A Brief Evaluation of Asia-Pacific Water Forum Summits Using Network Analysis by Cherry May R. Mateo (original) (raw)
Related papers
United Nations water conferences: reflections and expectations
International Journal of Water Resources Development, 2023
In March 1977, UN organised a Water Conference, at high policymaking level, in Mar del Plata, Argentina. It was attended by 116 governments, most of whom were represented by their Water Ministers. This 2-week long meeting had major impacts on global water developments for the next three decades, a most remarkable achievement. It generated a wealth of new knowledge on different aspects of water, and also country- and region-specific analyses. For the very first time, several developing countries formulated detailed national analyses of availability and use of water and also comprehensive assessments of planning needs and management practices. Even though it was a remarkable conference, there has not been a follow-up for over 45 years. The second so-called UN Water Conference, which will be held in New York, in March, really is not an event which will look at global water problems holistically, as Mar del Plata did, but a “Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of International Decade of Action.”
Global crisis in water management: Can a second UN Water Conference help?
River, 2023
Unlike the current mainstream view, world is not facing a water crisis because of a physical lack of this resource but due to decades of poor water management. The two views are very different: solutions are also very different. A renewable resource like water can be used and wastewater can be collected, treated and reused again. With good management, this virtuous cycle can continue indefinitely. Global water resources are enough not only for now but also for 2100, when world population will be 10.9 billion and levels of socioeconomic development will be significantly higher. Consider Colorado River Basin which is now facing unprecedented shortages. Basin is suffering from 19th-century water laws and 20th-century water infrastructure and water allocation and management practices. Not surprisingly, it cannot meet 21st-century demands and uncertainties. Water use everywhere in the world can be very significantly reduced for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. Can 2nd UN Water Conference help?
Synthesis of the 4th World Water Forum
2006
Note to the reader In their role as co-organizers of the 4th World Water Forum, the Secretariat of the 4th World Water Forum and the World Water Council have co-produced this Synthesis of the 4th World Water Forum, in order to provide Forum participants and the international water community with the main messages, lessons learnt, and key recommendations presented in all the events that comprised the Forum. As such, the content contained herein does not necessarily reflect the official position of the National Water Commission of Mexico, the World Water Council, the thematic beacons, regional committees or session conveners. Moreover, the views expressed in this document represent an effort from the organizers to synthesize the main themes, issues, key messages and recommendations addressed during the Forum.
2023
International organizations constitute the basis to increase water cooperation , prevent or reduce the possibility of conflicts between countries, and, were they to occur, achieve cooperation to resolve them. The proliferation of water-related conflicts, especially involving transboundary watersheds, the need for stakeholder cooperation , and the necessity of creating alliances between water organizations call for the formation of an organization to tackle the resolution of such conflicts. River Basin Organizations (RBOs) have been created in the water field in recent years, which have addressed a variety of water-related problems. Yet, there is no holistic agency at present tasked with the comprehensive review and resolution of water conflicts worldwide. This paper presents a plan to create an International Water Comprehensive Organization (IWCO) under the auspices of the United Nations that would address water conflicts worldwide, which would integrate other existing organizations with jurisdiction in the realm of water management. Furthermore, this work describes the objectives and needs for creating the IWCO, defines its structure, and outlines its main tasks and authorities. The IWCO would integrate existing water-related organizations for solving hydropolitical issues, and would provide logistic support leading to scientific and legal advances in the water field.
International Water Issues Need More Than Cooperation
ABSTRACT UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Mun pointed out extremely important and extraordinary points in his remark at Opening of the 7th World Water Forum held in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, The Republic of Korea in 12 April 2015. He said that; “Instead of seeing scarce water as a reason for competition or conflict, we have to treat it as a challenge to collaborate, a challenge to engage in innovative hydro- diplomacy. In today‟s world, we must be more aware of the risks of water conflict.” It is important to note the emphasis on “collaboration and innovative hydro-diplomacy” in his remarks. While speaking on the occasion of World Water Day 2013, the Secretary General had also said, “Water scarcity threatens economic and social gains … And it is a potent fuel for wars and conflict.” Secretary General Ban Ki-moon‟s warnings were reflected in the offcial definition of water security provided by the United Nations University- IWEH, which says. “The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of and acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.” It is important to note the emphasis on “in a climate of peace and political stability” in this definition. The concerns of the United Nations are justified as the world faces an era of depleting water resources. The World Water Development Report of UNESCO, released in March 2015 warns us of serious depletion of water supplies by 2050, while at the same time, significant increase in demand due to population growth, economic development and urbanisation, among other factors. Different effects of climate change are today contributing to even more water scarcity and greater security risks. It shows us that we need an effective and mutually beneficial solution of water resources-related problems. At the global scale, the effective and mutually beneficial solution of water resources-related problems underlie peace, security and stability. But this can become a reality only if we change our conceptual approaches to domestic and transboundary water management. Keywords: Transboundary Water; New Water Paradigm; Water Conceptional Change; New Hydro Diplomacy; Traditional Water Cooperation; New Hydropolitcs; Shared vision; Shared goal
Cooperation on water is central to development. In addition to being a catalyst for peace and security, water cooperation is vitally important for development at all levels. Significant achievements have been made through cooperation, yet much more remains to be done. Despite the potential for conflict, common needs for shared waters allow countries to come together in search of shared benefits from managing resources. More than 200 water treaties have been negotiated over the last 50 years. As more pressure builds on the world´s water resources, previous experience in cooperating towards water sustainability serves as useful guidance for future agreements. Mechanisms for sustainable financial management are critical to the success of water cooperation. There is a need for clear legal, organizational, financial, and economic mechanisms in order to solve water, energy, environmental, and other issues at the national and regional levels. Sustainable use of water resources has to be linked to economic regulation (tariffs, penalties, and administrative and criminal enforcement) and organizational structure (unification of water users, consideration for environmental and economic conditions, metering water use, and consideration of the market conditions). Inadequate tariff systems and deficient systems of charging for water supply services prevent the irrigation and water supply systems from being properly maintained. Targeted national development policies are essential to improve the level of cooperation observed within countries. It is encouraging that in the recent years many countries have started paying more attention to an integrated approach towards management of water together with other key sectors of the national economy. However, in many cases the national plans of integrated water resources management (IWRM) have not been coordinated either at the transboundary level or with relevant regional strategies. For this reason, many IWRM plans have not reached their full potential or effectiveness. It is of paramount importance that basin organizations and water user associations continue operating effectively. Widespread establishment of basin organizations, water user associations (WUAs), water users federations, and other similar groups has required a strengthening of their capacity to offer comprehensive solutions to local problems. These approaches are also effective in obtaining high yields of agricultural crops, as well as maintaining farm assets. Accordingly, it can be argued that efforts to support these mechanisms must continue. The United Nations system must act as the primary enabler of water cooperation. With a direct and express mandate to build the capacity of its member states, the United Nations system collectively has to shoulder the burden of successful water cooperation — even when this responsibility is shared with other development partners. Despite some major challenges in the effective delivery of assistance and solutions to member states, the UN Summary for Decision Makers Water cooperation — Views on Progress and the Way Forwar d 5 system remains the only international mechanism that has presence on the ground in all developing countries and has the appropriate linkages to national governments. Overseas Development Aid (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) remain a central pillar of successful water cooperation. Financial support for cooperation by the donor community is important; for example, without such support, creation of water users associations might be impossible. However, in the long term, the key is that communities must understand the need for cooperation and the need for mutual support. Lack of human, technological, infrastructural, and institutional capacity is the foremost impediment to effective water cooperation. Yet, we do not have reliable estimates of the global capacities needed to meet various development objectives, including those now being enshrined in the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is obviously a priority to get a better estimate of capacity needs across the board. Multi-dimensional capacity development is critical. Capacity development must account for multiple dimensions in parallel (human, technological, institutional, and service provisioning), and do so in an integrated manner. Problems are persistently encountered in capacity development initiatives — namely only one aspect of a multidimensional capacity gap is addressed, leading to less satisfactory outcomes, or often nearcomplete failure to build long-term capacity. Availability of information and reporting by governments on water cooperation remains patchy and sparse. The specific lens of water cooperation has not been adequately incorporated into the data/information gathering part of the evaluation of water cooperation. It is equally difficult to determine whether water cooperation has taken place and if progress is being made by the governments to rectify barriers to such cooperation. While the mere occurrence of IWRM can be considered as a sign of water cooperation taking place, observed at a point in time, it is not conducive to be used as a long-term indicator of success. International partners must consolidate monitoring of progress along the SDG implementation trajectory. The development of a multi-agency initiative entitled Global Extended Monitoring Initiative, or GEMI, is already underway with the primary purpose of monitoring Targets 6.3 through 6.6 of SDG Goal 6. A number of partners from the UN system — namely WHO, UN-Habitat, UNEP, and FAO — are collaborating under UN-Water coordination to establish a global monitoring system. Such a system addressing data collection, harmonization, quality control, and country-level profiles on the one hand, and the needs of capacity and other technical support, on the other hand, can serve to support and strengthen water cooperation.