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

Issue n°30, November 2006

NOVEMBER IN FOCUS

12-13 December: Launch of WWDR2 in Spanish

Expo Zaragoza 2008, in close collaboration with WWAP, translated and published the 2^nd World Water Development Report, ‘Water, a Shared Responsibility’ (WWDR2, 2006) in Spanish.

WWAP and Expo Zaragoza 2008 are organizing an event in Zaragoza, Spain, on 12-13 December 2006 to launch the WWDR2 in Spanish. The event will provide an overview of the water situation in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and Spain, with a focus on governance related issues, the Millennium Development Goals and the value of water.

The Spanish version of WWDR2 will be available on line soon.

WWAP NEWS

Denmark to finance case studies and indicator development for WWAP phase 3

The Government of Denmark and WWAP have concluded an agreement for future collaboration during WWAP phase 3 (2007-2009). During this phase, the Danish Institute of Hydrology, in coordination with WWAP, will develop governance indicators. In addition, within the framework of this agreement, case studies will also be carried out in Bangladesh and Zambia within the framework of this agreement.

WWAP and representatives of the Basque Country meet to discuss future activities during WWAP phase 3

Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, met with Mrs Ana Oregi Bastarrika, vice-advisor of Basque Government’s Land and Water Management department (Spain), and Mr. Tomás Epalza, Director of the Water Sector of the Basque Government’s Land and Water Management department, to discuss WWAP’s past and future collaboration with the Basque Government, on 21 November 2006 in Bilbao, Spain.

They agreed to extend their collaboration on the WWAP Living Document. They also agreed that a case study focusing on the creation of the Basque Water Agency would be included in the next WWDR to illustrate governance issues. Together, they prepared a draft of new joint activities between the Basque Water Agency, the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country and WWAP during phase 3 (2007-2009).

WWAP CASE STUDIES

Full Kenya National World Water Development Report Online

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

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

:: Full Kenya NWDR [PDF format, 7 MB]
:: Read more about the Kenya case study
:: Read more about the WWAP case studies

The challenges of water provision for large villages and small urban centres: an example from the Kenya case study

Provision for water and sanitation services is particularly challenging for large villages and small urban centres. The latter, for example, may be large enough to justify a water and/or sewerage network but too small to support a locally managed utility. Some of these challenges are highlighted in a study of small urban centres in Kenya that are clustered around Lake Victoria.

Homa Bay is a trading town, fishing centre and district headquarters in southwest Kenya, and is home to about 32,600 inhabitants. The water supply system there was constructed in 1958 and last rehabilitated in 2001. There is a full treatment plant but water quality is often poor and water volume is far below demand, as there are regular electro-mechanical breakdowns, and the filtration system is wearing down. The plant currently serves about 15,000 residents through 1,672 legal connections. Water supply is not continuous, and the system suffers from low pressure, vandalism, old age and blockages as well as illegal connections and leakages (40% of its water goes unaccounted for). The town has several informal settlements, and most of its inhabitants get their water directly from the lake.

Preliminary investigations indicate that only 22% of the population is connected to sewers; most people use pit latrines, toilets connected to septic tanks, or the bush. There is no exhauster tanker to empty pit latrines and septic tanks; consequently, overflowing toilets and sewers are common during rainy seasons.

It would not require excessive investment to rehabilitate existing infrastructure in these urban centres and build capacity to ensure efficient operation of the utilities. Large investments are also not required to provide the revenue base to operate and maintain the systems. What is required, however, is long-term support for building this capacity and some immediate investments to address the more serious problems. These systems would also help to address the need to reduce the severe impact of rapid urbanization on the environment.

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

:: Read more about the Kenya case study
:: Full Kenya NWDR [PDF format, 7 MB]
:: Read more about the WWDR2 Case Studies

WWAP PARTICIPATES

13-14 November: 2^nd meeting of the ‘Water, a unique Resource’ bridge pavilion coordinators

The ‘Water, a unique resource’ pavilion will be designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, following WWAP’s conceptual script. The designers met with Mr Salvador Pons, coordinator of expography for Expo Zaragoza 2008, and Mr Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator and script coordinator for the bridge pavilion, on 13-14 November 2006 in New York, Unites States.

A press conference will be held on 14 December 2006 in Zaragoza, Spain, to present the concept and content of the bridge pavilion.

16-18 November: Water and Governance Week, Barcelona, Spain

Water and Governance Week, Organized by the Spanish Federation of Engineers without Borders (ISF), analyzed the impacts that access to water has on governance and development in developing countries and how consolidating networks and governance platforms is both complementary and necessary to developing infrastructures.

The Water and Governance Research Workshop and the 5^th Conference on ‘Technology for Human Development: Water and Governance’ also took place during the Week. Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, participated in the conference and spoke on ‘WWAP and institution empowerment for water management’.

:: Water Governance Week
:: 5^th Conference on ‘Technology for Human Development: Water and Governance’

20-21 November: 5^th edition of the Euskal Hiria conference, Bilbao, Spain

The Euskal Hiria conference is organized by the department of the environment and land management of the Basque Government (Spain) and the Metropoli Foundation. This year’s edition focused on the landscapes of Euskal Hiria, and their increasing protagonism in urbanism and land management.

Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, WWAP deputy coordinator, was the keynote speaker on the world water crisis for the 2^nd session of the conference.

:: Read more (in Spanish or Basque)

12-13 December: ‘Water, a shared responsibility’ event, Zaragoza, Spain

WWAP and Expo Zaragoza 2008 are organizing an event in Zaragoza, Spain, on 12-13 December 2006 to launch the 2^nd World Water Development Report in Spanish. The event will provide an overview of the water situation in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and Spain with a focus on governance related issues, the Millennium Development Goals and the value of water.

A public session will also be organized on large cities and water. A documentary on Mexico City will be projected during the public session that will take place at 6 pm on 12 December in Cajalón Headquarters, Calle Coso n° 29, Zaragoza, Spain. All are welcome to attend.

If you wish to attend please contact tribunadelagua@expo2008.es.

:: Full programme [PDF format – 165 KB, in Spanish]

WWAP participates in the XIII^th World Water Congress national organizing committee

The XIII^th World Water Congress, entitled ‘Global changes and water resources: confronting the expanding and diversifying pressures’ will take place in Montpellier, France, on 1-4 September 2008, under the auspices of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA). The objective of the XIII^th World Water Congress is to enhance the world’s knowledge and raise global consciousness of the impact of global changes on water resources. The Congress targets many audiences, from professional water workers to the general public, and will combine exhibitions with scientific presentations. It will represent an important global meeting point for open dialogue between public and private partners, between users and decision makers and between developing, emerging and developed countries.

WWAP, and more specifically its deputy-coordinator, Mr. Carlos Fernández-Jáuregui, is a member of its national organizing committee. The committee will next meet on 18 December 2006 to discuss initiatives for public awareness-raising.

:: XIII^th World Water Congress website

WWAP PARTNERS

New Human Development Report: ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’

This year’s Human Development Report (HDR, 2006), launched on 9 November in Cape Town, South Africa, is subtitled ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’. This report focuses on the growing water and sanitation crisis that causes nearly two million child deaths every year. It complements and reaffirms the message of the 2^nd UN World Water Development Report that poverty, unequal access, wars, migration and unsustainable consumption patterns are the leading causes of the water crisis rather than just scarcity of freshwater resources.

To accompany the launch of this year's HDR, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized the H2O Virtual Knowledge Fair, a fair on water with a focus on the regions of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa. The Fair was online on 15-17 November and included 3 live discussion forums and multimedia presentations.

:: HDR 2006: ‘Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’
:: H2O Virtual Knowledge Fair

New WHO report: Fluoride in drinking-water

Millions of people are exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride through drinking water contaminated from natural geological sources. With the problem continuing to be unrecognized and neglected, guidance is sorely needed, particularly because fluoride is found in all natural waters at some concentration. Low concentrations are good for teeth, but excessive concentrations can lead to debilitating disease, such as skeletal fluorosis, which has devastated some communities. In China alone, more than 10 million people are estimated to suffer from skeletal fluorosis.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) publication, Fluoride in Drinking-water addresses this urgent need, providing the latest scientific evidence on the occurrence of fluoride, its health effects, methods to reduce excess levels, and analysis techniques.

:: Full press release
:: Access the report online

UN Convention on Biological Diversity lays groundwork for South-South cooperation

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) organized a brainstorming meeting in Montreal, Canada, from 6 to 8 November 2006 on South-South cooperation in the field of biodiversity. The 24 experts who attended paved the way for a plan of action to enhance the capacity of developing countries to ensure sustainable management of biodiversity resources.

The plan of action, which focuses on strategies and frameworks for South-South solidarity, will include the following elements: conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; the fair and equitable sharing of benefits; achievement of the 2010 target, aiming to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss and calling on the international community for financial help to developing nations; and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1 and 7 – eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, and safeguarding of environmental sustainability.

The meeting included presentations of South-South experiences, activities, partnerships and initiatives, and discussion centred around the need for further cooperation between countries. The resultant plan of action is expected to be adopted at the 9th meeting of the Parties to the CBD in Bonn, Germany, in 2008.

:: Full press release [PDF format – 180 KB]

15-16 November: International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty

Those affected most by the water crisis are the world’s poor. It is they who suffer most immediately from unsafe water, lack of sanitation, food insecurity and from the effects of pollution and a degraded environment.

To mark the end of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development, in collaboration with UN agencies and civil society, organizrd the International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty at UN Headquarters in New York, United States, on 15-16 November 2006.

The Forum aims to achieve two major objectives. First, it was intended to send a strong message on the importance of a continued and enhanced commitment to poverty eradication in the run-up to 2015. Second, the Forum provided an opportunity for forward-looking dialogue among stakeholders on the next steps over the next decade towards the realization of the universal goal of poverty eradication.

:: Forum’s official website

United Nations Climate Change Conference concluded with decisions to support developing countries

The United Nations Climate Change Conference concluded on Friday 17 November, with the adoption of a wide range of decisions designed to mitigate climate change and help countries adapt to the effects of global warming. The conference that took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 6 to 17 November was attended by around 6,000 participants.

At the meeting, activities for the next few years under the ‘Nairobi Work Programme on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation’ were agreed. These activities will help enhance decision-making on adaptation action and improved assessment of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. Other important outcomes were the agreement on the management of the Adaptation Fund under the Kyoto Protocol and the finalization of the rules concerning the Special Climate Change Fund. The Adaptation Fund draws on proceeds generated by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and is designed to support concrete adaptation activities in developing countries. The Special Climate Change Fund is designed to finance projects in developing countries relating to adaptation, technology transfer, climate change mitigation and economic diversification for countries highly dependent on income from fossil fuels.

The next round of negotiations under the Kyoto Protocol and talks under the United Nations Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) will be held in Bonn, Germany in May 2007.

:: Decisions and conclusions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 12) and the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 2)

UNDP-Publicis Water Alert Campaign

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Publicis Italy launched a campaign to make a lot more people in the world aware of the water crisis. The international advertising drive aspires to garner support for universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation.Newspapers and magazines in the developed world are invited to join the water challenge by publishing free of charge the campaign’s 4 print ads.

Many of the 1.1 billion people deprived of sufficient safe drinking water must make do with as little as 5 litres a day for all their drinking, washing and cooking needs — one-tenth of the average quantity that rich countries’ inhabitants flush daily down their toilets. According to the latest Human Development Report (HDR 2006), the US$10 billion investment required to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015 would generate US$38 billion a year in economic benefits.

Unlike wars and natural disasters, the global crisis in water does not make media headlines. Nor does it galvanize concerted international action. By joining the Water Alert campaign and raising awareness on water issues you can help to solve a crisis that is affecting countless millions in the developing world.

:: Water Alert Campaign

FACTS AND FIGURES ON WATER IN KENYA

• Kenya, with a water availability of merely 650 m³ per capita per year, falls into the classification of a water scarce country. Future projections show that by the year 2020, per capita water availability will drop to 359 m³ as a result of population growth.
• Surface waters cover only 2% of Kenya’s total surface area. The climate varies from tropical along the coast of the Indian Ocean to arid in the interior, and two-thirds of the country is covered by semi-desert or desert land.
• More than 50% of annual water abstraction is used for domestic purposes and livestock production, and the remainder is used for irrigated agriculture.
• In urban areas, almost 40% of water goes unaccounted for, lost through either leakage or illegal connections.
• Access to sanitation in urban areas is at 65% compared to 40% in rural areas.
• Despite high levels of access in Nairobi Province, sanitary conditions are very poor in slums. In fact, in those informal settlements, in average, 200 people share a single pit latrine.
• Accordingly, water-borne or sanitation-related diseases make up the majority of Kenya’s morbidity rate and are responsible for over 60% of premature deaths. Diarrhoea can be controlled by improving hygiene, water supply and sanitation, and sanitation-related deaths can be reduced by 35% by the simple act of washing hands with soap and water can reduce sanitation related deaths by up to 35%.
• Countrywide 56% of the primary schools have access to safe water resources. However, there are considerable disparities between different regions. For example, in Nyanza Province, only 38% water comes from safe sources (such as piped water and boreholes) whereas this ratio reaches 92% in the Nairobi region.
• In some cases water points are more than 10 km from school which greatly affects both children and teachers. In urban areas, schools are often unable to pay for piped water, and children have to source the water from elsewhere.
• The situation is even more dire in the arid areas as schools are forced to closedown in the drought seasons.
• Kenya has been struggling to achieve food security for the last two decades; however, recent surveys reveal that the situation is getting worse. For example in 2004, the ‘food poor’, those who cannot meet the daily necessary minimum of 2,250 kilocalories per person, stood at 15 million people, up from 7.3 million in 1973. Of these, 3 million are in constant need of relief, and the number of malnourished children is also mounting.
• Kenya, in its 2004 draft constitution, is now considering the explicit inclusion of the right to water and sanitation in its legislation.
• In order to alleviate poverty levels, the Kenyan government proposed the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERS). It promotes initiatives that would facilitate the achievement of Millennium Development Goals, recognizes water as a pivotal element in poverty reduction and emphasizes the importance of providing services to the poor while ensuring adequate water for competing demands.
• In this context, Kenya’s poverty reduction strategy programme, initiated in 2000, commits the government to providing water and sanitation services to the majority of the poor at a reasonable distance (less than 2 km). The proposed strategy is to involve communities and local authorities more actively in the management of water and sewerage systems and services.

:: Facts and figures taken from the 2^nd United Nations World Water Development Report, 'Water, a shared responsibility' (WWDR2, 2006) and from the Kenya National Water Development Report [PDF format – 7 MB].

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