Water Management in ASIA

Transcription

1 Water Management in ASIA How to identify opportunities, set and support priorities for S&T cooperation SUCCES STORIES INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION POLICY

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3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Water Management in ASIA How to identify opportunities, set and support priorities for S&T cooperation A succes story by Caroline Wittwer Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) 2003 Directorate-General for Research International Scientific Cooperation Policy

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5 FOREWORD In March 2002, the European Commission adopted a "Communication on Water Management in developing countries". The European Development Council endorsed, on 30 May 2002, a Common Resolution on this issue. These policy papers recognise the importance of addressing the global challenge of growing scarcity and decreasing quality of water resources, particularly acute in developing countries. Water is a key issue for poverty reduction, sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal on water. A specific research component has therefore been established to address the important contribution of research to the achievement of water-related targets. The ASEM 1 water platform was established in follow-up of the Ministerial Meeting in October 1999 in Beijing where the Science and Technology Ministers of the 25 ASEM 2 countries and the European Commission agreed on a list of priorities for intensifying scientific and technological cooperation in areas of joint interest to promote sustainable socio-economic development. water, forests, aquaculture, sustainable biodiverse food production and clean technologies were among the priorities singled out for immediate follow-up. At a regional conference on water challenges in Changsha, Hunan Province, China in June 2002, some 250 participants from different background from almost all ASEM countries met to discuss effective methods to link knowledge with action. This brochure, prepared jointly by the BRGM and the International Cooperation of the European Commission, details the approach, findings and follow-up of this conference. 3 Achilleas MITSOS 1 ASia-Europe Meeting 2 ASEM countries: Europe : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Asia : Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam 3 BRGM: Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (FR)

6 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION page 3 2. BACKGROUND page 4 3. THE PROPOSED APPROACH page 6 4. THE WORKSHOP IN CHANGSHA page The opening ceremony page The plenary sessions page 7 5. ITS WORKING GROUPS page working group 1 page working group 2 page working group 3 page working group 4 page THE OUTCOME OF THE WORKSHOP page THE WEBSITE OF THE WORKSHOP page THE CHANGSHA DECLARATION page THE FOLLOW-UP OF THE WORKSHOP page Organisation of an ASEM Water Network page Organisation of ASEM Water Activities page CONCLUSIONS page 18 ANNEX 1: THE CHANGSHA DECLARATION page 19 on Water Management Issues (full text) ANNEX 2: DRAFT PROPOSAL page 22 for an ASEM Multistake-holder Platform for Water Management Issues 2

7 1. INTRODUCTION Within ASEM S&T co-operation, Water Management has been identified as a first priority issue by all the ASEM participating countries. 4 Following the background paper prepared by France, Portugal and Thailand for the 1999 Ministers Meeting in Beijing, France proposed to co-ordinate activities in the field of Water Management on the European side of ASEM participating countries. In order to initiate ASEM S&T collaboration, BRGM 5 was granted for 1 year by the European Commission's "International Scientific Cooperation" Programme under its "Accompanying Measures (AM)" activities. The Workshop was organised by a co-ordination team constituted of: the BRGM; the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People s Republic of China (MOST); the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of Hunan Province of the People s Republic of China (HNDST); the Portuguese Laboratorio de Engenharia Civil (LNEC). China proposed to co-organise the event for the Asian side, as well as to host the event. This report describes the work undertaken to prepare and carry out the ASEM Water Management Workshop, which took place in Changsha, China from June 10 to 13, This publication covers the approach used, its objectives and outcome as well as recommendations for further collaboration in this scientific sector of political importance. 4 ASEM participating countries: Europe : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Asia : Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam 5 BRGM: Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (FR) 3

8 2. BACKGROUND Water is a global and crucial issue, it is, directly and indirectly, the first cause of death and disease on the world. Water is essential for the production of food from agriculture. More than a billion of people do not have access to drinking water, rural and peri urban areas being mostly faced by this issue. More then 30 % of natural catastrophes, 50 % of death, and 31 % of costs are due to floods. Current investments need to be doubled over the next 25 years in order to respond to economic development. Half of the large rivers and lakes suffer pollution, half of humid zones disappeared, biodiversity dramatically decreased in surface waters, groundwater is more and more overexploited and polluted. The demand is increasing but water resources are degrading, with a possible increase of this negative trend. From the political point of view, most of surface and groundwater resources are divided into several countries. Urban development is still increasing, with about 5% of the world surface in 2000 for 25 % of the needs. The forthcoming global climate evolution is an additional factor that need to be urgently addressed, not only from the natural resources point of view, but also translated into socio-economic constraints. The purpose of the GLOBAL project is to address issues related to water resources management within the network of ASEM 6 countries. The overall population of the world is faced with one of the most important problems relating to the quantitative and qualitative evolution of water resources. The ASEM S&T strategy adopted in 1999 by a ministerial meeting had already underlined the needs for: creation of networks; information and communication systems; promotion of centres of excellence; as well as co-operation among universities, industry and other public/private entities. 6 ASia Europe Meeting 4

9 GLOBAL proposed the organisation of a workshop as a first joint action within ASEM countries in the field of water management. It gave the opportunity to all ASEM partners to present their main issues on this field, to exchange and to compare experiences, and to discuss about common solutions. Main objectives of this event were : to identify and to analyse prospects and opportunities for S&T co operation under ASEM on the subject of water use, conservation and management to set priorities of thematic nature based on the added value of biregional S&T co operation to look into ways and means of supporting effectively this S&T co operation in the short and medium term future. Participants therefore debated on possible issues and proposed actions for future implementation of ASEM recommendations. More detailed objectives include : to begin collaborative European and Asian working group activities with larger scale targets, to foster exchange between European and Asian countries on similar types of data and interpretation techniques, to hopefully establish a strategy and to line out action plans for an improved understanding and management of water resources in both Asian and European regions, to elaborate dissemination activities towards overcoming barriers to the development of integrated water resources planning between ASEM countries. 5

10 3. THE PROPOSED APPROACH The organising team proposed to adopt a common approach in order to benefit of, and to build on prior experiences : to assess the availability of scientific and empirical knowledge in the field of water use, conservation and management, leading to potential cooperation, to identify the need for additional scientific and technological knowledge to develop and implement new or improved policies, resources management systems and environment friendly, socially acceptable and economically viable technologies. On the basis of the background paper prepared for the 1999 Ministerial Meeting, four areas, together allowing to cover the principal aspects of basinbased water management were selected as major focus of analysis. Four working groups (WG) addressed these themes, for which co-operation could lead ultimately to relevant changes in management practices : WG1 Urban and peri-urban development WG2 Lowland rural areas WG3 Mountainous recharge areas WG4 Coastal zones The workshop program was structured around : an opening ceremony with officials four plenary sessions with background papers to set the framework of the event and emphasise the need for an integrated river basin approach. They tackled major issues and introduced the subsequent working group sessions four parallel Working Group sessions inviting a small number of papers and enabling more in-depth discussions to prepare thematic conclusions for further activities small poster sessions open to all participants two closing plenary sessions to present the conclusions of the WGs, to discuss the Changsha Declaration and the scenario for the organisation of the ASEM Water Management network a choice between a half day or a one day field trip. Besides the official speeches, the workshop included more than 40 keynote addresses, short presentations on general aspects of water management and more specific issues encountered in some of the ASEM countries. 6

11 4. THE WORKSHOP IN CHANGSHA The workshop organisation took place through the common efforts of a coordination team made of : BRGM, France, as leader of the Global contract, and overall manager of the scientific, administrative and financial aspects The Ministry of Science and Technology of P.R. China (MOST) as Asian coorganizer of the workshop, and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of Hunan Province of P.R. China (HNDST) as local organizer The Laboratorio Nacional for Engenharia Civil of Portugal (LNEC), which took the leadership of one of the Working Group session (Coastal Zones) 4.1. THE OPENING CEREMONY The opening ceremony was chaired by the vice-governor of Hunan Provincial Government. Official representatives of the organising countries and the European Commission made opening statements. The involvement of the Governor of the Hunan province highlighted the importance of the event for the local organisers, from the political and technical viewpoint. The participation of the Vice-Minister of MOST, the Scientific Counsellor of the European Commission Delegation and the General Consul of France confirmed also the importance attributed to the event. Priority setting for future S&T cooperation identified during the plenary and working group sessions are representative, either from national approaches, or from scientific experts viewpoints THE PLENARY SESSIONS The Plenary sessions emphasised broad issues and problems related to water management in the four areas selected for the Working Groups, such as : the need for multi disciplinary approach, including social issues within water management strategies. Some Asian speakers insisted particularly on the need for integrating policy, governance, planning and management into the quantitative and qualitative reasoning on water resources in order to achieve sustainable development. The need for changing policies, currently still focussing on water supply, into policy based on the management of water resources, was stressed, especially in view of expectations of an increase of 7

12 extreme climatic events. Public consultation and participation are necessary for a comprehensive approach balancing supply and demand. In Indonesia, due to currently insufficient budget and lack or expertise, local government must be replace by a strong national policy, promoting regional and international cooperation. For Hunan province for example, the socio economic development must be related to water resources construction and ecologic protection and safety in 5 aspects (drinking water safety, flood control safety, food safety, economic safety, ecologic safety). A master plan including 12 measures for sustainable use of water resources has been defined stressing out for example soil conservancy, reallocation of farmland to natural surfaces, environmental protection, water saving agriculture, water saving, policy and regulations, water price monitoring, balanced use, education, integrated planning. The exchange of human resources between Asia and Europe to intensify knowledge exchange, address a shortage of scientists in Europe, promote innovative environmental technologies, such as the significant improvement of waste water treatment infrastructure and new sanitation concepts for sustainable water management. The need for integrated river basin management was recognised for transboundary basins, but also especially on smaller basins, such as in islands with large contrasts of topography and climate. Based on examples of projects conducted on several river basins in China, integrated and systematic approach (management of water resources, quality and flood) is required with a river basin, while mainly water resources management is required between basins. Experiences on methods used to reduce the gap between supply and demand were presented based on the benefit of techniques for improved water use, ground water surface conjunction, small and saline water use, water harvesting, cloud seeding, reuse of waste water and desalination. For urban areas, for example, the problems of the development of very expensive infrastructures and of economic pressure on the population were stressed. New measures were proposed for public policy (significant landscape, account for climate, culture, human and natural resources.). As agriculture is the major consumer (on average about 70%) and also the domain with increasing water constraints and pressure, the challenge is to develop and implement doable innovative methods for improved water and energy use. One specific example of response to identified problems concerned reversal to new semi-natural irrigation channel technology driven by the public s growing environmental awareness and understanding of adverse effects of concrete-bedded irrigation systems. The important issue of landslide within mountainous regions was illustrated by several areas in Vietnam. As a first step, identification of vulnerable zones was proposed by using multi criteria analysis. Increasing 8

13 vegetation cover was a necessary longer-term response to protect sensitive mountain ecosystems. In general terms, the integration of coastal areas within river basin management was underlined. Sustainable development of coastal areas will, among others, depend on the ability of governments to address urban encroachment, pollution of inland, estuarine and coastal waters, marine resources over-exploitation, nature conservation, flooding, erosion and other coastal hazards in the face of political and socio economic pressure. One possible approach would be to support the decision making process by defining management indicators for the environmental, social and economic states. For coastal zone, tools for decision making should therefore be developed by considering biophysical changes, as well as institutional and social aspects. 5. ITS WORKING GROUPS The purpose of the Working Groups sessions was to allow participants to explain the main issues and potential solutions in water management and exchange on similar issues. WG sessions were given guidance about adopting a similar approach. Each WG was expected to: Identify top thematic priorities (3-4), and especially consider how to allocate scare resources between users; Stress some key issues such as data sharing, dissemination, capacity building, policy;propose a prioritisation within the issues discussed in the WG using criteria related to social added-value and bi-regional ASEM added-value (compared to national or bilateral efforts) working group 1 Working Group 1 was labelled Urban and peri urban areas. Very diverse problems were discussed ranging from domestic sewage, storm water management, monitoring program for drinking water, treatment of wastewater from industrial production, improvement of dam planning including social and environmental impact to the statement that great involvement is necessary in conservancy programs as the time duration between up front costs and full benefits is long. 9

14 The group identified five major issues to be addressed in urban and peri urban areas, including : sewage and sanitation stormwater and flood, from the quantitative and qualitative viewpoint water supply considering that resource management needs to meet competing demands groundwater management, by assessing the quantitative and qualitative properties, as well as by integrating water table fluctuations eutrophication A list of cross cutting issues were also identified to account for socio economical constraints, such as: cost-effectiveness financial considerations value of water (commodity) climate change and implications (risk, extreme events) integrated perspective and urban planning information and capacity building awareness and empowerment management style and participation importance of scale for problem solving (on which scale should a problem be solved, scale dependence of management styles, e.g. decentralised versus centralised approaches) water safety and security in general. Within this very broad range of questions, it was proposed to select the most relevant issues identified by several ASEM countries on the following criteria: integrated perspective, including technological, environmental and human dimensions; capacity building effect working group 2 Working Group 2 was called Agricultural lowland areas. Among the issues raised in relation to development of agricultural areas were: the evolution of long-term runoff associated with land reclamation and use planning the utility of satellite data combined with regional mapping of water potential the need for action leading to a minimisation of arsenic pollution in water potential economic impact of waste stabilisation ponds used to treat domestic and agro-industrial waste waters through biomass harvesting 10

15 as well as recommended successful use of solutions developed in the European paper industry to reduce the environmental impact of the Chinese industry (combining pollution control measures with optimisation of water system within production, thus introducing more environmentfriendly processes while lowering cost). The group proposed an approach based on changes in management type (river basin authorities), in socio economical involvement (training and educational measures of farmers) and in pollution control (regulation, fees, best practice). These measures are based on the statement that people in agricultural lowlands are highly under-privileged. Strong efforts are therefore necessary to reduce the steep gradients in living standards between farmland areas and cities, requiring some basic political decisions to meet that challenge. Two issues are central to water and environmental management: Quality control of drinking water resources negatively affected by the non-sustainable land-use and production techniques; Soil protection from erosion working group 3 Working Group 3 was called Mountainous recharge areas. Watershed management was discussed on the basis of 6 measures (ecosystem diagnosis; water, land and other renewable natural resources use planning; restoration of eroded land; processing of agricultural, forestry and animal production; control and administration; evaluation of benefits). The main issues raised by the speakers address the need for increasing storage capacity of run-off water by various methods (ponds, wells, check dams, embroidered river levees), as well as for improved understanding of water resources availability, especially considering long term climate change (for example through hydrological modelling or climatic downscaling). Based on the experience that a coordinating and management committee was established following a major water quality crises due to diffuse pollution, it is underlined that public participation and collaboration among stakeholders are necessary for effective management of river basin. Recognising that mountains are very important areas for overall sustainable water resource, the group emphasised the concept on which water and resources management in those areas are to be based. The essence of mountain watershed management is the protection, improvement and rational use of the ecological and economic systems at watershed level. Its ultimate goal is to realise the sustainable use of the mountain watershed and reconcile 11

16 the economic development with social needs and eco-environment conservation. The following criteria should be considered for management: Diversity of climatic zones. Mountain recharge areas include tropic, subtropic, temperate, cold and high altitude regions, each of them has its unique as well as common problems. All of these should be considered jointly, and also individually, by taking into account their own characteristics. Needs of downstream areas should be considered in the water management activities of mountain areas. Human dimension should be given highest attention. Four major issues were selected by the participants: Denudation of forest and agriculture development in mountain area leading to floods, erosion, landslides, etc.; Cost effectiveness in water-environment friendly mountainous forest management methods/machinery; Water resources management under sustainable forest and agriculture development (restoration); Financial incentive and economic benefits of conservation of mountain area working group 4 Working Group 4 was called Coastal areas. The talks raised major issues related to strategic management based on development assessed from the socio economic, environmental perspectives (the three dimensions of sustainability). Negative impact on wetland due to drainage within surrounding areas illustrated that more integrated approach is needed to water use at large scale. The influence of considering the natural system (called eco-region) for water management instead of the administrative border was also stressed. For the Songhua river for example, the management plan for flood, wetland and bio-diversity was focused on 3 solutions (storage reservoir, rural dikes and urban dikes) in order to prepare an investment project for flood damage reduction and enhanced wetland and bio-diversity conservation. 12

17 The group identified five top priority research areas for water management in coastal zones : Coastal city dynamics (coastal zone dynamics due to urban encroachment, i.e. human activities vs. coastal ecosystems protection, restoration and human health); Coastal hazards and risk assessment (flooding or erosion hazards are cited by many countries as problems, especially in the context of the possible longer term threat of expected sea level rise resulting from climate change, saltwater intrusion due to coastal aquifer over exploitation, etc.); Interaction of river basin systems with coastal systems (a significant part of the problems of coastal zones may originate upstream in the watershed; topics of research should also include trans-boundary dimension, etc. ); Alternative livelihoods for people living in the coastal zone that abuse the environment (some types of aqua-culture exploitation, other economic activities developed at the expense of environmental capital); The effects of institutional arrangements for coastal system governance (institutional aspects and requirements for integrated coastal zone management). 6. THE OUTCOME OF THE WORKSHOP The total number of persons reached 200, with about 140 Chinese, 35 European and 25 other Asian participants. Most of the participants were scientists, but representatives from the administrations, from engineering companies, from technology transfer centres, and from non governmental agency also participated into the event. Besides the event gathering participants from almost all ASEM countries, the main deliverables of the workshop are: 1. Three websites in France, Portugal and China respectively. 2. The Changsha Declaration 3. An outline for a proposed organisation of a network 4. Proposals for further organisation of ASEM water activities 13

18 7. THE WEBSITE OF THE WORKSHOP In order to present the information and documents prepared for the workshop on a more widely accessible way, a small web site was opened on BRGM s internet site at the address: The website currently includes only the programme and the abstracts, the Changsha Declaration and short introductory text on the objectives and the contacts for the meeting. This first site will continue to be maintained and developed with further information, such as: some full texts of the presentations by invited speakers; the summary of the proposal for action obtained during each working group session; the draft for the multi-stakeholder platform (under prepare for contacting participants to a Co-ordination Action to be submitted to the INCO call for proposal of September 2003); links with other web site relevant for the ASEM S&T water management issues. Two other sites on ASEM water issues have been established and are under continuous development by MOST and LNEC. 14

19 8. THE CHANGSHA DECLARATION 7 Changsha is located south of YangTse river One important outcome of the workshop is the agreement among the workshop participants on guiding principles and priority needs in the field of ASEM water management. 7 full text of CHANGSHA DECLARATION in Annex 1 15

20 This text, called Changsha Declaration, served to: recall the ASEM S&T background (co-operation basis, networking, sharing of information ), summarise the scientific and socio-economic context of water management, stress the most important challenges for ASEM water management, draw-up lines of possible action in support of short and long term objectives, underline the need for involvement of diverse stakeholders with a view to translate scientific knowledge into action and innovation, propose the creation of a common working structure called networking platform in order to stimulate activities within the ASEM Water community over a prolonged period of time. 9. THE FOLLOW-UP OF THE WORKSHOP 9.1. Organisation of an ASEM Water Network A further important outcome of the workshop was the discussion and agreement about setting-up an organisational structure within the ASEM countries concerned by water management. This structure, called multi-stakeholder platform, was proposed in line with the ASEM process and aims at mobilising a range of different stakeholders (from research, regulatory and management bodies, private sector, civil society), energising their interactions and encouraging the application of their complementary strengths for problem solving in various fields of water management. A formal decision was not taken by the audience during the workshop, due to the need for further thinking about the necessary participation of additional partners involved in water management, but the general concept attracted positive inputs and suggestions. A draft version of the document Proposal for an ASEM Multi-stakeholder Platform for Water Management Issues 8 was prepared for further joint activities. In addition to general information on the Changsha Workshop, it 8 draft text of the proposal in Annex 2 16

21 includes a summary of the main thematic challenges for water management as discussed in the workshop and a general outline of the concept, design and financial support of the platform. The organisational core is formed by: a bi-regional secretariat (called facilitators) supporting the 25 ASEM countries in their continued water dialogue and joint activities; an ASEM steering committee ensuring focus; a small number of sub-networks expected to address thematic priorities emerging from the Changsha discussions. The platform is intended as a lasting dialogue space promoting ASEM water co-operation, innovation and effective use of scientific knowledge. It is not a funding mechanism for research or implementation projects. However, its functioning is expected to help identify potential sources of funding for worthwhile undertakings, within and beyond ASEM partners Organisation of ASEM water activities Besides the major issues and project collaborations suggested, the four WG s proposed a series of activities that should be conducted within the whole ASEM water partnerships to activate further co-operation, to help the formation of teams and to lead to greater participation of representatives of the economic sectors in water management. These measures could range from small financial support to mobility of personal, for example: establishment of a thematic forum for EU & Asian researchers to meet as needed to exchange ideas about current research and to identify major issues for future S&T co-operation; establishment of working groups; organisation of workshops around prioritised questions of shared interest; possibility of funding the initial phase of activities and common projects (seed money); education and mobility for enhancing cooperation among different fields (water, forestry, agriculture and soil conservation) through training, expert exchange and information sharing; promoting the development of joint integrated research projects aiming at the development of selected research topic areas (for example testing in selected representative coastal zones pilot river basins and aquifers, or water resources and water and environment friendly forest management in mountain areas); strengthening joint research among different professional fields; including the concerned communities within the management process through participatory approaches. 17

22 A first series of subjects was identified for further common activities. These proposed subjects will lead to innovative concepts of water management and will account for new variables: Comparative analysis of different scenarios for urban water management (e.g. centralised technology and management versus decentralised approaches, eco-city concept, scale of application); New approaches to urban and peri urban risk management in the light of increased uncertainties due to climate change; Integrated approach for supply management - manage the whole cycle (in particular mega-cities) Management of chemical pollutants in the total urban and peri urban water system; Arsenic pollution control in drinking water resources; Molecular biological approach for excluding health risks by virus infection of zooplankton used for fish stocking; Closing the water cycle in paper industry for saving water resources and for water pollution control. 10. CONCLUSION The establishment of the platform, promoting and enabling inter-disciplinary networking between the various ASEM partners, will enable constructive interaction with existing networks in order to mobilise the strengths of the different partners synergistically towards meeting the target of the Water Initiative. "We are convinced that progress in water policy means progress in all three pillars of sustainable development social, economic and environmental." Romano PRODI EU President World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg,

23 ANNEX 1 The Changsha Declaration On Water Management Issues Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China, June 12, 2002 As concluded by the 1999 ASEM Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting in Beijing, intensified Science and Technology (S&T) cross-flows play a key role in strengthening economic and societal links between Asia and Europe within the 26 members of ASEM, simultaneously contributing to the world s sustainable and balanced development. Water is a crucial global issue, directly and indirectly linked to major societal issues, such as health, agricultural food production, and natural disasters. Increasingly, water environment degradation and water management issues are critical to sustainable development. Large rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters are increasingly polluted, wetlands are disappearing, aquatic biodiversity is decreasing, and freshwater resources are over-exploited. A great part of population does not have access to safe drinking water and sanitation, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. Urban development is still increasing, and is also linked to higher water needs in terms of quantity and quality. Key concerns driving science and technology in response to societal needs are the responsible management of available resources and reasonable allocation of water resources among different legitimate users in a society or in cross-boundary river basins. The demand for water is increasing, yet water resources are degrading. We, the participants of the 1 st ASEM workshop on Water Management, held in Changsha, Province of Hunan, P.R. China, June 10 to 13, 2002, therefore strongly support the decision taken during 1999 ASEM S&T Ministers' Meeting in Beijing that Water Management is a priority area for S&T co-operation and agree on the following ways and means of moving forward. As emphasised in the Working paper for the 1999 ASEM S&T Ministers' Meeting, we also agree that important challenges of the forthcoming decade for Asian countries are: to find solutions for water resources and soil conservation in irrigated areas and non-irrigated areas, as well as means for sustainable use, 19

24 including safety considerations., to use appropriate technologies for the management of surface and ground water, to preserve the environment of forests, agriculture land, and areas undergoing fast urban growth, to integrate coastal zones and related wetlands into watershed management, to ensure water supply and environmentally sound sanitation, to improve and protect water resources based on integrated research involving agriculture, soil protection and forestry, to promote measures to alleviate drought. We recognise that ASEM members also face diverse geography and meteorology, with a wide range of hydrological infiltration and runoff conditions, variable precipitation and dry periods, very rapid soil cover degradation, devastating flood events, and sedimentation within the superficial water system. Due to past and current high human activities, the overall water balance has long since been deeply perturbed, leading to qualitative problems. Fast growing industrialisation and urbanisation has put extremely high pressure on water resources. We recall that priority areas for co-operation on Water Management relate to very broad thematic aspects and interdisciplinary approaches. Major issues were identified during follow-up actions of the 1999 S&T Minister s Meeting. These included integrated water resource planning, environmental and health impacts, irrigation and drainage, user participation and policy issues, preservation and rehabilitation of water quality, watershed environmental and decision support indicators, integrity and multi-functionality of water systems, and the sustainable development of coastal zones. We fully acknowledge that the creation of networks, as well as information and communication systems, will greatly facilitate the setting and development of joint activities and the sharing of information and technology within ASEM members. Co-operation among university, research institutions, industry and other public and private entities, including joint research and development programmes and projects, is our major goal, as together we agree to solve important issues related to water management conservation and efficient use. We agree to base our actions on the following short and long term objectives: to contribute to the establishment of an interdisciplinary and systemic research strategy, and to outline action plans for improved understanding and management of water resources on the basis of the state of knowledge and experiences of all ASEM members, to associate a large number of European and Asian countries for using their expertise into understanding and solving the new challenges of the 20

25 Eurasian continent, through bi-regional collaborative European and Asian working group activities with large scale targets, to foster exchange between ASEM members on similar geographical types of data and interpretation techniques, to elaborate dissemination activities towards overcoming barriers to the development of integrated water resources planning within both regions, Europe and Asia, to highlight the critical role of research and scientific and technological co-operation at the forthcoming WSSD meeting in Johannesburg, to promote efficient use of water resource in agriculture, forest and urban areas which is an urgent issue at present, to prevent ecosystem degradation and flood disasters, to support, under the ASEM S&T water cooperation, integrated projects based on problem definition, researchable domains, and pilot project implementation, to include pollution control measures with cleaner production technologies considering different economic and industrial development levels. We understand that the participation of public entities, private sectors and technology oriented partners of ASEM members need to be encouraged besides the involvement of ASEM scientific community. This will bring their entrepreneurial points of view into recommendations to create opportunities for enhanced collaborations on more applied projects. Concerning the modes of implementation, we recall that our actions will be carried out on an equal and mutually beneficial basis, using available or new bilateral, bi-regional or international instruments. In particular, we strongly request that ASEM members be encouraged and supported. We also advise that dissemination activities be organised in such a way to reach not only scientific researchers, but also civil society, local and national authorities, Water Agencies, the water resources sector, public and private investors, decisionmakers and the media. To this extent we consider the establishment of an ASEM Networking Platform on water management an urgent and irreplaceable need for reinforcing bi-regional S&T Co-operation involving stakeholders from scientific communities, the private sector, public authorities and civil society. The network should stimulate the establishment of the secretariat, define thematic priorities and facilitate activities. We shall try our best to make the whole of society aware of the importance of water resources, and environment protection and management. Let us join our efforts to solve scientific, technical and managerial difficulties, so as to make our water clearer, water resources better protected, and our future more beautiful. 21

26 ANNEX 2 Draft proposal for an ASEM Multistake-holder Platform for Water Management Issues Background The key role of intensified Science and Technology cross flows has been recognised in strengthening economic links between Asia and Europe during the 1999 ASEM S&T Ministers Meeting 9. To develop joint activities, a set of priority activities for S&T cooperation was identified, such as basic science, joint utilisation of large scale facilities, knowledge transfer, environmental protection, upgrading enterprises. In 2000, four clusters of actions 10 were agreed on. Within the cluster called "agriculture", Water Management issues were recognised among the main areas for cooperation. The 1 st Workshop on Water Management in Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China, June 2002 The 1 st ASEM Workshop on Water Management was organised by China and France in Changsha, Hunan Province of the People's Republic of China, June The Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the People's Republic of China, the Department Science and Technology of the Hunan Province of PR China (HSTD), BRGM (France), and the Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil (Portugal) formed the organising committee. Financial support was provided by the European Commission, the MOST, the Government of Hunan Province, the French Ministries of Research and Foreign Affairs and BRGM. Main objectives of this event were: to identify and to analyse prospects and opportunities for S&T cooperation under ASEM on the subject of water use, conservation and management; 9 Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, China, Denmark, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Vietnam. 10 1: broad issues; 2: agriculture; 3: environmental protection; 4: upgrading capacities 22

27 to set thematic priorities based on the added value of bi-regional S&T cooperation; to propose ways and means of supporting this S&T cooperation effectively. 24 ASEM member countries were represented with some 200 participants (120 Chinese, 50 European and 30 other Asian countries). Some 40 papers were discussed during the 6 plenary and the four working group sessions (urban and peri-urban, agricultural lowlands, mountainous recharge areas, coastal zones). The outputs of the Workshop include: the Changsha Declaration (see attached); the present executive summary; inputs into the full proceedings of the workshop to be published on the internet and on CD ROM. Main thematic challenges to sustainable water use discussed at the Changsha Workshop Thematic priorities were discussed in four working groups, which found a number of cross-cutting issues of relevance to all, namely the need for costeffectiveness, attention to management styles and participation, information and capacity building and awareness creation and empowerment. These were discussed against the background of the value of water (as a commodity or a basic right) and the need to embed research and action into the wider context of climate change and its implications (risks, extreme events), water safety and security. Determining the appropriate scale of action was considered of paramount importance for problem solving, for determining management styles and determining a suitable mix between decentralised and centralised approaches. The following issues were given highest priority: Urban and Peri-urban areas. Sanitation, sewage and associated eutrophication; Stormwater and flood (both quantity and quality); Water supply/resource management to meet competing demands including up-stream and down-stream effects and groundwater management in terms of quantity, quality and change in water table. Lowland rural areas. Increasing use efficiency, particularly in irrigated agriculture; Increasing recycling and re-use, including innovative multi-purpose utilisation requiring integrated management attentive to quantity and quality aspects; 23

28 Control of sediment load, erosion, flash floods, control of private use, pollution and water logging. Mountainous recharge areas. Restoration of forest and other vegetation to combat flash floods and mudslides and rebuild damaged ecosystem functions; Dam safety and contingency planning and preparedness; Integrated assessments. Coastal zones. Political economy of water resources development for conflicting demand on resources from economic activities such as agriculture, industry, urban sprawl, recreation and tourism, mineral and energy extraction and transport; Development of criteria and procedures for inter-sectoral and transboundary planning and management, including forecasting and warning systems; Saltwater intrusion, erosion and integrated coastal protection and management attentive to basin dimension. Further prioritisation should use the following criteria: (a) integrated perspective (including policy, human dimensions, environment and technology); (b) include several ASEM countries and address issues of regional importance; and (c) have capacity building effects. ASEM bi-regional S&T cooperation and global initiative ASEM S&T cooperation activities bring an in-depth knowledge for sustainable and equitable development to other international cooperation: the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO (IHP), the Asian Pacific Flow regimes from International Experiment and Network Data (FRIEND), the ASEAN Co-operation on Water Conservation Project, the Global Water Partnership (GWP), as well as the World Water Council (WWC) are worth mentioning. Similarly, existing and bilateral agreement amongst the ASEM partners will also be considered for the purpose of developing complementarity and additional actions. A Platform for ASEM S&T cooperation for sustainable water use The ASEM process is built on a framework of respectful, open cooperation between equal partners. ASEM S&T cooperation on water issue is about building bridges between essential knowledge and action around the identified 24

29 priorities. Concrete, societally-oriented results of S&T cooperation requires mobilisation and organisation of knowledge, learning and action concurrently addressing environmental, socio-cultural and economic dimensions. It will promote and enable inter-disciplinary networking, including incorporation of existing network. Setting up of a platform for dynamic interaction between the various ASEM partners (public authorities, private sector, civil society and scientific community) is recommended as the most suitable mechanism to mobilise the strengths of the different partners synergistically. Concept and design The platform for ASEM networking, voluntary coordination and joint action on water issues is composed of 4 interrelated elements: a facilitating secretariat or coordination guided by a small ASEM multi-partner steering committee and supported by the financing mechanisms. The major part of thematic activities will be carried out in a limited number of thematic areas organised as subnetworks. China, France and Portugal have so far provided coordination and are willing to continue. The group remains open to others joining in these tasks. The platform facilitators will prepare a concrete proposal for its operations, including facilitating the financial, organisational and information dissemination activities. They will be supported by a steering committee composed of representatives of different ASEM stakeholders and of representatives of the relevant directorates of the European Commission. Financial support In line with the spirit of ASEM S&T cooperation, the functioning of the platform will be mainly financially supported by the ASEM members. Other types of sources will be tapped as necessary for keeping up with the orientation for bi-regional S&T cooperation. The facilitators will be entrusted with supporting the network members in locating and obtaining the funding for their activities. The opportunities presented by the EU's 6 th Framework Programme as part of the International Dimension of the European Research Area are particularly appreciated. 25

30 Proposed organisation of the Platform for ASEM S&T Cooperation on Sustainable Water Management 26 ASEM Members Steering Committee providing S&T Direction Facilitators Financing sources: ASEM partners others Sub-network Sub-network Sub-network Sub-network 26