Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries
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PACIFIC REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON WATER IN SMALL ISLAND COUNTRIES PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS Sigatoka, Fiji Islands 29 July - 3 August 2002 Editors: Clive Carpenter, Jeffry Stubbs, Marc Overmars - for 3rd World Water Forum only - PACIFIC REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON WATER IN SMALL ISLAND COUNTRIES PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS 29 JULY – 3 AUGUST 2002 SIGATOKA, FIJI ISLANDS Editors: Clive Carpenter, Jeffry Stubbs, Marc Overmars PRELIMINARY RELEASE – FOR USE AT THE THIRD WORLD WATER FORUM, KYOTO, JAPAN – February 2003 PUBLISHED BY THE South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission & Asian Development Bank February 2003 Copyright: Asian Development Bank & South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission This book was prepared by consultants and staff of the ADB and SOPAC (the sponsors). The analyses and assessments contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Directors or of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission and the governments it represents. The sponsors do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this book and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. The term “country” does not imply any judgment by ADB or SOPAC as to the legal or other status of any territorial entity. ii Proceedings of the Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries CONTENTS PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................................v FOREWORD ...................................................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................... viii PART I SUMMARY REPORT OF THE CONSULTATION .............................................................................. 1 PART II THEMATIC PAPERS Theme 1 Water Resources Management (by Tony Falkland) ............................................................ 9 Theme 2 Island Vulnerability (by David Scott).................................................................................. 67 Theme 3 Awareness (by Leonie Crennan) ....................................................................................... 81 Theme 4 Technology (by Mike Dworsky) ....................................................................................... 103 Theme 5 Institutional Arrangements (by David Hill) ....................................................................... 137 Theme 6 Financing (by Ian Walker) ............................................................................................... 163 PART III CONSULTATION OUTCOMES* ............................................................................................ CD-Rom Regional Action Plan Ministerial Declaration Communiqué PART IV REGIONAL MEETING* .......................................................................................................... CD-Rom Programme Speeches Minutes PART V CASE STUDIES* ................................................................................................................... CD-Rom PART VI COUNTRY BRIEFING PAPERS* ........................................................................................... CD-Rom PART VII TYPE II INITIATIVE* .............................................................................................................. CD-Rom *Parts III-VII are available only on the CD-Rom in the back pocket of this volume Proceedings of the Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries iii ORGANISING COMMITTEE ADB Jeffry Stubbs, Country Director Mary Narfi, Secretarial Assistant Sarah Mecartney, Workshop Coordinator Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, Lead Water Resources Specialist SOPAC Anthony Browne, Website Manager Avinash Prasad, IT Assistant Clive Carpenter, Head of Water Resources Ilana Burness, Technical Assistant Laisa Baoa, Programme Assistant Lala Bukarau, Publication Officer Marc Overmars, Hydrogeologist Peni Musunamasi, Technician Reuben Vulawalu, Design Rhonda Bower, Sanitation Officer Co-sponsors • Secretariat 3rd World Water Forum • International Secretariat of the Dialogue on Water and Climate • Pacific Water Association • World Bank • AusAID • DFID • NZAID iv Proceedings of the Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries PREFACE It is with great pleasure that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Com- mission (SOPAC) accepted the request of the Secretariat of the 3rd World Water Forum to organize a consultation on sustainable water management for small island countries in the Pacific, East Timor and the Maldives. Water is widely regarded as the critical natural resource for sustainable human and economic development in the coming decades. If we are to achieve sustainable management of our water resources and improve water serv- ices we must jointly move from vision to action with concrete commitment and leadership at national and regional levels. The national consultations as well as a regional meeting held in Sigatoka, Fiji from 29 July to 3 August 2002 provided a platform through which participants translated ideas into decisions and policy changes resulting in a Regional Action Plan, a Communiqué and Ministerial Declaration and a commitment to form partnerships under the Type II Iniatiative on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene submitted by Pacific Islands Countries to the World Sum- mit on Sustainable Development. We are pleased that many stakeholders have committed themselves to get actively involved in this process and to take this unique opportunity to assist in the development of actions that help to secure a sustainable freshwater future. The outcomes of the consultation will be carried forward and presented during the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto as part of the theme “Water in Small Island Countries”. We are pleased that collaboration between the Asian, Caribbean, and the Pacific regions has been established to facilitate a joint contribution to this global forum. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretariat of the 3rd World Water Forum for enabling us to organize this consultation meeting. In addition, we are grateful to the International Secretariat of the Dialogue on Water and Climate for providing sponsorship for the theme on Island Vulnerability and the Small Island Countries Dialogue on Water and Climate. We would also like to thank the Pacific Water Association (PWA) and the World Bank for their valuable contributions to the themes on Technology and Finance and AusAID, DFID, and NZAID for their financial support. We acknowledge herewith the assistance rendered by the Pacific Islands Forum Secre- tariat in the development of the Ministeral Declaration and Communiqué and their advice on formulating the outcomes of the consultation into the Pacific submission to the World Summit for Sustainable Development. Finally, we would like to express our appreciation to the Government of Fiji for its assistance as host country of this important event. Yours sincerely, Mr Jeremy Hovland Mr Alf Simpson Director General Director Pacific Department SOPAC ADB Proceedings of the Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries v vi Proceedings of the Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries FOREWORD The regional consultation on sustainable water management started with a planning meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 31 January to 1 February 2002 where six thematic areas were identified that gave structure to the consulta- tion process based on earlier needs assessments in the region: Water Resources Management; Island Vulner- ability; Awareness; Technology; Institutional Arrangements and Finance. Around each of the themes mentioned above, Pacific Island Countries were requested to open a national dialogue amongst their major stakeholders, to identify their own national constraints and issues as well as actions under- taken to date and those still required, to achieving sustainable water management. These national consultations resulted in national country briefing papers for the regional meeting. Six theme consultants prepared a regional overview for each theme on constraints, issues and actions for the Pacific region and case studies were prepared to illustrate potential solutions to identified issues and constraints. This wealth of information was the basis for presentations, discussions and deliberations during a regional meet- ing held in Sigatoka, Fiji from 29 July to 3 August 2002. The meeting was attended by over 150 stakeholders in the water sector from Pacific island countries and concluded with the adoption of a Regional Action Plan, a Communiqué and a Ministerial Declaration, and the commitment from a wide range of stakeholders to form partnerships under the so-called Type II Initiative that was submitted to the Commission for Sustainable Development in Johannes- burg during the World Summit for Sustainable Development in August 2002. The Ministerial Declaration had the signatures of 14 Ministers and Secretaries of State as of 21 February 2003 and we are pleased that at the 33rd Pacific Islands Forum held in Suva, Fiji, 15-17 August 2002, the Pacific Islands Heads of State endorsed full participation in the World Water Forum. The logical link between the Pacific regional consultation and the two important World Summits in South Africa and Japan