Moving forward the vision of a water secure Asia-Pacific region: Integrated Water Resources Management Process

Transcription

1 Asia-Pacific Synthesis and Commitment Session at 6th World Water Forum, Marseille, France 16 March 2012 Moving forward the vision of a water secure Asia-Pacific region: Integrated Water Resources Management Process Toshihiro Sonoda Programme Specialist, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO

2 What is the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)? IWRM is not an objective in itself. - It designates a a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. (GWP)

3 Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Meeting of IWRM for the 6th World Water Forum and 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit Time and Venue; February 2012 in Bangkok Organizer; UNESCO in cooperation with Thailand Participants; More than 20 international/national experts, mostly from technical session organizers focused on IWRM Expected outputs for the forthcoming Summit s s Focus Area Session IWRM Process for a Water Secure World was discussed, namely to: - Recognize major challenges for IWRM implementation in the region; - Recommend actions to facilitate IWRM for heads of governments.

4 Among the Recognized major challenges would be that: - Institutional capacity building is essential for IWRM implementation - Water-related related Disaster Management (e.g. Flood and Drought) and Environmental Sustainability must be integral part of IWRM - Sound IWRM itself is adaptive management for Climate Change, Urbanization, Population Increase and other changes - Advanced science and technology is able to contribute to the effective implementation of IWRM

5 Recommended Actions would include to: - Establish and implement broad national IWRM plans and strategies which properly cover water related disaster management and environmental conservation - Enhance institutional framework for IWRM including that at the River Basin Level - Facilitate dialogue between scientists and policy makers - Accelerate capacity development for IWRM through international cooperation - Need to place IWRM in the context of Green Economy

6 To reflect this regional process, UNESCO formulated and led at this 6 th World Water Forum the Asia-Pacific target 5.2, part of the Condition for success: good governance: Enhance the capacity of River Basin Organizations to implement IWRM including the adaptation to climate change

7 AP5.2 session at the 6 th World Water Forum, titled as Strengthen River Basin Governance in the Asia-Pacific to Accelerate IWRM: benefited from the experiences of partners from the international to the local basin level and created a dialogue of views from political, scientific and practitioners perspectives in the session. Contributors: Mr Keizrul Bin Abdullah, Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO) Mr Le Van Minh, Global Water Partnership South East Asia (GWP SEA) Mr Chariporn Siripornpibul Department of Water Resources, Thailand Mr Elakand Don Clement Sudharma Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (basin organization) Ms Kumiko Tsujimoto University of Tokyo (Asian Water Cycle Initiative)

8 Growth of Bangkok and vicinity areas Chaiporn Siripornibul, Department of Water Resources, Thailand

9 STAKEHOLDERS CAPACITY BUILDING - Examples Le Van Minh, GWP South East Asia

10 Need for Effective Water Use (2000) 1. Recognizing & identifying Need for rehabilitation of dams (2000) Kala Oya Basin Pilot Project (2001) Interim Report of Pilot Project and Establishment of KOBO (2004) 2. Conceptualizing 3. Coordinating & planning 2010 Dam Safety & WR Planning Project (2008-) National Water Management Improvement Project (Assessment) (2006) Proposal of Rehabilitation Project (2006) 4. Implementing, monitoring & evaluating Canal System Consolidation Project ( ) Legend Past Activities Future Activities [2000 Onward] Restructuring & Rehabilitation [ ] Acceleration of MDP [ ] Master Plan for Multipurpose Devt. Modern IWRM Conventional Water Management S. Elakand, Mahaweli Authority, Sri Lanka

11 Kumiko Tsujimoto, University of Tokyo

12 Lessons learned include - Need to recognize the present variability of water- related events, such as in the practical experience taken from the severe floods in Thailand; climate variability is not a matter of future Climate Change. - Adaptive measures can draw on traditional knowledge,, e.g. in the case of flood prone regions (houses on pillars); but science and technology must help to adapt and improve ancient methods. - Sectoral approaches cannot cope with complex problems.

13 Key Recommendations from the sessions and meetings included: - An appropriate institutional framework is a pre-requisite requisite for good governance at the river basin level. - There is a need to enhance the capacity of River Basin Organizations to accelerate IWRM. - Empower stakeholders, create dialogue and mutual trust among the political, scientific and local partners in a basin in order to enhance the IWRM process.

14 Key Recommendations : - Strengthen science and research as they are key to understanding the water cycle and its variability, and climate change phenomena; help to create scientific research and institutional capacities in the poorer countries. - Share scientific knowledge among all stakeholders; make sure that current and future issues (i.e. climate change) are understood by everyone concerned. - Correct and disseminate Data (e.g. from remote sensing) which is crucial for reliable model results and such information should be shared readily.

15 More Key Recommendations: - Make the 7th World Water Forum in Korea a milestone for accelerating IWRM and a platform for concrete further propositions. - Foster inter-regional regional cooperation, e.g. with Africa. -Seize the opportunity of the UN International Year for Water Cooperation in 2013 to promote transboundary cooperation for Integrated Water Resource Management. - Support the Asia-Pacific Water Museum to be created in Thailand to contribute to gathering and sharing available knowledge and information.

16 The Asia-Pacific Water Museum (APWM) - Major Exhibition Cluster of The King Rama 9 Museum which will focus on ecology and resources of soil, water and forest; - APWM is an initiative of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum; National Science Museum Thailand (NSM) will establish the Asia-Pacific Water Museum in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, UNESCO, and the Japan Water Forum. 16

17 - Exhibition space of 1500 m 2, to promote, raise awareness and disseminate knowledge on water related history, science, heritage and cultural diversity with the aim of improving the sustainable development, management and sharing of water resources in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond Construction of the Asia-Pacific Water Museum will begin in 2012 in Thailand APWM s s set-up will be participative, involving stakeholders and public 17

18 Thank you for your attention