Terms of Reference for the development of Sectoral Papers (DS) Dialogue can reach agreements through words The Seventh Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management (D7) will be held in the City of Medellín. This event is organized by the Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN), the Government of Colombia s Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development and the Autonomous Regional Corporation of Central Antioquia (CORANTIOQUIA). D7 is supported by the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations and the cooperation of national and international agencies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, research institutes and the private sector. During one week, nearly 2000 participants will reflect and seek pathways that will lead us into a world where water is available for everyone. This document establishes the Terms of Reference for the development of the Sectoral Papers throughout the Seventh Inter- American Dialogue on Water Management (D7). D7 s Technical coordination will inform the authors about any change or correction to this document and the required adjustments in order to integrate it to the documents given to participants. The Seventh Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management follows this documentary baseline: Baseline Document: A Dialogue for undertaking commitments and reaching intergenerational agreements on water management in the Americas (available at http://d7.rirh.org) The existing inputs: Documents related to water issues (available at http://d7.rirh.org) A Dialogue for undertaking commitments and reaching intergenerational agreements on water management in the Americas Conceptual papers: On the duties, rights and evolution of human generations around water. (under construction) Thematic Papers (DTB): Developed by experts on the following topics (under construction): 1. Towards a process of adaptation to global change. 2. Towards a participatory governance in water management 3. Facing Water Management challenges and needs within Sustainable Development 4. Information, Knowledge and Technology Management in Water Management 5. Towards a Culture of Water encouraged by effective Education and communication policies 6. Towards Water Management financial sustainability.
Sectoral documents (DS) : Developed by leaders and representatives of the different sectors involved: Academic, Agriculture, Services, Communications, Conservation, Education, Culture, Forestry, Livestock, Government, Hydro Energy, Industry, Infrastructure, Mining, Fisheries, Basic Sanitation, Public Services, Civil Society, Transportation, Tourism and Alternative Energy. The sectoral papers (DS) and the conceptual papers "Basis for the process of participation and construction of the Seventh Dialogue (D7), the sectoral papers are fundamental for D7 to address the objectives outlined, as shown in the following diagram: Sectoral papers must be developed from the perspective of both the themes and the key guiding questions (see Annexes 1 and 2), and at the same time discuss IWRM Intergenerational commitments within the context of the Americas, starting from the implementation of integrated water resources management. D7 s purpose, which was set out by the Organizing Committee, focuses on intergenerational commitments on water conservation. Therefore, every Seventh Dialogue (D7) process aims at optimizing both individual and institutional contributions and exchange, in order to reach legitimate agreements by the end of the event. These agreements are to be summarized in an Agenda that contains conclusions and recommendations that will be subsequently presented to the decision makers in every governmental area in the Americas and not only to those directly involved in water and environmental issues. Sectoral documents shall be prepared according to the following schedule: Website draft (Spanish and English) August 24, 2011 Final Version September 30, 2011 The specifications for the documents are: Five hundred word summary both in Spanish and English. Arial 11. Letter size. Single spaced, with 2.54 centimeter margins per side, no page number or header.
A maximum of 15 pages of text (up to 20 pages with graphics), not including the summary written in Arial 11. Letter size. Single spaced, with 2.54 centimeter margins per side, no page number or header. JPG graphics with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, no bigger than half a page each. The main author must be listed first followed by the co-authors in alphabetical order after this mention. D7 participants Leaders and people in charge of the sectoral papers must personally attend D7. For comments or additional questions, please contact D7 Coordination via e-mail secretariat@iwrn.org or omejia@corantioquia.gov.co Annex 1. Seventh Dialogue Themes The principle "Water is essential for life," implies that each generation has a commitment regarding the water it shall drink use and enjoy, as well as with generations to come and the conservation and sustainability of hydric ecosystems from which are derived the environmental services required by life and sustainable development. D7 is focused on intergenerational commitments to water and life in current and future generations. The main topic is developed around central points of dialogue which structure D7 activities such as sectoral and institutional forums, special meetings, plenaries and the tables where commitments and agreements will emerge. These points of dialogue are: 1. Towards a process of adaptation to global change. Climate change, extreme events, risk management and conservation of water ecosystems. 2. Towards the participatory governance in water management 3. Facing Water Management challenges and needs within Sustainable Development 4. Information, Knowledge and Technology Management in Water Management 5. Towards a Culture of Water encouraged by effective Education and communication policies
6. Towards Water Management financial sustainability. In addition, each point of dialogue has common basic contents to be developed during the documentary framework prior to the event and during the dialogue. This conceptual construction, covers current approaches such as water management facing global change, excess and deficit of water as a risk factor, conservation of water ecosystems and key environmental goods and services, IWRM educational policies, how to carry out a positive influence on younger generations, challenges and water needs for multiple sectors, allocation of IWRM responsibilities, strong institutional operation and IWRM financial instruments including funds for conservation. The construction process of these documents responds to a logic of escalation between peers; the first stage is built by leaders and regional or national representatives. The second one, which is the final version, is made with the contribution of peers from other countries of the continent that show competence on these topics or represent this field. Annex 2. Key guiding questions according to the thematic point of dialogue In addition, each point of dialogue has common basic contents to be developed during the documentary framework prior to the event and during the dialogue. This conceptual construction, covers current approaches such as water management facing global change, excess and deficit of water as a risk factor, conservation of water ecosystems and key environmental goods and services, IWRM educational policies, how to carry out a positive influence on younger generations, challenges and water needs for multiple sectors, allocation of IWRM responsibilities, strong institutional operation and IWRM financial instruments including funds for ecosystem conservation. What follows are a series of questions that serve as a guide to this year s dialogue. Questions with an asterisk (*) are common and should be answered in the sectoral documents, the remaining questions are proposed for the areas where its application is obvious. Towards a process of adaptation to global change. Climate change, extreme events, risk management and conservation of water ecosystems. -How do we protect water and ecosystem services? * -How does your field of work adjust its activities to nature? * -How has climate change affected your field of work? * -How has your field of work confronted the effects of climate change? * -What adaptation measures to climate change have you identified and implemented? *
-What risks have generated El Niño and La Niña to your field of work? * -What do you do in your field of work, to protect water ecosystems that provide you with water? * -What importance do you give to the conservation and restoration of water ecosystems? * -How have you confronted the risks associated with extreme events? * -Have you implemented an early warning system? * -What is the relationship between sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? -What lessons have your field of work learned on Integrated Water Management? Towards the participatory governance in water management -How to measure legality in water use? * -How to strengthen institutional structure regarding water care and management? * -What water needs does your region have to carry out different activities in multiple scenarios? * -How can you optimize and coordinate the use of water? * -What success stories of joint use of water do you know? * -What negative experiences have you had and what are the main conflicts of interest? * -Do you think water management should be carried out locally? * -In what ways would you like to take part in water management at the social level? * -What plans and strategies should be adopted to manage water resources? * -What agreements are required to standardize the existing legal framework? * -Do we have enough and efficient participation mechanisms? * -What should be the intergenerational commitments regarding water management in the -Americas? * -We know that IWRM demands an integrated perception from the society. Is this possible? -In spite of knowing that water is the basis of life on earth, we haven t been able to set up a management system stable enough in time and with effective results?
-Why, despite the many publications and international meetings on groundwater, the water levels in too many aquifers continue declining at an alarming rate and the quality of groundwater continues deteriorating? -Where are the minimum requirements for sustainable development in the economies of North, Central and South America aimed at? -What is water governance? -Where are we? And what do we need for IWRM? -Government-wise, how would you like to be involved in water management? -Are you aware of any conflict in your field of work, related to watersheds and trans-boundary aquifers? -What are the challenges generated by the implementation and subsidiarity in IWRM? Facing Water Management challenges and needs within Sustainable Development -What are the challenges and water supply needs in your field of work? * -How much water available do we have? * -How much water is required to support the current demand in your field of work? * -How much water will be required to support the demand in 2025? * -What are the growth expectations in your field of work in relation to the water available? * -How much energy is required in America, and what percentage of that energy is water generated? -Which are the production processes that require more water? -How to achieve the MDGs in water and sanitation? -What impact has the growth of agriculture and land use change had in water availability? -Is irrigated agriculture a significant activity in terms of use of water? -What are the uses of water in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 21st Century? -According to the balance of expansion and loss of agricultural land to supply the population needs over the next 25 years, where will the water come from?
Information, knowledge and technology management in Water Management -How to strengthen IWRM information, knowledge and technology management? * -How to make those who own information, knowledge and technology share it with those who need it? * -How much has your field of work advanced in the evaluation of alternative sources of water supply in arid regions (rainwater and fog harvesting and desalination among others)? * -What importance does your field of work give to information systems on water resources? * -What information, knowledge and technology challenges has water management posed in your field of work? * -What type of technology is required to meet MDGs in America? -What differences between surface water and groundwater should be taken into consideration by the IWRM? -Why is it that most groundwater studies are limited to refine hydrogeological knowledge or the procedures to determine aquifer vulnerability to contamination; but never venture to propose management plans, not even in a preliminary form? Towards a Culture of Water -How to positively influence younger generation on water management issues? * -What does culture of water mean to us? * -How to build a culture of water? * -How to allocate responsibilities in the promotion of culture of water? * -What public policies should be adopted to promote culture of water? * -What is the role of women, children and the elderly in water management? * -How to build culture of water and ethics in water use? * -What water-related conflict does your field of work currently has? * -In what ways and to what extent should local organizations be empowered in the care and management of water? * -How to achieve relevant and effective communications in water management?
-What should be done to include culture in all human activities? Towards Water Management financial sustainability. -What environmental, economic and social value does your field of work give to the water industry? * -What would be a fair contribution from the users to pay for water services and water ecosystems? * -How much does it cost to protect and restore the quality of water? * -How much does it cost to protect water ecosystems? * -How to finance IWRM? -How to make progress in the equitable self-financing of sustainable water management? -What economic and financial policies must be adopted to pay for water services? -How to convince all the internationally funded projects on clean water and irrigation, to also consider taking care of groundwater?