INBO Newsletter N° 18 - November 2009 INBO 18 Mise En Page 1 10/12/09 14:09 Page3
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INBO 18_Mise en page 1 10/12/09 14:09 Page1 Newsletter Adapting to the consequences of climate change Global warming now seems to be unavoidable. One of the first consequences will be a change in the hydrological cycles. Freshwater resources will be directly affected in the coming years, with for conse quences, in particular and according to the regions: l th changes in the intensity and frequency of floods and droughts; Istanbul - Turkey - March 2009 - 5 WWF l modification of the flows of rivers coming from mountains, because of the melting of glaciers and reduction of the snow cover; l increased erosion caused by the modification of plant and soil cover; l higher plant evapotranspiration leading to changes in agricultural produc - tion, regarding irrigation in particular; l changes in the flows to the river mouths, as well as salt water intrusion Stockholm - Sweden - August 2009 - Europe-INBO inland and in coastal aquifers, because of the increase of sea and ocean level… The demographic, economic and ecological consequences are likely to be very important and require a worldwide mobilization to quickly prepare the adapta - tion programs necessary in each river basin. This necessary adaptation to the effects of climate change on the Zhengzhou - China - October 2009 - 4 th IYRF hydrological cycles will be at the core of the work of the next 8 th World General Assembly of INBO, which will be held in Dakar (Senegal) from 20 to 23 January 2010, at the invitation of the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS). Register now to participate! Beirut - Lebanon - October 2009 - MENBO www.inbo-news.org November 2009 - n° 18 INBO 18_Mise en page 1 10/12/09 14:09 Page2 5th World Water Forum - Istanbul - 16 - Official session 3.1: “Basin Management and Transboundary Cooperation” Analysis of the tangible progress made in basin management and transboundary cooperation More than 450 participants attended session 3.1 But a vast majority of the participants This will require: converged on the advantage of Surface water to be managed national and transboundary basin in river and lake basin units approaches to face the great global and groundwater to be mana - challenges of water resources mana - ged in aquifer systems units - gement. where the two resources are used Taking account of these many contri - together, they should be jointly butions and apart from the most ra - managed conjunctively; dical positions, the findings and Essential quantitative and recommendations can be sum - qualitative information on marized as follows: resources, their uses, polluting n Strong political will and long- pressures, ecosystems and their term commitment are prere - functions, the follow-up of their quisites for basin management evolution, risk assessment and and transboundary cooperation financial challenges of the sector in the face of future changes, should be obtained and made The topic of basin management and These five sessions, which took accessible. This information transboundary cooperation was place on 20 and 21 March 2009, n Significant progress has already should be used as the objective widely discussed during the recent allowed hearing 63 speeches of very been made since the 1990s with basis for dialogue, negotiation, World Water Forum of Istanbul. diverse organizations, representing reforms undertaken in many re - gions and countries around the decision-making and evaluation The International Network of the main streams of opinion and the world. The gained experience of undertaken actions, as well as Basin Organizations (INBO) and various parts of the World, including allows now saying that in - coordination of financing from UNESCO were entrusted with the a high proportion of basin organi - tegrated water resources the various donors; task of coordinating the five offi - zations presenting their field expe - mana gement at the level of The participation in decision- cial sessions of Topic 3.1 entirely rience. river and aquifer basins is a making of the concerned Go - devoted to this issue and which The sessions, which were held in real advantage. These expe - vern mental Administrations and has been the subject of a broad a packed room where more than riences allow proposing guid - local Authorities, the representa - preparatory mobilization for 450 participants stayed during ance to countries which want to tives of different categories of more than one year: almost the 12 hours planned in the im plement efficient basin man - users and associations for envi - official program of the Forum, left a l Several regional meetings were agement and reinforce their ronmental protection or of public broad place to debate and rich and organized in 2008 with our part - transboundary cooperation. interest. This participation lively discussions, sometimes ners, in Solo-Surakarta (Indone - The progress made so far is how - would be better organized in heated, impassioned even! sia), Venice (Italy), Moscow ever insufficient to meet the re - Basin Committees or Coun - (Russia), Saragossa (Spain), Such questions as the "international" qui rements of a globally chan - cils; Sibiu (Romania), Rio (Brazil), statute or not of transboundary ging world. Basin management plans or etc…, as well as a side event waters, the methods for financing Adaptive strategies, focused on master plans clearly stating during CSD 16 in New York, and implementing common infra - maintaining the integrity of river the long-term objectives to be l More than 200 papers were structures, the ratification of the basins and aquifer systems, should achieved to guarantee water received on the Forum website United Nations Convention of 1997 become the norm in national and resource integrity; or directly by the coordinators. or the management of transboundary international policy. Significant increase in trai - aquifers saw divergent positions ning and educational pro - clashing, sometimes vehemently grams for responding to the expressed, especially from our nu - adaptation needs in coopera - me rous Turkish colleagues, showing tion building and basin mana - that it is still difficult to achieve real gement; consensus. www.inbo-news.org www.unesco.org 2 INBO Newsletter n° 18 - November 2009 INBO 18_Mise en page 1 10/12/09 14:09 Page3 5th World Water Forum - Istanbul - 16 - 22 March 2009 During the Forum, the joint publi - transnational, national or/and local cation by the Global Water Part - plans and programs to anticipate and nership - GWP and the Interna - address the possible impacts of tional Network of Basin Organiza - global changes,… that they will tions - INBO of the "Handbook strive to improve water related moni - on integrated water resources toring systems and ensure that useful mana gement in basins ", which information is made freely available pre sents 84 examples of practi - to all concerned populations, inclu - cal actions, allows confirming ding neighboring countries”. Large and enthusiast audience the realism of the recommenda - Finally, they also declared "that they tions made: Mobilization of financial resour - In the same manner, institutions will take, as appropriate, tangible and ces to meet the needs of coun - such as basin organizations concrete steps to improve and pro - tries in this field, taking account should be created to nurture mote cooperation on sustainable use of their socioeconomic, cultural, transboundary cooperation and and protection of transboundary and geopolitical specificity. It is strengthen communication and water resources through coordinated necessary to set up every - dialogue among partners. actions of riparian States, in con - where complementary fun - Existing or developing legal instru - formity with existing agreements ding systems that are based ments as well as adapted technical and/or other relevant arrangements, on the participation and com - tools and gained experiences should taking into account the interests of all mon cause of the users. Water be further disseminated through Ahandbook for riparian countries concerned. charges mechanisms estab - efforts of agencies and networks of integrated water resources They will work to strengthen existing management in basins lished for basin management basin organizations to promote trans - institutions and develop new ones, as can enable the use of the pol - boundary water resources manage - appropriate and if needed, and imple - luter- pays and user-pays princi - ment. ment instruments for improved ma - ples and may have an interactive In parallel to the official sessions na gement of transboundary waters". The ministerial declaration of the effect on consumption reduction of the Forum, several side events Of course, some people will point out Forum supports "the implemen - and pollution control. allowed presenting a broad range that these formulations can be sub - tation of Integrated Water Re - As global inventories of transboun - of field experiments and direct ject to interpretation and obviously sources Management (IWRM) at dary basins and aquifer systems and exchanges between managers of all the problems will not be miracu - the level of river basins and their technical and socioeconomic basin organizations : the meeting lously solved, as some positions still groundwater systems, within each peculiarities are now completed, organized between Chinese and Euro - remain too different, but unmis - country, and, where appropriate, through the global programs sup - pean managers and experts within the ta kably basin management and through international cooperation,