International Round Table Transboundary Water Management. Report of Working Group B

Transcription

1 International Round Table Transboundary Water Management Report of Working Group B

2 Session I Overview and Challenges

3 Q1. Are A the assessments of the global challenges of transboundary waters issues accurate? Q2. Is there a common understanding of the range of different transboundary waters situations and the challenges they present? Transboundary waters rivers, lakes, ground waters and coastal zones (to distinguish from international waters such as oceans and seas). Challenges in transboundary water management 1. Natural conditions (water quality and quality); 2. Social, economic and political.

4 Challenges Formulating a shared vision and translating it into action; Sharing benefits, not sharing water; Operationalising the linkage between economic integration and use of natural resources to promote poverty alleviation and development; A lack of political commitment for starting of cooperation and for assuring functioning of river basin organizations; How to involve civil society efficiently and on the right level; Transboundary water issues cross the Bank internal boundaries.

5 Challenges Definition of clear incentives for the cooperation; Promotion of economic interdependencies that increase opportunities for benefit sharing; Non participation of some riparian countries; Reaching a river basin agreement is a long term process; Involving a large range of institutions; Sharing the knowledge, data, and lessons learned.

6 Session II Role of the World Bank

7 Q1. Is the World Bank doing the right things: working in the right geographic areas, addressing the right issues, assuming the right risk level? The World Bank Mission To reduce poverty by supporting the efforts of countries to promote ote equitable, efficient, and sustainable development. The World Bank comparative advantages: (1) Putting river basin water resources into a broader economic context; (2) Providing good technical experts for project preparatiton; (3) Investments; (4) The WB as a convenor and facilitator of cooperation.

8 Areas and Issues Geographical areas: As poverty is a goal, there is a need of more work in South and South-East Asia, Latin America. Issues Transboundary water issues are regional in nature while the World Bank investments and lendings are restricted to individual countries. Transboundary fisheries issues are underrepresented in the portfolio.

9 Issues Does not cover sufficiently capacity building needs; Should the World Bank be proactive or wait for requests for assistance from countries? Are good governance records a decision factor for the World Bank to engage in a region? Long term committment needed despite changing political situations in countries;

10 Q2. Does the World Bank use the right tools; policy dialogue, economic and sector work, lending and training? The World Bank needs to be prepared to make long-term non- lending resources available to support initial phases of cooperation between riparian countries; The World Bank needs to be prepared to support a long term preparation process prior to investments or lending; Lending as a tool is not enough there is a need in soft tools such as knowledge exchange. Flexibility is needed in lending (while regulations are getting more strict).

11 Q3. Does the World Bank have the right staff and organization to support the countries in transboundary waters initiative? Not enough senior transboundary experts; Too much turn over of staff and project officers that precludes an institutional memory and results in project delays; No enough staff for information and communication; conflict resolution, capacity building activities; Strengthen the World Bank Institute in order to to bring people together, to facilitate study tours, giving technical and capacity building support; exchange of experiences. Need to support one basin in a comprehensive and integrated manner rather than start many smaller initiatives;

12 Q4. Is the World Bank effectively using partnerships with governments, international organizations, professional associations, NGOs, etc.? Much good efforts in last years, for example with GWP and UNDP; Should be more active in ACC Subcommittee on Water and using UN partners; Should increase involvement in Latin America NGO dialogues; Should use all tools available on a global level such as G/8 and governments.

13 Q5. Has the World Bank made the right linkages, and it is effectively using its access to key ministries and other parties outside the water sector at the regional, national and local levels? Can Can be improved... The Bank does not use its linkages to ministries of finance effectively, should involve them earlier in the cooperation process; Right linkages should be determined on case by case basis; Should involve all institutions responsible for integration, all key ministries (besides water ministries): foreign affairs, finances and planning.