is a major hazard faced by Sri Lanka as an island state.
• The main threat to natural ecosystems is population growth and migration, reducing the available habitat for ecosystems to thrive. Some other threats to the island’s biodiversity are natural disasters, soil erosion, sedimentation and large-scale sand mining.
• The pollution of surface and groundwater resources by industries is a grave concern. For example, Kelani River, which is the main source of drinking water for over 2 million inhabitants in the capital city Colombo, is polluted by industries. Groundwater pollution has also been detected in well-water in mixed residential and industrial areas.
• Sri Lanka’s groundwater resources are considered minor compared to its surface water resources. However, in recent years, due to increased irrigation and population growth, both shallow and deep aquifers have been subject to over-extraction. Consequently, the drying up of domestic wells during dry periods has become more common.
• For the past 2,500 years, Sri Lanka has remained mainly rural and agriculture-based. Agriculture is practised over 1,8 million ha of land, or 28% of overall surface area. Rice is the major agricultural crop, 80% of which is under irrigation.
• It is estimated that approximately 85% of the overall water extraction is used for agriculture.
• Diarrhoeal diseases are still one of the ten leading causes of hospitalization in Sri Lanka.
• Although the availability of safe drinking water varies, on average, 75% of the rural population and 95% of the urban population has access to safe water resources. The percentage of households with safe sanitation is between 85 and 90 %. However, it should be noted that there are considerable population groups in the peripheral areas of urban centres where water supply and sanitation facilities are generally poor.
• About 70% of the urban population is served by piped water systems, whereas drinking water for rural populations are mainly supplied by dug and tube wells. However, studies have shown that deep wells in fractured crystalline rock yield water containing excessive amounts of fluoride, which can lead to dental problems (fluorosis) among children.
• The Government aims to provide 100% of the urban population with a piped water supply by 2010 and all the major urban areas with piped sewerage systems by 2015. The target is to provide safe drinking water for the entire population by 2025.

:: Facts and figures taken from the 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, 'Water, a shared responsibility' (WWDR2, 2006) and the Sri Lanka National Water Development Report [PDF format – 21,8 MB].

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Don't forget to keep visiting the WWAP website.

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