INBO Newsletter N° 18 - November 2009 INBO 18 Mise En Page 1 10/12/09 14:09 Page3

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 changes in the intensity and frequency of floods and droughts; Istanbul - Turkey - March 2009 - 5 th 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

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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 regions 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

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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, to ported by PCCP, World Water Assess - "China - European Union Program for transboundary cooperation have equitably meet economic, social and ment Program, ISARM, EU-WFD, basin management" and the meeting scored during the World Water environmental demands and, inter EUWI, INBO-AP, the GEF and others, between the people in charge of the Po Forum of Istanbul! alia, to address the impact of global available conventions and agree - Basin Authority in Italy and their coun - change, taking into account the inte- All the papers and photographs of ments should be ratified by the terparts of several large rivers in other rests of all the partners, using parti - these events, organized during the riparian States concerned. continents, in particular. cipatory process in decision-making last World Water Forum held in Istan - Furthermore cooperation agreements The regional "Europe" session and planning, while creating links bul from 15 to 22 March 2009, may need to be drafted at global, basin allowed presenting the imple - between relevant sectors to achieve be consulted and downloaded on and aquifer levels to achieve neces - mentation of the European Water solutions that benefit all parties". INBO website. sary and sound cooperation. Framework Directive and the UNECE Convention of 1992, cal - The ministers also declared that they led Helsinki Convention. will "strengthen the prevention of pollution from all sectors in surface and ground water, appropriately applying the ”polluter-pays princi - ple"… that they resolve to develop, implement and further strengthen www.inbo-news.org

The final synthesis session www.worldwaterforum5.org

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5th World Water Forum - Istanbul - 16 - 22 March 2009 INBO - EWP: the European Regional Session The significance of developing expe - rience sharing between Europe and other areas in the world was particu - larly highlighted, especially with the examples of projects developed in The European Regional Session, China and Africa. coordinated by the European Finally, this round table led to the fol - Water Partnership (EWP), took lowing conclusions: place on 17 March 2009 at the l the river basin is the relevant World Water Forum of Istanbul. The WFD session organized by INBO scale for water resources mana - The second part of this European gement; session was devoted to the role of The discussions highlighted the The UNECE Convention (United l the WFD is a significant pro - Europe in the world and INBO was structuring nature of the Euro - Nations Economic Commission for gress; entrusted with the organization of a pean Water Framework Directive Europe) on the protection and use of l the great principles of the WFD round table on basin manage - (WFD) of 23 October 2000, which transboundary water courses and and Helsinki Convention are ment and transboundary coope- gives operational tools for basin international lakes signed in 1992, transferable in other areas over ration. management, as recalled in the called the Helsinki Convention, pre - the world; INBO also drafted the chapter on speech of Jean-François Donzier, sented by Francesca Bernardini, l it is necessary to strengthen integrated management at basin INBO Permanent Technical Secretary. allows developing the key principles co o peration between Europe and level and the European Water The added value of the WFD was of basin management to a broader other regions. Framework Directive (WFD) of the underlined through the case of the geographical extent. The inputs of European Regional Document. Danube Transboundary River Basin the Helsinki Convention outside the The aim of this round table was to shared by 19 countries, presented by European Union were illustrated in show how the experience gained in Philip Weller, Executive Secretary of Central Asia where it allowed develo - Europe could benefit to other regions the International Commission for the ping dialogue between the riparian in the world. Protection of the Danube River. States concerned.

"EU-China Cooperation on Basin Management" "T HE PO RIVER BASIN The Yellow River Commission, INBO Barth, Vice-president of EWP and 10 case studies were presented AND OTHER LARGE BASINS and the EU - China Cooperation Pro - Shang Hongqi, Director of Interna - around two topics: climate change IN THE WORLD " gram for Basin Management orga- tional Cooperation at the Yellow River and benchmarking of integrated The objective of this session or - nized one day of exchanges between Commission. The European session management policies in river basins. ganized with the regional Authori - the Basin Authorities of China and was jointly chaired by Jean-François The project led by INBO and the ties of the Po Valley, was to share Europe. Donzier and Yang Xiaoliu, Professor African Network of Basin Organi - experience between several large at the University of Beijing. Andras Szollosi-Nagy of UNESCO zations on the application of per - basins of the world. presented an introductory report on Messrs. Van Alphen, Jacky Cottet, formance indicators to the African the impact of climate change. Jose Smitz, Pierre Roussel presented Transboundary Basin Organizations, This side event allowed compa- The session dedicated to China was the situation in the Netherlands, in presented by Messrs. Alain Bernard ring the practices used in very dif - jointly chaired by Messrs. Friedrich France and Wallonia. (IOWater) and Tamsir Ndiaye (OMVS) ferent contexts: the St. Lawrence showed that transferring the European Basin, the Congo-Ubangui-San - "acquis" to very different contexts is gha Basin, the Scheldt Basin, the possible. Rhone-Mediterranean Basin and A round table then gathered 10 great the Po Basin. witnesses representing: the UE- As a conclusion, Giuseppe Bor - Turkey twinning, the International tone, Director General for the Commission of the Rhine, the Environment of the Emilia-Roma - National Institute of Hydrology of gna Region, underlined the role of Romania, the Emilia-Romagna Re - local institutions in water poli - gion in Italy, the Ministries of Water cies. of Hungary and Spain, the Yellow River Commission, the EU - China Day of exchanges between the Basin Authorities Cooperation Program, the Asian of China and Europe Development Bank.

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Water and Climate Change The Stockholm Statement The participants of the 2009 The negotiations towards a Copen - l Managing the resource effec - is also a need for mobilization of World Water Week in Stockholm hagen Agreement are therefore of tively is central to successful finance to assist vul ne rable, low unanimously said that water great concern to the global water adaptation of communities, income countries al ready affected must be included in the COP-15 community. coun tries and regions; by climate chan ge. climate negotiations in Copen - The importance of water must be l This adaptation is a prerequisite It is necessary to work to strengthen hagen in December 2009. properly and adequately reflected for sustainable development and mechanisms that can enhance col - within the COP-15 agreement. poverty reduction; lective action on water, especially Climate change is happening and As a conclusion of the Water Week l Integrated water, land and forest through better sharing of knowledge adding complexity to existing global the following messages are con - management is a key to effective and technology with developing challenges. An agreement on climate veyed from Stockholm to Copen - adaptation; countries and through active support change measures - both mitigation hagen: l Ecosystem protection is funda - for capacity building. and adaptation - is crucial in order to mental to human development; Finally, the water community ex - l Climate change impacts will be secure future water resource avai - mainly felt on water; l Higher-quality information, that pressed its commitment to stren g - lability. is more effectively shared, is thening institutional cooperation at indispensable; all levels to work more collectively to address the immense development Mr. Anders Berntell, Executive Director of SIWI l Vulnerability and risk assess - ments are needed for sound challenges ahead. adaptation practice. Knowing Michael McWilliams SIWI where and how the impacts of Tel.: +46 (0)8 522 139 89 climate change are most likely to [email protected] affect the water cycle, popula - www.siwi.org tions and ecosystems, will help in the identification of areas for www.worldwaterweek.org early intervention on ‘hot spots’; l New funds are essential. It is imperative that additional fun ding be allocated in support of developing adaptive strategies; there

8TH World General Assembly of INBO Dakar - Senegal - 20 - 23 January 2010 ”Adapting to the consequences of climate change in basins: tools for action” ‰ Thursday 21 January 2010 FIRST OFFICIAL DAY 09:00 Official opening of the Assembly 10:45 Presentation of water issues and institutions in the Senegal River Basin 11:30 First statutory session of INBO General Assembly 14:30 First topical round table: Institutional frameworks for action of Basin Organizations 16:45 Second topical round table: Prevention and management of extreme climate phenomena such as floods and droughts 20:30 Official dinner ‰ Friday 22 January 2010 SECOND OFFICIAL DAY 08:45 Third topical round table: Monitoring, water information and warning systems 11:00 Fourth topical round table: Drafting of Basin Management and Action Plans and their financing, funding of Basin Organizations 14:30 Fifth topical round table: Participation of Local Authorities, water users and of the general public 16:15 Forum of International Cooperation Organizations 17:00 Second statutory session of INBO General Assembly l Dakar Declaration l Final resolutions 18:30 Closing of the General Assembly To participate, 20:30 Hungarian evening Please register! ‰ Saturday 23 January 2010 THIRD OFFICIAL DAY www.inbo-news.org 07:00 Technical Visit at the mouth of the Senegal River

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Transboundary R i ver Basins A guidebook on transboundary aquifer management

Groundwater accounts for 98 to 99% The management of transboundary These aquifer systems undergo In order to contribute to the suitable of the total volume of freshwater on water resources shared by various increasing pressures, linked to the management of transboundary aqui - Earth. It runs in aquifer systems sovereign States remains indeed a development of human activities, fers, the French Development Agen - which can extend over tens, hun - delicate problem. agriculture in particular, and to cy with its partners, BRGM, UNESCO, dreds or even thousands of kilome - Nowadays, many efforts have already clima te change. In addition, in most IOWater, INBO and the Water Aca - ters. been made with regard to the mana - arid and semi-arid zones, these demy, launched a methodological More than half of the population gement of transboundary surface groundwater resources are “fossil”, study which aims at drafting an in the world currently depends on water, which allowed, on the one i.e non-renewable or hardly rene - operational guide book for the groundwater. hand, the establishment of Trans - wable. management of shared ground - water, intended for the political On a worldwide scale, 65% of the boundary River Basin Organizations Their rational use is indeed cru - and, on the other hand, launching cial. and administrative authorities abstracted groundwater is used to concerned. meet the needs for agriculture, 25% thoughts and experience sharing, as To avoid the degradation of these for domestic uses, and 10% for carried out within INBO. aquifers and not to deprive future This guidebook will especially high - industry, mining and energy activi - On the contrary, relatively few actions generations of an heritage to which light the problems linked to the mana - ties. However, this distribution varies related to transboundary aquifers they have the right to claim, and also gement of these resources, will give a from one area to another: in many have been yet carried out, except for to prevent conflicts between States progress report on the state of the art developed countries, groundwater those implemented in a restricted over the shared exploitation of these and ongoing practices, will present represents a significant resource number of projects for some large resources, it is of great impor - examples of transboundary aquifers used for drinking water, as in Europe aquifers. The fact that groundwater is tance to establish lasting dia - on several continents and the stakes where it covers 70% of the needs. In invisible and has complex operating logue and collaboration between they represent, and will suggest a set arid areas, it also represents the main modes, undoubtedly does not allow all interested parties. of recommendations to set effective management of transboundary drinking water resource, as in Saudi the decision-making authorities to This requires the definition of com - Arabia and Libya, in Yemen, Pakistan take fully into account their vulnera - ground water. The guidebook will be mon objectives and adapted strate - presented at the INBO General and Chad, in India or in Algeria and bility, their real potential and the true gies, but also, more specifically, the in Niger. stakes they represent for the society. Assembly planned in Dakar from establishment of management bo - 20 to 23 January 2010. This strategic resource, necessary for And yet, to date more than 270 dies with transboundary responsibili - socioeconomic development, must transboundary aquifers world - ties. Good knowledge of the charac - AFD - French Development Agency [email protected] - [email protected] require special attention and its sus - wide have been assessed by the teristics and functioning of the tainable management must be a ISARM program of UNESCO/IHP. aquifer systems is also imperative, www.afd.fr target to aim for. without it, no sound decision can be UNESCO [email protected] - [email protected] This is even more the case when made. the aquifers are transboundary. This was acknowledged in the United www.unesco.org Nations General Assembly Resolu - BRGM tion of December 2008. [email protected] - [email protected] www.brgm.fr

Tansboundary aquifer systems over the world IOWater / INBO [email protected] - [email protected] www.oieau.org

Water Academy [email protected] - [email protected] www.academie-eau.org

BRGM L'ENTREPRISE AU SERVICE DE LA TERRE

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Transboundary R i ver Basins Facilitating the participation of the users and the civil society

For Transboundary Basin Organiza - The stakes of this work are to make France supports this process with the This work should lead to a better tions, the stakes were firstly political sure of: provision of a technical assistant. identification of the users’ groups and technical. They focused lately on and of their representatives. The  the representativeness of the In the Organization for the Deve - the civil society and the users, thus stakeholders of the civil society, lopment of the Senegal River French Development Agency granted creating poor dialogue and commu - (OMVS), the users’ participation M€2,000 for this operation.  a shared responsibility in achi e - nication with these partners, who was initiated at the beginning of ving the objectives of re gional Charlotte Gobin often felt this as an exclusion from the 2000s with the creation of governance or as a lack of interest for cooperation, Mekong River Commission Local Coordination Committees, [email protected] the local level.  the effectiveness and coherence following the negative impacts of www.mrcmekong.org Aware of these weaknesses and of of the implemented mechanism the dams and electric power Jean-Paul Lecomte the advantages of increasing the with the national policy of the lines. Member States. Technical Adviser to OMVS High Commission involvement of the civil society and The thought process started there - OMVS [email protected] the users for more harmonious deve - The Commission wishes to make after, during the drafting of the Water lopment, some basin organizations sure that the parties involved in its Tamsir Ndiaye Charter in 2002, with in particular the Chief of OMVS Environmental Observatory are working for changing this situa - decision-making processes are bea - opening of the permanent water OMVS tion. ring the message of the greatest Commission to the users and NGOs, [email protected] It is the case of the Mekong River number. It wishes that through them led to now consider the creation of a www.omvs-soe.org Commission which plans to wi - an effective exchange between the Basin Committee. populations, the users of the Mekong den before 2011 the circle of the OMVS, which has just started the observers representing the civil and the decision makers is esta - blished. implementation of a Master Plan for society in its higher decisional Water Development and Manage - bodies, the Council of Ministers This objective thus implies to clearly ment (SDAGE), took an original step in particular. define who these partners are and of consulting the populations. have legitimacy to represent the civil A thought process began in 2008 The objective is to have a coherent with the civil society. society and a mechanism allowing electing its representatives. SDAGE which all the riparian popula - tions and users can adopt.

West African Dialogue on Infrastructures

West Africa is characterized by very The Economic Community of The project currently developed l making recommendations on great hydrological systems which West African States (ECOWAS) aims at providing tools for dialogue mechanisms for dialogue. originate from the wet tropical areas has a permanent system for to basin organizations to accom - ECOWAS and bring significant water volumes coordination and follow-up of pany the development of their Tel.: (234) (9) 31 47 647-9, Fax: (234) (9) 31 43 005 to arid or semi-arid areas. Integrated Water Resources investment programs within a dia - [email protected] The transboundary water resources Management. logue for: www.ecowas.int account for 80% of surface water. A Center for Coordination of Water l identifying the main existing This results in a very high sub- Resources was created in 2004. and planned infrastructures on regional interdependence. The strategic action lines are as fol - ECOWAS territory; The transboundary basin organi - lows: l examining the mechanisms for zations provide a framework for l providing support to transboun - dialogue set up at the level of water resources management dary basins, the basin organizations; beyond the national borders. l accompanying the IWRM pro - l analyzing the decision-making The projects for building dams and cesses in the basins, processes on a sample of infra - irrigation infrastructures often in - l advancing regional integration structures: Bui (Ghana) on the volve several countries and can be of the water sector. Volta River, Kandadji (Niger) on sources of conflicts, but they can the Niger and Manantali (Mali) contribute to regional integration if on the Senegal; they are carried out with dialogue.

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Africa AWIS: Access to the information, a challenge for the development of the African water sector for the acquisition of new compe - tences in information management and availability via the Internet. A great quantity of information on About twenty professionals thus water is produced and regularly bene fited from a training program on updated on the African continent but the use of AWIS tools, during a all the authors have not a systema- workshop organized in Ouagadougou tized practice of information mana- in October 2008 and directed by gement and dissemination. IOWater: content management, RSS The African Water Information flow management, management of System (AWIS) is a network of the knowledge base… African organizations which wish to The network mobilizes knowledge communicate on their practices and and the experience of its members to to share their information with the produce specific information: topical greatest number, according to three bulletins, technical sheets, etc. major lines: The core of AWIS strategy is its Inter - u Building a network of AWIS net portal: www.african-wis.org , Focal Points which produce operational since January 2009. information on water, This portal proposes: u Referencing high quality infor -  a search engine which identifies mation on the Africa water sec - the information available at the tor, various partners, Today, the portal has entered about u Proposing free access to this in -  electronic conferences, 60 current events, 174 referenced formation via an Internet portal. www.african-wis.org  forums of exchanges, documents, 93 websites indexed by Thanks to this network of Focal the Focal Points.  current events of the sector, Points, AWIS allows information enhancement and contributes to  a directory of the African water knowledge dissemination. stakeholders, AWIS provides assistance to its  AWIS products: news bulletin, bibliographical syntheses, tech - OfficeInternational partners, with training in particular, RAOB - ANBO InternationalOffice nical sheets… defor Wl'Eauater

nce Ind ma i r ca fo t r o r e s P

f o s Performance Indicators r n i T s r a a B ns y for the African Basin Organizations boundar

INBO launched a project aiming at selected indicators and to report on l the status, pressures and INBO Permanent Technical Secre - the development, testing and com - the testing phases. evolution of transboundary tariat is coordinating this project, in parison of Performance Indicators The initial table of indicators was river basins. partnership with the African Net - for the African Transboundary Basin tested in 2008 in the Niger, Congo, The last testing phase has been car - work of Basin Organizations Organizations. Senegal, Lake Victoria and Orange ried out at the end of 2009 and at the (ANBO) and Ecologic. The project Various interactive workshops, held Basins in order to analyze the rele - beginning of 2010 in 10 transboun - is financed by the European Water in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in vance, feasibility and usefulness of dary basins to refine the results and Facility (ACP Water Facility) and the November 2007, Kinshasa (Demo - these indicators. to lead to a final list of perfor mance French Ministry for Foreign Affairs indicators. for a 3-year duration. cratic Republic of Congo) in Octo - This table thus could be refined for ber 2008 and Istanbul (Turkey) in better describing: It will then be advisable to make this More information on: March 2009, associated the repre - experiment and this tool known in l the governance and opera - http://aquacoope.org/PITB sentatives of the main transboun - tion of the organizations in other African basins and worldwide. dary basin organizations to define charge of integr ated mana - INBO General Assembly in Dakar the sought objectives, to refine the gement on a transboundary in January 2010 will be an opportu - basin scale, nity for disseminating the results.

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Africa Volta Basin Authority Towards transboundary water resources management The Volta is a transboundary river, The Heads of State of the riparian which is shared by six countries in countries formally established West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, the VBA during their 1 st Assembly Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo. in Ouagadougou on 19 January It stretches from north to south over a 2007. distance of 1,850 km. After ratification by four out of the six The basin surface area is approxi - riparian countries (Togo, Mali, Ghana mately 400,000 km 2. and Burkina Faso), the Convention During the past de cades, the came into force on 14 Au - Volta basin en coun - gust 2009. The VBA tered rapid po pula- has a mission to The Volta River tion growth and promote perma - nent consulta - large develop - The VBA Web Portal ment of infra s - tion and sus - The Volta Basin Authority (VBA) The catalogue of the information tructu res, whi ch tainable de - committed itself in April 2007 to sources, accessible via the portal ha ve raised con- ve lopment of crea te an information system in order facilitates the identification of the c erns on the sus - the water and to guarantee communication within existing data while allowing each tainability of the related re sour- the cooperation framework of the data producer/manager of the basin quantity and quality ces of the Vol ta technical and financial partners. to present the data available at his of wa ter re sour ces. Basin for equitable distribution of benefits For this purpose, the VBA requested level. These problems have been towards poverty alleviation and bet - in 2009 IOWater to prepare and Following this first phase, it is now exacerbated by climate change and ter socioeconomic integration. design the VBA multilingual French / planned to install the portal on a varia bility that have led to periods of English Web portal and the catalogue server directly managed by the VBA Whilst consolidating its institutional drought or flooding with devastating of the data sources of the basin. personnel, and to provide them trai - arrangements, the VBA has under - consequences. ning on the administration and main - taken priority technical activities The VBA portal allows disseminating In spite of its importance for socio - tenance of these tools. which include the creation of an information to the public and sharing economic development, the Volta working papers between the various Information System, the develop - Charles A. Biney had for many years remained one of ment of a Strategic Plan, conducting VBA partners, each partner being Volta Basin Authority the large transboundary river basins Pre-investment studies, awareness able to consult and/or feed and up- Fax: + 226 50376486 in Africa without formal legal and [email protected] acti vities and coordination of various date the various headings of the por - institutional agreement among the www.abv-volta.org projects and programs. tal according to the rights of access . riparian countries for managing its water resources until the recent The achievements within a relatively establishment of the Volta Basin short time of 5 years have been pos - Authority (VBA). sible because of the willingness of all parties to cooperate. The Ministers responsible for the water resources of the riparian coun - Many challenges however remain: tries formed the Volta Basin Techni - need to strengthen or establish cor - cal Committee (VBTC) in July 2004 responding national institutions, with the mandate to prepare towards stakeholder involvement and impro - the establishment of a Volta Basin ving knowledge of the basin’s cha - Organization. racteristics. This led to the approval by the Minis - ters in July 2006 in Lomé, of a draft Convention and Statutes of the VBA.

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Africa Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) An original approach An institutional for involving the users reform to face

The good operation of IWRM in a Starting from the involvement of the the future river basin requires the participation local populations in the management challenges of the users/stakeholders at all levels of the water resources and natural and at all stages of its implementa - resources at their disposal, it aims at OMVS is an outstanding tool for With financing from the World Bank tion. naturally leading them to become full cooperation, having a tested and sta - and on OMVS's request, the Interna - “How to do it” in the field very stakeholders able to control these ble legal and institutional framework, tional Office for Water (IOWater) is quickly leads to compare the respec - resources, to defend their specific with practical results, benefiting from making recommendations for an tive advantages of a bottom-up or interests and to involve themselves a strong political commitment. It institutional reform, starting from a top-down step. Either the central in dialogue and decision-making especially developed two common complete functional analysis. The administration make decisions and bodies through their adhesion to infrastructures: proposal focuses on: u The anti-salt Diama dam to  increasing the governance of the come to explain them in the field or “Users’ Associations” and “Local allow the development of irri - OMVS System, at the level of dynamic individuals join in to suc - Water Committees”, the creation gated crops in the valley; the High Commission and of the cessfully carry out actions at the of which results as much from the u The Manantali Dam for flood Dam Management Companies; local level and regroup to gradually will of the riparian populations and  the search for a better institu - local stakeholders as from the insti - management, flow regulation give a regional or even national tional, organizational and eco - tutional policy decided at State level downstream, for energy produc - dimension to their action. The purely tion, irrigated crops and water - nomic consistency; for the structuring of IWRM on a top-down method, usually practiced, way navigation.  improving human resources ma - has for a long time shown its limits basin scale. OMVS has proven its capacity to nagement. and led to outstanding failures. The The first results obtained in the mobilize its partners to design and The proposed reform allows: purely bottom-up method is quickly involvement of users’ associations carry out projects on a great scale  better adequacy between re sour - leading to failure by the strength and in their understanding of the that no State could have imple - ces and the tasks to be carried and/or inertia of the State systems. stakes are very encouraging. The out; mented alone. The challenge to face, true key to widening of the action and support  reducing the costs and loads for But it has also a potential to do more success, consists in finding the method on a regional scale is being decreasing the pressure on the and must face new challenges such meeting point of the two steps to studied. Public Treasuries of the States; as the integration of Guinea, the offer all the guarantees of perennia- Marie-Christine Rouvière  self-capacity building for invest - Dominique Fougeirol implementation of the Declaration of lity, especially when confronted, as it ment in the priority sectors BURGEAP Nouakchott, of the Water Charter and defined by the States; is the case in the Senegal River Fax: +33(0)1 46 10 25 49 of true Integrated Water Resources Basin, to the adverse effects of some [email protected]  transparent and coherent ma na - Management (IWRM), as well as the gement of the financial re sour - developments on the environment. www.burgeap.fr development of navigation and new ces of the Organization. In a pilot program, jointly financed by hydropower projects of second ge- In addition, the reform complies with the Netherlands and the World Bank, neration. the constitutive texts of the Organiza - coming in support to the OMVS tion and can be quickly and easily GEF/BFS project for safeguarding the applicable and potentially imple - environment of the Senegal River, an mented in 12 months with an entirely original step is being experimented Navigation lock on Diama Dam acceptable economic and social cost in three zones in Mali, Mauritania and and with an evolution according to in Senegal. the technical, economic and institu - tional developments of the com ing years. Mohamed S. MERZOUG OMVS [email protected] www.omvs.org

Alain BERNARD IOWater [email protected] www.oieau.org

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Africa International Commission of the Congo-Ubangui-Sangha Basin (CICOS) Institutional Audit The International Commission of define the framework of the study and sence of the Democratic Repub - The results of this study are expected the Congo-Ubangui-Sangha Ba- the specific objectives: lic of Congo and possible acces - in the first half of 2010. sin (CICOS) requested the Interna - u Analyzing the primary causes of sion of new countries; CICOS the institutional difficulties u Allowing the operational imple - tional Office for Water (IOWater) to [email protected] prepare the Terms of Reference of an encountered by CICOS during mentation of the Additive to www.cicos.info institutional audit, which is a priority its last two fiscal years; CICOS mandate extending its for both the CICOS Secretariat Gene - u Identifying several scenarios responsibilities to IWRM (Inte - grated Water Resources Mana- ral and the Member States. related to the links with the Eco - nomic and Monetary Community gement), including institutional The study will propose ad hoc modi - of Central Africa (CEMAC), of development and capacity buil- fications for this purpose so that the which CICOS is a specialized ding; institutional framework and institu - agency; u Identifying the appropriateness tion are operational and long-term u Proposing a sustainable financial and place of a Basin Information performing, with an orientation mechanism for the entry into System; towards the sustainable deve lopment force of the new reform of the u Proposing an increasing and of the basin for the well being of the CEMAC in 2013; responsible involvement of all the basin stakeholders (public riparian populations. u Examining the possibilities of authorities, private operators and The Terms of Reference, which were linking CICOS to the Economic socio-professional organiza - validated at the session of the Minis - Community of Central Afri can tions, users, NGOs, organiza - States (ECCAS) due to the pre- ters’ Committee in November 2009, tions of the civil society).

Lake Chad Basin New prospects for the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) The Lake Chad Basin Commis - The Program for Sustainable Deve - And even when one is tempted to Alex Blériot MOMHA sion (LCBC) has now a new Execu - lopment of Lake Chad Basin think that Lake Chad’s former exten - Lake Chad Basin Commission Fax: (+235) 252 41 37 tive Secretary, trained and expe- (PRODEBALT), with a total amount of sion is not a thing of tomorrow, the [email protected] - [email protected] rienced manager, Dr Abdullahi Umar 60 million Units of Account, also future is surely one of hope. Ganduje, appointed in May 2009, started with 50% of the amount pro - and a Director General of Operations, vided by ADF. a Director General of Administration The Lake Chad Basin Initiative to and Finance and a Basin Information reduce vulnerability and the risks of System. STI/HIV/AIDS, which was initiated in A contract for the feasibility study of 2005, is also out of administrative the project for water transfer from bottle-necking and has been imple - Ubangui to Lake Chad was signed mented in the field since June 2009. with the consultant of CIMA Interna - With the effective admission of Libya th tional on July 16 2009. as 6 th Member State, we at LCBC The studies will last 23 months in have started having sweet dreams close collaboration with the Interna - that things will never be as before. tional Commission of the Congo- Ubangui-Sangha Basin (CICOS) to meet the environmental concerns of this sister organization.

www.lakechadbc.org Shrinking of Lake Chad with the passing of years

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Africa Mali The Terekole – Kolimbine – Lake Magui program for long term management of water resources Since 2007, the French Artois- Climate change and the pressure of The continued involvement of all the The Artois-Picardy Water Agency Picardy Water Agency has been human activity limit water resources local stakeholders at all stages of the also provides assistance to the financially and technically suppor - availability and are leaning towards program has led to the creation of a organization of exchange missions ting a four-year project (2007-2010), degrading the productive potential of strong synergy between the GRDR, between elected officials from the developed by the NGO “Rural Deve - the region (erosion, desertification). town council and the population. North and South.

lopment and Research Grouping” The living conditions of the rural The Malian elected representatives Géraldine AUBERT (GRDR) in the Kayes region of Mali. population are more and more jeo- and the local consultation bodies Artois Picardy Water Agency This program is aiming at assisting pardized. have been trained in the manage - [email protected] local Malian stakeholders in a global This is why the GRDR, with the par - ment and local governance of water. www.eau-artois-picardie.fr and integrated approach for the ma- ticipation of local populations, has nagement of their natural resources developed a concerted management in the catchment area of Terekole - program focused on the control of Kolimbine - Lake Magui (TKLM). surface water so as to exploit, all year This 850,000 € program is headed long, water resources coming from by the GRDR with the support of the precipitation concentrated over short European Union, the “Ensemble” periods. Foundation, the Association of Mu - Bodies for dialogue first at the town, nicipalities for the Restoration of then at the village and inter-village Rivers (SIARCE) and three of the pilot level, made up by representatives of municipalities (Sandaré, Marintou - the civil society, have been set up to mania and Koussané). participate fully in implementing the The TKLM catchment area is a vast program. Decisions on hydraulic cross-border territory between Mau - works are made at town meetings. ritania and Mali. Village mapping of the resources

Signing of a cooperation agreement between the Niger River Basin Agency (Mali) and the Loire-Brittany Water Agency (France) The Niger River Basin Agency in Mali Both agencies wished to consolidate This signing took place on 16 July A Malian Director was received in and the Loire-Brittany Water Agency their partnership by signing a co - 2009 in Bamako (Mali) under the Orleans in autumn 2009 to familia- in France have maintained for years o peration agreement for the develop - presidency of Professor Tiémoko rize himself with the French basin tax regular and profitable exchanges ment of joint actions in the field of SANGARE, Minister for the Envi - system, a French expert will carry out especially within the UNESCO Loire- integrated water resources manage - ronment and Sanitation of Mali, and a mission in Bamako for dealing with Niger project. ment and decentralized cooperation. in the presence of Mr. Bruno the problem of treating dyeing liquid DETANGER, Vice President of the waste and the Angers-Metropolis will Loire-Brittany Basin Committee, and finance the water supply project in His Excellency the Ambassador of Moribabougou. France in Mali. An evaluation of the commitments This protocol signed by Messrs. and actions of this partnership will be Hamadou DIAKITE and Noël MA - made at the end of the first 2 years. THIEU, Directors of the 2 Agencies, defines the practical provisions of Michel STEIN In charge of International Affairs this cooperation (field of compe - Loire-Brittany Water Agency tences, actions considered, follow- [email protected] up of the protocol…) on the basis of www.eau-loire-bretagne.fr a principle of equality and mutual benefit.

Signing of the agreement

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Africa Niger River Basin Agency (ABFN) Middle Bani Basin

The Bani River

The Niger River and its hydrographic Mali adopted the Law n°02-006 of  the information of the population Development Goals (MDGs) and system are an exceptional natural 31 January 2002, or water code. on the significance of integrated fighting against poverty in Mali. heritage in Mali. The Niger River and The IWRM Action plan (PAGIRE) is water resources management at basin level, Soumaïla BERTHE its tributaries, the main one being the the national reference document for Head of the ABFN Middle Bani Office Bani, completely or partially supply planning priority actions and for  the provision of documents on Niger River Basin Agency (ABFN) [email protected] water to eight administrative areas of solving any water-related problem. priority projects. Mali and to the District of Bamako. The Bani, main tributary of the Niger, The conservation and integrated www.environnement.gov.ml For safeguarding the Niger River and with its 900 km length, covers management of the Bani water resources are of strategic signifi - its tributaries and for Integrated 106,800 km 2 of the Niger basin. Water Resources Management in cance for achieving the Millennium Its basin involves four Malian admi- its catchment area, Mali created nistrative areas including the whole in 2002 the Niger River Basin Sikasso area. Agency (ABFN), supervised by the Ministry for the Environment The ABFN Office for the Middle Bani "APID-Burkina" was opened in June 2009. It laun- and Sanitation. Farmers Action for Inclusion and "APID" initiated a project for the ched the assessment of the threats to For this reason, the Agency is Development, ”APID”, is an asso - creation of cooperative gardens for the Middle Bani sub-basin and of its responsible for: ciation based in Burkina Faso. agricultural bio-intensive produc - resources. l protecting the banks and slopes Its mission is to promote sustai- tion with the use of drip irrigation. against erosion and silting, The overall objectives of this project nable development through pro- APID-Burkina l preserving the terrestrial and are: jects on agriculture, water, environ - Farmers Action for Inclusion and Development  Having a decision-making and aquatic ecosystems, [email protected] planning supporting tool for the ment and education. l building capacities for the mana - gement of the river resources, sub-basin; l promoting the improvement and  Initiating an active and participa - management of water resources tive process for integrated water for the various uses, resources management through: l contributing in the prevention of ‰ the gathering of data on the natural hazards (floods, erosion, status of the Bani river bed, drought), in the control of pollu - tributaries and banks, tion and harmful effects and in ‰ the organization of a Sub- the maintenance of navigation on Basin Committee with the the river, local partners of the water l maintaining cooperation rela - sector, tions with similar technical organizations of the riparian countries concerned, l organizing a financial mecha - nism for levying taxes from the organizations withdrawing and polluting water.

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North America USA Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters The Universities Partnership for State University (OSU) as its admi - The UPTW contributes to peace, Electronic versions of the series are Transboundary Waters (UPTW), nistrative hub, is an international poverty alleviation, and sustainable accessible on UPTW website. established in 2001 with Oregon consortium of water expertise, management in transboundary water Lynette de Silva including several institutions basins. Program in Water Conflict Management on five continents, seeking to The UPTW develops workshops and Transformation promote a global water gov - Oregon State University tailo red towards water management Fax: (541) 737-1200 ernance culture that incorpo - capacity building. [email protected] rates peace, environmental protection, and human secu - One of this partnership’s most recent http://waterpartners.geo.orst.edu rity. publications is a five-part series of continental reports, entitled, This Partnership brings both “Hydropolitical Vulnerability and theoretical expertise and Resilience along International practical experience applied Waters.” to the management of shared waters and encompasses This series was compiled with the substantial knowledge of so - United Nations Environment Pro - cial, legal, economic and gram, Division of Early Warning and eco logical systems at multi - Assessment (UNEP-DEWA). ple spatial scales.

Canada

International Meeting on Integrated Water Management Sherbrooke, Canada – 1 – 3 June 2009 550 participants attended the mental Training Center of the Univer - 18 voluntary facilitators took care of Jacinthe Caron “International Meeting on In - sity of Sherbrooke (CUFE). the good organization of the work - Coordinator of the International Meeting on Integrated Water Management tegrated Water Management” 30 workshops gathered 95 lecturers on shops. COGESAF whi ch took place from 1 to 3 June topics related to planning and gover - Mr. Riccardo Petrella presented a Tél. : 819-864-1033 2009. The event was jointly organ - nance tools, the great stakes of water conference on the importance of www.cogesaf.qc.ca ized by the Council of Water Gover - management, action in agriculture, access to water everywhere on the nance of the St-François River tools for characterization and diagno - Earth. Basins (COGESAF) and the Environ - sis and information and dialogue. Mr. Jean-François Donzier, Perma - nent Secretary of the International Network of Basin Organizations, presented at a plenary session an introduction to Integrated Basin www.inbo-news.org Management over the world and par - ticipated in a round table on the All information mana gement of the world trans - is available boundary rivers in the closing ses - on the Web sion, with Mr. Oscar Cordeiro, Secre - tary of the Latin-American Net - work of Basin Organizations and Director of the National Water Agen - cy (ANA) of Brazil and Mr. Normand Cazelais, prefigurator of the North- Plenary session about Integrated Basin Management over the world American Network of Ba sin Orga- www.inbo-news.org nizations (NANBO).

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North America The new Water Law of Quebec

Water is one of the greatest wealth of It takes measures for the manage - Quebec which, with its 4,500 rivers ment of abstractions in the hydro - The Basin Organizations and half a million lakes, has more graphic limits laid down by the of Quebec are pleased than 3% of the world freshwater Agreement on the sustainable reserves. water resources of the Great with the new Law There are many concerns as regards Lakes and St. Lawrence River The Regrouping of the Basin Or - The ROBVQ President underlined the effect of climate change on the Basin and aiming at prohibiting ga nizations of Quebec (ROBVQ) that “Quebec is privileged, the availability of the resource, in the diversions outside these limits in learned with great satisfaction the guardian of very large quantities of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River order to protect and preserve the passing of the Law 27, affirming the water resources. This first Water Basin in particular, and which could water of this large catchment area. collective nature of the water Law, adopted by the Government, have significant impacts at the envi - This agreement was signed on resources of Quebec. complies with the first recommen - ronmental, economic (water intakes, 13 December 2005 by the Prime This law finally recognizes inte - dation of the Beauchamp Report navigation, hydroelectricity, etc.) and Ministers of Quebec and Ontario and grated water management at presented in 2000. The Basin social level. the Governors of the Great Lakes the level of river basins and its Organizations have thus seen their In this context, the strategic impor - States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, participative governance, but legitimacy confirmed by the whole tance of the “water” resource will be Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsyl - also the Basin Organizations as Provincial Government, which is, increasing. vania and Wisconsin). being in charge of the overall without any doubt, the result of the The Law allows the Attorney General The National Assembly of Que - planning of water uses through hard work of the basin organiza - to take, in the name of the commu - bec adopted, on 11 June 2009, the drafting of the Water Master tions since their creation". nity, legal action of a civil nature the Law affirming the collective Plan, its implementation and The ROBVQ and the Basin Organi - against the person responsible for character of water resources and follow-up. zations continue working for the environmental damage caused to aiming at increasing their protec - This law widely paves the way to implementation of the territorial aquatic environments to obtain tion and necessary for sustai- dialogue between the various redistricting announced in March repair. nable water management in authorities which work on Quebec 2009, which will allow Quebec to order to ensure the conservation, It subordinates all the current and territory towards an integration of manage all its water resources, for the safeguarding and the restora - future water abstractions to an au - the Water Master Plans into the the first time in its history, in an tion of aquatic environments. thorization and limits the validity MRC’s development and urban integrated and concerted way on period of all the water abstractions to The Law confirms: planning schemes and into the the entire southern territory. 10 years, exceptions not included. regional Plans for integrated deve - l the legal statute of surface and Mathieu Gingras The Law gives priority to drinking lopment of resources and lands ground water resources as col - In charge of development water supply, healthiness and fire (PRDIRT). ROBVQ lective resources; protection and reconciles the needs The Law also plans the St. Law- [email protected] l the role of the State as “guar- for the other uses including aquatic rence River integrated manage - www.robvq.qc.ca dian” and “manager” of water ecosystems for maintaining their ment. The ROBVQ and RBOs also resources, to the benefit of the balance. hope to work in close cooperation present and future generations; It allows limiting or stopping any with the organizations which will be l integrated and joint water abstraction of water for reasons of responsible for the management of resources management and the public interest or environmental the St. Lawrence River on their part importance of managing them in reasons. of the territory. catchment areas; Yvon Maranda, Ph.D. The Law created the Water Know - Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment The St. Lawrence River in Montreal and Natural Reserves ledge Office. Fax.:(418) 644-2003 [email protected] www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca

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North America IDEaux

For the integration of development, water management and town planning policies in favor of aquatic environments Coordinated by the National Center for development is a key objective for all In the long term, these changes in The “IDEAUX” project calls into Scientific Research (CNRS) and of them. Since the 1960s this has land use are likely to impede urban question the utility of current water SOGREAH, in France, and the Univer - resulted in the extensive construction development (water shortages, management and protection mea - sity Laval and the Gatineau River of roads and railways and the crea- increased vulnerability to flooding, sures. Watershed Committee (COMGA) in tion of residential, commercial and etc.), as is already the case in some Christine SIMOENS Quebec, IDEAUX is one of the eleven industrial areas on the outskirts of parts of southern France. Fax: 33 (0)4 76 33 43 32 [email protected] projects selected under the “Water towns and cities and in flood-prone The initial results of surveys con - www.sogreah.fr and Territories -Eaux et Territoires” areas in particular. ducted simultaneously in France research program of the French Minis- In France, nearly 100,000 homes (Bourbre, Reyssouze, etc.) and Que - try of Ecology, Cemagref and CNRS. It were built in flood-prone areas of bec (Saint-Charles, Gatineau, etc.) associates a public-private partner - 424 large towns between 1999 validate the hypothesis that develo- ship between France and Quebec. and 2006. pers’ practices are only very slowly Local authorities compete vigorously Urbanization is predicted to continue changing. to attract new families and busi - in the coming decades, notably at nesses on their territories and urban the expense of flood plains.

Birth of the North-American Network of Basin Organizations

Within the “International Con - Panama to Alaska and Greenland, On 15 October, Mr. Normand ference on Water Governan- including the Antilles. Cazelais, coordinator of the ce in the Americas” in Quebec In Debrecen (Hungary), during the provisional committee set up (Canada), the Constitutive As - last General Assembly of INBO in with representatives of Cana - sembly of the North-American June 2007, representatives of the da, France (St. Pierre and Network of Basin Organizations Committee for Dialogue and Deve - Mique lon), the United States, (NANBO) was held on 15 Octo - lopment of the Richelieu River Basin Mexico and Quebec to ensure ber 2009. (COVABAR), Messrs. Normand the creation of NANBO, de cla - Affiliated to INBO, NANBO intends Cazelais and Hubert Chamberland, red that this Constitutive to promote basin management by received the mandate to carry out this Assembly was a ”historical gathering the greatest possible extremely important operation in the event”. number of organizations which work life of INBO, since, hitherto, North On this occasion, NANBO of - in this part of the world, from America had no regional network. fi cially adopted its statutes and elected its administrators. An official presentation of NANBO NANBO Constitutive Mr. Hubert Chamberland be - will be made during the next General Assembly came the first President of Assembly of INBO in Dakar (Sene - NANBO. gal) from 20 to 23 January 2010. Operating with three official lan - Normand CAZELAIS guages, English, Spanish and NANBO French, NANBO is also called [email protected] Réseau Nord-Américain des Orga - www.monroban.org nisations de Bassin (ROBAN) and Red de Organizaciones de Cuenca de America del Norte (ROCAN). Its secretariat is located in the city of Quebec.

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Latin America Latin American Network of Basin Organizations (LANBO)

“Meeting of Basin Organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean” Foz do Iguaçu - Paraná - Brazil - 18-21 November 2009 It was supported by Itaipu Binacional, The 1 st Meeting of the Governing the State Government of Paraná, the Board of LANBO also took place on State Secretariat for Environment and this occasion to draft a proposed Water Resources (SEMARH), COPEL, work schedule of the Network for the SANEPAR, the National Water Agency coming years. (ANA), the International Network of Edgar Bejarano Méndez Basin Organizations (INBO), the Bra zi - President of LANBO lian Network of Basin Organizations [email protected] (REBOB), the National Forum of River Matilde Somarriba 2.500 Delegates participated in the Opening Ceremony! Vice President of LANBO Basin Committees (FNCBH) and [email protected] The Latin American Network of At the initiative of the National Water IUCN. Dalto Favero Brochi This Meeting was held at the same Technical Secretary of LANBO Basin Organizations (LANBO) was Agency (ANA) of Brazil, the last [email protected] time than the 6 th Cultivating Good established in August 1998 in LANBO General Assembly took www.ana.gov.br/relob Bogotá, Colombia. It is one of the place in Rio de Janeiro in November Water "Cultivando Agua Buena" and regional networks of the International 2008 and brought together 106 dele - the 7 th Iberoamerican Meeting on Network of Basin Organizations gates representing 67 institutions Sustainable Development (EIMA). (INBO). It gathers administrations from 21 countries. This event contributed to strengthe - and institutions in charge of water The Meeting of Basin Organiza - ning Integrated Water Resources resources management in water - tions from Latin America and the Mana gement in Latin America and sheds and multilateral cooperation Caribbean, organized by LANBO, the Caribbean through the knowledge agencies involved in water resource took place in Foz do Iguaçu and exchange of national and inter - management. (Paraná - Brazil), on November national experiences of river basin LANBO 18 - 21, 2009. agencies. Regional river basin management strategy in Central America In 2006-2010, the Regional which, since 2007, has seconded a The PREVDA’s strategy is based on The direct beneficiaries of this pro - Program for the Reduction of technical assistant to the institution to active stakeholder participation, the gram are local governments, with the En vironmental Vulnerability and work in particular on the development strengthening of existing civil society support of expert NGOs working in De gra dation (PREVDA) is imple - of IWRM. organizations, the priority reorienta - this line. The municipalities are menting a strategy to reduce the The four main lines of activity are: tion of financial resources to the demonstrating their commitment and risks related to water, based on poorest rural families, the prioriti- a strong capacity to assume a leading  Regional integration and institu - land planning and river basin tional capacity building; zation of productive community- role and functions, which, in this part management (IWRM - Environ - based projects and on the setting up of the world, are traditionally the  Harmonization of normative and mental Management - Risk Mana- of training activities, while encoura- exclusivity of the relevant Ministries regulatory tools for regional inte - gement). gration; ging shared responsibility, co-fun- and Non-Governmental Organiza - ding, the adoption of conflict resolu - tions. Three regional agencies of the Central  Knowledge management, trai - tion and stakeholder negotiation Guillaume Paquet American Integration System are ning, communication and infor - methods and the application of a Adviser to the CRRH directly involved: the Coordination mation systems; Fax: +506 2296 0047 vision of gender equity and multicul - Center for the Prevention of Natural  Local river basin management [email protected] Disasters in Central America (CEPRE - initiatives in the region. turalism. DENAC), the Central American Com - The program benefits from a total mission on Environment and Deve - funding of 24,299 MEuros, of which lopment (CCAD) and the Regional 20 MEuros come from the European Committee on Hydraulics (CRRH). In Union’s Regional Cooperation Fund. this context, the CRRH, dealing with The projects underway have targeted water and climate-related issues, is the improvement of the biophysical supported by the French Ministry for conditions of river basins and institu - Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE), tional capacity building.

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Latin America Mexico ANEAS 23rd Annual Convention The National Association of Water system, relevance of local go vern - and Sanitation Utilities of Mexico ments and integrated management of (ANEAS), created in 1992, is linking services. nearly 1,200 members, comprising The EXPO ANEAS-2009 included municipal, public or private, water more than 400 stands, making it a and sanitation service providers or platform to showcase cutting edge operators, State Water Commis - products and techniques. sions, trading firms, service, equip - ANEAS joins the work of organiza - ment and supplies providers, etc. It tions like the International Network of maintains cooperative relations with Basin Organizations (INBO), which it many institutions at various levels. Inauguration of the Convention 2009 by the President of the Republic of Mexico supports in Latin America and Sensing the need to integrate water wishes it all the success in its next issues in the national, regional and and services as well as water and The Convention is held every year in World General Assembly to take international agenda, the Association sanitation experts, from the country's a different State of Mexico, in 2009 it place in Dakar, Senegal in 2010. has been organizing for the past water companies, which provide took place in Leon, Guanajuato. ANEAS 23 years, the most significant event service to about 90% of the national The program addresses on each National Association of Water and Sanitation of the drinking water, sewerage and population. Utilities of Mexico occasion the most pressing issues of Fax: (52) (55) 5543 6605 sanitation sub-sector in the country It is attended by the President of the drinking water, sewerage and [email protected] and the region. Mexico and representatives of the sanitation sub-sector of the Ameri - www.aneas.com.mx The ANEAS Annual Convention Ministries concerned by the sector cas Region. This year, the themes brings together Authorities of the and of the international institutions covered were: the role of asso cia - three levels of Government, acade - related with ANEAS. tions, prospective of services, legi s - mics, exhibitors of products, goods la tion, regulation, water financial Chile Basin Companies in the Atacama area In the Atacama Area, 800 km to the This situation has allowed, until now, The water restrictions are a serious An Interministerial Committee for north of Santiago, the valleys made the development of the area and the potential threat for the production Water Policy was also recently crea - by the Copiapó and Huasco rivers are establishment of big urban centers and mining activities and for the sup - ted. close to the extreme aridity of the such as Copiapó and Vallenar among ply to the populations. As there is a need for initiating a desert. others. The low availability of water regional strategy coordinated with These rivers are fed by the few avail - The continuity of this development is as compared to the increasing the local stakeholders to achieve able water resources. The special cli - however subjected to the consolida - demand leads to situations of these goals, the Environmental Inno - matic conditions allow however tion of a suitable water management strong competition and conflict vation Center of Atacama (CTA), per - effective agriculture for export which, system to face the reduction in on access to this resource. taining to the Foundation of Chile with mining and fishing, is the dri - groundwater reserves and the conti - The Water Directorate General (DGA) and being financed by the Regional ving force for growth in the area. nuous increase in the water demand. of the Ministry of Public Works, the Government of Atacama, is recom - National Environment Commission mending in a first step the creation or (CONAMA) and the Regional Govern - the reinforcement of the Water Com - ment of Atacama are promoting the panies in the Copiapó and Huasco implementation of the National Stra - Basin. These companies are the tegy for Basin Management in Chile. bases which will allow the creation of Three pilot basins (Baker, Rapel true Basin Organizations. and Copiapó) were selected for It is a significant progress in Chile.

the creation of Basin Organiza - Axel C. Dourojeanni tions. Organizations called Water Adviser in Integrated Water Resources Management Companies already exist in the Foundation of Chile [email protected] The Atacama desert Copiapó Basin.

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Latin America Argentina Río Carcarañá Upper Basin Method for determining environmental flow For determining environmental flow tainability of water resources, in located in Córdoba and Santa Fé l integrate the basin’s public and requirements to bring an adequate terms of both quality and quantity, provinces, was selected by the Se - private institutions into a water flow regime that guarantees the sus - the pilot Carcarañá River Basin, cretariat of Environment and Sustai- resources management and con - nable Development, as it presents a servation system. The Carcarañá River complex typology of human inter - Dra.Ing. Nora Pouey vention as far as the use of water CURIHAM resources is concerned. Rosario National University The main goals of this interdiscipli - Fax: 54 341 4808541 [email protected] nary approach can be summarized as www.fceia.unr.edu.ar follows: l establish guidelines and criteria to include environmental flow into the national legal frame - work, l highlight its relevance in water resources planning,

Creation of the Matanza Riachuelo River Basin Authority In August 2006, the Environment pertain to the existing jurisdictions, The Law N° 26.168 also establishes This has been communicated to the and Sustainable Development nor will it receive any financial the “Environmental Com pensa- Supreme Court and must now be Secretariat presented a Compre - resources generated by local taxes, tion Fund”, which will be adminis - implemented: this is the challenge hensive Plan for Environmental charges or fines. The River Basin tered by the River Basin Authority and for the Matanza Riachuelo River Recovery for the Matanza Ria- Authority may, however, require pre - will deal with the effects of pollution Basin Authority. chuelo River Basin. One of the ventive measures to be taken in order along with conservation and recovery Dr. Alejandro Rossi pillars of this plan is the creation to avoid worsening damage to hu- projects. Matanza Riachuelo River Basin Authority of a River Basin Authority. man and environmental health, pro - The Environment and Sustainable (ACUMAR) The Law that establishes the River viding these are scientifically justi - Development Secretariat has desi- www.acumar.gov.ar Basin Authority is a “national” law fied. gned a strategy for pollution control based on a scheme of agreements The model created for the River in the Matanza Riachuelo river basin. with the jurisdictions concerned, Basin Authority implies cooperation without "federal action", in order to for overcoming the hurdles that have help set up and implement an envi - made it difficult to deal with the The Matanza Riachuelo River ronmental regulatory mechanism for causes and consequences of pollu - a territorial area based on the princi - tion in the past. ple of integrated management of the The River Basin Authority has a river basin budget of public funds, along with It means establishing effective coor - the right to levy charges for services dination by applying the principle of provided. The Authority is also the subsidiarity executor for international loans, There is no intention of substituting such as the US$ 250 million credit local powers in the river basin, but provided by the Inter-American rather of strengthening them, in Deve lopment Bank (IDB), and is accordance with the existing legisla - currently negotiating the first part of tion, for restoring the river basin. a credit line of about US$ 700 mil - lion from the World Bank. The River Basin Authority will not be empowered to apply penalties that

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Latin America Brazil PCJ Consortium: REBOB 20 years of struggle Brazilian Network The Piracicaba River The basis for PCJ of Basin Organizations Consortium’s action is Integrated Water The Brazilian Network of Basin The institution is a member of the Resources Manage - Organizations (REBOB), establi - International Network of Basin ment. shed on July 1, 1998, is a regional Organizations (INBO) and of the as sociation of watershed organiza - Latin American Network of Basin Local governments, tions. Organizations (LANBO). sanitation services and conceded com - Its main objectives are to represent Since its foundation REBOB has panies are working its members in matters of common participated in national and interna - together to increase interest and promoting the ex - tional events and has sponsored This year, the Inter-municipal wastewater treatment, reduce water change of experiences among regional meetings for strengthening Basin Consortium of the Piraci - losses in distribution systems and them. existing organizations and the crea - caba, Capivari and Jundiaí rivers increase water reuse. PCJ Consor - tion of new ones in the States of It is also supporting cost recovery (PCJ Consortium) is 20 years old: tium also promotes the protection of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas for water use and the creation of with a history of work and achieve - springs, environmental education, Gerais, Santa Catarina, Bahia, Rio truly decentralized systems of water ments for its region, mainly in the solid waste projects, among other Grande do Sul and the Federal Dis - resources management. management of water resources. actions. trict. In 1998, the National Water Re sour - Nowadays, the PCJ basins have a The PCJ Consortium has turned into It participated in Expo Zaragoza, ces Council (NWRC) was crea ted in complex and operational water one of the most respected Brazilian which was held in 2008 in Spain. Brazil, and REBOB took a seat as resources management system with basin organizations, even with inter - repre sentative of the River Basin In 2009, REBOB worked to streng - three united and strong River Basin national recognition. Agencies. then the networks (REBOB, LANBO, Committees and operative manage - The work of the PCJ Consortium in INBO) and help promote Integrated The goals proposed by REBOB ment tools. PCJ Consortium had a the past twenty years shows that it Water Resources Management to were achieved: the system for very important role in this process by can also perform Water Agency func - the civil society to lead to the con - Water Resources Management in performing functions of Water tions for the PCJ Federal Committee. stitution of new River Basin Com - Brazil has existed since 1997; the Agency as the Entity delegated by the Member of the National Council of mittees. creation of REBOB motivated the PCJ Committees. Water Resources (CNRH), it repre - Basin Committees to organize Francisco Carlos Castro Lahóz Charging for water use, one of the President of REBOB sents the River Basin Inter-municipal nationally in 1999, in Ribeirão [email protected] main management tools, is a reality Associations and Consortia, has the Preto city, São Paulo State, Brazil. in the region since 2006, turning it www.rebob.org.br Presidency of the Brazilian Network With the full support of REBOB, the into a source of financial resources, of Basin Organizations (REBOB) and National Forum of River Basin mainly for the sanitation sector. In takes care of the Technical Secretariat Committees was created, and the twenty years, the rate of domestic of the Latin American Network of partnership between the two orga - wastewater treatment has jumped Basin Organizations (LANBO). ni zations has been strengthe ning from 3% to 45% with prospects to over the years. reach 70% over the next five years. Dalto Favero Brochi Executive Secretary - PCJ Consortium Tel./Fax: (19) 3406-4043 The Araruama Lagoon One of the concerns is about water supply, with the prospects of in - [email protected] creased domestic demand and be- www.agua.org.br cause the PCJ basins already supply about 50% of the metropolitan area of São Paulo and it is expected that the results of the Water Re sources Mas - ter Plan studies will solve the problem for São Paulo Macro-metropo - lis and the whole region.

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Latin America Brazil The Rio das Balsas and Rio São Valério Basins The Rio das Balsas and Rio São grams authorized by the Federal tory, a petition was written against A project study is underway to pro - Valério basins are located in very Government, which considers this any construction of hydropower sta - mote dialogue between all the par - little populated areas of the Brazilian area as a priority for safeguarding tion in the area. ties involved in this conflict in order Cerrado, whose main asset is a still Brazilian biodiversity. The motto of the campaign is “ener - to define the priorities of the Basin preserved nature. The Rio das Balsas There are thirteen projects for gy in Jalapão is different”: it refers Master Plan. This Plan will be sub - basin is in the Jalapão Natural building hydropower stations in to the dynamism of the population to mitted to the population for approval Reserve, which is the main tourist the Rio das Balsas Basin. seek new development methods before being given to the Secretariat attraction of the area and where eco - At this stage of the preliminary stu - which are respectful of the environ - of State in charge of Water Resources logical tourism is strongly growing. dies and land purchase for building, ment: craft industry, ecological agri - and Environmental Management of In 2001, the Serra Geral do Jalapão the population of the area, very little culture, bee-keeping, ecologi cal Tocantins State. Ecological Reserve was created by informed but aware of the problems tourism, etc. According to some peo - Belizario Franco Neto presidential decree. It is one of the involved in this kind of project, is ple, hydropower is part of it. Accor - Director for Water Resources Secretariat for Water Resources and Environment largest in the country with a surface very concerned. ding to others, the building of power area of 716,306 hectares. Access is At the initiative of the Center for Sup - stations on the Rio das Balsas and its www.recursoshidricos.to.gov.br entirely forbidden to human beings, port to Family Agriculture and Soli - tributaries is entirely incompatible except for scientific research pro - darity Economy of the Jalapão terri - with ecological tourism. Ecuador FONAG A trust fund for water conservation and protection The inter-Andean area of Pichincha The Water Protection Fund (FONAG) Investment loans will be made avai - The financial resources of FONAG Province (Hoya de Quito) is one of was created to resolve these pro- lable in a second stage. are provided by the water users Ecuador’s most densely populated blems: it is a permanent and stable FONAG is fed through payment for and are not dependent on foreign areas and faces serious problems of economic and financial mechanism the environmental services produced or government capital. water shortage, competition and pol - based on a trust fund, so that returns in the river basins supplying the city, On the long-term, the Fund guaran - lution. on capital can be used to fund the and through specific contributions tees that interventions and programs The aquifers surrounding Quito were conservation of water springs that from electricity and water bills. to protect water springs will last. supply human and productive needs used to supply much of the popula - Now FONAG has to: The Fund’s action plans are deve - tion’s drinking water. However, the in the Metropolitan District of Quito.  Keep up the technical imple - loped in a participative way with a deterioration of wells led to water The objectives of FONAG are to con - mentation of programs and pro - strong stakeholders’ commitment. transfers from river basins in the serve water springs through the con - jects; FONAG only intervenes as a comple - Amazonian region for supplying trol of polluting activities, protection  Establish indicators to show, in a ment to other local financing. Quito with drinking water coming of surrounding biodiversity and con - clear and comprehensible man - Pablo Lloret from the Antisana, Oyacachi and servation and recovery of plant cover, ner, the benefits of water conser - Technical Secretary of FONAG Papallacta rivers and for the irrigation as well as reforestation around river [email protected] vation. of Tabacundo and Cangagua. The springs and riparian areas in high www.fonag.org situa tion has been worsened by a mountain river basins, within social  Ensure accountability to water deep crisis in national water resour - policies to support and promote users of the funds use. ces management. poverty reduction and build firm lin -  Provide an explicit account of water user’s contribution to the The “Preliminary report of the pro - kages between conservation and growth of the fund. gram to monitor water quality in the development. Guayllabamba River Basin”, issued FONAG provides donations to local by the Metropolitan District of Quito, specialized agencies for formulating Environmental Department, in 1999, and implementing projects and pro - concluded that levels of bacteria in grams conducive to its objectives. all the sub-basins made unadvisable human consumption of untreated water under any circumstances.

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Pacific - Asia Australia Mekong River Commission

n Governance and institutional arrangements; Forum of the MRC partners n Water markets; Chiang Rai 15-16 October 2009 n Community engagement; th A hundred participants coming The 12 International Riversympo - n Agriculture and water; from the four Member States sium, running from 21 - 24 Septem - n Industry and rivers; ber 2009 at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Center, focused on n Climate change and rivers - dea - the theme "Rivers from Source to ling with droughts, floods and Mekong River Commission Sea". uncertainties. th The 2009 program featured presenta - The 12 International Riversympo - tions on innovative practices and sium was held concurrently with the th case studies from all over the world 7 IWA World Congress on Water and a wide range of perspectives on Reclamation and Reuse. river management for both people Four prizes were awarded during the and ecosystem health. With drought Riversymposium: the Thiess Interna - and flood having major impacts on tional Riverprize for an example of the Australian landscape in recent successful river management glo - years, there was also a strong bally; the National Riverprize recog - For the second time, this initiative of n a request for increased collabo - national focus and an emphasis on nizes outstanding work within Aus - the Mekong River Commission ration, presented by the Chinese the many issues facing South East tralia; the Young Water Scientist (MRC) gathered, in Chiang Rai, Thai - delegation. Queensland. Award is awarded for postgraduate land, a hundred participants coming Some figures give the extent of the work on water and a new award for from the four Member States: Cam - Case studies were presented on the challenges: in Laos, 70 dams are senior high school students is the bodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Han River in Korea, the Amur River in planned to produce electricity and in Seqwater Future Leaders School Russia and the Rhine River in Europe. A very reactive Chinese delegation Thailand projects are planned to Challenge. also participated. transfer water towards the North- Approximately 150 presentations Eastern areas. were delivered over the 4 days of dis - Carla Mathisen INBO Technical Secretary was repre - cussions with thematic focuses on: Riversymposium Coordinator sented by IOWater’s Director of Inter - The current water storage capacity Tel.: +61 7 3123 7766 ext 202 national Cooperation, Mr. Jean-Louis upstream (China) is 25 km 3; down - n Environmental flows; [email protected] Millo. stream in the 4 MRC Countries, the n Upstream effects on downstream www.riversymposium.com 3 The objectives of this meeting projects relate to 23 km in new communities; www.riverfoundation.org.au were to ensure transparency on reservoirs. n Urban waters; the preparation of the 2011-2015 It is planned to increase irrigated n Estuarine health; development programs. lands by 500,000 ha, i.e. 36% of the n Water quality - maintenance and Three topics were dealt with: current surface area. monitoring; l impact of hydropower, Fishing accounts for 15% of the world production out of fresh waters, l development of irrigation, i.e. 2.6 million tons each year. l climate change. The Commission insisted on two of The exchanges alternated between its current concerns: necessary inter- technical presentations and partici - State coordination and impact of cli - pative workshops, including: mate change, on the Mekong delta in n MRC presentations of its com - particular. prehensive and structured plan - ning methods, Jeremy Bird Executive Secretary n many very relevant addresses of Mekong River Commission Secretariat local groups, in particular on [email protected] environmental and social issues www.mrcmekong.org and about fishing, Mr. Mike Walters, Lake Simcoe Region Conversation Authority

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Asia China European Union - Yangtze Dialogue on River Basin Management in Shanghai

Organized by Changjiang (Yangtze) tion of the Danube River and Rhine Participants in the UE-China Dialogue Water Resources Commission River Commission. (CWRC), EU-China River Basin The Secretaries of INBO, Mr. Jean- Management Program (RMBP) and Francois Donzier, and of GWP, WWF, a high-level dialogue on river Mr. Martin Walshe, were invited to basin management was held in address this conference. Shanghai, China, on April 19, 2009, This Dialogue Conference placed the day before the third Interna - emphasis on sharing experience and tional Yangtze Forum, which has lessons gained in promoting IRBM its implementation requires politi- Dr. Yang, Guowei been an important step in promoting both in EU and China and in imple - cal will, high-level commitment, Institutional Specialist of EU-China RBMP integrated river basin management menting the Water Framework Direc - (RBMP) co operation between economic sec - (IRBM) in the Yangtze River Basin tive (WFD) in European Union Mem - [email protected] tors, participation by all stakeholders and in China. ber States. www.euchinarivers.org and support with legal framework. High-level experts and officials from A consensus was been reached in All the participants of the conference EU and China attended the confe - this conference to declare that IRBM also appealed to strengthen interna - rence, coming from CWRC, YRWCC, is a vital approach to ensure water tional cooperation to promote River Pearl River Water Resources Com - security, ecosystem security and the Basin Management and to address mission, Taihu Lake Authority, Inter - sustainable economic and social climate change. national Commission for the Protec - development in the world, and that

4th International Yellow River Forum (IYRF)

The 4 th International Yellow River l scientific meanings of ecologi - The International Network of At the closing ceremony of the Forum took place in Zhengzhou, cal civilization; modern river Basin Organizations (INBO) was Forum, a partnership agreement China, from 20 to 23 October 2009, basin management and restora - invited to organize an “official was signed by Mr. Laszlo Khotay, on the theme: "Ecological Civilization tion; session” on IWRM implementa - World President of INBO, and and River Ethics". l river ethics and sanitation; tion in the River Basins of the Mr. Li Guoying, Commissioner of world, with two topics: the Yellow River Conservancy The Forum was organized around l application of experiences and Commission (YRCC). technical sessions on the following new technologies of water n role of Regions/Provinces, Local topics: resour ces management; Authorities and users in basin The papers of the special session of management; INBO and the photographs of the l social and environmental impact l sediment management of high Forum are available on the website: of climate change; sustainable silt-laden rivers and reservoirs; n financing of the Basin Manage - water resources management; ment Plans, of their Investment www.riob.org l water right transfer, water sa fety, Plans and Programs of Mea su res. l watershed rehabilitation; water environment, water market Yellow River Commission [email protected] and water saving. www.yellowriver.gov.cn

Huge participation in the 4 th IYRF

Signing of INBO / YRCC partnership agreement

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Asia Vietnam Launching of the pilot project of Dong Nai River Basin Vietnam experiences a fast economic Seine-Normandy Water Agen - Opening of the Kick-off Seminar development which implies signifi - cies ( € 400,000) according to cant environmental challenges. the "Oudin-Santini" Law on In such a context, a cooperation decentralized cooperation. memorandum was signed in June  A technical assistance financed 2007 by the French and Vietnamese by the French Ministry of Econo - Ministers in charge of sustainable my, Finance and Employment for development. the development of surface water monitoring in the Dong Nai pilot Year 2009 allowed the materia - basin ( € 800,000). It will be lization of an ambitious bilateral implemented by SCE consulting cooperation project on Integrated firm and ASCONIT Consul tants at The concepts of the European Water the subject of many papers, on the Water Resources Management the beginning of 2010. Framework Directive are used as “institutional assistance” part in par - (IWRM), which deals with the The first step of the project was reference for the analysis of Decree ticular. Dong Nai pilot Basin. the kick-off seminar held on 120, new Vietnamese legislation Michel STEIN It aims at providing: 20 and 21 October 2009 in Hanoi, directing IWRM since its publication In charge of International Affairs  An institutional assistance to the Loire-Brittany Water Agency which allowed an exchange on the in December 2008. [email protected] National Authorities in charge of application of integrated water mana - The project implementation is IWRM coordination, financed by www.eau-loire-bretagne.fr gement in both countries. planned over two years and will be the French Loire-Brittany and India Climate Change and Rice Production Stakeholders’ involvement in the Cauvery River Basin An important aim of the CLIMARICE The first stakeholder workshop was ping patterns, improving water use l alternative cropping (Maize, project is to contribute towards better organized at TNAU on 12 December, efficiency, improved water allocation Sesame and Sunflower crops) dialogue between stakeholders for 2008. The participants discussed routines, rotational irrigation, training that require less water; addressing the impacts of climate scenarios, identified the main and awareness workshops and finan - l early planting to escape from the change on rice farming in the impacts, the adaptation measures cial support to farmers. unseasonal rainfall and flooding Cauvery Basin in Tamil Nadu. and type of responses necessary to The following measures suggested during the maturity phase. address the risks from climate This project aims to identify stake - by the stakeholders will be carefully Stakeholders expressed a strong change. holder interests and priorities and assessed to frame adaptation strate - need for cooperation at the regional provide guidelines to develop adap - The farmers have observed a shift in gies, including: and local level. tation measures to sustain rice pro - night temperatures, erratic mon - l construction of rain water sto ra - CLIMARICE project will focus on duction, through an understanding of soons and new pests and diseases. ge tanks and dam reservoirs that testing these measures on farmers’ institutional structures and enhance - Their suggestions to address extreme would also result in effective fields in collaboration with local ment of the dialogue between policy- weather events included introducing recharging of ground water; research institutes. makers, scientists and farmers. new crop varieties, changing crop - l use of green manures and bio- fertilizers to increase the physi - Udaya Sekhar Nagothu, PhD Bioforsk - Norwegian Institute for Agriculture and cal properties of the soil; Environmental Research l construction of farm ponds to [email protected] save and reuse the excess water www.bioforsk.no effectively; www.tnau.ac.in/climarice l development of rice nurseries to minimize water use and other inputs; Women laborers in Paddy field, Thanjavur district, Cauvery Basin, India (Photo: Ragnar V Pedersen) 24 INBO Newsletter n° 18 - November 2009 INBO 18_Mise en page 1 10/12/09 14:09 Page25

Eastern Europe - Caucasus - Central Asia UNECE: United Nations Convention of 1992 Management of data on transboundary water resources With more than 50% of their territory The implementation of these policies In such a context, the Secretariat of For each pilot basin, the project pro - covered by transboundary basins, the implies above all having a complete ”the UN Convention on Protec - posed: countries of Eastern Europe, Cauca - and detailed assessment of the water tion and Use of Transboundary l Characterization of the existing sus and Central Asia strongly depend resources, based on homogeneous Rivers and International Lakes” data sources with joint produc - on shared water resources: it is thus and consistent information. carries out water resources assess - tion of catalogues; of prime importance to develop ments in this area. However, apart from some specific l Development of “Water Data effective management policies in cases, access to the information A pilot project could be imple - Master Plans” at basin level; these basins for managing these necessary for water resources mana - mented in 2010 in 2 pilot trans - l Recommendations on rules for resources while respecting na tural gement remains often problematic in boundary basins. It will include: water balances, more especially as sharing data among the compe - the area as in many other areas of the n A component aiming at building regards climate change. tent authorities; World. the data administration and sha - l Specification of the needs for ring capacities of the national Localization of the basins pre-selected in EECCA countries strengthening the data producers and local Authorities involved in and managers’ abilities; each of the 2 basins, by using methodologies that can be repli - l Capacity building for the pro - cated in other transboundary duction of synthetic information basins of the region. (maps, indicators) on priority topics. n Regional actions aiming at using the results obtained in these 2 pilot basins and at dissemina - ting the defined methodologies in the other transboundary basins and countries of the region. www.unece.org Moldova A Basin Council and Management Plan for the Cubolta River The protection of water resources is a For management to be fully effective Plan, which can be considered as the After being approved at the govern - priority of the legislative acts and and operational there is the need for first step in promoting adequate water mental level, the gained experience national environmental policies ela - sufficient information and qualified resources management in Moldova. and the documents developed in this borated and implemented in the staff, drilled and trained: REC The Council will be responsible for Plan were broadly disseminated and Republic of Moldova, where however Moldova organized a number of implementing the integrated river could be used as model for other a lot remains to be done. seminars on the elaboration of the management plan, which includes river basins in the country and will be Therefore, the Regional Environmen - legal base in the water field, best priority activities on environmental proposed to be applied for the trans - tal Center - Moldova (REC Moldova) practices, including EU IWRM expe - protection and rehabilitation of boundary Prut River Basin shared by has launched a project for imple - rience, as well as on drinking water Cubolta River. Also, a Guide on Inte - Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. quality. grated Water Resources Management menting the EU Water Initiative Andrei Isac and promoting Integrated Water The seminars were addressed to was published and disseminated to Executive Director - REC Moldova Re sources Management (IWRM), re presentatives of central environ - all interested environmental organiza - [email protected] financially supported by the Euro - mental protection bodies, espe cia l - tions and state institutions. The pilot www.rec.md pean Commission. ly those responsible for water resour - project launched by REC Moldova will contribute to the river rehabilita - The main objectives of the project ces management, Local Public Au- tion due to an adequate Management were to facilitate the optimization of tho rities in particular. Plan developed and implemented in water management by promoting and One of the most important results of accordance to the EU standards, with implementing IWRM, and by esta - REC Moldova project is the creation the support of Central and Local blishing partnerships between the of the Cubolta River Basin Council Authorities and NGOs. local beneficiaries in the Prut and and the development of the Cu- Dniester river basins. bol ta River Basin Management

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Eastern Europe - Caucasus - Central Asia "EECCA - NBOs" Creation of the Network of Russian-speaking Basin Organizations Development of Water Information Systems

Workshop on 12 December 2008 in Moscow Mr. S.Ye. Bednaruk, Director of In recent years, the water use effi - the Registry of Hydraulic Struc - ciency indicator has improved tures at the Russian Federal slightly and agricultural output Water Agency, presented the sys - increased from 1.8 roubles/m 3 in tematic monitoring and forecasting of 1995 to 3.5 roubles/m 3 in 2005 per water availability in Russia. The Cen - 1 m 3 of water used. Production on ter’s website gives free access to irrigated land remains 3-5 times information products, such as the higher than in rainfed areas. More - Russian registry of hydraulic struc - over, the reconstruction of irrigated tures, the Information System on lands concerned 110 thousand ha in “Russia’s rivers”, the hydroeconomic 2002 - 2005, and 160 thousand ha zoning in the Russian Federation. are planned in 2006-2010. Mr. V.A. Omel’yanenko, Deputy Ukraine has kept specialized Director of the Information Center water management under the “NIA Prirody”, which publishes the responsibility of the State Com - Nature and Resource Gazette, opened mittee for Water Resources a discussion on the opportunity of headed by V.A. Stashuk. creating a transboundary system During a workshop, held on 11- Mr. N.I.Tupikin, Director of the The Deputy Head of the Commit - between the Caspian Sea and the 12 December 2008 in Moscow, Center of Scientific-and-Engi - tee, Mr. O.Lisyuk, presented the Black Sea, which was strongly sup - Russia, the participants were neering Information of “Melio- “Basin geo-information system for ported by the President of Kaza - fami liarized with INBO activities, vodstroy” at the Ministry of Agri - water management and monitoring khstan. the experience of information culture, Russian Federation, pre - along large rivers in the Ukraine” as system development in the water sented the results of the Congress of The initiative was proposed because well as the activity of the Seversko- sector - in Central Asia (regional Russian hydrologists and irrigation of insufficient capacity of the Volga- Donetsk Basin Water Management system), Russia, Ukraine, Bela - engineers, as well as an interesting Don canal. A navigation canal pro - Authority. rus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and proposal on the organization of perio - ject is put forward against the alterna - The development of an information Armenia - as well as with the dical irrigation, which combines and tive of the “Volga-Don-2” canal, system in the Ukraine, as well as in activities of water management plans regular irrigation and rainfed which would pass parallel to the Belarus, runs according to the provi - organizations in these countries. farming, depending on precipitations existing canal. sions of the European Water Frame - Several communications were pre - in the steppe zone. Opinions are divided and a fight, work Directive. sented at the workshop. which is as strong as the previous The main result of the workshop one regarding the canal connecting was the agreement of all concer - Siberia and Central Asia, is taking ned parties on the establishment place. Heated disputes on the Eu ra- of a Network of Russian-speaking sian canal are continuing Basin Organizations under the A.P. Demin of the Water Institute umbrella of INBO. Membership in summarized the report presented to this network is voluntary. It is based on the Academy of Sciences on water professional community and mutual availability in agriculture in Russia. understanding and aims at organizing The water quantity used in agriculture exchanges of opinions, experience, decreased by half from 1980 to 2004. and information on various aspects of Since 1970, irrigated areas in Russia water management, without reques- have extended from 1.9 Mha to ting any financial contribution.

6.1 Mha but in 2000, according Prof. V. Dukhovny to official data, the irrigated area SIC ICWC Director was reduced to 4.5 Mha. Actually, [email protected] irrigated land area decreased to http://sic.icwc-aral.uz 2.4 Mha. The Volga-Don Canal

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Eastern Europe - Caucasus - Central Asia Free speech: Saving the Western Aral Sea

There is widely popular opinion If the problem of WAS preservation is that they should disappear in 15- not solved, the parameters of Amu 20 years. Darya Delta's ecosystems will However, there is a proposal for sharply vary depending on water saving the Western Aral Sea input. The Delta and its wetlands do (WAS) which has deep depth and not always receive water in quantities smaller area. which are sufficient for its steady The idea includes complex measu- existence, especially in dry years. res, including the construction of: Tens millions US dollars are spent by n a canal for collection-drainage of Uzbekistan for the creation of tem - water from the Amu Darya Delta porary aquatic ecosystems in the to WAS. coastal zone and on the dried up area of the former Aral Sea and Amudarya n a dam for separating EAS from Amu Darya Delta River Delta. However, these aquatic WAS. Can the Aral Sea down- After the construction of Kokaral ecosystems will remain unstable if a n a canal "NAS-WAS", which will dam, only the Northern Aral Sea uniformly flowing "DELTA-SEA" stream of the Amu Darya allow reducing the increasing (NAS), fed by the Syr Darya in Kaza - ecosystem is not created. River be restored? mineralization of sea water, khstan, has real chances for survival. At the beginning of 1960s, the Aral improving living conditions for Yu. Khai. RYSBEKOV Any of the previous projects has not Scientific-Information Center of Interstate Sea had a surface area of more than fish and stopping the discharge given the answer to the question: Coordination Water Commission (SIC ICWC) 66,000 km 2, now the total area of the of freshwater from the Syr Darya how to save the Eastern and Western of Central Asia 3 units makes less than 20,000 km 2. River into EAS. [email protected] Aral Seas (EAS and WAS)?

IWRM Implementation in Syr Darya River Basin

As it is known, the Syr Darya River In March 2006, ADB announced its l Transboundary Syr Darya It should be hoped that this new pro - Basin is shared by four countries of Water Financing Program (WFP) for River Basin (Central Asia), ject will allow solving urgent pro - Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzs - 2006-2010 to double water invest - where Kyrgyzstan, located up- blems in the river basins through the tan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. ments and apply IWRM in 25 river stream, uses the water of the introduction of the IWRM principles. basins, including the Syr Darya River Toktogul reservoir for power In recent years the concept of Inte - Yu. Khai. RYSBEKOV basin. gene ration in winter and spring grated Water Resources Manage - Scientific-Information Center of Interstate ment (IWRM) became popular in the River basins have already been cho - time that causes floods in down - Coordination Water Commission (SIC ICWC) countries of region, and the appropri - sen to be twins: stream countries (Uzbekistan, of Central Asia Kazakhstan), and water shortage [email protected] ate normative-legal provisions are l Bengawan Solo River Basin during the irrigation season in http://sic.icwc-aral.uz accepted both at national and trans - (Indonesia). This basin is cha- summer. boundary level. International insti - racterized by frequent floods, tutes and agencies assist the coun - deterioration of water quality, The Syr Darya in Khujand, Tajikistan tries in implementing IWRM princi - and disputes about water distri - ples, especially at an inter-state level bution between the domestic for maintaining water safety in the and agricultural sectors in the region. irrigation period. It is necessary to note the efforts of l Bagmati River Basin (Nepal), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) whose upper reach includes for strengthening interstate water Kathmandu valley, faces serious cooperation in the Syr Darya River problems in terms of water Basin. shortage, water and land pollu - Soon will start the interesting project tion, degradation of watersheds, “Supporting Investments in Water etc. Security in River Basins”, which is financed by the Japan Special Fund.

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European Union 7th EUROPE-INBO Group Conference 19 - 21 August 2009 - Stockholm - Sweden menting the very first cycle of the Messrs. Kálmán Papp (Hungary), coordination especially between the Management Plans and Programs of Håvard Hornnæs (Norway) and responsible administrations and at Measures which must be adopted Anthony Mc Nally (Ireland) then pre - the European level (CIS); expertise is before the end of the year and inte - sented the approach used in their lacking for taking into account cli - grating climate change into water basins. mate change in planning; it is neces - resources management. Work in round tables, reported by sary to develop meteorological mo - EUROPE-INBO In addition to the introductory Mr. Bo Sundström, Sweden, under - delling, specify orientations and carry out case studies. Europe This year, the yearly EUROPE- speeches, a significant part of the lined that public participation should be a leader in this approach. INBO Group conference took program was dedicated to exchanges requires time and resources which place within the World Water in round tables. should not be underestimated. The ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMS Week of Stockholm and was MANAGEMENT PLANS French approach was often quoted as OF MEASURES part of the official events of AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION a very good practice but also as too the Swedish Presidency of the expensive for some countries. Some Mrs. Maria Brättemark of the Euro - Mr. Patrick Weingertner (Rhine- European Union. limit themselves to the use of Inter - pean Commission estimated that the Meuse Water Agency, France) intro - net to inform and consult the public, economic analyses presented by the Jointly organized by INBO and the duced the topic and presented the but the participants agreed to saying Member States remain rather disap - Swedish District Authorities, it ga- French participative approach and that this is not enough: it is neces - pointing: many draft Management thered 131 participants from 24 more particularly that used in his sary to use the local newspapers and Plans do not refer to the cost-effec - countries during 3 days, with the Basin, with the sending of one ques - to organize public debates. tiveness analysis and only 60% of presence of the European Commis - tionnaire to all the French families, them tackle the subject of pricing. sion. accompanied by a communication For Transboundary International Dis - tricts, the added value of Interna - The conference was opened by campaign (local TV, radio, newspa - Three district experiments were tional Commissions was underlined. Mr. Björn Sjöberg (Sweden), Director pers), local information meetings presented by Mr. Peter Pollard But it is still necessary to increase of the “Skagerrak and Kattegat” Dis - and a Website dedicated to the con - (Scotland), Mr. Hans Christian the coordination of the measures by trict Authority, and by Mr. Ovidiu sultation. Karsten (Denmark) and Mrs. Geral - the riparian countries and to agree on Gabor (Romania), President of dine Aubert (France). The rate of reply however remains the same economic model (dispro - EUROPE-INBO 2008. The discussions, reported by Mr. relatively low and it is thus still portionate costs, exemptions, ...). The conference dealt with three necessary to increase awareness. Mario Cerutti (Maas International CLIMATE CHANGE : topics: Management Plans, The public consultation led however Commission) underlined the diffi - CHALLENGES FOR WATER Climate Change and Programs of to modify the draft Management culty in finding the best combination MANAGEMENT Measures. Plans and the results were commu - of measures, for non-point pollution nicated to the public. After a scientific introduction by Pro - in particular. The District Authorities are indeed fessor Sten Bergström (Swedish Exemptions are often needed and not currently facing the same stakes in Meteorological and Hydrological only when there is dispropor tio nate all the European countries: imple - Institute), three basin experiments cost. The polluter-pays principle 131 participants coming from 24 countries were presented: Mrs. Wanda Zeven - should be better applied in agriculture boom (Netherlands), Mr. Juan Jose and hydropower. Measures should be Moragues (Spain) and Mr. Jean- initiated at governmental level. Marie Wauthier (Wallonia, Belgium). Many Basin Organizations estimate The round tables led to the following that their financing instruments are conclusions, reported by Mrs. Da - not suitable and that it would be ne - nie la Radulescu, Romania: the costs cessary to develop case studies on of the adaptation to climate change this matter on the European scale. will be lower than those of non- They fear that there is not sufficient adaptation and it is important to act stakeholders’ appropriation at local as soon as the Program of Measures level, that the effects of the measures 2009-2015; the Marine Strategy, the are insufficient, that there are inter - Floods Directive and the Framework ferences with other Europe an pro - Directive would gain from better grams (renewable energies, ...):

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European Union 7th EUROPE-INBO Group Conference "F OR FACILITATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE "

He reminded that huge work has Mrs. Maria Brättemark reminded the Mrs. Ann-Louise Månsson, Swedish Water Director, new President of EUROPE-INBO 2009 been done since 2000, but important expectations of the European Com - challenges are remaining to achieve mission and Mrs. Ann-Louise Måns - the objectives of the Framework son, Swedish Water Director, pre - Directive. sented the priorities of the Swedish 110 River Basin Districts have being Presidency of the European Union established across the European (climate, marine environment, biodi - Union, Switzerland and Norway. versity, eco-efficient economy, Stra - tegy for the Baltic Sea). 40 are Transboundary River Basin The conclusions of the conference Districts which cover more than 60% will be reported to the Strategic of the territory of the EU, making Coordination Group and to the Euro - international coordination one of the pean Water Directors. most significant issue and challenge for the WFD implementation. The participants thanked our Swedish partners for their very good To conclude his speech, he declared: organization and their warm wel - it is necessary to find a good balance Mrs. Ann-Louise Månsson, Water "The gained experience shows that come. with the other environmental objec - Director of the Swedish Ministry this new basin approach has real tives and to put the Programs of of the Environment was handed advantages! From now on, it is possi - This conference took place at a key Measures on the political agenda in the EUROPE-INBO symbol by ble to progress towards better basin moment of the development of Ma - order to solve controversies. Mr. Vasile Pintilie and Mr. Ovidiu management in the European Union: nagement Plans by the European Basin Organizations. On the whole, 17 papers were Gabor, respectively Director General we will to do it!” presented. and Deputy Director General of Apele You can find all the documents on Romane (National Water Administra - INBO website. The exchanges continued in a more tion of Romania). informal way during a dinner-cruise THE 5 S WEDISH RIVER BASIN DISTRICTS During the official conclusion of in Stockholm archipelago, offered by Sweden is divided into 21 counties the Swedish District Authorities. work, Mr. Jean-François Donzier, INBO Permanent Technical Sec - (“Länsstyrelsen”), each one directed by a During the closing ceremony, Roma - retary, underlined the stakes for Prefect representing the State. Before the nia transmitted the Presidency of the European Basin Organiza - WFD, water was managed on a county EUROPE-INBO Group to Sweden tions. scale. In 2004, Sweden adopted basin for the year to come. management and subdivided its territory in 5 River Basin Districts (“Vattendistrikt”). In each district, a county was designated Mrs. Maria Brättemark as the authority responsible for the WFD, of the European Commission in charge of formulating the Management Plan and Program of Measures. The District Authorities (“Vattenmyn - digheterna”) are coordinated by the Swedish Ministry of the Environment. Public participation is organized through the Water Council (“Vattenråd”) gathering the municipalities, farmers, industries, associations for environ - mental protection, organizations of fishermen. Sweden shares 3 transboundary districts with Norway and Finland. The Baltic Sea is much polluted especially by eutrophication. The imple - mentation of the Strategy for the Baltic Sea presented by the European Commission in June 2009 is one of the priorities of the Swedish Presi - dency of the EU. Sweden hopes that this step can be used as a model for other regional seas, such as the Mediterranean or the Black Sea.

www .inbo-news .org

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European Union

Transnational research on IWRM is progressing in Europe! During the last three years, the Euro - Following this pilot project, the part - will particularly intensify their efforts pean project IWRM-NET, coordi - ners undertook the preparation and for consolidating the relations with nated by the International Office for launching of a second call for joint the other European water-related ini - Water, gradually achieved the goals projects. tiatives (WssTP, ICPDR, other water that the 20 managers of public Three large topics were included in ERA-Nets, etc.) and finalizing the research programs of the network this program: "impacts of climate research agenda on water, for a had defined in 2006. change and adaptation of water strategic vision on the European The first joint research program dea - mana gement", "water scarcity", "eco - scale. ling with the topics: "hydro-morpho - nomics of integrated water resources New communication tools will be logical pressures and impacts on management" and "social and envi - used to achieve a true "IWRM-Net good ecological status of water ronmental assessment for decision- community" and many events will resources and aquatic ecosystems" making and incentive measures for be organized. and "water governance", allowed regulating uses". N. Amorsi financing five research projects for a During the next and last 15 months of International Office for Water [email protected] total amount of 2 million euros. the project, the IWRM-Net partners www.iwrm-net.eu Water supply and sanitation Technology Platform - WssTP Promoting integrated basin management through European competitive and innovating research Integrated basin management requi - One of the priorities of this pilot pro - res water resources management ject is to consolidate a network rep - beyond administrative borders. resentative of the various stakehol - To promote competitive and innova - ders in order to develop inter-sec - ting research, the European Commis - toral case studies on critical geo - sion created, in 2004, the European graphical areas. Technological Platforms (EPT), The program on deteriorated water which aim at applying the conclu - zones proposes a research focusing sions of the Lisbon Agenda to de ve - on the development of techniques to lop a competitive market based on support cooperation between the innovation and knowledge. border countries and all the parties The WssTP (European Water involved in their management in order to meet the expectations of the supply and sanitation Technology Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform) contributes to achieve Platform Ministries, Agencies, Municipalities, these objectives in order to promote Industries, etc. integrated water research. The main It identified four great future stakes Resources Management (IWRM) is at Through these activities, WssTP assignment of WssTP is to propose for the water RTD sector: increase in the core of the activities. seeks to promote solutions to apply strategic recommendations and a the water stress and water price, Focusing on general and transverse an integrated approach to consult the vision for the water sector before growing urbanization, extreme cli - topics, they articulate fundamental various water stakeholders. To deve - 2030. matic events and water service in the research and implementation of lop this strategic vision, the basin- rural and isolated areas. demonstration projects; several of related approach is fundamental. To concretize its approach and to find these pilot projects directly concern Céline Hervé-Bazin solutions to these stakes, WssTP integrated basin management. Diane D’Arras initiated six research “pilot” pro - The program related to coastal zones, WssTP grams, in which Integrated Water Fax: +32 27 06 40 81 for example, aims at addressing the [email protected] problems of these areas subjected to www.wsstp.eu seasonal pressures and characterized by a multitude of interested parties.

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European Union ”INTEGRATOR - AquaTerra” Tools to improve environmental and socioeconomic management in river basins For implementing the Water Frame - One of the objectives of "INTEGRA - They implied a real multidisciplinary The ”AquaTerra” project enabled to work Directive (WFD) and its daugh - TOR" was to couple socioeconomic team work, whose objectives were improve significantly the under - ter directives on groundwater and analyses and modelling of the soil- defined in close collaboration with standing of the soil-water-sediment- floods, river basin managers have a water-sediment system in three case river basin stakeholders. river system and to bring answers to growing need to understand conta- studies: Another aim of "INTEGRATOR" was water stakeholders thus facilitating minants behavior and fate in the n Diffuse pollution from agricul - to develop a methodology to synthe - daily river basin management. environment. In this context, the ture of the Hesbaye aquifer, in size the main ”AquaTerra” results Corinne MERLY BRGM (the French Geological Sur - the Geer catchment area, in various European countries and to BRGM vey), in charge of the “INTEGRA - Fax : 02 38 64 39 63 n Heavy metal pollution in ground - assess the relevance of these results TOR” sub-project of the European [email protected] water, in the Kempen region, with respect to river basin managers’ research project ”AquaTerra”, demands. www.aquaterra.uni-tuebingen.de financed by the 6 th Framework Pro - n Simulating future scenarios on This methodology enabled produ- gram for Research and Development water resource and their salinity cing 93 key finding factsheets, (June 2004 - May 2009), developed in the Ebro basin. 43 tool descriptive sheets and nume - tools which enable to take into These case studies integrated rous recommendations on river basin account environmental and socio - anthropogenic changes in decision management and to correlate them economic parameters in river basin making associated with natural BRGM with key questions raised by the field L'ENTREPRISE AU SERVICE DE LA TERRE management. resources management. stakeholders.

Spain The Guadiana River and Rural Development The Guadiana River Basin Authority Under these agreements, the Deve - This dialogue and active participa - This support to rural areas and social (Confederación Hidrográfica del lopment Groups recruit a territorial tion together with environmental action allows staving off depopu- Guadiana) promotes new channels agent and a coordinator in each education and awareness campaigns lation in small rural municipalities, for social dialogue, active involve - Regional Association thus fostering foster a new social and institutio- adapting to climate change and ment and for environmental educa - the creation of 30 new jobs. nal network that helps improve the deve loping sustainable use of water tion thanks to a series of agreements They are working on education with mana gement of our river basins and and lands. signed with various Rural Develop - will allow becoming more efficient organizations and other social agents Eduardo Alvarado Corrales ment Associations of Extremadura in environmental matters. with the population to carry out the Guadiana River Basin Authority (REDEX), Castilla la Mancha (CED - transformation processes for sustai - Fax: 924241852 This task is supplemented by gathe - ERCAM) and Andalusia (ARA). nable development. [email protected] ring and disseminating good prac - It is the first Spanish “River Basin” tices of water use, taking into www.chguadiana.es organization to take part in such ini - account identity models and the tra - tiatives, using social dialogue in rural ditional cultural heritage development. These agents also support innova - All rural development actions are tions on water and closely work basically carried out by the Spanish together and help Development Autonomous Communities and Groups with the planning and deve - chan nelled by Development Groups lopment of new inter-territorial initia - within frameworks established by the tives. Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs and the FEADER of the European Union.

CHG REDEX meeting

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European Union France Development of the Middle Vienne Basin

The area of the Syndicate for the To solve these problems, the SABVM l limiting the silting The Vienne Development of the Middle Vienne conceived a unique and exemplary of river beds (wa- Basin (SABVM) encompasses about partnership with the Limousin tering places for thirty municipalities. Re gion, the Loire-Brittany Water cattle, fight against This sector is characterized by a Agency and the Regional Natural the coypu and res- dense river network with 2 main Limousin Landscapes Conservatory. toration of areas rivers, the Vienne and Glane, and Since 2009 and for the five years to with high erosion), many other small streams, all repre - come, SABVM is being implemen- l making fish ways, senting more than 400 km of water - ting a “contract for restoration cleaning spawning ways. and maintenance” on all the rivers grounds and im - Recent studies underlined the alte - to achieve "good ecological status", pro ving the mana- done if accompanied by information ration of the morphology of most in order to protect wetlands and the gement of the catchment areas, and awareness of the general public small streams, because of very many biodiversity. l better knowing, preserving and (public meetings, explanatory lea - ponds and small dams. They also To achieve these goals, 5 main managing wetlands, flets, training, etc.), as all the banks evidenced problems of resource actions will be undertaken: l communicating with local popu - belong to private owners. quantity and quality. The water intake l restoring the natural conditions lation on water policies. Yoann BRIZARD feeding the town of Saint-Junien, the of water run-off (management of This last point is particularly signifi - Syndicate for the Development most populated of the Syndicate, of the Middle Vienne Basine bank vegetation and log jams cant as the implementation of work thus became inoperative because of [email protected] caused by recent storms), on the rivers can only be correctly its silting by sediments… The first water management plan for Mayotte Mayotte, a French archipelago in the the community and individual sewe - Under its terms, the Rhine-Meuse on the situation, raising awareness Indian Ocean, comprises two main rage systems does not meet the Agency is providing technical and on problems and seeking partici - islands and some thirty small ones. major environmental challenges. financial assistance to the Mayotte pants’ opinions on water manage - A 150 km long coral reef protects Mayotte is a ”River Basin Dis - Basin Committee for drawing up the ment. one of the largest lagoons in the trict” (a basin island) under the Master Plan for Water Development Thematic commissions complete the world from the open sea. Mayotte is terms of the European Water (SDAGE). consultation process and contribute currently at a turning point, as it is to Framework Directive. The Mayotte Agriculture and Forestry to defining the Management Plan become a French Overseas Depart - The Mayotte Basin Committee was Directorate acts as the Basin Com - priorities. Thanks to the Basin Com - ment by 2011, and due to the chal - created recently (2005). It aims to mittee’s secretariat and is overseeing mittee members’ efforts, local stake - lenges of development sustainability. set up the first Water Management the writing of the SDAGE. holders have substantially con - The island’s structural backward - Plan. In order to make consultation for the tributed to the meetings, seminars ness, due to its recent economic and and study groups. Public participa - The French Rhine-Meuse and Mayot - first Management Plan and the Pro - demographic development, is now tion has been high. te Basin Committees signed a part - gram of Measures as broad as possi - both an asset, because industrial and nership agreement to help to imple - ble, the Basin Committee quickly Keeping up this mobilization will be a agricultural pollution is low, and a ment the WFD in 2007. adopted the participative approach key challenge for sustainable deve - handicap since the organization of advocated by the WFD and adapted it lopment in Mayotte. The small islands to the North of Mayotte to the Mahoré socio-cultural context. Agnès Cabal SOGREAH The public consultation and dialogue [email protected]; process, which took place between David Lombard 15 December 2008 and 15 June Mayotte Agriculture and Forestry Directorate 2009, involved local events. [email protected] Media campaigns are publicizing the www.hydro-mayotte.agriculture.gouv.fr key events. Local associations and town halls are actively involved in organizing the events aiming at informing the public

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European Union France Water Agencies: database on international actions

At the initiative of the Water and Bio - portal for consultation of this infor - l Indicators for follow-up of the Agencies, the portal headings were diversity Directorate of the Ministry mation. This portal allows consulting 9th Action Program of the Water supplemented with, in particular, an of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable the data via a cartographic interface Agencies regarding international access to various “country” profiles Development and the Sea, the French or specific menus. cooperation; produced by IOWater, by FAO in Water Agencies created a database After a first phase of validation of the l Indicators on the Official Deve - Aquastat, by the French Develop - on their international cooperation base contents, the data on the pro- lopment Aid (ODA) in the water ment Agency and by the French projects in the fields of drinking jects were processed at the end of sector according to OECD clas - Ministry for Foreign and European water supply, sanitation and IWRM. 2008 in order to produce various sifications of the countries. Affairs. In 2008, IOWater structured this indicators for follow-up and evalua - These indicators presented in the www.aquacoope.org/ACODIA database, then organized the first tion of the international actions form of graphic tables and maps are www.lesagencesdeleau.fr information flows on the projects required by the Ministry, such as: available on the Website. carried out in 2006/2007 by propo - l Implementation Indicators: In 2009, the gathering of information sing procedures allowing homoge - am ount of the financial contribu - on the projects carried out in 2008 neous information between the agen - tions of the agencies for each continued and, at the request of the cies, and set up a first version of the recipient country/year; United Kingdom SNIFFER - UKTAG partnership Supporting the development of the UK River Basin Management Plans UKTAG is a partnership of experts l The second change relates to It also aimed to assist in developing Janet Cowden from the UK environment and con - river basin management plan - a coordinated approach to the WFD UKTAG coordinator [email protected] servation agencies. ning. implementation in the river basins www.sniffer.org.uk It provides technical advice to the UK The WFD requires the competent shared between Great Britain and Administrations, key stakeholders authorities to set in place regulations Northern Ireland and the Republic of and Non-Government Organisations. and processes to manage river Ireland. The coordination of UKTAG activities basins. In order to do this they are SNIFFER has supported UKTAG and is managed by SNIFFER (Scotland required to set objectives based the agencies in co-ordinating the and Northern Ireland Forum For Envi - upon the expected ecology for each identification, prioritisation and ronmental Research) chaired by the “Water Body” and to put in place the delivery of WFD research. Environment Agency. measures to maintain or regain this ACHIEVEMENTS OF SNIFFER - UKTAG PARTNERSHIP : The EC Water Framework Directive objective. Characterisation and risk assessment: 18 projects have been managed. (WFD) came into force in December The measures to be put in place to 2000. It established a new, inte - maintain or improve the catchment Classification: 28 projects in developing appropriate tools. grated approach to the protection, have to be laid out in a River Basin Environmental Objectives: 14 projects have supported the development improvement and sustainable use of Management Plan (RBMP) by 2009. and validation of standards and 3 projects developed environmental quality Europe's rivers, lakes, estuaries, All existing or new regulatory pro - standards across a range of chemical parameters. coastal waters and groundwaters. cesses must be WFD compliant and Programme of Measures and River Basin Management Plans: The Directive introduced two key the Directive lays out the timeline for 12 projects have supported the identification of measures or developed changes in the management of Euro - carrying out this process. decision support tools to assess the effectiveness of measures. pean Union’s River Basin Districts: UKTAG was established in 2001 to In addition SNIFFER worked for identifying possible conflicts between l The first relates to the environ - provide coordinated advice on tech - RBMPs and local development plans within Scotland. mental objectives that must nical aspects of the implementation Communication and Public Participation: SNIFFER assisted in the be delivered to safeguard the of the WFD to the UK administra - mapping of the river basins of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It also co- sustainable use of the water tions. operated in the design of tools for popularisation of the processes to a non resource. specialised public.

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European Union Poland IMGW’s role in promoting IWRM notions The Institute of Meteorology and meteorology, water management n Organizing meetings for exchan - IMGW is also active in dam monito - Water Management (IMGW) plays issues, databases and GIS applica - ging experiences; ring and safety and is responsible for an important role in Poland regarding tions (for example flood risk maps), n Collaborating with other IMGW organizing conferences on that topic, the implementation of Integrated Wa- crisis management and public par - units in preparing informational as well as on flood protection, ter Resources Management, focusing ticipation. materials for local governments; hydropower engineering and liquid on the Water Framework Directive and waste storage. The Office for Local Government n Stimulating the creation of local the Flood Directive. Tomasz Walczykiewicz Collaboration in IMGW was crea - warning systems. IMGW The Center for Hydrological and ted in 2004 with the following tasks: Special sessions are also organized [email protected] Meteorological Education in n Improving collaboration on flood by IMGW each year on risk and www.imgw.pl IMGW was created in 2006. Its main issues between the Polish NMHS water management. tasks are: organizing workshops and (National Meteorological and conferences for the administration Hydrological Service) and local and other entities on hydrology, Authorities;

Hungary French-Hungarian twinning between Basin Organizations Cooperation between France and It gathered about 40 people: on the l the economic justification of In Hungary, the “environment Hungary is flourishing along the Hungarian side, the Ministry for the exemptions; month” traditionally takes place in Danube. The first agreement signed Environment was represented as well l incentive pricing for the applica - May. Taking the opportunity of French in 1994 was renewed several times as 11 of the Regional Directorates; on tion of the development plans; experts’ presence, the French Cultural and a multi-party agreement was the French side, economists of the l financing of the WFD Program of Center of Budapest had organized a signed on 8 December 2008 between Seine-Normandy and Loire-Brittany Measures. meeting in the morning devoted to 2 French Water Agencies (Seine- Agencies took care of the technical These two days highlighted the chal - “environment vs. crisis”. In front of Normandy and Loire-Brittany) and procee dings of this workshop. lenges that Hungary must face to an amphitheatre of a hundred people, 5 Hungarian Water Directorates (Cen - The 2 French Agencies had also achieve "good status". the Seine-Normandy Water Agency tral Directorate, Middle Danube, proposed thinking about 3 possible asked Pierre Strosser and Arnaud 19 countries share the Danube River Upper Tisza, Trans Tisza, Western scenarios on the topic: “Has the Courtecuisse, European experts, for Basin, 14 of which are Members of Transdanubian). financial crisis an impact on water having a view of the economic pro - the International Commission for the management in France“? Among the priority actions there are blems in the other countries of the Protection of the Danube River topics related to the WFD implemen - European Union. (ICPDR). This specificity makes the Finally, this French-Hungarian col - tation. A workshop devoted to the The seminar was divided into 5 topics: development of a Management Plan laboration leads to exchanges of Economic Analysis was thus held l cost recovery through the water rather complex. young professionals eager to widen on past 25 and 26 May in Budapest, their horizons and to see other prac - utilities; The main problems encountered in with the presence of Laszlo Khotay, tices on same topics. The Seine-Nor - l impact of the social, economic the basin are associated with organic State Secretary in charge of Water mandy and Loire-Brittany Agencies and environmental situations on pressures, with the difficulties related and World President of INBO. will thus receive two young Hungari - the costs; to wastewater treatment, with flood ans from the Western Transdanubian and irrigation. In Hungary as in The workshop in Budapest in May 2009 while two young French people will France, there is real integration of the go to Hungary...English language tools for economic analysis in the being a must! development of Management Plans and yet the insufficiency of their use Myriam CALLE Seine-Normandy Water Agency as decision-making supporting tools [email protected] is striking. It thus appears necessary www.eau-seine-normandie.fr to better integrate economics into the Michel STEIN other disciplines to meet the WFD Loire-Brittany Water Agency requirements! [email protected] www.eau-loire-bretagne.fr

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European Union Bulgaria An institutional twinning in Bulgaria: Programs of Measures and economic instruments of the WFD

The twinning agreement signed by Mrs. Mongellaz, project leader, Mrs. Lubka Katchakova and Messrs. Poncins and Rivaud the Bulgarian Ministry of Water and as well as experts of the Rhone- the Environment and the French Mediterranean & Corsica, Rhine- Ministry of Ecology (MEESDS) Meuse Agencies and of IOWater also started in March 2009. participated in this seminar. Seconded for 18 months by the Assistance to the Bulgarian Artois-Picardy Water Agency, Arnaud Basin Directorates Courtecuisse took his position of for the preparation Resident Adviser of the twinning in of the Programs of Measures Sofia, at the Bulgarian Water Direc - and Management Plans torate. The important capacity building pro - This project is led by IOWater, man - gram for the Bulgarian Water Mana- Several assignments were carried The interventions of French experts dated by the MEESDS for following gement Authorities began with the out by French experts of the Water (François Guerber of the Rhone- up the twinning arrangements in the creation of the Technical Coordina - Agencies (Artois-Picardy, Rhone- Mediterranean and Corsica Agency, field of water. tion Group. Composed of experts Mediterranean & Corsica, Rhine- Delphine Passé of the Artois-Picardy A launching phase from the Mi nistry and each Basin Meuse and Seine-Normandy), Agency and Paul Haener of IOWater) to adapt the work plan Directorate, this group participates in BRGM and IOWater for: dealt with the definition of the taxes to the local context all the training activities; it is in (pollution parameters, rate), and with charge of coordinating the project n jointly analyzing with the Bulga - The beginning of the project was the improvement of the information activities with work for drafting the rian experts the progress report marked by exchanges with the Bul - system linked to the recovery of the - Basin Mana gement Plans. on the Programs of Measures of garian partners to take into account the 4 basins and identifying ses taxes. the work started by the Basin Direc - A delegation of 12 Bulgarian additional needs; Today these taxes are recovered by torates on the development of Pro - executives of the Ministry and of n reminding the expectations of the Basin Directorates and trans - grams of Measures; indeed to be in the 4 Basin Directorates was the European Commission as ferred to the National Environment conformity with the WFD timetable, a received in Lyons in July 2009. regards reporting; Fund; the use of the product of these first version of these documents had The Rhone-Mediterranean & Corsica taxes for financing the Programs of been presented for public consulta - Water Agency organized meetings for n presenting the methods that can Measures of the WFD is also at the tion at the end of 2008. experience sharing on the prepara - be used for estimating the effec - core of the discussions. tiveness of measures, identifying A kick-off seminar for the project tion of the Programs of Measures and and justifying exemptions, miti - Mrs. Lubka Katchakova, who left her was held on 7 April 2009; it was water tax systems, as well as field gating the lack of data; functions after ministerial reorgani - opened by Mrs. Lubka Katchakova, visits. The Bulgarian delegation also zation, played an important part Bulgarian Vice-Minister in charge of particularly appreciated being invited n refocusing the work to be carried throughout the implementation of water, Mr. Etienne de Poncins, to a session of the Rhone Basin out on the priorities. this French-Bulgarian twinning. French Ambassador, and Mr. Jean- Committee on 2 July 2009. Development The Bulgarian Project Leader is now Paul Rivaud representing the French of economic instruments Mrs. Zvetanka Dimitrova, Director of Water and Biodiversity Directorate. The second objective of the project the Water Management Department. aims at helping with the revision of The kick-off seminar of the project the water tax calculation system, to Zvetanka Dimitrova Ministry of Water and the Environment make it coherent with the recent [email protected] modifications of the Bulgarian Water www.moew.government.bg Law.

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The Mediterranean 7th General Assembly of the Mediterranean Network of Basin Or g anizations (MENBO) - Beirut - Lebanon - 6 - 9 october 2009 International Conference on River Basin Management and Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Region 110 delegates coming from MENBO has now 34 members DECLARATION Agriculture will be one of the 26 countries met in Beirut (Leba - from 17 different Mediterranean OF BEIRUT most affected economic sectors. non), on the occasion of the Inter - countries. The delegates reaffirmed that fresh - It is thus imperative to integrate rain - national Seminar on River Basin The Seminar was structured around water resources are limited and fed and irrigated agriculture in the Management and Cooperation in three main thematic round tables: threatened all over the Mediterranean Management Plans of the Mediter - the Euro-Mediterranean Region Water and Agriculture in the Manage - and that their better governance is ranean basins. It is necessary to pro - th and the 7 General Assembly of ment Plans of the Mediterranean one of the main keys to sustainable duce better and more while using the Mediterranean Network of Basin, Adaptation to Climate Change development. less water. Basin Organizations (MENBO), to and Water Saving and Usefulness of The Millennium Goals for drinking SAVING WATER define the most suitable actions the Tools of the WFD in Mediter - water supply and sanitation can only It is necessary to identify less water needed for achieving the objectives ranean non-EU Countries. be achieved with significant and consuming solutions: water demand of integrated and participatory ma - During this Seminar, the conclusions simultaneous progress made to in - management, better efficiency, mo - na gement of inland surface and of the Euro-Mediterranean Ministe - tro duce Integrated Water Resources bilization of non-conventional water ground water resources and of rial Conference on Water (December Management (IWRM), organized on and water reuse are priorities. related coastal zones in the Mediter - 2008, Dead Sea, Jordan) were the relevant scale of river basins. ranean area. Synergies between water and energy recalled as well as the undergoing In particular, more cooperation are to be promoted. This event took place at the invitation process of preparation of a Long Term agreements have to be initiated, INBO recommends creating a system of the Lebanese Ministry of Energy Stra tegy for Water in the Mediter - signed or reinforced between the for modernizing agricultural practi- and Water (Directorate General for ranean, that should be approved on riparian countries of transboundary ces allowing water saving by sound Hydraulic and Electric Resources) and the occasion of the next Euro- river basins. disse mination of innovations, thanks of the Litani River Authority (LRA). Mediterranean Ministerial Confe - When they are in place, International to edu cation, training, research and Mr. Fadi Comair, General Director rence on Water (April 2010 in Bar ce - Commissions or similar organiza - development. for Water, Energy and Electric lona, Spain). tions allow better dialogue, the Resources (Lebanon), was elected IMPROVING WATER GOVERNANCE The delegates of the General Assem - exchange of useful information, the new President of MENBO. The Gene - AND FINANCING bly requested the former Italian Pre - solving of conflicts and the sharing ral Assembly expressed its high gra - Transfer of the management of irri - sident and the new Lebanese Presi - of benefits from better joint manage - titude to Mr. Walter Mazzitti (Italy), gated lands to irrigators’ Groups dent of MENBO, with the support of ment and the strengthening of trans - MENBO President 2007-2009, for allows improving irrigation and the Spanish Permanent Technical boundary cooperation. his very successful Presidency of the Secretariat, to report the “Declaration drainage facilities mainly their ope- WATER AND AGRICULTURE network. of Beirut” to the Water Experts Group ration & maintenance functions, as IN THE MANAGEMENT PLANS Mr. Laszlo Kothay, INBO World of the Union for the Mediterranean, in well as adapting the allocated water OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASINS President, concluded the work with charge of elaborating the Strategy for to the real needs. Mr. Selim Catafago, LAR President. Water in the Mediterranean. Mediterranean agriculture is subject It is necessary to support the deve - to strong constraints which are not lopment of participative methods for limited to the arid and semi-arid dialogue and multiple uses of water, The Presidents Comair and Mazzitti areas of the Southern and Eastern the reinforcement of the manage - with MENBO Secretariat Countries. Low availability of water ment bodies for collective irrigation resources, arable land loss and systems and the organization of decrease in soil fertility compromise farmers in users association. the capacities of this agriculture to It is imperative to create national and meet the stakes of food security and local financing and equalization quick demographic growth. mechanisms recognizing the princi - The Mediterranean basin is also ple of common cause between the one of the areas most vulnera- water users in each basin. It is also ble to the announced impacts of as important to facilitate the farmers’ climate change. access to micro-financing.

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The Mediterranean 7th General Assembly of the Mediterranean Network of Basin Or g anizations (MENBO) - Beirut - Lebanon - 6 - 9 october 2009

nition of indicators and common Economic, fiscal as well as legal MENBO Presidency handing over from Italy to Lebanon refe rence frames for data manage - issues related to non-conventional ment, introduction of the cost reco- water resources should be addressed very principle, participation of the in a systematic and forward looking interested parties and of the pub - way. lic… INCREASING ACTION In the Mediterranean Region, addi - AND SUPPORTING THE CREATION tional human and financial resources OF BASIN ORGANIZATIONS will be necessary for implementing IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA ! the WFD principles in the pilot The delegates requested that Official basins. bi or multilateral Development Aid KNOWLEDGE OF THE RESOURCE and the water-related programs of AND INVESTMENTS : International Cooperation Organiza - TWO PRIORITIES tions should be refocused to support PROTECTING NATURAL USEFULNESS OF THE TOOLS The initiative of a group of Mediter - projects aiming at implementing real RESOURCES : WATER , LANDS OF THE WFD IN MEDITERRANEAN ranean Countries to strengthen concerted actions, which meet the AND ECOSYSTEMS NON EU-C OUNTRIES their National Water Information above principles, in each basin, and INBO recommends that agricultural For the first time in history, 29 coun - Systems, harmonized at regional experimentations, evaluations and practices be adapted to limit pollu - tries in Europe were committed to level for supporting the implementa - exchanges of know-how in these tion hazards in fertilizing and in using jointly manage their water resources tion of the Strategy for Water in the areas. phytosanitary products. In the Medi - at the level of national or transboun - Mediterranean, meets an overall They also underlined the advan - terranean area, arable lands are limi - dary basins. need of the decision makers. tages of twinning agreements ted and have to be maintained. The Water Framework Directive The investment needs of the between Mediterranean and Euro - ADAPTING WATER MANAGEMENT (WFD) can inspire other areas in water sector are significant. pean Basin Organizations as an effective means for disseminating TO CLIMATE CHANGE the world as it introduces the Financing of the sector will require gained field experience. It is now clear that climate change principles of good governance the right mix of taxes, tariffs and will have effects such as increase that can be applied everywhere. transfers, and a persistent effort for Katharina Kober in the frequency and intensity of It cannot be exported as it is, but its sustainable financing strategies. MENBO [email protected] extreme hydrological phenomena approach, principles and tools are Realistic cost recovery is to be (floods, drought, …), with strong transferable: characterization of ini - looked for. Tariffs should be differen - consequences in the Mediterranean. tial status and development of moni - tiated reflecting local conditions and As the Mediterranean region is one of toring, formulation of Management affordability considerations. the areas most vulnerable, it is es - and action Plans at basin level, defi - sential to adapt water resources ma - nagement policies and to quickly 110 participants coming from 26 countries assess the hydrological and agro - nomic consequences of this change, according to various scenarios. Flood/Drought Risk Management Plans have to be elaborated in the basins, to anticipate climate change and integrate coordinated measures in River Basin Manage - ment Plans. MENBO Thinking at all levels about risk ma - nagement should be launched.

www .remoc.org

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The Mediterranean Union for the Mediterranean - UfM MELIA The water sector Officially launched during the Paris The preparation of this strategy and It is based on: Summit for the Mediterranean on the criteria for project certification u the development of National 13 July 2008, the Union for the was entrusted by the Ministers to an Water Information Systems; Mediterranean (UfM) opens a Expert Water Group, made up of Synthesis of the Mediterranean u the implementation at the new regional cooperation era. decision makers of the public sector water policies Mediterranean level of a me - designated by the countries (usually On the occasion of the World UfM gathers 43 European Union and chanism for exchanging the Water Directors). A broad consul - Water Forum of Istanbul, the Mediterranean countries for revitali - water information and moni - tation was also launched involving MELIA project partners organized zing the Euro-Mediterranean Partner - toring in cooperation with the the civil society, the donors and the a workshop in which were pre - ship around real projects of general existing initiatives in this sector local and regional authorities. sented the main results. interest. (the Mediterranean Action Plan - The water sector, which is one of the Four topical components were pro - MAP, UN-Water and the Water MELIA (Mediterranean dia - main components of this process, posed for the strategy which will be Information System for Europe - Logue for Integrated water led to one of the first Ministerial followed by an Action Plan for its WISE, in particular); management) is a program to pical Conferences of UfM on implementation: u supporting actions for coun - selected by the European Union 22 December 2008 on the shore of th n effective governance for water tries (exchanges of good prac - within its 6 FPRD. Started in the Dead Sea in Jordan, under the resources, drinking water supply tices, drafting of specifications, 2006 for 4 years, it gathers joint chairmanship of France, Egypt and sanitation; organization, training, etc). 45 participants (public authori - and Jordan. This conference con - ties, international organizations, n adaptation of water management First informal exchanges took place cretized the efforts made for years by NGOs, universities, etc.) from to climate change; during the 1 st semester of 2009, in EMWIS, MENBO and the Mediter - 16 Member and non-Member particular within the World Water ranean water community so that this n optimization of financing and States of the European Union. sector is better recognized in the suitable instruments; Forum in Istanbul. st Within the “Mediterranean regional cooperation policy of the n management of the demand for During the 1 meeting of the Water Water Policies” topic, led by European Union. water and non-conventional Experts’ Group in Athens in Septem - IOWater, the project allowed the During this conference, the Ministers water resources. ber 2009, Italy proposed to lead a identification of the main pro- adopted the orientations for the working group on the creation of a The Ministers also proposed blems related to water policies Mediterranean Water Strategy as Mediterranean Information and increased coordination and rein - application in the region: pricing well as its development timetable Resource Network in the water sector forced synergies between the initia - policies, groundwater manage - leading to a new Ministerial Confe - equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon "water tives and the existing Mediterranean ment, water scarcity or develop - rence on 13 and 14 April 2010 in knowledge hub", covering, in addi - information and experts’ networks. ment of non-conventional water Spain then to a presentation to the tion to information systems (data, resources… Heads of States and Governments of To meet this demand, EMWIS, IOWa - documentation), the following as - UfM at the end of 2010. ter and the Blue Plan defined, pects: Good practices and exemplary in cooperation with ten countries The identification of projects consis - l Partnership of water stakehol - experiments were then identified. (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Palesti - tent with this strategy was also ders; They were summarized in the nian Territories, Jordan, Lebanon, launched. document: “conceptual analysis Turkey, France, Italy and Spain), the l Professional training on water; In June 2009, during the Ministerial of the water policies in the Medi - method for the implementation of l Research in the water sector; Conference on Sustainable Develop - terranean area”. the information aspect of the ment projects held in Paris, more l Pilot demonstration projects; Mediterranean Water Strategy. These elements will support one than 120 projects had already been l Prospective… of the objectives of MELIA pro- referenced for the water sector! ject: the formulation of recom - www.ufm-water.net mendations to support the appli - cation of the principles of the Water Framework Directive in the Mediterranean area.

Gaëlle NION - IOWater [email protected] www.meliaproject.eu

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The Mediterranean EMWIS The Mediterranean countries organize access to water information This action prepares the implementa - u Drought and water scarcity, tion of ”SINEAU” which will start at for which a workshop was orga- the beginning of 2010 thanks to a nized in November 2009 in financial support from the African Spain to evaluate the indicators Water Facility. It allowed preparing a used by the Partner Countries draft-agreement between the stake - and those proposed at the Euro - holders to identify the basic data to pean level and to analyze case be integrated into ”SINEAU” to feed studies on the mitigation mea - the “Water Accounts” and to use the sures planned by the countries. Thanks to the support reiterated in A drafted technical guidance docu - data produced by the various Tuni - This work will result in a regional 2009 by the DG Environment of the ment based on this model was pre - sian parties. A second pilot activity is synthesis in 2010. European Commission, two series of sented to EMWIS National Focal being analyzed in Lebanon. These actions will be supplemented actions were carried out by EMWIS - Points and is available for the coun - Two working groups, led by EMWIS in 2010 by the updating of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Infor - tries to build their own system. within the EU Water Initiative in the Water Thesaurus, accessible on mation System - to help the Medi - A prototype catalogue of the sources Mediterranean and Water Frame - line in 7 languages (English, Ara - terranean Partner Countries organize of water information in the Mediter - work Directive (MED-EUWI) joint bic, Spanish, French, Italian, their water data, to facilitate their ranean area was then implemented process, are sharing experience and Greek and Turkish) on EMWIS access and to acquire the knowledge after analysis of the existing experi - gathering information on: website, in order to take into account necessary for good management. ments, of the tools available in open the vocabulary specific to water u Water monitoring networks This project is based on the good source software, of the requirements accounts, the Horizon 2020 Initiative and programs, for which a sur - practices resulting from the of the European INSPIRE Directive and some concepts suitable for water vey-based inventory was pre - Water Information System for on spatial information and of the management in Arab countries. pared and discussed during a Europe (WISE). WISE system. workshop organized as a side First of all a generic model at three This catalogue is a kind of inventory event of MENBO General As - levels (entity, variables, attributes) which allows easy search by key sembly in Beirut in October was defined to represent and manage words or on a map and gives access 2009. This inventory contributes information on water. This model to descriptive sheets of the data to the work of the monitoring supplements the technical recom - sources (maps, data bases, reports, sub-group of Horizon 2020 Ini - SEMIDE mendations of the WISE system to online services), and even direct tiative aiming at removing pol - guarantee communication possibili - access to the data when the owner lution in the Mediterranean Sea ties with the National Information allows it. and of the Experts’ Group on EMWIS water of the Union for the Medi - Systems and the comparison of The use of international standards terranean; data. and common rules by all the inte - rested parties will allow an automatic collection of these sheets. More recently, a pilot project for harmonizing data for the imple - mentation of the Tunisian Natio - nal Water Information System (SINEAU) began in June 2009. It is based on the System of Economic and Environmental Accounting for Water - SEEAW - defined by the Workshop in Beirut United Nations, and on the work in October 2009 undertaken in this field in the MEDTSAT II project with the Statis - tic Institutes of each country. www .emwis .net

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The Mediterranean Lebanon Malta Twinning 2ND BEIRUT Study of Nahr El Kalb MED-EUWI WATER WEEK Watershed IN LEBANON on the WFD 4-7 F EBRUARY 2009 A seminar was organized as part of Malta has to provide, like the other The 2 nd Beirut Water Week was orga - the National Policy Dialogue on Inte - Member States of the European nized by the Directorate General of grated Water Resources Manage - Union, its first Management Plan Hydraulic and Electric Resources in ment in Lebanon with the aim to under the Water Framework Direc - cooperation with the Global Water present the current work for the tive at the beginning of 2010. Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP- review of the 10-Year Strategy on Nahr El Kalb Under the aegis of the French Med). Water and the activities towards Minis try of Ecology, the Interna - This 2 nd Beirut Water Week focused The study on the pressures and promoting dialogue among the water tional Office for Water and the on: impacts in Nahr El Kalb River Basin stakeholders, as well as to identify French Rhone-Mediterranean & n discussions on priority themes was financed by the Lombardy the priority themes that should be Corsica, Rhine-Meuse, Loire-Brit - of the Mediterranean water Region in Italy and the Municipality further elaborated in the future work tany and Adour-Garonne Water agenda, including water gover - of Milan. It was executed by two Ita - of MED-EUWI for challenging the Agencies and also the French Water nance, climate change adapta - lian NGOs, AVSI and ICU, in close main difficulties that the Lebanese Agencies Bureau in Brussels, have tion, water demand manage - partnership with the Ministry of water sector presently encounters. conducted, with European finan - ment, water financing, education Energy and Water (General Direc - Existing best practices at the Interna - cing, a 6-month Twinning with two and transboundary water resour - torate of Hydraulic and Electric tional and National levels were pre - Maltese institutions to prepare the ces management; Resources, the Water Energy Envi - sented to help illustrating the impor - documents necessary for the ronment Research Center and the n elaboration of the "Mediter - tance of promoting Integrated Water Mana gement Plan of Malta. In fact, Faculty of Engineering and Environ - ranean Message to the 5 th World Resources Management (IWRM) Malta has the originality to have two Water Forum", which was pre - ment. approaches and enhancing the col - competent Authorities: the Malta sented in Istanbul, on 19 March During the closing seminar of the laboration between the concerned Resources Authority (MRA) for 2009; study, that was attended by various water stakeholders. groundwater and the Malta Environ - public and private stakeholders of the Dr. Fadi Comair n presentation of the outcomes of ment and Planning Authority basin, the three studies, conducted General Director of Hydraulic the on-going MED EUWI activi - (MEPA) for surface water. on pollution, urban planning and and Electric Resources ties in Lebanon (Phase I). Ministry of Energy and Water Close work with these two institu - agriculture, and the Geographical [email protected] tions has been carried out to pro - The Water Week 2009 gathered 200 Information System on the overall duce a common Management participants, including Mr. Walter basin were presented by the various Plan which is dealing with all Mazzitti, MENBO President, who experts. issues of the Directive, the drafting chaired a round table on the finan- These outcomes of the project could of a strategy for the participation of cing of water management in the contribute to the preservation of the the public and partners, and the Mediterranean area, and Mr. Jean- water of Nahr El Kalb and Jeita creation of a website. François Donzier, INBO Secretary, Acquifer as the study analyzes pres - Two study visits from Maltese who presented a progress report on sures and impacts and proposes experts in France were organized transboundary river and aquifer solutions in light of the European with the French Rhone-Mediter - mana gement over the world. Water Framework Directive. ranean & Corsica Water Agency to illustrate the proposed solutions in the management of groundwater and coastal waters. All the Maltese personnel have been trained in using the tools and instruments produced during the twinning. The further implementation of the Directive seems thus on a good path in Malta. Jean FAURE-BRAC Rhone-Mediterranean Corsica Water Agency Fax: 33 (0)4 72 71 26 06 Audience of the President of the Lebanese Republic [email protected] to the participants of the 2 nd Beirut Water Week www.eaurmc.fr

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The Mediterranean Egypt

Twinning on water quality - Management Plan for Lake Nasser The European twinning on water This activity includes a test for the 1958 and 1970, is a fragile environ - The twinning thus helps the Egyptian quality management in Egypt, led by formulation of a Management Plan ment and an increasingly strategic Authorities in their efforts and thin - Italy and developed with the Egyptian for Lake Nasser and institutional water resource for Egypt due to its king related to knowledge of water Ministry of Water Resources and Irri - assistance for the control of acciden - fast population growth that now quality in the lake (monitoring), the gation, started in 2009. tal pollution. exceed 81 million inhabitants. organization of the planning process France is responsible for the IWRM Lake Nasser, created by the cons - From a qualitative view point, the and its corollaries related to data component of this 2-year project. truction of Aswan Dam between lake water remains today of good management and the organization of quality because the development of a dialogue between the public ser - The French-Egyptian project team in front of Lake Nasser activities was strictly limited on its vices. banks. However, a question is in- Paul HAENER creasingly arising, that of develop - International Office for Water ment and regional planning in the [email protected] surroundings of the lake with tourism as a promising line of activity. The stakes of integrated management are thus focused on the future with an underlying question: what activities can be compatible with lake quality conservation and with which sup - porting and control measures?

Turkey European twinning on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive Concerned with the mitigation of the Environment being also associated France acts differently by delimi ting A great effort will have to be made so impact of agricultural pollution on to the work. Started in April 2009, the areas with proven pollution pro- that the stock breeding farms of very water resources, Turkey signed with this twinning should be completed at blems or with the risk of eutro phi- small size invest in installations for the European Union a twinning the end of 2009. cation and by organizing at the same the storage of manure and liquid agreement on the implementation of Each of the four Member Countries of time Action Plans in the basins, with effluents. the Nitrates Directive. the European Union was led to pre - strong implication of the Water The development of a water quality This twinning associates Austria, the sent the way used for dealing with Agencies, and in the Departments to monitoring network should also be Netherlands, Great Britain and this Directive during the Nineties, respond to specific local problems. tackled with.

France. In Turkey, the main recipient regarding the delimitation of vulnera - It is clear that the implementation of Daniel VALENSUELA is the Ministry of Agriculture and ble zones and the development of the Nitrates Directive in Turkey re- International Office for Water Rural Affairs, the Ministry for the successive Action Plans. quires better knowledge of the far - [email protected] mers’ practices and a broad aware - Working meeting for the twinning in Turkey ness campaign for the farmers on the problem of agricultural pollution. www.inbo-news.org One of the first problems which the All information authorities will have to face is the is available uncontrolled dumping of manure at on the Web the roadside or in ditches. This is a widespread practice in Turkey, manure being seldom used as fertilizer by the farmers.

www.inbo-news.org

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The Mediterranean Algeria Case study of the Seybouse basin

The Seybouse River Water degradation is caused by the However, the most important discharges of heavily polluted waste - mea sure should be the rational water from the towns (Berriche, use of water resources. This Guelma, Bouchegouf, Drean…) and implies ground water resources from several factories and this water assessment, developing alternative can no more be used for irrigation water sources and solutions (water and drinking. reuse, desali nization, etc.) and effec - Increased urbanization development, tive pollution control. particularly around Annaba, Guelma It is also necessary to improve com - and Bouchegouf areas is exerting a munication and coordination bet - lot of pressures on water supply, ween the institutions involved in mainly in summer, when the water water management and streng- level is the lowest. then the mandate of the Rhumel- The global population estimate Several administrations are involved To mitigate the effects of climate Seybouse and Medjerda Basin in this River basin is more than in water management in the Sey - change and the risk of water short - Agency. 1,300,000 inhabitants and urban bouse River Basin: the General ages, and to meet the increasing Pr Larbi DJABRI population tripled in the space of Directorate of Hydraulics (DHW), needs of the population, it is impera - Dean of the Faculty of Earth Science ten years. This has compelled the Algerienne des Eaux (ADE), the tive to build new dams and explore University of Annaba Government to carry out construction Rhumel, Seybouse and Medjerda [email protected] new aquifers. in disregard of environmental stan - Basin Agency (ABH CSM) , the dards. National Agency on Dams and the Urban wastewater discharges beca - Agriculture Directorate. me very worrying: the town of Anna - The river basin is highly vulnerable to Free speech: ba alone discharges 3,300 l/s of climate change. Several floods and An obvious lack wastewater. drought events have been reported in of know-how Industrial activities are very impor - the last decades. Therefore, there is a tant (fertilizer factory, dairy, bicycles need for developing an early warning Water, a quite invaluable good, is These are realities which require system for flood and drought mana - factory, metallurgy, ceramic, sugar, becoming increasingly scarce in better water management before it gement and for adapting agriculture etc.); they exert strong pressures on Africa and is at the core of the chal - is not too late. by growing the appropriate crops and water. lenges of the future at the demo - implementing water conservation Water abstractions broadly exceed Agriculture consumes more than graphic level as well as in the fields techniques the volume of available resources. 95% of the available water, while the of public health and economic The situation is worsened by over - Land degradation is becoming a domestic and industrial sectors use development. exploitation and degradation of the serious problem and has been the the remaining 5%. It is true that the entire continent resources. Water shortages will main cause of the silting up of the Regarding groundwater, 2/3 is used has not been prepared to face the increase and worsen in the next dam reservoirs. for irrigation and 1/3 for drinking and great periods of drought and the decades. They are caused by industrial water supply. management of the available drought (20%), high increase of resources suffers from an obvious water demands (10%) and espe - World General Assembly lack of know-how which leads to cially by the lack of know-how of INBO shortages, wastage, domestic, (70%). agricultural and industrial water In Africa, water management requi - Dakar - Senegal pollution, malfunction of hydraulic res capacity building. 20 - 23 January 2010 installations, etc. Abderrahmane AYADI Register now to participate! Water resources are low as com - ENSH Blida pared to the water needs which are Fax: 00-212-25-39-94-46 constantly increasing. Drought [email protected] considerably reduced the reserves www.ensh.dz of the dam-reservoirs and aquifers. www.inbo-news.org

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The Mediterranean Algeria Impact of climate change on water resources in Northern Algeria Algeria has always been confronted and analyzed. The analysis of these determine the annual inflows to be purposes of resource allocation with shortages of fresh water, a re- series clearly reveals a reduction in expected under different annual pre - modelling to meet the different water source that is becoming increa singly precipitation since the mid-1970s, cipitation variation scenarios. demands. scarce as demand increases. from 10% in the East of the country The levels of most of Algeria’s Khier Bouguerra, ANRH This situation, aggravated since the up to 35% in the West. A map com - aquifers have dropped substantially, Anne-Sophie Jardin, SOGREAH beginning of the 1970s by highly paring annual rainfall before and after under the combined effects of in- Jean-Luc Rahuel, SOGREAH irregular rainfall, has now become the mid-1970s was drawn up. creasing abstraction and decreasing [email protected] [email protected] critical: in order to give the Ministry A probabilistic analysis was also precipitation. By using the ANRH’s www.remoc.org for Water the means of anticipating conducted to determine, for various groundwater models, the study www.sogreah.fr and better managing the resource for return periods, the annual rainfall pinpointed the influence of climate www.anrh.dz sustainable development, the Natio - before and after the break that change on falling groundwater levels nal Water Resources Agency (ANRH) occurred in the 1970s. (several metres). appointed SOGREAH Consultants in The analysis of inflow data series On the basis of the probabilistic dis - October 2006 to perform a study of shows that the percentage of reduc - tribution of the observed monthly the impact of climate change on the tion in inflows is even higher. rainfall, monthly series of inflows at water resources. By comparing the cumulative annual dams and aquifers were drawn up All the available rainfall data series rainfall series with inflows, a rainfall / under different climate change sce - were collected, processed, corrected inflow ratio was defined and used to narios, which can be used for the Seminar of the African Water Facility Transboundary Water Management - Tunis - 26 - 30 October 2009 From 26 to 30 October 2009, the aquifers of the Sahara and Nubia basin policies; sharing of information mana gement of transboundary water International Network of Basin Orga - involve all the North African Coun - on a transboundary scale; role of the throughout the world, and of Jean- nizations (INBO) facilitated, through tries, the Nile or Congo River Basin, civil society and water stakeholders Michel Ossete of the African Water Mr. Daniel Valensuela, a seminar in for example, involves ten countries, in TWRM; joint management of sur - Facility on the opportunities for Tunis addressed to African and while Guinea shares twelve rivers face and ground water; impact of financing TWRM. Mediterranean executives of Basin basins with its neighbors. climate change on water resources Daniel VALENSUELA Organizations and Ministries for Transboundary Water Resources and adaptations to be considered. INBO PTS [email protected] Water and organized by the Multila- Management seems one of the Many speeches led to discussions teral Institute of Africa, the African keys to improve governance of and group work during the five days www.afdb.org Water Facility and the African Deve - water resources on the continent of the seminar, which was closed by lopment Bank (AfDB). and the condition for the popula - the speeches of Jean-François It aimed to build the capacities of the tions to have access to water for Donzier, INBO Secretary, on the executives of the national and meeting both human needs and regional Administrations and Basin sustainable economic develop - Organizations as regards Trans - ment. boundary Water Resources Ma - Gathering about twenty countries and na gement (TWRM). regional organizations such as the Africa, from the Mediterranean to the Economic Commission for Central Cape of Good Hope, is indeed cha - African States or the Sahara and racterized by a great number of trans - Sahel Observatory, and several boundary basins of aquifers and sur - repre sentatives of Basin Organiza - face water; almost all the countries tions (OMVS, OMVG, NBA, VBA, are sharing part of their water CICOS, LCBC, NBI), the seminar resources with at least a nearby allowed broad experience sharing on country. Most countries share trans - topics such as: harmonization and The participants were received by the Directors boundary river basins or aquifers: the coordination of national, regional and of the AWI, AWF and AfDB

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ly b 0 : m 1 0 e 0 1 s 2 0 s ry 2 A a l nu n a a i r J ! t e 3 r www.inbo-news.org e n n 2 t e e - is Ev G 0 g - 2 e e d l r h rl a e T o g s ne a W e le O - S P B r Newsletter N ka I a D

The website of basin management over the world The International Network of Basin Organizations INBO World General Assembly Dakar - Senegal - 20 - 23 January 2010 The Regional Networks of Basin Organizations: • Africa - ANBO • Asia - NARBO • Latin America - LANBO • North America - NANBO • Brazil - REBOB • Central Europe – CEENBO • Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia - EECCA - RBO • The Mediterranean – MENBO "EUROPE-INBO": European Water Framework Directive implementation The Network of International Commissions and Transboundary Basin Organizations

Privileged links with websites: worldwaterforum5.org / worldwatercouncil.org gwpforum.org / iowater.org / emwis.net unesco.org / water.europa.eu

Secretariat: International Office for Water 21, rue de Madrid - 75008 PARIS - FRANCE Tel.: +33 1 44 90 88 60 - Fax: +33 1 40 08 01 45 Mail: [email protected] N° ISSN : 1265-4027

Publishing Director: Christiane RUNEL "INBO Newsletter" is published with the support of the Water Agencies, Editing - Translation: Gisèle SINE the French Ministries of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, Production: Frédéric RANSONNETTE November 2009 - n° 18 and for Foreign and European Affairs Printing: GDS Imprimeurs - Limoges