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The International Institute for Sustainable Development (iisd) presents WATER-L NEWS
ISSUE 5 20 June to 8 July 2003
Compiled by
Richard Sherman Editor's note: Welcome to the fifth issue of WATER-L News ©, compiled by Richard Sherman <rsherman@iisd.org>. WATER-L is a collection of new articles, editorials and research updates addressing the implementation of the water-related Millennium Development Goals, the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the further implementation of Agenda 21. It is distributed exclusively to the WATER-L list every 2 to 3 weeks. If you should come across a news article or have a submission for the next issue, please send it directly to <rsherman@iisd.org>. WATER-L News © is an exclusive copyrighted publication of IISD for the WATER-L list and may not be reposted or republished to other lists/websites without the permission of IISD (you can write Kimo <kimo@iisd.org> for permission.) If you have been forwarded this issue and would like to subscribe to WATER-L, please visit <http://iisd.ca/scripts/lyris.pl?join=water-l> or contact our On-Line Assistant, Diego Noguera at <diego@iisd.org>. Funding for the production of WATER-L (part of the IISD Reporting Services annual program) has been provided by the US Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Canada (through CIDA, DFAIT and Environment Canada), the Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL), the United Kingdom (through the Department for International Development - DFID and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs - DEFRA), the European Commission (DG-ENV), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Government of Germany (through the German Federal Ministry of Environment - BMU, and the German Federal Ministry of Development Cooperation - BMZ). General Support for the Bulletin during 2003 is provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Government of Australia, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Swan International, the Japanese Ministry of Environment (through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies - IGES), the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (through the Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute - GISPRI), and the Ministry for Environment of Iceland. If you like WATER-L News, please thank them for their support. Contents1) 230 FAMILIES SET TO BENEFIT FROM $20-MILLION WATER PROJECT, Zimbabwe Herald, July 7, 2003 2) GOVT COMMITTED TO PROVIDING CLEAN WATER TO ALL: MBEKI, SABC News, July 5, 2003 3) GHANAIANS TOLD TO HARVEST RAINWATER, The Ghanaian Chronicle, July 4, 2003 4) JAPAN GRANTS $6.3 MILLION FOR WATER NETWORK UPGRADE IN JORDAN, Jordan Times, July 3, 2003 5) UNDP CONCERNED WITH MALAWI’S HEALTH INDICATORS, Nation Online, July 2, 2003 6) ANNAN URGES ACTION ON RURAL POVERTY, ENS, July 1, 2003 7) US $ 39.8 M WORLD BANK GRANT FOR WATER SANITATION PROJECT, Daily News, June 26, 2003 8) ADB STEPS UP POVERTY FIGHT IN ASIA-PACIFIC, ABS-CBN News, June 25, 2003 9) FILTERS EASE SAFE WATER ACCESS, Business Times (Dar es Salaam), June 20, 2003 10) HYDRAULIC TECHNICIANS IMPROVE IRRIGATION METHODS, Angola Press Agency (Luanda), July 7, 2003 11) NEW LAGOON TAKING SHAPE, Gulf News, July 6, 2003 12) AGREEMENT GUARANTEES SAVED RIO GRANDE WATER GOES TO U.S. ABC-7, July 5, 2003 13) CUT WATER USE OR ELSE, The Canberra Times, July 4, 2003 14) ZIMBABWE CAPITAL TO RATION WATER AS SHORTAGE LOOMS, Reuters, July 4, 2003 15) WHAT WAS NEGOTIATED ON DRINKING WATER? Times of Malta, July 4, 2003 17) PRIVATE WATER DANGEROUS - US STUDY, East African, July 2, 2003 18) BODY FORMED TO MANAGE WATER RESOURCES, Hi Pakistan,July 1, 2003 19) NAMIBIA'S POWER BATTLE, BBC, June 30, 2003 20) OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR RIGHTS TO WATER, The New Mexican, June 27, 2003 21) ADB’S STAND ON PRIVATIZATION, OTHER ISSUES, ABS-CBN News, June 26, 2003 22) NEPALIS STRUGGLE IN THE SHADOW OF DAM, BBC, June 25, 2003 23) WATER-GUZZLING COKE PLANT TRIGGERS PROTESTS IN INDIAN TOWN, One World, June 24, 2003 24) PROTESTORS POISED FOR FINAL BATTLE OVER WATER CHARGES, IC Northern Ireland, June 20, 2003 25) SAVING FISH FROM EXTINCTION, New Straits Times, July 6, 2003 26) THOUSANDS MAROONED AS FLOODS WORSEN IN BANGLADESH, AFP, July 5, 2003 28) REHABILITATING PEAT LAND TO FIGHT HAZE, New Straits Times, July 4, 2003 30) SUPERBUG CLEANS UP, iAfrica.com, July, 2003 WATER & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 33) 24 NEW SITES INSCRIBED ON WORLD HERITAGE LIST, UNESCO, July 3, 2003 36) SOUTH ASIA HOLDS THE KEY TO MILLENNIUM GOALS, IPS, July 8, 2003 37) SMALL INVESTMENTS, BIG IMPACTS, World Bank, July 7, 2003 39) THE WATER CRISIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WE MUST GET RIGHT, The Age, June 24, 2003 40) THE WORLD'S TAPS ARE RUNNING DRY, Straits Times, July, 2003 42) NORTHERN IRELAND 2002 DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 44) HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2003 45) UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR IRAQ:
1) 230 FAMILIES SET TO BENEFIT FROM $20-MILLION WATER PROJECT
Zimbabwe Herald TWO hundred and thirty families from 11 villages in the Mukwakwe area of Zvishavane are set to benefit from a $20 million water project to be commissioned today by the Canadian High Commission. The money, which was availed to the villagers through the Canadian International Development Agency's Environmental Responsive Fund in Zimbabwe, enabled the upgrading of 63 wells, 48 kitchen gardens and 69 water sinks. Part of the money will also go towards equipping the community with relevant skills to engage in income-generating projects and improved efficiency in management of natural resources. The Mukwakwe project was co-ordinated by the Zvishavane Water Project, a non-governmental organisation that supports the utilisation of underground water and the conservation of the environment using the concept of a watershed. An official in the Public Affairs department at the Canadian High Commission, Primerose Gwatidzo, said in an interview yesterday Mukwakwe was one of the biggest micro watersheds in Zvishavane consisting of eleven villages with 230 households all in agro-ecological Region 5 characterised by long dry seasons and erratic rainfall. "This area suffers from extensive land degradation and improper land utilisation, improper agricultural practices and poor yields, as well as an absence of adequate green cover and meagre biomass availability in open access areas. "Through this project, we are promoting sustainable natural resources management so that the community and its future generations can benefit and also learn to protect their environment". Canadian High Commissioner John Schram, who is today expected to commission the project, said the underground water harvesting project will change the quality of life for the people of Mukwakwe. "The current upgraded wells, kitchen gardens with diversified horticultural crops, mushroom production, gullies reclamation and the planting of fodder trees for livestock will all point to a community that is at one with its environment." He said his office would ensure that the Environmental Responsive Fund continues to support community initiatives that focus on developing affordable and environmentally sustainable sources of energy, land rehabilitation and increased awareness to combat desertification. Mukwakwe is the fourth project to be commissioned under the same fund in two months. Last month an $11 million electricity project for resettled farmers at Daiseyhill in Chipinge was handed over to the community while a $22 million water project at Maedza in Nyanga was also commissioned. The Canadian High Commissioner also handed over equipment worth $20 million to support practical subjects for girl students at Leopold Takawira School in Mvuma. 2) GOVT COMMITTED TO PROVIDING CLEAN WATER TO ALL: MBEKI SABC
News Nine million people now have access to clean tap water since the government took over in 1994. President Thabo Mbeki says government is committed to providing clean water to all its citizens by 2008. He was addressing thousands of supporters at a gala event at Mzinyathi in Inanda, north of Durban, to celebrate government's provision of water to nine million people. Mbeki says this was indicative of the policy of eradicating poverty and disease. However, some people say they can't afford the water that has been piped to their homes. Frede Nzama, a pensioner, says she can't pay for the water because she is unemployed. Ronnie Kasrils, the Water Affairs Minister, says: "If a family is really poverty stricken, they can apply for an exemption...there's policy called the indigent exemption." About 36 000 people in Umzinyathi now have 200 litres of water per household per day, but many fear once they have used most of it, it will be back to the stream. In Durban they gave thanks for water. First at the Nazareth Baptist Church and later at celebrations of the nine millionth person to switch on their first tap. The president says much more needs to be done. "The work that will be done to improve the conditions of life in this area, must continue. We have to make sure that at all times we change the lives of the people for the better." When the ANC came to power in 1994, 14 million people were without clean water. Nine years later the government has cut the numbers down to just five million people. Water is an essential commodity that many people are in dire need of, but there are other necessities like electricity. In the run up to the elections next year, most people will be focusing on whether their political parties have delivered services adequately in their communities. 3) GHANAIANS TOLD TO HARVEST RAINWATER The
Ghanaian Chronicle Mr. Kwardjo Kwarfo Apeayeh, Acting Officer In-charge of the Water Research Institute (WRI), has appealed to Ghanaians to harvest rainwater to enhance backyard gardening. He said last year, the Northern region stored rainwater in reservoirs with a total surface area of 1,200 hectares for domestic use in rural communities while the Upper East region had 222 storage reservoirs with a total surface area of 145 hectares. Mr. Apeayeh said this as part of ceremonies marking “African Renaissance Day,” which was sponsored by the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University for Development Studies (UDS) and Management of Water Resources in Northern Ghana at Tamale. It was under the theme, “Science and Technology for wealth creation - the role of livestock research and development”. Mr. Walter Kpokpi, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of UDS, urged the youths to develop their talents to promote industrialization. Mr. Kpokpi called for the judicious use of environmental resources to ensure sustainable development, saying, the country has a lot of natural resources which could be harnessed to improve the living conditions of the people. Dr. (Mrs) Joy Bruce of the Animal Research Institute said even though there were a lot of livestock in the region, the people were selling the animals for weddings and funerals. She noted that importing chicken was a factor contributing to the “killing of the livestock industry in the country”. Dr. Bruce called for regular vaccination of animals to protect them from diseases such as rabies and anthrax. Mr. Charles Bintim, Deputy Northern Regional Minister, said the government was committed to restructuring the educational system and making research institutions “centres of excellence and originators of indigenous technology.” He said it was in this direction that the government had set a target to make Ghana a middle-income country by the year 2015. The president’s special initiatives are not only aimed at creating employment for the youths but to promote export to earn foreign exchange for development. Mr. Bintim said the government was determined to make the country a pacesetter in the sub-region in the area of poverty reduction and create wealth through the application of science and technology. - GNA 4) JAPAN GRANTS $6.3 MILLION FOR WATER NETWORK UPGRADE IN JORDAN Jordan
Times AMMAN (JT) — The citizens of Zarqa will soon receive double their supply of water after the Japanese government granted financing for the second phase of the district's water network upgrade. The two-year project will be financed through a $6.3 million Japanese grant extended to the government during a signing ceremony at the Planning Ministry between Japanese Ambassador Koichi Obata and Planning Minister Bassem Awadallah. "Japan has strongly committed itself to assist Jordan's effort to alleviate poverty through improving living conditions. Today's agreement shows Japan's continuing responsibility," the ambassador said. The second phase of the project — the first of which was completed in May in Ruseifa — will focus on renovating pipelines and reservoirs in Awajan, Zarqa. Upon completion, Zarqa residents will enjoy double the amount of water when compared to their current supply and, eventually, better living standards. Japan has extended other assistance to the country, previously providing emergency assistance in the amount of $100 million at the outbreak of the war on Iraq to help relieve some of war's economic impact. 5) UNDP CONCERNED WITH MALAWI’S HEALTH INDICATORS Nation
Online United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative Zahra Nuru has expressed concern with the country’s poverty levels and poor health indicators, which he said, are among the worst in the world. Nuru said the high poverty levels in the country are manifested by acute household food insecurity especially in the month of November, December, January and February every year. She was speaking in Lilongwe when she presided over the annual induction dinner for the new president of the Lilongwe Rotary club of Lilongwe where businessman Ash Mussa took over the presidency from Aggrey Kawonga. Nuru said the effects of annual food insecurity are compounded by the HIV/Aids pandemic, which she said has reached humanitarian crisis situations. “For instance, maternal mortality rate has doubled in recent years due to HIV/Aids and stands at 1,120 per 100,000 live births. Under-five mortality rate is 189/1000 live births and is expected to rise as a result of the HIV/Aids epidemic,” she said. According to Nuru, the annual death rate of over 220 deaths everyday or 80,000 deaths per annum due to illness linked with HIV/Aids opportunistic infections is alarming. She said the problem of destitution and hunger are enormous in this country and could not be adequately and meaningfully addressed by one institution but through partnerships for resource mobilization and effective implementation of the development programmes. “It is for this reason that I fully share with the work of the Lilongwe Rotary club and many other development and charitable organizations that are seeking to ameliorate the plight of the poor including orphans in this country,” Nuru said. She said her organization will continue to assist the country to attract and use aid effectively and encourage the protection of human rights and empowerment of women. Mussa pledged to work with the government and its developing partners to deal with HIV/Aids, malaria, waterborne diseases and poverty in general which he said threatens the nation as a whole. Our nationhood is being deprived of its vital resource. We are ravaged by malaria and water borne diseases because of scarcity of potable clean water. He said Rotary Club Lilongwe mainly focuses on eradication of poverty with a focus on education and health sectors. 6) ANNAN URGES ACTION ON RURAL POVERTY ENS GENEVA, Switzerland, July 1, 2003 (ENS) - It is time for the world to stop talking about rural development and to start acting, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said at Monday's opening session of the annual meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This means altering agricultural policies and trade practices that if left unchanged will drive much of the global poor further into poverty, Annan told the UN's central body for development policy. Realizing real positive change for the world's poor "will require developed countries to allow agricultural products from developing countries to reach their markets, unimpeded by direct or disguised barriers such as subsidies," Annan said. At recent several world trade and development conferences, the world has outlined paths to aid rural development, Annan said, and the challenge now "is not to decide what to do, but rather, simply, to do it." Annan took particular aim at the Doha trade talks, which negotiators are struggling with ahead the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in September. Those talks have largely stalled, although there is belief among some that the European Union's recent announcement of agricultural reforms could help jumpstart negotiations. The program outlined in Doha is a critical step in changing the framework of world agricultural policy and "is more than just another round of trade negotiations," according to the UN Secretary General. The Doha program, he said, aims to eliminate unfair agricultural trading policies faced by the rural poor and to open markets in developed countries. But there is concern that the developed countries have stalled in their negotiations and Annan warned the success "is by no means assured." "Key deadlines have been missed," he said. "The time has come for all parties to show more flexibility, and give priority to the global interest. It is not too late to avoid a setback for economic development." Failure to act will simply contribute to a myriad of global factors making the lives of the poor "much bleaker." Some 900 million of the world's poorest people scratch out a living from agriculture and rural activities, the UN Secretary General said, and their efforts at mere subsistence survival are being hampered by unfair practices in the global economy. "They are on the frontlines of drought, desertification and environmental degradation , they are the farmers - women above all - whose hard labor is undermined by protectionism, meager infrastructure and, increasingly, the spread of AIDS," Annan said. "They are the indigenous people, herders, artisans, fishers and others, whose struggles in isolated areas all too seldom capture world attention." Adding to the challenges, the Secretary General explained, is that the world economy has yet to recover from its slowdown in 2001 and is struggling with the risk of deflation, the spread of disease, rising unemployment, overcapacity in several sectors and lingering geopolitical concerns. This impacts aid from developed countries and impedes the economic opportunities for developing countries, Annan says. More than 30 developing countries have actually seen their per capita income drop in each of the past two years, and few expect growth before the end of 2004, the UN Secretary General said. "It may not be true that 'a rising tide lifts all boats,'" Annan said. "But it is certainly true that, in bad weather, the weakest boats are the most vulnerable. The world must focus on stimulating economic growth, Annan said, but he warned that combating poverty and achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals will require much more than that. The Millennium Development Goals are targets drawn up in 2000 at the UN Millennium Summit to combat poverty, hunger, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women and to be achieved by 2015. These goals require some $100 billion a year, but commitments thus far only cover about half the required total. Success on trade policy is vital, but still not enough on its own, Annan told attendees of the ECOSOC meeting, who will meet in Geneva through July 2 to explore ways to promote an integrated approach to rural development in developing countries for poverty eradication and sustainable development. This development entails much more investment in agricultural research to develop higher yield crops, Annan said. The rural poor need assistance to develop more efficient water management, to increase non-farm employment as well as efforts to the help them secure land tenure and land reform and embrace sustainable farming practices. "All this can happen only with a real commitment to bring rural development back to the centre of the development agenda," Annan said. "Nowhere will our commitment be put to the test more than in Africa, where food insecurity and AIDS are working in vicious tandem to thwart the continent's rural development." See Also: Rural
aid key to cutting poverty, U.N. agency says, Reuters, July 1, 2003; 7) US $ 39.8 M WORLD BANK GRANT FOR WATER SANITATION PROJECT Daily
News Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with the World Bank for the second Community Water Supply & Sanitation Project at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Finance on June 24. The International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank has provided a grant of US $ 39.8 Million (approximately Rs. 3841 million) for the implementation of the Second Community Water Supply & Sanitation Project (2nd CWSSP). The total project cost is US $ 62.4 million (approximately Rs. 6021 million) which comprised of US $ 39.8 million from IDA, US $ 10.7 million (approximately Rs. 1032 million) from the Government contribution and US $ 11.9 million (Approximately Rs. 1148 million) from the local communities. The US $ 39.8 million of IDA funds can be considered as the biggest ever grant extended to Sri Lanka by the World Bank. Under this project, support will be extended to the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Programmes in the North and East, North West and the Central Provincial Councils. The Southern Province (Hambantota District) will be included to the project after a feasibility study. The development objective of the project is to increase service coverage and achieve effective and sustainable Water and Sanitation Services in rural communities. This objective will be achieved through (a) Implementing demand responsive and sustainable Rural Water Supply & Sanitation Services, providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to the rural communities and (b) Strengthening capacities of key stakeholder of central and local governments, communities and partner organizations, to deliver and manage sustainable water supply and sanitation services. Major benefits of the project are: (i) time savings in accessing water supply for drinking and domestic purposes (ii) public health benefits from improved water services, increased sanitation coverage and improved hygiene practices; (iii) more equitable sustainable and transparent framework for government assistance in this sector and (iv) strengthened private and public sector stakeholder leading to improved and more efficient service delivery. In this function, W.D. Ailapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Housing & Plantation Infrastructure said "This project is aimed at supplying safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to around 1000 villages, 12 small towns and selected estates, within the three provinces, during project period of 6 years commencing from July 2003. This project is unique in many ways. The methodology applied to this project had been tested during the implementation of the First Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (1st CWSSP) and found to be very successful. The first pilot project has been rated as the 'Best Practice' and 'Well Managed' project by the World Bank among 200 similar projects in the world. In the process of implementation, need and the demand of the communities are catered through a mobilisation mechanism leading to an emergence of a Community Based Organisation, which will take the total responsibility of planning, designing and construction of water supply and sanitation facilities. More importantly, the responsibility of operation and maintenance of the facilities constructed will be undertaken by the beneficiary organisation, relieving the Government and the Local Authorities of heavy burden." The Project Agreement was signed on Tuesday in Colombo by Peter Harrold, Country Director of the World Bank and Charitha Ratwatte, Secretary, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the World Bank and the Sri Lanka respectively. The grant agreement worth of US $ 39.8 million for the second phase of the Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP) was signed at the Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday. 8) ADB STEPS UP POVERTY FIGHT IN ASIA-PACIFIC ABS-CBN
News The Asian Development Bank (ADB) created and strengthened bilateral and multilateral partnerships in 2002 as it stepped up the fight against poverty in the Asia and Pacific region, according to ADB's Annual Report 2002 released Wednesday. Last year saw increases in the amounts of both lending and technical assistance grants over the previous year, a doubling of cofinancing mobilized, new partnerships forged with ADB’s developing member countries (DMCS), the private sector, and other international institutions. From its own resources, ADB lent $5,676 million for 71 public and private sector projects in 2002, representing a 6.3-percent increase from the lending level in 2001, says the Annual Report. Of the total lending, 71 percent came from its ordinary capital resources (OCR) and the rest from donors’ contributions to ADB’s Asian Development Fund -- the only multilateral source of concessional assistance dedicated exclusively to the needs of Asia and Pacific. Transport and communications projects amounted to $1,613 million, dominating lending. By country, India was the largest borrower, receiving about $1,184 million or 21 percent of the total. Poverty intervention amounted to $2,327 million for 38 projects or 41 percent of total lending. ADB was also able to mobilize additional resources for 38 loan projects totalling $2,851 million -- about 50 percent of its total lending -- through cofinancing arrangements with commercial sources, including export credits, $2,097 million; and with official sources, $754 million. Total cofinancing mobilized in 2001 more than doubled in 2002 -- the sixth consecutive year in which additional resources were arranged for more than 40 percent of ADB loan projects due to intensified cofinancing efforts. ADB was also partnered with the private sector in 2002, providing $145 million for four loans in the water, health, and energy sectors; $36 million in four equity investments; and $60 million for two political risk guarantees. Technical assistance totaled $179 million for 324 projects in 2002, up by 23 percent from 2001, to prepare projects and provide advisory services to ADB developing member-countries. Of the total amount for technical assistance, $56 million came from OCR current income; $46.7 million from the Technical Assistance Special Fund; $36.4 million from the Japan Special Fund; $9.6 million from the Asian Currency Crisis Support Facility; and the remaining $30.3 million from multilateral and bilateral sources. 9) FILTERS EASE SAFE WATER ACCESS
Business Times (Dar es Salaam) ACCESS to safe drinking water is essential for addressing poverty and health problems. But, experience has shown that a great majority of the people in Tanzania have limited access to clean water for domestic use, as well as adequate sanitation. This is where a high quality and low-cost drinking water filter jointly developed by Merrywater Limited of Dar es Salaam and Katadyn of Switzerland comes in. One advantage of the device - called Filta Poa - is that no chemicals are involved in filtering water. In addition, with its new water filtration technique, there is no longer the need to boil the water! 'Filta Poa' is, therefore, environment-friendly and, as such, is a way of reducing deforestation since boiling water before filtration requires a high consumption of charcoal or firewood. An educational and promotional campaign for the product was launched in Dar es Salaam early this week, and will continue in various places in the city until next month. One aim of the campaign - launched by Merrywater and DED, the German Development Services - is to raise people's awareness about the importance of safe drinking water for their health. That gives the population an opportunity to access safe and clean water by offering them low-cost filters. The exercise includes distributing educational materials. Members of staff are available to explain the importance of clean drinking water to people. "Our products span equipment for domestic use to large and highly technical industrial water treatment plants," said Henrik Nielsen, resident manager in Tanzania of Merrywater Limited. According to Nielsen, Filta Poa filters about 20 litres of drinking water a day. The filter can last for about two years. Merrywater has been supplying filters to food and beverage factories, hotels, camps, hospitals and dispensaries. 'Filta Poa' is a Swiss product manufactured by Katadyn. Merrywater have been representing Katadyn in Tanzania for the past 11 years. Apart from being tested at various institutions and Universities in the US, Switzerland, Germany and other countries, the filter was also tested in Tanzania by the ministry of water at its laboratory. Existing data on the incidence of water-borne disease - such as cholera, typhus, dysentery and worms - as well as other water-related diseases, indicate that these are mostly prevalent where people use contaminated water, or have little water for daily use. According to the ministry of water and livestock development, such diseases account for over a half of the diseases affecting urban populations, and more than 80 per cent of Tanzania's rural population. Although publicly-distributed water is treated at the point of intake, it is still difficult to guarantee drinking water quality at the point of use. According to the World Health Organisation, 85 per cent of all sicknesses in sub-Saharan Africa are caused by contaminated water. 10) HYDRAULIC TECHNICIANS IMPROVE IRRIGATION METHODS Angola
Press Agency (Luanda) Technicians from the National Department of Hydraulics and Rural Engineering are attending since June 30 in Luanda a training programme aimed at equipping them with better skills in water development and improved farming techniques. The seminar, organised by the National Department of Hydraulics and Rural Engineering in partnership with the Institute of Agrarian Development (IDA) also expects to promote production through the application of new irrigation technologies. Attending the first course of its kind in the country are staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) who work in irrigated environments and from national NGO's. Being taught in the course are subjects such as water potential in Angola, selection criteria of watering system, hydric needs and water planning. Sprinkling, superficial and located irrigation methods, as well as organisation and management of water distribution systems are also topics for the programme. This training programme closing on Friday has as presenters two lecturers from the Polytechnic University of Catalunha, Spain. The lecturers have a large experience in the implementation of watering projects in Spain and in developing countries. Gulf
News In its efforts to offer a healthy environment, to eliminate sewage water and harness rain water, Dubai Municipality is constructing several drainage projects throughout the city. One of the main projects, which is now under construction, is a huge lagoon in Ghusais at a cost of Dh60 million, said Farid Saadi, Assistant Director of the Drainage and Irrigation Department. The lagoon will cover 20,000 square metres. This is a part of the municipality's aim to protect roads and installations from being flooded by rain water. The drainage network will get rid of this water. Saadi, who is also head of the Drainage Development and Control Section, said the areas where the lagoon will come up, was earlier a wasteland. When the municipality finishes constructing the new rainwater drainage system, the lagoon will be filled with water. Around the lagoon there will be artificial fountains, footpaths and an area for sports. The project is expected to be ready in the next two months. Another lagoon to gather rain water is under construction near Dubai Women's College and a water pump station will be built next to it at a cost of Dh62 million. It will be ready this year. As part of this project, the municipality will build 5.7 km of pipelines to drain water. Pipelines connecting houses will be 1.6km long. There will be also pipelines for underground water measuring 10km. Lines to pump rain water will stretch 4km, from Ghusais to Al Hamriyah Port. The municipality is also constructing a drainage network in Al Tawar to be connected to the main sewage water treatment plant in Ghusais. The length of the pipe is 60 km. In addition to that there will be pipes for rainwater and underground water. The cost of the project is Dh62 million and is expected to be ready by the end of this year, he said. He added that the municipality has planned to build a comprehensive drainage network. The existing main Sewage Water Treatment plant caters to several industrial and residential areas such as Ghusais Nos 1, 2, 3, 5. Al Tawar, Al Muhaisnah Nos 1, 2, Mizher Nos 1, 2 in addition to Al Khawaneej. These areas will also have drainage networks. 12) AGREEMENT GUARANTEES SAVED RIO GRANDE WATER GOES TO U.S. ABC-7 In an agreement signed in El Paso on Thursday, Mexico has guaranteed that a third of the water conserved by irrigation projects in the state of Chihuahua will be sent to American farmers. Sally Spener, a spokeswoman for the International Boundary and Water Commission, said that Minute 309 followed through on last summer's Minute 308, in which Mexico agreed to transfer 90,000 acre feet of water from Falcon Lake reservoir to the U.S. She said Thursday's agreement also allows for U.S. inspections of the projects. Both pacts are amendments to a 1944 water sharing treaty stipulating that the U.S. and Mexico share water from the Rio Grande and Colorado River. Mexico has not been meeting its commitment to send the U.S. 350,000 acre feet annually and now owes the U.S. 1.4 million acre feet. An acre foot is enough to flood an acre of land a foot deep. South Texas farmers were outraged to hear the June 2002 agreement also called for millions of dollars to be sent to Mexico to better irrigation systems. The $40 million in funds were to come from the North American Development Bank, a binational fund. NADBank recently announced recipients for the U.S.'s matching $40 million, which is being divided among a long list of cities, irrigation districts and other entities in Texas. California, Arizona and New Mexico.Mexico is expected to be able to send the U.S. 107,014 acre feet of saved water annually once the projects are completed in about three years, Spener said, which is about a third of the 321,043 acre feet engineers expect their project to conserve. That complies with treaty language saying that a third of the water from the Rio Grande tributaries in Chihuahua, including the Conchos River, belong to the U.S. But releases of saved water may start as early as January, Spener said. "What this does is enhance Mexico's ability to deliver the water that is required under the treaty," she said. State Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, reached at her home late Thursday afternoon, said she was "cautiously optimistic" about the news. "We keep waiting and I think that the reason we got this far is because we refused to budge until they gave us something," she said. She said she was concerned that there was still no plan to pay back the debt. "It's as though it's this large elephant in the room that no one's looking at," she said. A Texas A&M study concluded that the lack of water is costing the Rio Grande Valley and its farmers $1 billion. Congress last fall authorized $10 million in relief for South Texas farmers, but Combs said that was only a drop in the bucket. "It's about $21 an acre for the farmer when they've all lost about $275 an acre," she said. "So it's really not getting them a lot." Citrus farmer Jimmie Steidinger agreed, quickly calculating that his share of the saved water would at best allow him to water five acres. "It's just a thing to give them a little bit and hope they shut up, if you ask me," he said. "I want to be neighbors but what it comes down to is killing the growers in the Valley." The
Canberra Times The ACT will have to cut its water use by 25 per cent by 2023 to avoid running out and having to pay for a new dam. And a crucial part of the Government's draft policy for sustainable water management, announced yesterday by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, will be the increased use of treated effluent on Canberra's parks, as well as higher prices, new technology and tighter development regimes. The policy sets targets, with the means to reach them expected to be detailed in the final version in September. "While these targets are challenging, they are technically feasible, they can be achieved at reasonable cost and they need not diminish the quality of life of ACT residents or detract from the look of the city," Mr Stanhope said. He said the policy was needed because the ACT was facing a water crisis, with its dams only 43 per cent full, and only half of that useable because of the bushfires. This meant Actew was looking at building a $40-$50 million filtration system. "This is a wake-up signal for the whole community that we can't go on behaving in relation to water in the way that we traditionally have. It is simply not sustainable. We can't do it, we'll run out," he said. The policy aims for a 12 per cent drop in per capita use of potable water over the next 10 years, and a 25 per cent reduction by 2023. It also seeks to increase the proportion of treated effluent that was reused to 20 per cent by 2013. At present, only 5 per cent of the 85 to 90 megalitres a day discharged from the Lower Molonglo Treatment Plant is reused. The rest goes into the Molonglo River. Most of this reused water is used by a vineyard and golf course near the Holt plant. Actew said it would be expensive to pipe the water elsewhere, although the exact cost would depend on where it went. Mr Stanhope said infrastructure to allow this to happen needed to be built, although more needed to be done around the home to use more grey water. He again flagged higher water prices as a means of encouraging people to use less of the scarce resource, and requiring water-efficient or recycling appliances in new developments. The rebate for using a water-efficient shower head would return, he said. He said even without the problems caused by the drought and bushfires, the ACT's water supply would only meet demand until about 2020 on current projections. This meant the ACT either needed more water, or to use what it had more efficiently. "Water infrastructure is extremely expensive. It takes a long time to build, and its social, economic and environmental costs can be significant," he said. The Government did not want to build a new dam, and was confident that if the goals set out in the draft water use policy were met, it would not need to. He was hopeful the community would respond and treat water as the finite resource it was. "We can manage but we have some hard yards to do in order to ensure that we have sufficient water for the community over this next summer," he said. The strategy suggests looking into options other than a dam, such as using the Cotter Dam more effectively. The draft policy is available at www.sustainability.act.gov.au/pdf/water_policy.pdf 14) ZIMBABWE CAPITAL TO RATION WATER AS SHORTAGE LOOMS
Reuters HARARE — Zimbabwe's capital city will start rationing scarce water supplies in a move likely to hit industries already grappling with a harsh economic climate, the official Herald newspaper reported on Thursday. At least 400 companies have ceased operations over the past two years, as the southern African country grapples with a severe economic crisis blamed on President Robert Mugabe. The Herald quoted Harare's acting chief engineer Lovemore Mulanda as saying the city council would limit consumers to 13 cubic meters of water a month to sustain dam levels, currently at 60 percent of capacity. "We are anticipating problems during the hot season, when temperatures and evaporation would be high," Mulanda told the paper. Council officials were not immediately available for comment on Thursday. Harare's city's water-treatment pump, currently operating below capacity due to lack of money for refurbishment, was only pumping about two-thirds the total water needed to supply the capital and neighboring towns. Water rationing would heighten the woes of firms already struggling with shortages of currency to import raw materials as well as diesel and electricity to operate machinery. Nearly half of Zimbabwe's 14 million people face food shortages; inflation has shot to 300 percent, one of the highest rates in the world; and unemployment is estimated at above 70 percent and rising as companies close. Mugabe, 79 and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, denies responsibility for the country's economic problems, which he blames on sabotage by local and international opponents angry about his seizure of white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks. 15) WHAT WAS NEGOTIATED ON DRINKING WATER? Times
of Malta The EU has high standards on the quality of drinking water that aim at reducing the levels of dangerous substances, such as lead and nitrates. On this law, Malta negotiated a transition period until the end of 2005 to take the necessary action to reach targets on nitrates and fluoride. Malta had originally also requested a similar period to reduce conductivity, chloride, sodium, sulphate and iron. However this request was dropped because EU standards on these substances are indicative and not compulsory. However, Malta will still reach targets for conductivity, chloride, sodium and sulphate by the end of 2006 and for iron by the end of 2007. Malta is already in line with EU standards on microbiological agents in water. For other substances, such as lead, Malta will come into line by accession. 16) EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD CONVENE TO DISCUSS WAR, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Berkeley University BERKELEY – Kazim Niaz, a Pakistani who has worked with Afghan refugees the past two years, has come to the University of California, Berkeley, this summer to shed light on how war and political turmoil impact the environment. "An Afghan woman whose husband died during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan told me that when she doesn't have enough kerosene, she's going to burn branches from trees to keep her five children warm," said Niaz, who worked as the deputy field coordinator in Pakistan for the New York-based International Rescue Committee. "It's a natural thing to do, but over the decades, this has contributed to a significant problem of deforestation in Pakistan." Niaz is one of 40 participants in the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program, which brings together environmentalists and policy makers from around the world to tackle the problems of natural resource management. He will be sharing his experiences with participants from other regions experiencing such challenges as political instability, land and water degradation, or devastating poverty. The three-week summer program, which has just begun its third year and will run until July 20, was established at the campus's Center for Sustainable Resource Development with a $1 million gift from UC Berkeley alumni Richard and Carolyn Beahrs. Additional funding has been provided by grants from various foundations and some private donations. "We're providing a forum where people from disparate regions can learn from each other at the same time they are exposed to top-of-the-line research in natural resources management," said David Zilberman, co-director of the center, which is based at the College of Natural Resources. "The goal of this program is to create a network of global leaders and to foster international collaboration. It is naïve to think that the problems of one country do not relate to or affect other countries." For instance, figures from a government agency in Pakistan say the Afghan refugees are contributing to the country's deforestation at a rate of 17,000 to 22,000 acres per year. "This is not commercial logging, it's happening tree by tree as refugees use the wood for fuel," said Niaz. "Refugees are more focused on survival. They're not thinking of how their use of natural resources impacts the land in the long-term." Niaz said that while there has been renewed interest in the plight of the refugees after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, he fears that the attention will be short-lived. There was a massive repatriation of 1.5 million refugees back to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban and after Hamid Karzai became president. But Niaz is concerned that continued instability in the new Afghan government will lead to a new influx of refugees, adding to the current population of at least 1.5 million refugees in Pakistan and further straining the country's natural resources. There are already signs of a reverse migration, with 300,000 Afghan refugees coming back to Pakistan since late 2002, said Niaz. What Niaz expects to gain from the Beahrs program are skills in planning and management to support the refugee population in an environmentally sustainable way. This includes how to build a water supply infrastructure so refugees do not need to use water directly from manmade ponds that are shared with native animals, which increases the risk for water-borne diseases. He also hopes to learn ways of improving coordination among international relief agencies and with the local government in Pakistan. Abou Bamba, coordinator of the Network for Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa and another Beahrs participant, is also struggling with how best to protect his country's environment in the face of poverty and turmoil. "It's very complex to explain to our people the conservation of some resources while they are starving," he said. And just as regional conflicts can lead to strains on natural resources, the lack of resources can impact regional stability, according to Mutuso Dhliwayo, executive director of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association. He expects to learn how the management of shared resources can be resolved through laws, policies and regulations relating to their management. 17) PRIVATE WATER DANGEROUS - US STUDY East
African DEVELOPING countries keen to privatise national water systems could be walking into a morass of danger, a US-based international think-tank on development studies has warned. Although certain types of privatisation can help water utilities to become more efficient or provide water to those in the developing world who currently lack basic services, there are a host of dangers, the Pacific Institute says in a new report, The New Economy of Water: The Risks and Benefits of Globalisation and Privatisation of Fresh Water. Water privatisation efforts have been growing rapidly both in the United States and abroad, but public understanding and oversight of these deals lags far behind. Water privatisation must be subject to much stronger public scrutiny," emphasised Dr Peter H. Gleick, a lead author of the report and a director of the Pacific Institute. "There is little doubt that the headlong rush to private markets has failed to address some of the most critical issues and concerns about water," stated Dr Gleick. "How can we protect the world's poorest people, how can we ensure that the environment gets a fair share, how can water quality be protected for future generations? All of these questions must be answered before we move forward with more privatisation." The caution comes at a time when Kenya and Tanzania, at the behest of the World Bank, have stepped up efforts to privatise water services. While Eldoret, Nyeri and Malindi have established their own water companies in Kenya, Tanzania has enacted the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority Act as part of its efforts to privatise provision of water. Kenya's Water Development Minister Martha Karua says a Water Services Regulatory Board will soon be set up to reform the water and sewerage sector, with consumers complaining of inadequate, poor and unregulated water services. Private water service providers, including companies set up by municipal and local councils, will be appointed via a tendering system, since councils have proved to be incapable of providing clean and reliable water. The report says privatisation may bypass under-represented communities and worsen inequities in the distribution of water, especially in the poorest nations. Privatisation agreements may discourage efficiency and conservation efforts and they may fail to protect important natural resources. The complexity of water privatisation deals often means that many governments do not fully understand the consequences of turning over control of public water systems until it is too late. "Governments must establish clear guidelines that ensure fair access to water regardless of income, protect the environment, ensure transparency and include affected parties in decision-making efforts. Water is far too important to human health and the health of our natural world to be placed entirely in the private sector," said Dr Gleick. 18) BODY FORMED TO MANAGE WATER RESOURCES Hi
Pakistan ISLAMABAD: After getting the World Bank's support for institutional reforms in water resources management, the government has decided to establish a federal apex body to discipline water resources management. This was decided on Friday at a meeting on "Public Expenditure Management: accelerated development of water resources and irrigated agriculture". Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao chaired the meeting. It was also decided that the provincial commitment to projects carried out through Public Sector Development Programme would be mandatory, as financial relationship between the centre and the provinces needs more focus. The meeting was informed that the National Water Policy would be presented to the cabinet after all the identified issues are addressed. A special cell would be formed within the Ministry of Water and Power to help conduct feasibility studies of small dams. The document prepared by World Bank identifies five major areas for investment - storage, drainage, new canals, rehabilitation and modernization, and on-farm water management. The document envisages a five-year plan for investment of Rs 252 billion. The minister for water and power directed the provinces to expedite their comments on the document. Only Punjab has commented on the document. World Bank's Water Resources Specialist, Walter Garvey, noted with satisfaction that the government is pursuing a long-term integrated strategy. "Major investment on development of water resources signals focus on investment in this sector," Garvey observed. He said World Bank is ready to support institutional reforms in water sector and shall help to carry out feasibility studies of storage sites. He observed that Pakistan has remarkable achievements in developing water resources in the last 40 years, but cautioned the next 40 years need a different strategy keeping in view increasing population and depleting water resources. He emphasised to mobilise best talent to achieve document's goals and learn from success stories of Brazil, Portugal, United States, Australia and India. There was consensus to develop water resources other than the Indus Basin. WAPDA representative informed that "Vision - 2025" is focusing on developing water resources that includes Indus Basin, areas of Balochistan and NWFP. The meeting stressed the need to rehabilitate existing irrigation assets and improve ground water level through conservation. It was noted that the results of small dams are encouraging, as it has improved ground water situation. Area Water Boards and farmers organisations are being created that would help collect water rates (aabiana). World Bank officials, provincial irrigation and power secretaries, representatives of Finance Division, Planning Commission, Economic Affairs Division, Indus River System Authority and WAPDA attended the meeting. See Also: WB
Refuses Funds For Any Vision 2025 Project, Hi Pakistan, July, 2003; BBC The proposed building of a massive dam to supply electricity for Namibia has met with fierce resistance from both environmental groups and local tribes. The proposed Epupa dam project - to be built on the Kunene river in the north-west of the country - would dramatically alter the environment by flooding a vast expanse of the region. Although this would require long-settled tribes to be moved and destroy the beautiful Epupa valley, government officials in the country's capital Windhoek defend the dam almost as a matter of national pride. "The government has got a responsibility to develop this country," Pete Haines, the director of resource management at Namibia's ministry of agriculture, water and rural development, told BBC World Service's Politics Of Water programme. "It will also take measures in the national interest to make sure that this development can take place." HUGE CAPACITY The Epupa dam project is particularly suited to hydropower because of the steep gradient of the Kunene to the coast, Mr Haines adds. In a single day, enough water flows down the Kunene river to supply Windhoek for a year. The project is necessary, contends John Langford of NamPower - which generates and supplies the country's energy - because the surplus from South Africa on which the country currently depends will shortly run out. "By about 2012-2013, they will run out of base load capacity in South Africa and that of course will cause the electricity prices to rise sharply," Mr Langford says. "If you've got cheap energy, that's also a very key driver to getting investments into your country - so I think it's a very, very important development for Namibia." If the dam goes ahead, it will be massive - the reservoir will have a capacity of seven and a half thousand million cubic metres, will be 80 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide at its broadest strip. "For tourism, you would have created something like 13 islands, and you could have established quite a good fishing industry in this reservoir as well," Mr Langford stresses. But he adds a consequence will be the destruction of 80 kilometres of river and forest - which are the livelihood of the local Himba people. "They're nomads farming with cattle and they utilise the river and forest next to the river to see them through the dry period," Mr Langford says. 'IRREVERSIBLE DESERTIFICATION' It is this widespread destruction - near Namibia's boarder with Angola - that is proving so controversial. "It's such beautiful scenery and it's our heritage, so what do we tell our children?" asks Bertchen Kohrs, chairperson of pressure group Earthlife Namibia. "Our main concern is development and environment. It is said that round about 6,000 palm trees grow there, very specific palm trees and the nuts which are called the Omuranga nuts are used by the Himbas as an important source of nutrition, especially in times of drought. "And then of course 380 square kilometres of grazing land would be lost, meaning that the area surrounding will be over-grazed in a short time. "That leads to erosion and definitely to desertification, which is irreversible." Although the Himba are officially classed as nomadic, many of the villagers and the rest of the tribe and their animals have been close to the same spot for decades. Most of them are aware of the prospects of the dam and are opposed to it. "This is the land where we are grazing our animals and where our graves are," the Himba's chief, Capicka, told Politics Of Water. "[The government] know very well that this place is not for them; this is for the Himba people." He adds that building the dam will cause the river to die. "God created the Himba to stay near to the Kunene River so that they can graze their cattle there, and so that they can take the water out of the river of Kunene," he says. "The dam at Epupa will not be built while I am still alive, while I am still speaking." AIDS FEARS But Peter Haines argues that it is wrong to say people's livelihoods would be destroyed. "The guy who now lives 10 metres from the river in his hut - if the dam is built he can still live 10 metres from the edge of the water, but just at another place," he says. Mr Haines believes ultimately the Kunene river project will benefit the Himba. "The government provides schools for those people; they provide clinics. They want to supply them with electricity; they want to give those people access to communication and they want to see them as fully integrated citizens of this country. "So I can't agree with you that our government is there to deny these people anything or to wreck their living conditions." The proposed project has, however, brought other issues to light, too - including one of the biggest problems in the whole region, Aids. A NamPower study found that the prevalence of the virus amongst the Himba was much lower than in the rest of Namibia. But there are fears that the influx of construction workers who would be brought in with the building of the dam would massively change that. "If the project was to go ahead, one would have had to go to school the Himba people on the bad effects of Aids and what would happen if they had sexual relations with some of the construction workers," NamPower's John Langford says. Meanwhile, the Earthlife Namibia has proposed alternatives to the Kunene river dam, claiming they would cost a quarter of the price of the government's big scheme. "We feel that the alternative of the Ecuudo gas plant should have been studied in detail," Mr Kohrs says. And he believes research into solar power could have proved particularly important. "Obviously in a country like this, we have 360 days of sun per year and that has not been done at all." 20) OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR RIGHTS TO WATER The
New Mexican Faced with a sluggish response to its standing offer to purchase private water rights along the Pecos River, the state has again pushed back its deadline for owners to offer their property for sale. John D'Antonio, New Mexico state engineer, and Estevan Lopez, New Mexico interstate stream engineer, said Thursday the deadline for private owners to offer to sell land and associated water rights to the state is now July 31.The state advertised early this year seeking willing sellers along the Pecos River in an effort to increase water deliveries to Texas. The state ultimately intends to purchase 18,000 acres and associated water rights. Without the program to purchase water rights to augment the river flow, state officials estimate New Mexico will fall 17,000 acre-feet short of its delivery obligation to Texas this year. A shortfall in deliveries to Texas could trigger either a state priority call, in which entities with junior water rights are cut off completely, or a possible federal takeover of the river. Either way, officials say the result would be economically devastating. The state needs to acquire at least 7,500 acres of land and associated water rights around Roswell and 4,500 acres around Carlsbad this year to consummate a settlement between irrigation districts on the river and increase deliveries to Texas. D'Antonio and Lopez said they have not received offers from private sellers covering the total amount of land the state needs for the settlement. But prospective sellers have expressed more interest recently in the state's purchase program, they said. "It's at least very encouraging that some additional offers have come forward," Lopez said. "We still haven't gotten enough offers to implement the settlement, but we've gotten much closer than before." The state hasn't reviewed the offers to see how many would be acceptable, Lopez said, so the state isn't sure how much more land and water it needs. The state has authorized spending up to $70 million on the land and water-rights acquisition on the Pecos River. The state has retained appraisers to look at offers. "I anticipate it's going to be a number of months to go through those," Lopez said. "It's going to be a tight time frame." Offers from willing sellers have priced their land and water rights higher than the state expected, D'Antonio said. He couldn't say how much the average offer amounts to, either per acre or per acre-foot of water. Once the state acquires the land and water rights, it intends to stop irrigating the land and pump water into the river to increase the state-line delivery. The state hopes flows in the river will remain higher without the pumping. "The acquisition of land and water rights is something that will bring the river into balance over a good number of years,' D'Antonio said. New Mexico is under a standing order of the U.S. Supreme Court not to fall short on its deliveries to Texas. There's no set amount of water due. A federal water master calculates the amount New Mexico owes Texas each year using a formula that considers weather conditions and river flows. In calculating New Mexico's obligation, the river master uses a rolling, three-year average. The current, three-year dry spell makes New Mexico's position especially hard, state officials said. The situation is so bad this year that a possible underdelivery to Texas could result, Lopez said. "We're in as bad a situation as we've been in relative to making our deliveries overall," he said. Against the possibility that New Mexico falls short, D'Antonio said his office is developing procedures for administering a priority call on the Pecos River. "There are some water-banking rules and some priority administration rules that will be coming out," he said. 21) ADB’S STAND ON PRIVATIZATION, OTHER ISSUES ABS-CBN
News Following is the Asian Development Bank’s response to the main issues raised by labor and civil society representatives, who rallied outside the ADB headquarters on Monday. ADB and privatization: ADB assists its developing member countries in privatizing public-sector enterprises where such action is determined to be economically viable, technically and financially feasible, and socially desirable. When privatization is used, ADB policy calls for mitigation of the social costs involved and the protection of the interests of those directly affected by privatization. Involvement of local residents and NGOs in ADB projects: ADB regularly consults with those residing in areas considered for a project before loans are approved. In many instances, ADB engages NGOs to serve as bridges between project authorities and local communities, provide structures for citizen participation and help ensure the implementation of projects in ways that respond to local needs. ADB is working closely with NGOs to clean up the Pasig River, support renewable-energy development in Negros Occidental and improve community infrastructure and basic services in 23 communities around Metro Manila. ADB has collaborated with community-based organizations to improve the living conditions of forest-dwellers, fisherfolk and agrarian reform communities, and to create sustainable microcredit operations and microfinance institutions. ADB is proud to have developed a close working relationship with these grassroots organizations and looks upon them as key partners for ADB’s future operations in the country. ADB support to power-sector reform: ADB’s Power Sector Restructuring Program supports government initiatives to create competitive-electricity markets, initiatives that hopefully will lead to lower electricity prices for consumers, and restore the financial sustainability of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) prior to privatization. Any labor rationalization related to the sale of state-owned enterprises in the Philippines would be carried out in a way protecting the interests of workers. Reform of the power sector is aimed at ensuring the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the country’s electricity supply. In order to create a competitive power-supply market, a number of power generating plants, owned by Napocor, will be privatized so they can bid in the wholesale electricity-spot market. The ownership of Napocor’s transmission assets will remain in the public sector with a qualified private sector concessionaire as operator. These measures would help to lower electricity tariffs in the medium and long term and to expand electricity supply to rural areas. Because the privatization process remains incomplete, consumers have not yet seen the benefits of competition. Current high prices may also be attributed in part to oversupply caused by the impact of the Asian financial crisis on power demand and the subsequent economic slow down. Water tariffs and future water demand: Manila’s water sources can barely meet current demand, let alone connect additional customers. This requires the development of new water sources, which most likely cannot be accomplished with public resources alone given the government’s budgetary situation. Water provided from additional sources will not only ensure improved and sustainable service delivery for existing customers, but will also enable extension of service coverage, particularly benefiting the urban poor. In 1999 ADB approved loans to the Maynilad Water Services Inc. to help finance, develop, operate and maintain facilities in the West Zone of the service area of Manila’s Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). However, the loan documents were never signed and, therefore, ADB did not make any loan disbursement to Maynilad. As ADB is not a creditor of Maynilad, it is not involved in the discussions between Maynilad and the government and its existing lenders. The Philippines’ debt portfolio: The Philippines’ present indebtedness to ADB is around $3.2 billion, equivalent to about just 6% of the country’s total external debt. Although this share may be small, ADB has worked closely with the government over the past 18 months in intensive efforts to streamline the portfolio. ADB’s most recent joint-portfolio review with the government identified about $300 million for possible cancellation in 2003. 22) NEPALIS STRUGGLE IN THE SHADOW OF DAM BBC Proposals to limit the impact of the building of Nepal's largest hydropower project in the Kaligandaki river, in the mid-west of the country, have failed, according to researchers. A number of schemes were proposed in order to reduce the damage the dam would cause to both the area's indigenous people and the environment. They include new houses, economic compensation, and safeguards for fish stocks. But now the dam has been constructed, very few of these proposals have seen the light of day, critics say. "Even if you look at the Asian Development Bank's own policies towards indigenous peoples, what these people are supposed to get is land, construction of their houses, facilities, and also resettlement and a permanent income source for them," Gopal Siwakoti of the Water and Energy Users' Federation in Nepal told BBC World Service's One Planet programme "Since they are displaced from their traditional income, which is fishing, they are supposed to be given an alternatives. If you apply these standards, they haven't received anything." DOUBLE IMPACT Mr Siwakoti added that the building of the dam had had a double impact - not only had the jobs promised not materialised, but the community was unable to return to their original source of income because of the environmental effect of the dam. "Their main tradition is fishing. Now, there are no fishes around, and they can't fish anymore", he said. Although the massive construction project had initially brought in money, these jobs have now mainly gone. "They did have a lot of employment during the construction period - but post-construction there is not much a sustained economy," explained Kavati Rai, a postgraduate student studying the effects of dam building on communities. "We have nice and wonderful policies and institutions and laws, but it really does not get translated at the local level when it comes down. "Kaligandaki is one of the first where indigenous groups have been impacted, so they are learning slowly." One villager confirmed Ms Rai's findings. "We knew the project was coming, but after a time the roads came in - we thought that we might be able to get employment with the project, but more than that we did not know," he said. KEY EXPORT The dam was constructed in 2000 as part of the government's efforts to tap the vast hydropower potential in the country. Though Nepal is without much infrastructure, it has high hopes of using the potential hydroelectric power as a key export. But the scheme was controversial because of the effect it would have on both the indigenous people and the environment. "There are religious sites, cultural sites, and also small villages and towns which are dependent on the water flowing from the Kaligandaki," Mr Siwakoti said. "There was a huge debate over how much water was going to be released, so the project agreed that a certain amount of water would be released all the time. "What we understand now is that when there is not a sufficient amount of water to go to the tunnel, they completely block the water and the whole river is dry. "It has created a serious problem." And as well as the river drying up, Mr Sewakoti said the area has also suffered the problem of excess water too. "What we have seen is that they have not made any arrangements for floods at all," he argued. "We have floods, and we have soil erosion from both sides of the rivers." Plans to ensure the continued existence of fish in the river had simply not gone through, he added. "The project planned that they would make an arrangement so that fish that flowed down would be taken up - but they never implemented it. "They have not been able to maintain the life and the lifecycle of the fisheries industry." But the builders of the dam stressed that they had done all they were told to do by the government. "According to the contract, we had first of all to give priority for engagement of the water to the people," Fabrizio Calvi, the project leader for the Italian engineering company which built the dam, told One Planet. He added that those who were displaced by the dam had to be given work and training. "We had to build new houses for them, including a school and a library. "Then - being an international company - we thought it was wise also to give them medical assistance. We had an internal hospital that was meant for our workers - at the end of the project we left them all our equipment and provided money for medical assistance for at least one year." PUSHED OUT But he added that the Nepalese Government had not gone through with a plan to provide a doctor to be trained by the Italians, who would stay after the project was complete. "The Nepalese decided that that area was not among their priorities," Mr Calvi said. "Therefore they declined the offer and the scheme has been abandoned." A further problem has been that however well-intentioned the schemes, the indigenous people who lived on fishing have been pushed out by the development - and have now been pushed out again by better-educated groups from the towns who see a way to turn what is happening at the dam into a profit. Where once were indigenous people making the best of a beautiful landscape teeming with wildlife, now a town of hastily-constructed houses has sprung up. Ironically, the new stone building the indigenous people have been rehoused in do not have electricity - although they made way for a hydroelectric dam. But the owners of the dam blamed the complaints on unrealistic expectations. "People really expect too much," said Managing Director Janak Lal Karmacharya of the Nepal Electricity Authority, which owns the dam. "When they cannot meet that expectation, they feel frustrated, and they complain." 23) WATER-GUZZLING COKE PLANT TRIGGERS PROTESTS IN INDIAN TOWN One
World In view of an impending water crisis, environmental activists will hold a protest rally in north India next month to enlist support for ousting beverage multinationals like Coca Cola, accused of polluting and exploiting scarce groundwater. A protest rally will be held in the north Indian city of Varanasi next month to highlight the role of Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) such as Coca-Cola in the looming water crisis, the organizers say. The protest is led by two local organizations, the Lok Samity and the Samajwadi Janparishad, members of the National Alliance of Peoples' Movements, an umbrella body of environmental and other social groups. The activists are protesting against a Coca-Cola plant located in Mehdiganj, some 20 kilometers from Varanasi. They claim that the plant draws electricity from two diesel power generators, one of which consumes 360 liters of diesel per hour. Two tube-wells draw thousands of liters of underground water. "The consumption of underground water by the company has led to a lowering of the underground water level from 15 to 40 feet," says Aflatoon, state general secretary of the Samajwadi Janparishad. The activists, who claim the factory disgorges toxic industrial waste into neighboring fields and mango orchards, continue to urge the government to revoke the plant's industrial license. "Many expelled workers of the plant who are with the movement, say the pollutant, Caustic Soda -- used for washing bottles, is causing the environmental damage," says Aflatoon. According to Aflatoon, people living in villages around the plant often break out in rashes on drinking the water. Worse, the water has damaged wheat and paddy fields and the chick-pea crop in the region, he alleges. There are other negative fallouts. As Aflatoon points out, "Polluted water stagnating in the fields has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, causing Malaria." He goes so far as to allege that, "A village dog died after drinking the water." According to Aflatoon, the destruction caused by the pollution from the factory has forced local farmers to organize themselves and demand ' Cola Bhagao, Gaon Bachao '(Oust Coca Cola, Save the Village). Petitions have been sent to local officials as well as the President of India demanding the ouster of the MNC, which was earlier asked to leave the country by the Indian federal government in 1977. Coca Cola withdrew from India after the Indian Government demanded it reveal the formula of the popular drink. It made a comeback in 1993 after New Delhi initiated a process of economic reforms. The American MNC is today one of the biggest foreign investors in India. Last month too, environment activists held a protest march in Varanasi, following which the local administration ordered an inquiry into allegations of water pollution caused by the bottling plant. The Varanasi protest comes in the wake of a similar movement in Kerala in south India last year. Last summer, villagers in the Palakaad district of Kerala demanded the closure of the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, a local unit of the MNC. The villagers held that the MNC had dug up borewells for its water requirements, causing wells and ponds in the area to dry up. After a two-month-long protest, the local administration revoked the license of the Coca-Cola factory in the state. Currently, the lowering of ground-level tables is causing severe water crises in different parts of the country. India's capital, Delhi, tops the list of water scarce cities, followed by Mumbai in the west and Bangalore and Hyderabad in south India. The situation, experts warn, is likely to worsen in the coming years. According to Indian government figures, areas with access to water supply in Delhi will plummet from 81.5 percent to 26 per cent in the next 20 years. 24) PROTESTORS POISED FOR FINAL BATTLE OVER WATER CHARGES IC
Northern Ireland POLITICIANS, trade unionists and community activists from across the spectrum will unite today in protests against Government plans which could put Northern Ireland's water supply under the control of private companies. The protestors are united by different fears, from job losses in the water service to worries that poorer families may not be able to meet higher charges, with consequences for their own and public health. The record in Great Britain of hundreds of prosecutions over pollution and contamination cases - while companies continued to make profits - will loom large in the rhetoric of protest. While no one is denying that the antiquated water infrastructure is in dire need of renewal, the issues of public versus private control, and the funding of necessary change, have sparked a debate which unites politicians from opposite ends of the spectrum. The issue would have caused different divisions had the devolved Executive still been in business, with strongly divergent views, for instance, on the funding implications of the Reform and Regeneration Initiative (RRI), through which infrastructure renewal will be financed. Today, Sinn Fein members will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Progressive Unionists and members of the Women's Coalition, among others, in opposing any move to privatisation. The lobby group, Communities Againt the Water Tax, will also be to the fore, along with the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network, backing pickets by the group of Water Service unions. The first protest will begin outside the Water Service Depot on the Old Westland Road and Oldpark Terrace in north Belfast at 8.25, and Women's Coalition members will later put up a 'For Sale' sign at the popular Water Works site. At lunchtime, the Water Service Group of trade unions will hand submissions and thousands of letters of objection from the public into the Water Reform Unit at the Department For Regional Development in Adelaide Street in Belfast. Bumper Graham, secretary of the group, said: ''We have been heartened by the strength of opposition to the Minister's proposals. We are aware that the Water Reform Unit has already received numerous submissions and of letters of opposition. "The people of Northern Ireland are united in their opposition to water charges, water service workers' job losses and the threat of privatisation of our water service.'' In Fermanagh, DUP councillor Bert Johnston has written to Regional Development Minister John Spellar to inform him that there is ''universal opposition'' to the imposition of water charges.
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