After the Bora Bora session, we are going to meet again in Noumea from the 26th to the 28th of May, with a main focus on mining.
Our Water Management Seminar goes on
Agenda and Programme
PECC INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
2007-2009
Issues related to water management in Island Territories,
Coastal Regions and Isolated Communities.
Jointly organized by
France Pacific Territories PECC and the World Water Forum
The BORA-BORA seminar
Hotel Bora -Bora Nui, Bora -Bora, French Polynesia
13 -15 November 2007
Tuesday November 13, 8.30am: Welcome coffee and registration
9.30 : Opening of the seminar, welcoming address.
Eric POMMIER, Chair FPTPECC Polynesia;
Michel PAOLETTI, Chair, Overseas Group, Economic and Social Council, Paris;
Gaston TONG SANG, Mayor Bora-Bora.
Session 1 From global prospects to issues related to Island and coastal territories:
Chair: Eric POMMIER, Chair FPTPECC Polynesia
9.45-10.00 - Message from Loic FAUCHON, President World Water Forum
10.00-10.30-What are the type of contractual agreements in use between operators and users? Are they specific constraints in island and/or isolated territories?
How to prevent conflicts over water use among stakeholders and between economies about rights to access to water and priorities for its use.
By Pierre VICTORIA, Governor, alternate, World Water Forum.
Presentation made by Nicolas Renard.
10.30-10.50 – The global water issues: how can multilateral and domestic policies prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of changes in global water cycles on water availability and its quality.
Mitsugu SAITO, UNDP South Pacific Islands.
10.50-11.45 – How to secure water resource in the Pacific Islands (in quantity and in quality) to meet the demand both at the domestic and industry level in the short and the long run.
Discussion of selected cases about potential conflict between private and industrial users over the use of water:
- Dr Gavin MUDD, Environmental Engineering, Monash University, Australia: Groundwater sustainability, mining environmental issues.
- Dr. Bernard ROBINEAU, Environmental geologist, IRD, Nouméa: Groundwater in island environments: resources and vulnerability.
- Mr.Marc OVERMARS , Water Adviser SOPAC ( Pacific Islands
Géoscience Commission ).
Region’s progress in implementing the regionally adopted strategy on sustainable water management through the Pacific Partnership Initiative
11.45-12h General discussion,
moderator: Jacques LEGUERE, Chair FPTPECC New Caledonia
12h 15 Transfer by boat to the Meridien Hotel
12.30- 2pm Buffet Lunch courtesy of
the Méridien Hotel
2pm: Field trip to the water and wastewater infrastructure of Bora-Bora.
Bora-Bora offers a unique example of an integrated water programme in a fragile environment. All capabilities, technical, financial, human, have been mobilised to make best use of the resource available (capture, treatment and recycling of water) with a view to fully protect the lagoon and allow for the development of local activities without creating negative impact on the quality and quantity of the resource. It can be identified as a best practice case.
Visit of the Intercontinental Hotel high innovative air conditioning facilities build on the pumping of deep fresh ground water and of the main island water sewage specially designed to protect the lagoon.
2pm : transfer from Le Méridien to the Intercontinental § SPA hotel
2.15pm : visit of the deep water air conditioning system
2.45pm : transfer to the main island
3.00pm : transfer to ANAU
3.15pm : visit of the ANAU osmoses station
3.40pm : transfer to Povai
4.00pm : visit of the ultra filtration system and the water treatment plant
4.30pm : transfer to VAITAPE
4.40pm : arrival at the Town Hall ; Mayor presentation about : “Bora Bora on its way to sustainable development »(time 20min).
5.00pm : closing of the visit and transfer to the Bora Bora Nui
Contact at city hall of Vaitape : Miss Maireraurii LEVERD : 689 74 12 00.
7.30- 9.30: Seated dinner courtesy of the SPEA
(Société polynésienne des eaux et assainissements)
Venue, the Bora Bora Nui hotel
2007-2009
Issues related to water management in Island Territories,
Coastal Regions and Isolated Communities.
Jointly organized by
France Pacific Territories PECC and the World Water Forum
The BORA-BORA seminar
Hotel Bora -Bora Nui, Bora -Bora, French Polynesia
13 -15 November 2007
Tuesday November 13, 8.30am: Welcome coffee and registration
9.30 : Opening of the seminar, welcoming address.
Eric POMMIER, Chair FPTPECC Polynesia;
Michel PAOLETTI, Chair, Overseas Group, Economic and Social Council, Paris;
Gaston TONG SANG, Mayor Bora-Bora.
Session 1 From global prospects to issues related to Island and coastal territories:
Chair: Eric POMMIER, Chair FPTPECC Polynesia
9.45-10.00 - Message from Loic FAUCHON, President World Water Forum
10.00-10.30-What are the type of contractual agreements in use between operators and users? Are they specific constraints in island and/or isolated territories?
How to prevent conflicts over water use among stakeholders and between economies about rights to access to water and priorities for its use.
By Pierre VICTORIA, Governor, alternate, World Water Forum.
Presentation made by Nicolas Renard.
10.30-10.50 – The global water issues: how can multilateral and domestic policies prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of changes in global water cycles on water availability and its quality.
Mitsugu SAITO, UNDP South Pacific Islands.
10.50-11.45 – How to secure water resource in the Pacific Islands (in quantity and in quality) to meet the demand both at the domestic and industry level in the short and the long run.
Discussion of selected cases about potential conflict between private and industrial users over the use of water:
- Dr Gavin MUDD, Environmental Engineering, Monash University, Australia: Groundwater sustainability, mining environmental issues.
- Dr. Bernard ROBINEAU, Environmental geologist, IRD, Nouméa: Groundwater in island environments: resources and vulnerability.
- Mr.Marc OVERMARS , Water Adviser SOPAC ( Pacific Islands
Géoscience Commission ).
Region’s progress in implementing the regionally adopted strategy on sustainable water management through the Pacific Partnership Initiative
11.45-12h General discussion,
moderator: Jacques LEGUERE, Chair FPTPECC New Caledonia
12h 15 Transfer by boat to the Meridien Hotel
12.30- 2pm Buffet Lunch courtesy of
the Méridien Hotel
2pm: Field trip to the water and wastewater infrastructure of Bora-Bora.
Bora-Bora offers a unique example of an integrated water programme in a fragile environment. All capabilities, technical, financial, human, have been mobilised to make best use of the resource available (capture, treatment and recycling of water) with a view to fully protect the lagoon and allow for the development of local activities without creating negative impact on the quality and quantity of the resource. It can be identified as a best practice case.
Visit of the Intercontinental Hotel high innovative air conditioning facilities build on the pumping of deep fresh ground water and of the main island water sewage specially designed to protect the lagoon.
2pm : transfer from Le Méridien to the Intercontinental § SPA hotel
2.15pm : visit of the deep water air conditioning system
2.45pm : transfer to the main island
3.00pm : transfer to ANAU
3.15pm : visit of the ANAU osmoses station
3.40pm : transfer to Povai
4.00pm : visit of the ultra filtration system and the water treatment plant
4.30pm : transfer to VAITAPE
4.40pm : arrival at the Town Hall ; Mayor presentation about : “Bora Bora on its way to sustainable development »(time 20min).
5.00pm : closing of the visit and transfer to the Bora Bora Nui
Contact at city hall of Vaitape : Miss Maireraurii LEVERD : 689 74 12 00.
7.30- 9.30: Seated dinner courtesy of the SPEA
(Société polynésienne des eaux et assainissements)
Venue, the Bora Bora Nui hotel
Wednesday November 14
Session 2: Adapted answers to local constraints to best fit the needs
Chair: Charles Morrison, President of the East West Center, International Chair PECC
8.30-9.00 – An integrated water programme to satisfy jointly private and public demand and protect a fragile environment: the Bora-Bora case. Can the newly used approach in Bora -Bora and innovative technologies be used elsewhere?
Roland CATIMEL, Joel ALLAIN, SUEZ GROUP
9.00-9.30 -The reuse of used waters: case studies of California, Hawaii, Carribean.
Valentina LAZAROVA, Suez Group, International expert on the reuse of
water; member International Water Academy.
9.30- 10.00 – The Hawain policy to guarantee the water quality:
Dr Sitiveni HALAPUA, East West Center
10.00-10.20 Coffee break
10.20- 10.50 - China’s practices of water conservation in isolated areas.
Mr WANG ZHENYU
10.50-11.20- How to protect the resource, manage it in the best economic way and develop alternate technologies: the case of Singapore
- Trans-border transfer of water;
- Fight against water leakages in the distribution networks;
- Desalination of sea water: examination of the technologies available, conditions for making them operational in regions with little maintenance skills and limited energy resource;
- The re-use of water, a solution to prevent from and fight against water shortage: the conditions of acceptance by users and the effective control of water quality.
Professor TAN WEE LIANG, University of Singapore
11.20-12 General discussion,
Moderator: Charles MORRISON, President East West Center
12 - 1.30 Buffet lunch courtesy of CARREFOUR
Venue, the Bora-Bora Nui Hotel
Session 3:New and classical avenues for counterbalancing water shortage:
Chair: Joel ALLAIN
1.30-1.50 – How to develop water production units at a reasonable cost whilst keeping maintenance cost low? The Wallis and Futuna case.
R. DIDIER, Administrator of Wallis and Futuna Islands.
1.50-2.20 - Towards a new culture for water: Water scarcity and pricing policy.
Could best practices be envisaged to overcome water shortage and lead to an appropriate pricing policy. Can global solutions bridge with local expectations? How to compel with a scarce resource that is considered at the same time as an essential basic service?
The case of Windhoek (direct potable water reuse), results of acceptance surveys made in selected countries.
Nicolas RENARD, Head of Tariff and Finance Task-Force, Statistics and Economics Specialist Group of the International Water Association.
2.20 – 3.00 -The capture of rainwater and its conservation in reservoirs to compensate the draught periods and uneven rainfalls, how to guarantee the quality of the water to users? Can it be an efficient response to water shortage? The case of French Polynesia.
Olivier JACOB, Administrator
3.00- 3.20 Coffee break
3.20- 3.50- How to maintain essential services running in the case of earthquakes or tsunamis; what are the policies set up by Japan to face natural disasters:
Mitsugu SAITO, UNDP
3.50- 4.20 -Policy set by Chili to guarantee the quality of water in coastal areas,
Could the binding standards set by Chili for the water rejected by the wine growing industry serve as a guide for other countries facing heavy demand of water for agricultural use and the derived environmental issues: (wood industry, transformation of agricultural products)
Professor Javier NUNEZ, University of Chile.
4.20–4.40 - The financing of infrastructure projects in the region projects in the region Laurent FONTAINE, Director of AFD ( French Agency for Development) in Polynesia
4.40 – 5.00: General discussion, moderator : Joel ALLAIN, SUEZ Group
7.00 -7.15: Transfer to Vaitape (by the BORA BORA NUI)
7.15– 7.30: Transfer to panda d’or (by the city hall)
7.30-9.30 Seated dinner courtesy of the Mayor of Bora-Bora
Venue, the Panda d’Or Chinese restaurant
12 - 1.30 Buffet lunch courtesy of CARREFOUR
Venue, the Bora-Bora Nui Hotel
Session 3:New and classical avenues for counterbalancing water shortage:
Chair: Joel ALLAIN
1.30-1.50 – How to develop water production units at a reasonable cost whilst keeping maintenance cost low? The Wallis and Futuna case.
R. DIDIER, Administrator of Wallis and Futuna Islands.
1.50-2.20 - Towards a new culture for water: Water scarcity and pricing policy.
Could best practices be envisaged to overcome water shortage and lead to an appropriate pricing policy. Can global solutions bridge with local expectations? How to compel with a scarce resource that is considered at the same time as an essential basic service?
The case of Windhoek (direct potable water reuse), results of acceptance surveys made in selected countries.
Nicolas RENARD, Head of Tariff and Finance Task-Force, Statistics and Economics Specialist Group of the International Water Association.
2.20 – 3.00 -The capture of rainwater and its conservation in reservoirs to compensate the draught periods and uneven rainfalls, how to guarantee the quality of the water to users? Can it be an efficient response to water shortage? The case of French Polynesia.
Olivier JACOB, Administrator
3.00- 3.20 Coffee break
3.20- 3.50- How to maintain essential services running in the case of earthquakes or tsunamis; what are the policies set up by Japan to face natural disasters:
Mitsugu SAITO, UNDP
3.50- 4.20 -Policy set by Chili to guarantee the quality of water in coastal areas,
Could the binding standards set by Chili for the water rejected by the wine growing industry serve as a guide for other countries facing heavy demand of water for agricultural use and the derived environmental issues: (wood industry, transformation of agricultural products)
Professor Javier NUNEZ, University of Chile.
4.20–4.40 - The financing of infrastructure projects in the region projects in the region Laurent FONTAINE, Director of AFD ( French Agency for Development) in Polynesia
4.40 – 5.00: General discussion, moderator : Joel ALLAIN, SUEZ Group
7.00 -7.15: Transfer to Vaitape (by the BORA BORA NUI)
7.15– 7.30: Transfer to panda d’or (by the city hall)
7.30-9.30 Seated dinner courtesy of the Mayor of Bora-Bora
Venue, the Panda d’Or Chinese restaurant
Thursday November 15
Session 4:Towards best practices in the management of water.
Chair: Michel PAOLETTI, Chair, Overseas Group, Economic and Social Council,Paris.
8.30- 9.00 -The decision making process and the legal approach: how to meet the regulatory framework and settle disputes over water use.
Mrs Frédérique OLIVIER, Lawyer, DS Avocats, Law Firm.
9.00-9h30 Coffee break
9.30- 11.30 - Round table discussion
Identification of the necessary contractual and financial framework to develop new technologies, regulations and standards to guarantee access to clean water to all, namely in Islands territories, less developed and isolated areas; identification for future work by the expert group; proposal for recommendations to the World Water council on its fifth meeting.
9.30-10.30 Presentation, by each of the chairs of the previous sessions, of their summaries and recommendations (15mn each).
10.30-11.30 General discussion
1.30-11.40: Concluding session; avenues for future work including the preparatory work for the second seminar which will examine the role of renewable energies in the treatment of water.
Professor Jean Luc LE BIDEAU, Vice-Chair FPTPECC
11.40 - 12.00: Closing of the seminar.
12.00 – 14.00 Seated luncheon, courtesy of la Brasserie de Tahiti
Venue, the Bora -Bora Nui hotel
****
This PECC International project is convened by FPTPECC with the collaboration and support of the World Water Council. It is the first of a series of four seminars to promoting actions in favour of water management in islands, coastal and isolated areas, the conclusions of which will be tabled as a PECC contribution to the Fifth World Water Forum to be held in 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey.
FPTPECC secretariat:
Executive Director: Ambassador Jacques le BLANC jacques.leblanc@outre-mer.gouv.fr
Vice chair FPTPECC: Professor Jean Luc LE BIDEAU lebideaujeanluc@aol.com
List of participants (by alphabetical order)
Allain, Joel - PECCFP, French Polynesia joallain@mail.pf
Carle, Heimata - SPEA Bora Bora, French Polynesia hcarle@spea.pf
Catimel, Roland - Head SPEA, French Polynesia rcatimel@spea.pf
Chene, Manina - Conference Coordinator, Tahiti, French Polynesia pecc@sig.pf
Chiron, Thomas - PhD Geography, University of French Polynesia, Tahiti, French Polynesia thomas.chiron@upf.pf
Didier, Richard - Administrator of the Wallis & Futuna Islands, Mata Utu, Wallis & Futuna prefet@adsupwf.org
Fontaine, Laurent - Head, Regional Office, AFD chonguer@groupe-afd.org
Halapua, Sitiveni - Director, Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii halapuas@eastwestcenter.org
Jacob, Olivier - Administrator
Law, Vincent - PECCFP, French Polynesia pecc@sig.pf
Lazarova, Valentina - Suez Environment, Le Pecq, France valentina.lazarova@suez-env.com
Le Bideau, Jean-Luc - Professor, FPTEPEC Vice Chairman, Paris, France lebideaujeanluc@aol.com
Le Blanc, Jacques - Ambassador & Executive Manager of FPTPEC, Paris, France jacques.leblanc@outre-mer.gouv.fr
Leguere, Jacques - PECC, New Caledonia. Chairman, A2EP / SIRAS PDG, New Caledonia jacques.leguere@a2ep.nc
Leverd, Mairerarui - Promotion Officer, City Hall of Bora Bora, French Polynesia mairerarui.leverd@commune-borabora.pf
Melix, Glenda - Health and Sanitary Division, Government of French Polynesia glenda.melix@sante.gov.pf
Metivier, Corinne - Conference Coordinator, tahiti, French Polynesia pecc@sig.pf
Morrison, Charles - President, East-West Center & International Chairman PECC Honolulu, Hawaii morrisoc@eastwestcenter.org
Mudd, Gavin - Course Director - Environmental Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia gavin.mudd@eng.monash.edu.au
Nunez, Javier - Professor, Department of Economics, University of Chile jnunez@econ.uchile.cl
Olivier, Frédérique - Avocate & Member of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Partner of DS Avocats, Paris, France olivier@dsavocats.com
Overmars, Marc - Water Advisor, Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), Suva, Fiji marc@sopac.org
Paoletti, Michel - PECCFP, French Polynesia michelpaoletti@mail.pf
Pommier, Eric - Chair, PECCFP, French Polynesia eric.pommier@mail.pf
Raygadas Engel - Works & Rural Planning Chief, Papeete, French Polynesia engel.raygadas@rural.gov.pf
Renard, Nicolas - Municipal Business Development Division, Veolia Water, Paris, France nicolas.renard@veoliaeau.fr
Robineau, Bernard - Environmental Geologist, IRD, Noumea, New Caledonia bernard.robineau@gouv.nc
Saito, Mick - Environment Program Manager, UNDP, Honiara Sub-Office, Solomon Islands mitsugu.saito@undp.org
Sibani, Didier - PECCFP, French Polynesia dsibani@sibani.pf
Sturny, Vincent - SPEA Bora Bora, French Polynesia vincent.sturny@spea.pf
Tan, Wee Liang - Professor, Singapore Management University, SINCPEC, Singapore wltan@smu.edu.sg
Wang, Zhenyu - Assistant Research Fellow, China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, Beijing, China 54whangzhy@sina.com
Carle, Heimata - SPEA Bora Bora, French Polynesia hcarle@spea.pf
Catimel, Roland - Head SPEA, French Polynesia rcatimel@spea.pf
Chene, Manina - Conference Coordinator, Tahiti, French Polynesia pecc@sig.pf
Chiron, Thomas - PhD Geography, University of French Polynesia, Tahiti, French Polynesia thomas.chiron@upf.pf
Didier, Richard - Administrator of the Wallis & Futuna Islands, Mata Utu, Wallis & Futuna prefet@adsupwf.org
Fontaine, Laurent - Head, Regional Office, AFD chonguer@groupe-afd.org
Halapua, Sitiveni - Director, Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii halapuas@eastwestcenter.org
Jacob, Olivier - Administrator
Law, Vincent - PECCFP, French Polynesia pecc@sig.pf
Lazarova, Valentina - Suez Environment, Le Pecq, France valentina.lazarova@suez-env.com
Le Bideau, Jean-Luc - Professor, FPTEPEC Vice Chairman, Paris, France lebideaujeanluc@aol.com
Le Blanc, Jacques - Ambassador & Executive Manager of FPTPEC, Paris, France jacques.leblanc@outre-mer.gouv.fr
Leguere, Jacques - PECC, New Caledonia. Chairman, A2EP / SIRAS PDG, New Caledonia jacques.leguere@a2ep.nc
Leverd, Mairerarui - Promotion Officer, City Hall of Bora Bora, French Polynesia mairerarui.leverd@commune-borabora.pf
Melix, Glenda - Health and Sanitary Division, Government of French Polynesia glenda.melix@sante.gov.pf
Metivier, Corinne - Conference Coordinator, tahiti, French Polynesia pecc@sig.pf
Morrison, Charles - President, East-West Center & International Chairman PECC Honolulu, Hawaii morrisoc@eastwestcenter.org
Mudd, Gavin - Course Director - Environmental Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia gavin.mudd@eng.monash.edu.au
Nunez, Javier - Professor, Department of Economics, University of Chile jnunez@econ.uchile.cl
Olivier, Frédérique - Avocate & Member of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Partner of DS Avocats, Paris, France olivier@dsavocats.com
Overmars, Marc - Water Advisor, Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), Suva, Fiji marc@sopac.org
Paoletti, Michel - PECCFP, French Polynesia michelpaoletti@mail.pf
Pommier, Eric - Chair, PECCFP, French Polynesia eric.pommier@mail.pf
Raygadas Engel - Works & Rural Planning Chief, Papeete, French Polynesia engel.raygadas@rural.gov.pf
Renard, Nicolas - Municipal Business Development Division, Veolia Water, Paris, France nicolas.renard@veoliaeau.fr
Robineau, Bernard - Environmental Geologist, IRD, Noumea, New Caledonia bernard.robineau@gouv.nc
Saito, Mick - Environment Program Manager, UNDP, Honiara Sub-Office, Solomon Islands mitsugu.saito@undp.org
Sibani, Didier - PECCFP, French Polynesia dsibani@sibani.pf
Sturny, Vincent - SPEA Bora Bora, French Polynesia vincent.sturny@spea.pf
Tan, Wee Liang - Professor, Singapore Management University, SINCPEC, Singapore wltan@smu.edu.sg
Wang, Zhenyu - Assistant Research Fellow, China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, Beijing, China 54whangzhy@sina.com
Message from Pierre Victoria
Message from Pierre Victoria, Governor Alternate of the World Water Council
PECC, November 13th, 2007
Ladies and gentlemen,
PECC, November 13th, 2007
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to apologize for not attending the Bora-Bora seminar about water management in Island Territories, Coastal Regions and Isolated communities. We are discussing, in this precise moment in Marseille, the details of the next Forum in Istanbul 2009, especially the political process.
There have been four Fora before Istanbul but there has never been a focus group of potential participants to see, right at the beginning of the process, what is feasible in the current political climate. The high level group we have gathered is a “test-drive” of the Forum. We are building a different approach to make this Forum more efficient. We already have 6 themes :
1) Global changes and Risk Management ;
2) Advancing human Development and the MDG’s;
3) Managing and Protecting water resources and their supply systems to meet human and environmental needs;
4) Governance and Management;
5) Finance;
6) Education, knowledge and capacity building. And we’ll have 25 to 30 topics and about 100 sessions. We’re trying to restrain the number of sessions in order to have a qualitative and better oriented organisation. It’s a unique opportunity to exchange and learn and I would like to invite the PECC to contribute to this cause.
The PECC work is meant to be integrated on the Istanbul Forum which title is “bridging divides for water”, as clearly stated by Loïc Fauchon, Chair of the World Water Council, in the letter he sent on June 29th, 2007, to Mr. Jacques Le Blanc. In this letter, Loïc Fauchon wrote: “I would like to thank you all for this initiative about island territories and isolated communities. Your approach because it is meant to last and it is based on the reality of this area could certainly be integrated in the preparatory process which will lead to the [5th World Water] forum [to be held in 2009 in Istanbul]”.
Loïc Fauchon added : “As you all know, the next Asia Pacific Water Summit will take place in Japan next December. The World Water Council is strongly committed in the preparation of this major event. The PECC could take this opportunity in Japan next December to present the work done until now”. [Please take a copy of this letter from Loïc Fauchon].
As Governor Alternate of the World Water Council, I am expecting the results of this PECC Seminar, since I am going to this Asia Pacific Summit in December.
Help is needed to facilitate the process forward, rallying high level political support, making the outcome be relevant to the interests of those who will be potentially involved and to link the topics of concern of various groups and regions around the world into a final document.
Island Territories, Coastal Regions and Isolated communities were almost forgotten during the Mexico Forum or at least, the Forum didn’t really focus on this issue. The World Water Council has acknowledged the vulnerability and particular need of Small Island Countries by including the “Water in Small Island Countries” theme in the Third World Water Forum. The political support given by governments since 2003 has allowed the development of the Pacific Regional Action Plan, endorsed by 18 countries.
We should keep this topic on top of the agenda for many reasons; climate change is obviously one of them. But we should not forget that access to drinking water for all is a crucial priority.
Let me first start with what appears to be the most worrying problem. Access to water and sanitation is one of the 8 commitments made by the United Nations for 2015. It is not just one of the Millennium Development Goals. On the contrary, it is the focal point of these goals, as it conditions the implementation of all the others: lowering infant mortality rate, universal primary education, promotion of women, etc.
Less than 10 years are left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to halve, by 2015, the number of people without access to water and sanitation, first step to an universal service by 2025.
Thanks to the rapid progress made by China and India, the United Nations are confident that overall targets will be met. But the message coming from people on the ground is very different. Other than in Asia, the increase in the growth of service is behind schedule. Without a shift into high gear, in particular for sanitation, the international community will not meet its commitments, especially in Africa. East Asia and the Pacific will meet the water MDG in 2014 and the Sanitation MDG in 2018; Sub Sahara Africa, completely off track, will reach the MDG in 2040 for drinking water and in 2076 for sanitation.
Political will, legal instruments, financial resources and human capacity, many of the needs of the pacific could be addressed through the implementation of Integrated Resource Water Management.
And we should admit that this topic deserves our attention.
Islands and pacific island countries are no different from other countries, in that freshwater is essential to human existence and a major requirement in agricultural production system. But the ability of these islands is constrained by the small size, fragility, vulnerability and limited human and financial resource base.
I’ll sum up some of the lessons learned from the Mexico Forum :
- In Mexico, we had the example of the Fiji. Information was lacking and the information that was collected by various government departments’ agencies was not exchanged, the coordination of monitoring was absent. It was decided to address water governance, through a specialized agency on water resources in order to coordinate information and data exchange.
- Some interesting progress were made in the region and I would like to thank the actors in the region for what they’ve achieved : Fiji, with the National Water Committee and the cross-sectoral water policy; Papua New Guinea with the National Water Association; Tuvalu, which has reviewed the plan and it includes more integrated management approaches; Samoa, with two new national water policies…
In the meantime, the Pacific is a region impacted by climate variability and the results of extreme events have a disproportional impact on small economies. Water resources on islands with limited storage are affected by climatic influences. The limited storage is also a problem, meteorological and hydrological services need to be integrated for better informed decision making and planning.
Concern is growing and no one should feel free from problems. Believe it or not, but we face the same difficulties as you in our islands in France. Some of them are confronted to scarcities.
Belle Ile en Mer is an island on the French west coast, not far from where I come from. Such a region shouldn’t have recourse (fall back on) to desalinization. For those who had their holidays ruined in the near Brittany, rainfall was a problem because of the excess, not the scarcity. But still, in 2005, Belle Ile was plagued by a water shortage after a 3 year drought ! As a consequence, local authorities decided to supply the island by a desalinization unit that was implemented this year. Rainfall changes involve uncertain collection of rainwater which is a major resource in numerous island countries; most of the time, desalination is beyond their means.
There are some lessons learned, concerns and challenges ahead. The challenges ahead are the capacity building of course, anticipation and good governance of the water business, in which all stakeholders must play a role. Identifying roles, responsibilities and linkages is crucial.
A good water policy can’t be effective without a clarification of responsibilities between public authorities, service operators and financing organisations. Good governance, above all, requires formalizing the rights and duties between the stakeholders, in particular those who consume most water: farmers. The role of the organizing authority is to continually drive the operation: there can be no efficient operator without a strong organizing authority.
As mentioned in the Guidelines for Effective Public Private Partnership published in 2007 by PECC, trust is the key word. Trust is the key word for Public Private Partnership but trust is also the key word for an effective governance in the water sector, with or without the participation of the private sector. No water users can be mobilized to save a scarce resource without trust. No fund to develop alternative water resources such as wastewater reuse or desalination can be raised without trust. Trust means a clear sharing of roles between partners involved (local authorities, constructors, lenders, operators, etc); transparency through procedures for transferring information; a strict respect of the autonomy given to the different partners, whatever their status; performance evaluation criteria.
There is, normally, no international competition to access to raw water resources, except in the case of trans-boundary rivers or aquifers. The cross-border river basins necessarily increase the economic and ecological interdependence of the states they cross, with a risk of unsustainable competition between different countries.
But competition between users take place first inside the same nation. In India competition for water is escalating in many parts of the country. Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, is a model of a water-short city extending its hydrological reach. It is completing a 230 kilometre pipe to bring water from the Cauvery River basin—one of the most water-constrained basins in India and the source of a long-running dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Competition between users is increasing in intensity. In the Pallakad district of Kerala the abstraction of groundwater by a multinational soft drink company has depleted the aquifer, dried up several wells and caused serious environmental damage. In a repeat episode on the outskirts of Mumbai, the same company has provoked protests by farmers against its water abstraction operations to serve the fast growing middle-class mineral water market in the city.
Water is a source of human interdependence. Within any country, water is a shared resource serving multiple constituencies, from the environment to agriculture, industry and households. As mentioned in the 2006 UNDP Human Development Report, water is the ultimate fugitive resource. It crosses frontiers, linking users across borders in a system of hydrological interdependence. 2 out of 3 of the world’s major rivers are shared among several countries. The Nile flows among 10 countries. Water remains a recurrent tension among countries, numerous cross-border rivers lack coordinating agencies, remaining the privilege to the countries which are upstream. But cooperation should replace competition; it is from an inter-State cooperation that river management could prove the optimum solution. Some countries are moving fast and other should be encouraged to do so.
The Nile Basin Initiative is a recent and interesting initiative. Until recently, water issues were limited to volumetric allocations between Egypt and Sudan. But the initiative now focuses on a range of benefits that can be reaped across the entire basin, from hydropower to flood control and environmental sustainability, and a Strategic Action Programme is under way to identify cooperative projects. Some donors are trying to promote the participation of civil society groups through the Nile International Discourse Desk.
Problems over water have been solved through negotiations. Throughout history, governments have found innovative and cooperative solutions to transboundary water management tensions, even in the most difficult political environments. But some problems are still worrying.
2008 is the year of sanitation. “Sanitation bombs” are thrown below the table, waiting to explode in 10 to 20 years time. Sanitation will lead to scarcity and tension. With pollution comes epidemics and if there’s an epidemic that starts in a mega city we don't know where it will stop. Sanitation bombs will strike either cities or rural communities.
In some regions and it is the case of Small Island countries, water is a far too precious resource to be used only once and then returned to nature.
- According to UNEP, 25 % of the world’s population lives within 25 kms of the coast. Desalination, but also wastewater reuse, are technologies that need to be developed on a broader scale.
- Recycling used water is a way of producing water for industrial, agricultural or domestic purposes, such as irrigation, industrial processes…
- Development of irrigation and supplemental irrigation in agriculture has a critical role in increasing food security, especially in semi arid regions since almost one third of the world’s surface is covered by that kind of area. 18% of arable land are irrigated and responsible for 40% of the world’s crop production and employ 30% of the population spread over rural areas. There is still scope for medium and small scale public, and private irrigation, especially in Africa and Islands.
I’ll take this opportunity to express two deep convictions:
1) The first is that water crisis is, most of the time, the result of deficient water governance. In small island countries, governance is highly complex. There are rights and interests linked to cultural and traditional community structures. Many economies of the Pacific continue to be dependent on external assistance for the water sector. True partnerships, by all stakeholders, must prevail. Once again, we’ll be glad to have your contribution to the Istanbul Forum and we must keep learning from the good work done at the PECC.
2) The second conviction is that water deserves bringing together our capacities and intelligence. We definitively want walls of water rather than walls of indifference and contempt. We definitively want men, women and children in any situation and from any continent to be born with an irrevocable equal right to access water, in cities and rural areas, isolated communities, island territories…
As M. Fauchon said in Mexico, water deserves tending hands, gathering hearts and merging minds.
Thank you for your attention
Pierre Victoria
The PECC work is meant to be integrated on the Istanbul Forum which title is “bridging divides for water”, as clearly stated by Loïc Fauchon, Chair of the World Water Council, in the letter he sent on June 29th, 2007, to Mr. Jacques Le Blanc. In this letter, Loïc Fauchon wrote: “I would like to thank you all for this initiative about island territories and isolated communities. Your approach because it is meant to last and it is based on the reality of this area could certainly be integrated in the preparatory process which will lead to the [5th World Water] forum [to be held in 2009 in Istanbul]”.
Loïc Fauchon added : “As you all know, the next Asia Pacific Water Summit will take place in Japan next December. The World Water Council is strongly committed in the preparation of this major event. The PECC could take this opportunity in Japan next December to present the work done until now”. [Please take a copy of this letter from Loïc Fauchon].
As Governor Alternate of the World Water Council, I am expecting the results of this PECC Seminar, since I am going to this Asia Pacific Summit in December.
Help is needed to facilitate the process forward, rallying high level political support, making the outcome be relevant to the interests of those who will be potentially involved and to link the topics of concern of various groups and regions around the world into a final document.
Island Territories, Coastal Regions and Isolated communities were almost forgotten during the Mexico Forum or at least, the Forum didn’t really focus on this issue. The World Water Council has acknowledged the vulnerability and particular need of Small Island Countries by including the “Water in Small Island Countries” theme in the Third World Water Forum. The political support given by governments since 2003 has allowed the development of the Pacific Regional Action Plan, endorsed by 18 countries.
We should keep this topic on top of the agenda for many reasons; climate change is obviously one of them. But we should not forget that access to drinking water for all is a crucial priority.
Let me first start with what appears to be the most worrying problem. Access to water and sanitation is one of the 8 commitments made by the United Nations for 2015. It is not just one of the Millennium Development Goals. On the contrary, it is the focal point of these goals, as it conditions the implementation of all the others: lowering infant mortality rate, universal primary education, promotion of women, etc.
Less than 10 years are left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to halve, by 2015, the number of people without access to water and sanitation, first step to an universal service by 2025.
Thanks to the rapid progress made by China and India, the United Nations are confident that overall targets will be met. But the message coming from people on the ground is very different. Other than in Asia, the increase in the growth of service is behind schedule. Without a shift into high gear, in particular for sanitation, the international community will not meet its commitments, especially in Africa. East Asia and the Pacific will meet the water MDG in 2014 and the Sanitation MDG in 2018; Sub Sahara Africa, completely off track, will reach the MDG in 2040 for drinking water and in 2076 for sanitation.
Political will, legal instruments, financial resources and human capacity, many of the needs of the pacific could be addressed through the implementation of Integrated Resource Water Management.
And we should admit that this topic deserves our attention.
Islands and pacific island countries are no different from other countries, in that freshwater is essential to human existence and a major requirement in agricultural production system. But the ability of these islands is constrained by the small size, fragility, vulnerability and limited human and financial resource base.
I’ll sum up some of the lessons learned from the Mexico Forum :
- In Mexico, we had the example of the Fiji. Information was lacking and the information that was collected by various government departments’ agencies was not exchanged, the coordination of monitoring was absent. It was decided to address water governance, through a specialized agency on water resources in order to coordinate information and data exchange.
- Some interesting progress were made in the region and I would like to thank the actors in the region for what they’ve achieved : Fiji, with the National Water Committee and the cross-sectoral water policy; Papua New Guinea with the National Water Association; Tuvalu, which has reviewed the plan and it includes more integrated management approaches; Samoa, with two new national water policies…
In the meantime, the Pacific is a region impacted by climate variability and the results of extreme events have a disproportional impact on small economies. Water resources on islands with limited storage are affected by climatic influences. The limited storage is also a problem, meteorological and hydrological services need to be integrated for better informed decision making and planning.
Concern is growing and no one should feel free from problems. Believe it or not, but we face the same difficulties as you in our islands in France. Some of them are confronted to scarcities.
Belle Ile en Mer is an island on the French west coast, not far from where I come from. Such a region shouldn’t have recourse (fall back on) to desalinization. For those who had their holidays ruined in the near Brittany, rainfall was a problem because of the excess, not the scarcity. But still, in 2005, Belle Ile was plagued by a water shortage after a 3 year drought ! As a consequence, local authorities decided to supply the island by a desalinization unit that was implemented this year. Rainfall changes involve uncertain collection of rainwater which is a major resource in numerous island countries; most of the time, desalination is beyond their means.
There are some lessons learned, concerns and challenges ahead. The challenges ahead are the capacity building of course, anticipation and good governance of the water business, in which all stakeholders must play a role. Identifying roles, responsibilities and linkages is crucial.
A good water policy can’t be effective without a clarification of responsibilities between public authorities, service operators and financing organisations. Good governance, above all, requires formalizing the rights and duties between the stakeholders, in particular those who consume most water: farmers. The role of the organizing authority is to continually drive the operation: there can be no efficient operator without a strong organizing authority.
As mentioned in the Guidelines for Effective Public Private Partnership published in 2007 by PECC, trust is the key word. Trust is the key word for Public Private Partnership but trust is also the key word for an effective governance in the water sector, with or without the participation of the private sector. No water users can be mobilized to save a scarce resource without trust. No fund to develop alternative water resources such as wastewater reuse or desalination can be raised without trust. Trust means a clear sharing of roles between partners involved (local authorities, constructors, lenders, operators, etc); transparency through procedures for transferring information; a strict respect of the autonomy given to the different partners, whatever their status; performance evaluation criteria.
There is, normally, no international competition to access to raw water resources, except in the case of trans-boundary rivers or aquifers. The cross-border river basins necessarily increase the economic and ecological interdependence of the states they cross, with a risk of unsustainable competition between different countries.
But competition between users take place first inside the same nation. In India competition for water is escalating in many parts of the country. Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, is a model of a water-short city extending its hydrological reach. It is completing a 230 kilometre pipe to bring water from the Cauvery River basin—one of the most water-constrained basins in India and the source of a long-running dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Competition between users is increasing in intensity. In the Pallakad district of Kerala the abstraction of groundwater by a multinational soft drink company has depleted the aquifer, dried up several wells and caused serious environmental damage. In a repeat episode on the outskirts of Mumbai, the same company has provoked protests by farmers against its water abstraction operations to serve the fast growing middle-class mineral water market in the city.
Water is a source of human interdependence. Within any country, water is a shared resource serving multiple constituencies, from the environment to agriculture, industry and households. As mentioned in the 2006 UNDP Human Development Report, water is the ultimate fugitive resource. It crosses frontiers, linking users across borders in a system of hydrological interdependence. 2 out of 3 of the world’s major rivers are shared among several countries. The Nile flows among 10 countries. Water remains a recurrent tension among countries, numerous cross-border rivers lack coordinating agencies, remaining the privilege to the countries which are upstream. But cooperation should replace competition; it is from an inter-State cooperation that river management could prove the optimum solution. Some countries are moving fast and other should be encouraged to do so.
The Nile Basin Initiative is a recent and interesting initiative. Until recently, water issues were limited to volumetric allocations between Egypt and Sudan. But the initiative now focuses on a range of benefits that can be reaped across the entire basin, from hydropower to flood control and environmental sustainability, and a Strategic Action Programme is under way to identify cooperative projects. Some donors are trying to promote the participation of civil society groups through the Nile International Discourse Desk.
Problems over water have been solved through negotiations. Throughout history, governments have found innovative and cooperative solutions to transboundary water management tensions, even in the most difficult political environments. But some problems are still worrying.
2008 is the year of sanitation. “Sanitation bombs” are thrown below the table, waiting to explode in 10 to 20 years time. Sanitation will lead to scarcity and tension. With pollution comes epidemics and if there’s an epidemic that starts in a mega city we don't know where it will stop. Sanitation bombs will strike either cities or rural communities.
In some regions and it is the case of Small Island countries, water is a far too precious resource to be used only once and then returned to nature.
- According to UNEP, 25 % of the world’s population lives within 25 kms of the coast. Desalination, but also wastewater reuse, are technologies that need to be developed on a broader scale.
- Recycling used water is a way of producing water for industrial, agricultural or domestic purposes, such as irrigation, industrial processes…
- Development of irrigation and supplemental irrigation in agriculture has a critical role in increasing food security, especially in semi arid regions since almost one third of the world’s surface is covered by that kind of area. 18% of arable land are irrigated and responsible for 40% of the world’s crop production and employ 30% of the population spread over rural areas. There is still scope for medium and small scale public, and private irrigation, especially in Africa and Islands.
I’ll take this opportunity to express two deep convictions:
1) The first is that water crisis is, most of the time, the result of deficient water governance. In small island countries, governance is highly complex. There are rights and interests linked to cultural and traditional community structures. Many economies of the Pacific continue to be dependent on external assistance for the water sector. True partnerships, by all stakeholders, must prevail. Once again, we’ll be glad to have your contribution to the Istanbul Forum and we must keep learning from the good work done at the PECC.
2) The second conviction is that water deserves bringing together our capacities and intelligence. We definitively want walls of water rather than walls of indifference and contempt. We definitively want men, women and children in any situation and from any continent to be born with an irrevocable equal right to access water, in cities and rural areas, isolated communities, island territories…
As M. Fauchon said in Mexico, water deserves tending hands, gathering hearts and merging minds.
Thank you for your attention
Pierre Victoria
Introductive address by Michel Paoletti
Introductive address by Michel Paoletti,
Chair, overseas group, Economic and Social Council, Paris
Secretay General FPPECC
PECC Bora Bora seminar, 13th of november 2007
How could I say more than, as a member of our polynesian committee, what has just said our chairman and do anything else than join him , very warmly, in his welcome to you all ? So, it was not that much in my PECC capacity that I was invited to say some words at the beginning of our seminar. It was because, as a member of the Economic and Social Council of France, I was requested to express the interesting convergence of thoughts between the PECC and our organisation.
First of all, both organisations are based on the idea that there is a need for reflexion and action beyond the political sphere, albeit in liaison with. Understanding between different groups, social classes or countries, is sometimes very simply reached by the sheer exchange of views of people looking more for sharing knowledge than power. What better example than PECC, which can rightly boast to be the instigator of APEC?
The second point is that we are presently working on the same fundamental subject. Our council issued an advice to the government in 2000 and started a new research this year on a different approach: “economic activities in relation with water”. Similarly, in 2003, the economic, social and cultural council of french polynesia, and in 2006, the regional council of new caledonia, expressed their views on the question. I hope that our work here will be an opportunity for more exchanges, and I have already a meeting with the “rapporteure” in Paris set in a fortnight.
Our focus to-day, and during our three days together, is about islands and coastal regions. I think that this is precisely where we can bring some added value to the general issue. Our environment, around here, is mainly water, but salted, the one from which and to which the cycle starts and finishes, without necessarily giving us the amount of fresh water that we need. The world has thousands of islands in all the oceans, sharing similar problems. And here in Bora Bora, we shall see what has been done to deal with water scarcity and to protect the precious environment of the island, by its Mayor. I think that you will find the visit extremely interesting and challenging. That is the reason why in Sydney, last may, during the PECC general assembly, it was decided to come to Bora Bora, as a “showcase” for dicussion, offering also a beautiful setting.
Let us be inspired by it!
Chair, overseas group, Economic and Social Council, Paris
Secretay General FPPECC
PECC Bora Bora seminar, 13th of november 2007
How could I say more than, as a member of our polynesian committee, what has just said our chairman and do anything else than join him , very warmly, in his welcome to you all ? So, it was not that much in my PECC capacity that I was invited to say some words at the beginning of our seminar. It was because, as a member of the Economic and Social Council of France, I was requested to express the interesting convergence of thoughts between the PECC and our organisation.
First of all, both organisations are based on the idea that there is a need for reflexion and action beyond the political sphere, albeit in liaison with. Understanding between different groups, social classes or countries, is sometimes very simply reached by the sheer exchange of views of people looking more for sharing knowledge than power. What better example than PECC, which can rightly boast to be the instigator of APEC?
The second point is that we are presently working on the same fundamental subject. Our council issued an advice to the government in 2000 and started a new research this year on a different approach: “economic activities in relation with water”. Similarly, in 2003, the economic, social and cultural council of french polynesia, and in 2006, the regional council of new caledonia, expressed their views on the question. I hope that our work here will be an opportunity for more exchanges, and I have already a meeting with the “rapporteure” in Paris set in a fortnight.
Our focus to-day, and during our three days together, is about islands and coastal regions. I think that this is precisely where we can bring some added value to the general issue. Our environment, around here, is mainly water, but salted, the one from which and to which the cycle starts and finishes, without necessarily giving us the amount of fresh water that we need. The world has thousands of islands in all the oceans, sharing similar problems. And here in Bora Bora, we shall see what has been done to deal with water scarcity and to protect the precious environment of the island, by its Mayor. I think that you will find the visit extremely interesting and challenging. That is the reason why in Sydney, last may, during the PECC general assembly, it was decided to come to Bora Bora, as a “showcase” for dicussion, offering also a beautiful setting.
Let us be inspired by it!
Recommendations
PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COUNCIL
PECC INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
2007-2009
Issues related to water management, in Island Territories,
Coastal Regions and Isolated Communities.
In cooperation with the World Water Council
The BORA-BORA seminar
Bora -Bora, French Polynesia
13 -15 November 2007
I Background:
At its April 2007 session in Sydney, the PECC Standing Committee, upon a proposal by France and its Pacific Territories, agreed to launch a PECC International Project on “issues related to water management in Island territories, coastal regions and isolated communities”. This project seconded by the World Water Council has immediately received a large support by member economies many of them having extended coastal territories and being confronted at different levels with issues related to water management, water quality or water scarcity.
At the global level, several questions arise from the combined effects of severe draught periods associated to climate change, uneven availability worldwide of water resources often associated with a downgrading of the quality of the resource. Water availability relies not only on the quantity of resource available but also of its quality to best fit the demand for human consumption. The current situation is critical in selected regions of the world, because the resource available cannot fit the needs both in quantity and/or quality.
The growing demand for water has become one of the most pregnant environmental issues in the PECC economies today. While climate change may be a major factor in limiting access to natural sources of water, water related crisis demand attention. These issues may create conflicts within local populations and between neighbouring economies, raising questions about rights of access to water, its appropriate cost, and priorities for its use.
Accordingly, all users (private, industrial, agricultural...) have to move towards a better use of the resource; they may have to change their habits to move towards more efficient and more secured water consumption. It is necessary to protect the resource and to look forward maintaining it at a sufficient level, by developing and making acceptable by users new technologies such as the reuse of water for agricultural and even domestic use, by strengthening the use of existing but insufficiently developed technologies such as rainwater harvesting, desalination, and by developing sound environmental practices.
Several international and regional organizations have started to cooperate on water management with PECC on the occasion of the Bora Bora seminar : the World Water Forum, the UNDP, the SOPAC (Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission) that is in charge of the coordination of regional and local water projects in the Pacific region in liaison with regional and institutional lenders such as the ADB and the AFD (Agence Française de Développement).
The Asia Pacific Water Forum (the Osaka forum), a subset of Asia/Pacific economies which plays an important role in the Pacific region in stimulating debates and discussions on water related issues, will devote a special session to water management in small islands during it annual meeting on 3,4 December 2007. Several participants in the Bora Bora seminar are invited to participate and to share their conclusions.
For all these organisations, an appropriate management of water in islands and coastal regions, interactions between fresh and salt water, preservation of water quality… are issues that are considered more and more important.
II Objective:
The purpose of this three years PECC international project is threefold:
1) Firstly, the sharing of information about the best management of clean water in island territories, coastal regions and isolated communities. Water shortage associated to the potentially negative planned effects of climate change, and its bearing on the management of the resource: identify best practices to reduce water consumption both at the individual level and at the industry/agriculture one and make best use of the cubic meter of water distributed, in particular in water stressed or water scarce regions. A large number of territories in the Asia/Pacific region already suffer from a severe water shortage; similarly, in many countries worldwide the present pace of water consumption does not permit a satisfactory timely refill of the groundwater reserve.
2) Second, the acknowledgement that water is a scarce resource and that efforts have to be made in the field of the research and development of new technologies such as:
- A more extensive use of rainwater harvesting associated with the development of efficient storage facilities at the private and public levels;
- Wastewater recycling associated with an increase in the reuse of water;
- The examination of competing desalination practices;
- The development of sound and sustainable technologies at a reasonable cost that can be met by local users with limited maintenance efforts in islands territories and isolated areas;
- The use of renewable energies such as wind, solar, wave, bio fuels when developing new water treatment plants.
3) Third, to develop a new governance in the use of water:
- Make best efforts to develop a body of common practices to guarantee the availability of the resource and its quality both for individual and industry/agriculture use, in line with the existing “Guidelines for water resources development cooperation towards sustainable water resources management” set up by the European Commission.
- Avoid potential conflict that could arise within local populations or between economies, raising questions about rights of access to water, its appropriate cost and priorities for its use (both from an economic and legal point of view).
III Structure of the project: the Bora-Bora seminar and follow up:
With a view to explore these issues and make proposals to bring forwards adapted answers, PECC in cooperation with the World Water Council and in preparation for the Fifth World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2009, has organized a first seminar in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, 15-17 November 2007.
- A second seminar, dedicated to the use of water in the mining sector will be organized in the Spring of 2008 in Noumea, New Caledonia.
- The third seminar will take place in the fall of 2008
This PECC International project will conclude with the publication of a Report to the PECC Standing committee in the Spring of 2009, in Washington DC for endorsement. The Report, an added value to the ongoing multilateral initiatives in the field, will therefore be transmitted as a PECC contribution to the work of the Fifth world Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, 16-22 March 2009.
The Bora Bora seminar gathered 40 high level experts from international organisations and public and private entities from Australia, Chile, China, FPTPECC (France, French Polynesia, French Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands), Japan, the Pacific Islands, Singapore, United States which have contributed to a very stimulating discussion to start with this three years programme.
The quality of the presentations made and the conclusions derived from the panels discussions during the Bora Bora seminar have demonstrated that the work initiated by PECC as an international PECC project with the support of the World Water Council on water management is very timely.
This first seminar has contributed to identify specific issues and has proposed avenues for future work namely in relation with the use of water in the mining industry and in identifying measures to protect the resource and avenues for developing new technologies and sound environmental practices.
Five main proposals with regard to water management in isolated and island territories have emerged from the discussion:
1) An integrated management of the resource with a better awareness is needed: some entire regions are off tracks, therefore special care is requested for isolated and islands territories. Islands and pacific islands countries are not so different from other economies in that clean water is essential to human existence and a major requirement in agriculture and industry production systems. But the ability of these islands is constraint by the small size, fragility, vulnerability and limited human and financial resource base. In the meantime, the Pacific region is impacted by climate change and potential natural disasters that may have the most severe effects on small, isolated economies.
2) Need for a better governance: water crisis is a deficiency of water governance.
-Water management deserves bringing together our forces to give an adapted response to water shortage and water quality. There are rights and interests linked to cultural and traditional community structures, true partnership by all stakeholders must prevail. There is a need for institutional perimeters of solidarity: geographical or social, or functional, or economic and to combine them whenever possible.
- A good water policy cannot be effective without a clarification of responsibilities between public authorities, service operators and financing organisations. Good governance requires formalizing the rights and duties between the stakeholders.
- Look for the development of public/private partnerships for a better management of water. Necessity to built trust between stakeholders to the Public/Private/Partnerships Process; as mentioned in the Guidelines for Effective Public Private Partnership published by PECC in 2007, trust is the key word. No water users can be mobilized to save a scarce resource without trust. No funding to develop alternative water resources such as desalination or reuse can be mobilized without trust. Trust means a clear sharing of roles between partners involved (local authorities, contractors, lenders).
- Defining the right level of governance, and eventually creating local water agencies or water committees with a subsidiary power as regard to global and common rules and principles.
3) Look for possible responses to issues arising from conflict against water use in isolated areas:
- Look forward to guarantying a safe access to clean water is a paramount; competition between users is increasing in intensity, conflicts may arise between operators and users, between public entities and private operators, between geographical, economic, or social category of users.
- Water is a source of human interdependence; water is a shared resource serving multiple constituencies (agriculture, industry, households); accordingly there are needs for increased consultation between stakeholders before a decision in the field of water management is taken, for capacity building among stakeholders to the water management.
- Building the necessary legal framework: as no specific mode of resolution of conflicts over water prevails, the best way to solve potential conflict is to prevent it by the contract, by the rules, by a strong regulation, by adequate modes of resolution of disputes i.e. by offering alternative procedure for conflicts resolution between users.
- Conceive and sign a framework agreement for water management in Islands territories, costal regions and isolated communities.
4) Avenues for limiting water scarcity and promoting access to clean water,
How to better use a scarce resource, how to control over water use/waste of water?
- Technical approaches have been identified with regard to their respective cost and efficiency: desalination practices (alternate technologies, operating /maintenance costs, cost/size of operation), the reuse of water for industry and possibly for private use under condition of acceptance by private users (water is far too precious to be used only once before returning to nature), rainwater harvesting and identification of conditions for guarantying clean water for private and public use. Developing sanitation: 2008 is the year of sanitation. The lack of sanitation will lead to increased scarcity and tension. “Sanitary bombs" as noted by Loïc Fauchon may strike either cities or rural communities. Identifying the possibility for water import from regions with high water availability to water stressed regions.
- Pricing policies have been identified as a way for limiting water scarcity: setting a differential pricing policy among users ie by setting a lower price for private consumers and having hotels/industry/agriculture paying a higher price, setting seasonal prices to keep the demand lower during dry/water stress seasons, timely limitation of access to water. Pricing policies need to better reflect the scarcity value of water and discourage depletion of groundwater.
5) Reach all consumers
- Long distances between users, steep and rugged landscape, isolated areas and islands territories make more difficult the reach of end users.
- How to reach people potentially affected by water shortage due to climate change and natural disasters.
Upon the invitation of the World Water Forum, PECC will further develop its research work in the field of water management in islands territories and isolated communities in cooperation with international and regional agencies such as the UNDP, the ADB, SOPAC and AFD and the East West Center.
Programme of the seminar, contributions and list of participants are attached
For additional information please contact the FPTPEC secretariat
Vice Chair, Professor Jean Luc Le Bideau : lebideaujeanluc@aol.com
Executive Director, Ambassador Jacques Le Blanc : jacques.leblanc@outre-mer.gouv.fr
PECC INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
2007-2009
Issues related to water management, in Island Territories,
Coastal Regions and Isolated Communities.
In cooperation with the World Water Council
The BORA-BORA seminar
Bora -Bora, French Polynesia
13 -15 November 2007
I Background:
At its April 2007 session in Sydney, the PECC Standing Committee, upon a proposal by France and its Pacific Territories, agreed to launch a PECC International Project on “issues related to water management in Island territories, coastal regions and isolated communities”. This project seconded by the World Water Council has immediately received a large support by member economies many of them having extended coastal territories and being confronted at different levels with issues related to water management, water quality or water scarcity.
At the global level, several questions arise from the combined effects of severe draught periods associated to climate change, uneven availability worldwide of water resources often associated with a downgrading of the quality of the resource. Water availability relies not only on the quantity of resource available but also of its quality to best fit the demand for human consumption. The current situation is critical in selected regions of the world, because the resource available cannot fit the needs both in quantity and/or quality.
The growing demand for water has become one of the most pregnant environmental issues in the PECC economies today. While climate change may be a major factor in limiting access to natural sources of water, water related crisis demand attention. These issues may create conflicts within local populations and between neighbouring economies, raising questions about rights of access to water, its appropriate cost, and priorities for its use.
Accordingly, all users (private, industrial, agricultural...) have to move towards a better use of the resource; they may have to change their habits to move towards more efficient and more secured water consumption. It is necessary to protect the resource and to look forward maintaining it at a sufficient level, by developing and making acceptable by users new technologies such as the reuse of water for agricultural and even domestic use, by strengthening the use of existing but insufficiently developed technologies such as rainwater harvesting, desalination, and by developing sound environmental practices.
Several international and regional organizations have started to cooperate on water management with PECC on the occasion of the Bora Bora seminar : the World Water Forum, the UNDP, the SOPAC (Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission) that is in charge of the coordination of regional and local water projects in the Pacific region in liaison with regional and institutional lenders such as the ADB and the AFD (Agence Française de Développement).
The Asia Pacific Water Forum (the Osaka forum), a subset of Asia/Pacific economies which plays an important role in the Pacific region in stimulating debates and discussions on water related issues, will devote a special session to water management in small islands during it annual meeting on 3,4 December 2007. Several participants in the Bora Bora seminar are invited to participate and to share their conclusions.
For all these organisations, an appropriate management of water in islands and coastal regions, interactions between fresh and salt water, preservation of water quality… are issues that are considered more and more important.
II Objective:
The purpose of this three years PECC international project is threefold:
1) Firstly, the sharing of information about the best management of clean water in island territories, coastal regions and isolated communities. Water shortage associated to the potentially negative planned effects of climate change, and its bearing on the management of the resource: identify best practices to reduce water consumption both at the individual level and at the industry/agriculture one and make best use of the cubic meter of water distributed, in particular in water stressed or water scarce regions. A large number of territories in the Asia/Pacific region already suffer from a severe water shortage; similarly, in many countries worldwide the present pace of water consumption does not permit a satisfactory timely refill of the groundwater reserve.
2) Second, the acknowledgement that water is a scarce resource and that efforts have to be made in the field of the research and development of new technologies such as:
- A more extensive use of rainwater harvesting associated with the development of efficient storage facilities at the private and public levels;
- Wastewater recycling associated with an increase in the reuse of water;
- The examination of competing desalination practices;
- The development of sound and sustainable technologies at a reasonable cost that can be met by local users with limited maintenance efforts in islands territories and isolated areas;
- The use of renewable energies such as wind, solar, wave, bio fuels when developing new water treatment plants.
3) Third, to develop a new governance in the use of water:
- Make best efforts to develop a body of common practices to guarantee the availability of the resource and its quality both for individual and industry/agriculture use, in line with the existing “Guidelines for water resources development cooperation towards sustainable water resources management” set up by the European Commission.
- Avoid potential conflict that could arise within local populations or between economies, raising questions about rights of access to water, its appropriate cost and priorities for its use (both from an economic and legal point of view).
III Structure of the project: the Bora-Bora seminar and follow up:
With a view to explore these issues and make proposals to bring forwards adapted answers, PECC in cooperation with the World Water Council and in preparation for the Fifth World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2009, has organized a first seminar in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, 15-17 November 2007.
- A second seminar, dedicated to the use of water in the mining sector will be organized in the Spring of 2008 in Noumea, New Caledonia.
- The third seminar will take place in the fall of 2008
This PECC International project will conclude with the publication of a Report to the PECC Standing committee in the Spring of 2009, in Washington DC for endorsement. The Report, an added value to the ongoing multilateral initiatives in the field, will therefore be transmitted as a PECC contribution to the work of the Fifth world Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, 16-22 March 2009.
The Bora Bora seminar gathered 40 high level experts from international organisations and public and private entities from Australia, Chile, China, FPTPECC (France, French Polynesia, French Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands), Japan, the Pacific Islands, Singapore, United States which have contributed to a very stimulating discussion to start with this three years programme.
The quality of the presentations made and the conclusions derived from the panels discussions during the Bora Bora seminar have demonstrated that the work initiated by PECC as an international PECC project with the support of the World Water Council on water management is very timely.
This first seminar has contributed to identify specific issues and has proposed avenues for future work namely in relation with the use of water in the mining industry and in identifying measures to protect the resource and avenues for developing new technologies and sound environmental practices.
Five main proposals with regard to water management in isolated and island territories have emerged from the discussion:
1) An integrated management of the resource with a better awareness is needed: some entire regions are off tracks, therefore special care is requested for isolated and islands territories. Islands and pacific islands countries are not so different from other economies in that clean water is essential to human existence and a major requirement in agriculture and industry production systems. But the ability of these islands is constraint by the small size, fragility, vulnerability and limited human and financial resource base. In the meantime, the Pacific region is impacted by climate change and potential natural disasters that may have the most severe effects on small, isolated economies.
2) Need for a better governance: water crisis is a deficiency of water governance.
-Water management deserves bringing together our forces to give an adapted response to water shortage and water quality. There are rights and interests linked to cultural and traditional community structures, true partnership by all stakeholders must prevail. There is a need for institutional perimeters of solidarity: geographical or social, or functional, or economic and to combine them whenever possible.
- A good water policy cannot be effective without a clarification of responsibilities between public authorities, service operators and financing organisations. Good governance requires formalizing the rights and duties between the stakeholders.
- Look for the development of public/private partnerships for a better management of water. Necessity to built trust between stakeholders to the Public/Private/Partnerships Process; as mentioned in the Guidelines for Effective Public Private Partnership published by PECC in 2007, trust is the key word. No water users can be mobilized to save a scarce resource without trust. No funding to develop alternative water resources such as desalination or reuse can be mobilized without trust. Trust means a clear sharing of roles between partners involved (local authorities, contractors, lenders).
- Defining the right level of governance, and eventually creating local water agencies or water committees with a subsidiary power as regard to global and common rules and principles.
3) Look for possible responses to issues arising from conflict against water use in isolated areas:
- Look forward to guarantying a safe access to clean water is a paramount; competition between users is increasing in intensity, conflicts may arise between operators and users, between public entities and private operators, between geographical, economic, or social category of users.
- Water is a source of human interdependence; water is a shared resource serving multiple constituencies (agriculture, industry, households); accordingly there are needs for increased consultation between stakeholders before a decision in the field of water management is taken, for capacity building among stakeholders to the water management.
- Building the necessary legal framework: as no specific mode of resolution of conflicts over water prevails, the best way to solve potential conflict is to prevent it by the contract, by the rules, by a strong regulation, by adequate modes of resolution of disputes i.e. by offering alternative procedure for conflicts resolution between users.
- Conceive and sign a framework agreement for water management in Islands territories, costal regions and isolated communities.
4) Avenues for limiting water scarcity and promoting access to clean water,
How to better use a scarce resource, how to control over water use/waste of water?
- Technical approaches have been identified with regard to their respective cost and efficiency: desalination practices (alternate technologies, operating /maintenance costs, cost/size of operation), the reuse of water for industry and possibly for private use under condition of acceptance by private users (water is far too precious to be used only once before returning to nature), rainwater harvesting and identification of conditions for guarantying clean water for private and public use. Developing sanitation: 2008 is the year of sanitation. The lack of sanitation will lead to increased scarcity and tension. “Sanitary bombs" as noted by Loïc Fauchon may strike either cities or rural communities. Identifying the possibility for water import from regions with high water availability to water stressed regions.
- Pricing policies have been identified as a way for limiting water scarcity: setting a differential pricing policy among users ie by setting a lower price for private consumers and having hotels/industry/agriculture paying a higher price, setting seasonal prices to keep the demand lower during dry/water stress seasons, timely limitation of access to water. Pricing policies need to better reflect the scarcity value of water and discourage depletion of groundwater.
5) Reach all consumers
- Long distances between users, steep and rugged landscape, isolated areas and islands territories make more difficult the reach of end users.
- How to reach people potentially affected by water shortage due to climate change and natural disasters.
Upon the invitation of the World Water Forum, PECC will further develop its research work in the field of water management in islands territories and isolated communities in cooperation with international and regional agencies such as the UNDP, the ADB, SOPAC and AFD and the East West Center.
Programme of the seminar, contributions and list of participants are attached
For additional information please contact the FPTPEC secretariat
Vice Chair, Professor Jean Luc Le Bideau : lebideaujeanluc@aol.com
Executive Director, Ambassador Jacques Le Blanc : jacques.leblanc@outre-mer.gouv.fr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
