In 3 sentences: GWP CEE celebrated its 10th anniversary in Budapest by presenting results of major achievements over the past decade, including identifying a gap of 20 million EU citizens who lack access to safe and affordable sanitation. As Slovakia takes over the presidency of the ICPDR in 2009, priorities will include improving water quality and developing flood action plans for tributaries to achieve the goals of the EU Water Framework Directive. World Water Day 2009 focuses on shared waters and opportunities for cooperation in transboundary water management.

1. CEE Celebrates 10 Years of Advancing Calendar of Events
Water Agenda 5th World Water Forum
TH
GWP CEE CELEBRATED ITS 10 ANNIVERSA- celebrations of 29 June as Danube Day with 15-22 March 2009
RY PRESENTING RESULTS OF MAJOR ACHIEVE- international celebrations in Zaragoza Water
Istanbul, Turkey
MENTS OVER THE PAST DECADE ON 6 OCTOBER Expo in 2008.
World Water Day 2009
IN BUDAPEST.
22 March 2009
GWO CEE identified a gap of 20 Million EU cit-
“Shared Water - Shared Opportunities”
izens who lack safe and affordable sanitation.
This was done by an international specialist task 2nd European Water Conference 2009
force publishing its findings in the book, Sus- 2-3 April 2009
Brussels, Belgium
CREDIT: RICHARD MULLER
Since its establishment in 1998, GWP CEE has
organised several thematic dialogues including Advances in Urban Water Supply
Vision for Action, Financial Flows, Water, Food and Sanitation Conference
and Environment, Gender and IWRM Planning. 21-22 May 2009
The results were synthesised and presented at Minsk, Belarus
World Water Forums. To take stock of the re-
sults achieved since the Hague Forum, a re- ToolBox Sustainable Sanitation Workshop
gional stakeholder meeting was held in March 25-27 May 2009
2001 in Budapest, Hungary. A Ministerial Decla- Kiev, Ukraine
ration was adopted at the meeting welcoming,
amongst other things, the initiative of the GWP
to promote integrated water resource manage- GWP CEE celebration Call for Papers
ment in the region. tainable Sanitation in Central and Eastern Eu- ADVANCES IN URBAN WATER SUPPLY AND
rope: Addressing the Needs of Small and Medi- SANITATION CONFERENCE
GWP CEE was one of the coordinators of Europe um-Size Settlements. This action was also well The conference, taking part in Minsk, Belarus on
Day at the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Ja- timed to contribute to the International Year of 21-22 May 2009, aims to be a platform for young
pan. During the Forum, GWP CEE was involved Sanitation 2008. water professionals, i.e. students and water pro-
in various meetings such as Tool Box sessions, fessionals under 35 years old. Although it has
the World Panel on Financing Water Infrastruc- Since 2003, there has been an ongoing study a special focus on urban water supply and sanita-
ture and others. According to GWP Regional on flash floods under the auspices of the World tion, papers on all aspects of the water/wastewa-
Chair for CEE, Liviu Nicolae Popescu, “Dialogues Meteorological Organization (WMO) / GWP As- ter sectors are welcome. Deadline for submission
are a central GWP CEE activity. We have used sociated Programme on Floods Management. of outline papers is the 1st February 2009.
dialogues – facilitated conversations among One of the most recent achievements, “Guid- For more information:
groups with often disparate views – to discuss ance on Flash Flood Management-Recent Expe- www.ywp-wik2009.org
complex water management issues with a no- riences from CEE”, has been published and pro-
table success”, says Popescu. During 2006-2007,
GWP CEE used national dialogues to organise
vides easily accessible guidance on flash flood
management to mayors, provincial administra- International ReSource
a series of IWRM Policy Dialogues, responding
to national water priorities in 12 countries of
tors and the National Meteorological and Hy-
drological Service.
Award for Sustainable
the region.
In the region, the GWP ToolBox is instrumen-
Watershed Management
There has been a steady increase in interest tal in supporting knowledge exchange on in- THE INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE AWARD FOR
for public participation, as well as recognition tegrated water resources management ap- SUSTAINABLE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT WAS
for it on different governance levels, in a wide proaches towards sustainable water resources LAUNCHED BY SWISS RE IN 2002.
range of sectors and contexts, including en- development, management and use. “Over the The ReSource Award is an internationally rec-
vironmental management. To respond to this, next years, GWP Central and Eastern Europe ognised prize for leadership in implementing
GWP CEE established the Public Participation plans to undertake several initiatives including the principles of sustainability in watershed
Task Force. The major achievements include increased multi-sectoral dialogues, and raising management. The submission deadline for the
organisation of the International Commission political will for extended application of IWRM ReSource Award 2010 is 30 April 2009.
for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) principle”, says Milan Matuska, GWP CEE Re- For more information:
Stakeholder Conference in 2005 and annual gional Coordinator. www.swissre.com/resource

2. Danube Day at World Water Expo Danube Pass – Entrada Danubio
Germany
Slovakia
DANUBE DAY WENT GLOBAL WITH
CELEBRATIONS AT THE WORLD WA-
TER EXPO IN ZARAGOSA, SPAIN. Austria Hungary
GWP Hungary was the organiser
Romania
of the Danube Day at World Wa-
Croatia
ter Expo 2008 in Zaragoza with the
support from ICPDR, GWP, the Hungarian Ministries of Economy Environ-
ment & Water and Country Water Partnerships from Romania, Bulgaria. Visit the pavilions of all 7 Danube countries. At each one, you will
The responsible commissioners of national pavilions from Slovakia, Ger- get a stamp on the „pass”. With collecting all seven stamps you
will be entitled to receive small presents.
Bulgaria
many, Austria and Croatia also supported the event. Visitar los pabellones de todos los 7 países de Danubio. En cada
uno va a recibir una estampilla en “entrada”. Si colectan todas las
7 estampillas va a recibir pequeños regalos.
Water and Sustainable Development was the theme for this year’s Expo,
opened on 14 June. The huge event covered 60 acres with more than 27
structures designed by some of the world’s leading architects; all on the
Danube Day: 29 June
theme of water, including the world’s largest river aquarium. Visitors arriv-
Día de Danubio: 29 de junio
ing at each of the Expo Country Pavilions on the 29th of June were met with
English name: Danube
Danube Day banners and posters. Many of the people visiting the Expo Latin name: Danubius, Ister The most international river on the Earth.
Ancient Greek: Istros The Danube flows through 10 countries (Germany, Austria,
during 29 June received a “Danube Pass” for which they collected stamps Source: Black Forrest, Donaueschingen, Germany Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria,
Mouth: Black See via Danube Delta, Romania and Ukraine Moldova, Ukraine), takes water from further nine countries
from Danube countries and received a small prize. Catchment area: 817.000 km2 Length: 2850 km.
Population living in the basin: more than 80 million
and thus connects 19 countries.
Drinking water source for about 10 million people • Danube Commission established in 1948 (Belgrade)
• International Commission for the Protection of the
The Danube Box, the ICPDR’s educational tool kit for promoting protection of Danube River (ICPDR) established in 1994 (Sofia)
the Danube Basin, was displayed together with GWP material such as GWP
CEE books, leaflets and brochures produced in the last years with connec-
tion to the Zaragoza Expo topic Water and Sustainability. The “Blue Danube
Waltz” attracted many visitors who all dressed up in Danube Day T-shirts
danced in front of the Hungarian Pavilion. Later in the day, a press confer-
ence attracted media attention about Danube’s water resources issues.
For more information on Danube Day visit www.danubeday.org
CREDIT: MONIKA JETZIN
CREDIT: GALIA BARDARSKA
Press Conference at Water Tribune People dance “Blue Danube Waltz”
World Water Day 2009 The Challenge Ahead
Every government wants to ensure that its cit-
Groundwater Resources of the World
In some areas, the availability of good qual-
IN 2009, THE THEME FOR WORLD WATER DAY IS izens have the water they need to lead healthy, ity freshwater has been reduced due to pol-
„SHARED WATER - SHARED OPPORTUNITIES“. happy and productive lives. As population and lution from human waste, industry and agri-
economy grow, national demands for fresh- culture. The figures are disturbing. Every day,
Nearly 40 percent of the world’s population water increase. There us enough freshwater 2 million tons of human waste is disposed
lives in river and lake basins shared by two or to meet everyone needs. But the world’s sup- of in water courses. In developing counties,
more countries. The world’s 263 transbound- ply of freshwater is not evenly distributed and 70 percent of industrial wasters are dumped
ary basins include the territory of 145 coun- often not appropriately managed. Many coun- untreated into waters where they pollute the
tries and cover nearly half of the Earths land tries are already faxing scarcity of freshwa- usable water supply. Since 1900, half of the
surface. Great reservoirs of freshwater also ter. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in world’s wetlands, our principal source of re-
move silently bellow border in underground countries or regions with absolute water scar- newable freshwater, have been lost. Putting
aquifers. There are over 270 known trans- city, and two thirds of the world’s population and end to the deterioration of transbounda-
boundary aquifers. could be under stress condition. ry wetland ecosystems is critical for securing
2

3. a stable supply of water for our homes, farms World Water Day
and industries. International World Water Day is held annually
on 22 March as a means of focusing attention
Climate change will certainly have an impact on on the importance of freshwater and advocat-
water resources and their management. As tem- ing for the sustainable management of fresh-
peratures rise, rainfall patterns are expected to water resources. An international day to cele-
change, increasing the risks of floods, drought brate freshwater was recommended at the 1992
ad other water related disasters in many areas. United Nations Conference on Environment
Glaciers and ice fields, the immense reservoirs and Development (UNCED). The United Nations
of freshwater stored in the world’s mountains General Assembly responded by designating 22
and polar regions are already meling. March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Cooperation and not Conflict In 2009, a special focus is placed on trans-
With many countries different stages of devel- boundary waters. Nurturing the opportunities
opment, with different economic interests and for cooperation in transboundary water man-
different political outlooks, all trying to satisfy agement can help build mutual respect, under-
their water needs with limited water resources, standing and trust among countries and pro-
some people foresee a future filled with con- mote peace, security and sustainable economic
flicts. But history shows that cooperation, not growth. The United Nations Educational, Sci-
conflict, is the most common response to trans- entific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
boundary water management issue. Over the words 263 international river basins and trans- leads the activities of the World Water Day
past 60years there have been nearly 300 inter- boundary aquifer systems, 158 do not have any 2009 with the support of United Nations Eco-
national water agreements and only 37 cases of type of cooperative management framework in nomic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and
reported violence between states over water. place. Nurturing the opportunities for coopera- the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
tion in transboundary water management can United Nations (FAO).
Work remains to be one to improve and imple- help build mutual respect, understanding and
ment these international agreements. In ad- trust among countries and promoted peace, se- For more information, visit official website
dition, more agreements are required. Of the curity and sustainable economic growth. www.worldwaterday09.info
Slovakia Takes over Presidency of International Commission
for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)
CREDIT: ICPDR/LISKA
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY AND DEVELOP- The State Secretary of the Ministry of the En-
ING FLOOD ACTION PLANS FOR TRIBUTARIES vironment of Slovakia Jaroslav Jadus attended
AMONG THE PRIORITIES. the handover ceremony, underscoring the im-
portance of the Presidency for Slovakia.
Slovakia is particularly committed to support
the timely and proper implementation of the
EU Water Framework Directive. Water managers
and experts throughout the Danube basin are
working towards achieving good water quality Jaroslav Jadus (State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment of
Slovakia takes over the Presidency of the In- by 2015 as required by the Directive. The com- Slovakia), Olga Srsnova (ICPDR President 2009), Sasa Dragin (ICP-
DR President 2008) and Philip Weller (ICPDR Executive Secretary)
ternational Commission for the Protection of ing months will be essential in developing the
the Danube River (ICPDR) for the year 2009 at Danube River Basin Management Plan includ- Additional focus will be given to the development of
a ceremony held at the United Nations in Vien- ing the Joint Programme of Measures that must flood action plans for sub-basins. “Being regularly
na on 27 January 2009. be completed by the end of 2009. The Presiden- affected by floods, Slovakia is aware of the interna-
cy will host a Stakeholder Forum to discuss the tional dimension of this problem,” Ms. Srsnova un-
Olga Srsnova, General Director of the Division measures to be adopted in Bratislava around the derlined, “The flood damage along the Danube can
of Waters and Energy Sources at the Slovak date of International Danube Day on 29 June be significantly reduced by a better flood manage-
Ministry of Environment will serve as President 2009. “Discussing the planned measures, listen- ment of its tributaries. The development of a flood
and guide the activities of the ICPDR. “During ing to those who will be affected by them, and action programme for the respective sub-basins is
my presidency, I am committed to promoting finding compromises are key for the success of an important step to achieve this.”
development that meets the needs of both the the implementation of the EU Water Framework
people and the environment”, said Ms. Srsno- Directive,” Ms. Srsnova emphasized. The ICPDR Presidency rotates annually among the
va. She intends to support the role of the ICP- Contracting Parties of the Danube River Protec-
DR as a forum for discussion, especially against The final Danube River Basin Management Plan tion Convention. Slovakia follows Serbia and will
a background of increasing pressure on river will be adopted by all ministers responsible for be succeeded by Slovenia in 2010.
resources. water management in spring 2010. For more information, visit www.icpdr.org
3

4. Europe’s Sanitation Problem
20 MILLION EUROPEANS STILL NEED ACCESS TO
SAFE AND AFFORDABLE SANITATION.
with a monthly income or pension of not tion experts from Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova,
more than EUR 50-100. Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Regional
Secretariat also contributed to success of the
The seminar, which built on the conclusions of seminar.
Women in Europe for a Common Future, Coali- a high level conference in Brussels earlier this
tion Clean Baltic, GWP CEE, Earth Forever, Bul- year, brought together key decision makers For more information on the GWP CEE
garia, Euroteleorman Romania and Creative Slo- from politics and industry to look at barriers Sustainable Sanitation Programme,
vakia organised the seminar entitled, “Europe’s and solutions. GWP CEE Sustainable Sanita- visit www.gwpceeforum.org
Sanitation Problem: 20 Million Europeans Need
CREDIT: BOGDAN MACAROL
Access to Safe and Affordable Sanitation” dur-
ing Stockholm Water Week on 19 August.
The seminar was honoured by the presence
of the GWP Patron HRH Prince Willem-Alex-
ander, Chair of the United Nations Advisory
Board on Water and Sanitation. Unchanged,
current legislation and funding programmes
will leave these 20 million people behind. De-
spite the allocation of more than EUR 336
billion in Cohesion Funds to new EU member
states, hardly any funds address the needs
of the poorest people living in small ru-
ral communities. The usual system of pit la-
trines causes groundwater pollution in many
villages which depend on wells for drinking
water. The numerous health effects include
regular outbreaks of viral hepatitis, blue baby
syndrome and diarrhoea. Children and wom-
en are most often affected. The proposed al-
ternatives are not affordable for households This seminar was honored by the presence of the GWP Patron HRH Prince Willem-Alexander
GWP CEE Presents at Water Crisis Dialogue
GWP CEE REGIONAL COORDINATOR MILAN MA- The 4th International Dialogue on World Water City Council and EMASESA Metropolitana, the
TUSKA GAVE A KEY NOTE PRESENTATION ON Crisis took place in Seville, Spain on November largest water facility in Andalusia. This year the
THE WATER CRISIS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN 20th and 21st. The event was organized by Green Dialogue was focused on current water man-
EUROPE ON 20 NOVEMBER IN SEVILLE. Cross Spain with the collaboration of the Seville agement problems in Central and Eastern Eu-
CREDIT: MILAN MATUSKA
CREDIT: MILAN MATUSKA
The dialogue provided an opportunity for networking Petruta Moisi gives a presentation on water problems in Romania
4

5. rope, facing new challenges and opportunities, butions of invited experts from Bulgaria, the Czech ed on the specification of potential help for
including implementation of the Water Frame- Republic, Poland and Romania focused on differ- the water management sector in Central and
work Directive. ent aspects of water management. This helped the Eastern Europe.
auditorium consisting of approximately 100 Span-
Since the first Dialogue in 2005, Seville has be- ish representatives of professional organisations In the future, Green Cross Espana plans to sum-
come a worldwide meeting point for water experts and NGOs working in water management to un- marize all the Dialogues and present the con-
to discuss how water management can be better derstand the whole range of problems that varied clusions at WWF 5 in Istanbul together with
shared between governments, NGOs and private from country to country in the region. a proposal of Fundamental Principles for the
initiatives. Along with the current situation in Framework Convention on the Right to Water
Central and Eastern Europe, the issue of sanitation One of the challenges was the rather limited which is the joint initiative of Green Cross Es-
was also discussed, in part because 2008 was de- number of participants from Central and East- pana together with the International Secretariat
clared the International Year of Sanitation. Before ern Europe to point out the most important for Water and the Maghreb-Machreq Alliance for
the Dialogue, the GWP CEE Regional Coordinator regional issues and clarify differences among Water.
Milan Matuska gave an interview which appeared the countries, especially in the context of the
in the newsletter Andalucia Ecolociga MedioAmbi- application of IWRM principles through the General information on the 4th Dialogue can be
ente and an introductory presentation to the Dia- implementation of the Water Framework Di- found on the Green Cross website: http://gci.ch.
logue: Water Management in Central and Eastern rective. The presentations of Spanish organi- For more information in Spanish,
Europe. His presentation was followed by contri- sations and companies were generally orient- visit www.greencross.org.es.
GWP Launches New Global Strategy:
Pushing Water Higher up the Development Agenda
THE GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP (GWP) AN- Referring to new global challenges, GWP Chair strategy. “The strategy is the result of a full
NOUNCES ITS NEW GLOBAL STRATEGY, ONE Letitia A. Obeng, said, “The Strategy has been year of consultations, including two network-
THAT FOCUSES ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF developed during a difficult period. Develop- wide meetings in 2008. The strategy truly rep-
FOUR MAJOR GOALS DURING THE PERIOD ment efforts are threatened due to unprece- resents the aims of the GWP network,” he
2009-2013. dented economic and financial volatility, and said. “Comments were received from around
increased uncertainty facing the world. We the globe, including from staff and the donor
2009–2013
are however excited that we can build on our community. We are grateful to everyone who
past, and position ourselves to contribute to contributed.”
addressing urgent waterrelated challenges.”
Strategy GWP’s educational and advocacy role since
Ania Grobicki, the newly-appointed GWP Ex-
ecutive Secretary, noted that “With communi-
1996 for an integrated approach to the man- ties, societies and nations under pressure from
agement and development of water resourc- the economic downturn and from the effects
es has contributed to changes in policies and of increasing climate variability, I believe pas-
legislation. The new strategy aims to build on sionately that GWP’s key task is to keep the
those successes by pushing water higher up focus on water security for all.” Ms. Grobicki
the development agenda. takes up her new post on March 11.
“There are precious few development issues The GWP 2009-2013 Strategy is available at
that can be talked about without reference to p um.or
www.gwpforum.org.
water security,” said GWP Technical Commit-
tee Chair Roberto Lenton, “wheth- h-
er it is poverty, hunger, disease,
or the environment. In fact, the
“Recognizing the new challenges, GWP has world community will have great
developed a new intervention strategy,” said difficulty reaching the Millenni-
GWP Patron HRH The Prince of Orange Wil- um Development Goals if it does
lem-Alexander. “This strategy makes the or- not place water security issues
ganisation fit for the future and guarantees front and centre.”
the continuation of the important role that
GWP is playing in improving the integrated Martin Walshe, GWP Deputy Execu-
planning and management of the world’s wa- tive Secretary and currently Acting
ter resources. It is an honour for me to be Pa- Executive Secretary, emphasized the
tron of such an influential organisation.” inclusive process that resulted in the
5

6. 5th World Water Forum Bridging Divides For Water
Given Turkey’s strategic position between East
themes, topics and sessions will ultimately lead
to the achievement of a clear set of experiences,
and West, North and South, but also the con- recommendations and commitments for action
HELD EVERY THREE YEARS, THE WORLD WATER ceptual barriers between different water cul- on bridging water divides among actors, sectors
FORUM STRIVES TO GATHER PEOPLE TOGETHER tures, between developed and developing and among the present and future generations.
FROM EVERY HORIZON TO FIND SUSTAINABLE regions of the world, and the need to bring to-
SOLUTIONS TO THE WATER CHALLENGES THAT gether the many ongoing initiatives around the The programme frame- Bridging Divides
for Water
THE WORLD FACES DAILY. world related to water issues, “Bridging Divides work has been devel-
for Water” has been chosen as the overarching ramme
oped by the programme 1 aim
theme for the Forum in Turkey. ecifi
Committee and specifies 2 issues
the aim, themes and
6 themes
The six main themes of the forum are: “Global topics. Six themeses
Changes & Risk Management”, “Advancing Hu- have been identi- 24 topics
man Development and Millennium Develop- fied under two 100 sessions
ment Goals”, “Managing and Protecting Water categories:
Resources and their Supply Systems to meet
Human and Environmental Needs”, “Govern- 1) Ends:
ance and Management”, “Finance”, “Education, – Global Changes and Risk Management
Knowledge and Capacity Building”. – Advancing human Development and the MDGs
The Forum is a unique platform where individu- – Managing and Protecting water resources
als from both inside and outside the water sec- Istanbul Consensus and their supply systems to meet human and
tor can interact and debate, creating broader In addition, through the Ministers Conference, Lo- environmental needs
awareness for water related issues and a re- cal Authorities Conference and the Parliamentari-
solve to find solutions. In addition, it provides ans’ Summit, the 5th Wo rld Water Forum provides 2) Means:
the opportunity for Ministers, Local Authorities the opportunity for Ministers, Local Authorities – Governance and Management
and Parliamentarians to consolidate their dif- and Parliamentarians to consolidate their differ- – Finance
ferent perspectives with those of experts and ent perspectives with those of experts and civil so- – Education, Knowledge and Capacity Building
civil society. ciety. As the results of the conferences, a joint dec-
laration Istanbul Consensus will be signed. Thematic Coordinators have been identified
After the previous Fora, held in Morocco (1997), for each theme: their role is to develop with-
the Netherlands (2000), Japan (2003) and Mex- Thematic Process in a thematic consortium the respective theme,
ico (2006), the 5th World Water Forum will be The thematic process for the 5th World Wa- topics and sessions to identify and share experi-
held in March 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. ter Forum follows a “pyramid” approach: all ences and actions bridging the divides between
New ToolBox Website Launched
THE IWRM TOOLBOX BRINGS TOGETHER A COL- The ToolBox is also an excellent
LECTION OF GOOD PRACTICES FOR MANAGING tool for engaging the broader
WATER RESOURCES AT ALL LEVELS. community of interested pro-
fessionals around the world and
sharing experiences. We hope
that this new-look ToolBox will
increase your knowledge, im-
prove your network of contacts
and help you to implement ideas
and solutions for water-related
problems.
On 1 October 2008, a new version of the Tool- IWRM goes local
Box web site was introduced. The site was re- In November, a new case study entitled, “Principles supply, waste water treatment, flood protection -
designed, the IT system was upgraded and of IWRM in Municipalities” was published on the and public administration reform during the last
the search function was simplified; the result ToolBox website. This work, elaborated by the Slo- two decades. It also addresses the most important
is a user-friendly database of IWRM knowl- vak Association of Municipalities, is of benefit to global challenges such as climate change and the
edge. The ToolBox is a free and open library of communities, land users and local municipalities. supply of quality water for the population in the
case studies and references that can be used It promotes the improvement of water resourc- near and distant future.
by anyone who is interested in implement- es and the prevention of the deterioration/deple- The Toolbox administrators are eagerly await-
ing better water management approaches or tion of available water resources in the given area. ing your comments. Also, new case studies and
learning more about improving water man- The need to formulate the principles stems from reference documents are welcomed.
agement on the local, national, regional and the necessity to reflect the wide decentralisation For more information,
global levels. of competencies - ranging from drinking water visit www.gwptoolbox.org
6

7. actors, sectors, regions and generations of rel- Water Grand Prize, will share their experi- A great number of Governments and organisa-
evance for the theme and to formulate recom- ences with participants; tions from the water sector committed them-
mendations, commitments and actions to fur- – Training activities will take place for partici- selves to work towards its concretisation. As
ther build these bridges. pants in the Learning Centre and for children a privileged witness of these commitments, the
and adults alike in the Global Water Educa- Council has since verified the implementation
Forum programme tion Village; of promised actions in this direction.
The 5th World Water Forum will be held in Istan- – Open space and networking opportuni-
bul, Turkey, from March 16th to 22nd, 2009. A va- ties will be facilitated to allow divides to be In March 2003, the 3rd World Water Forum in
riety of events throughout the week will aim to bridged between participants; Kyoto, Japan, clearly stated its resolution to in-
focus on just one overarching theme: “Bridging – A social and cultural programme, including volve all stakeholders through, for example, the
Divides for Water”. Some of the highlights of the the International Water and Film Encounter creation of a “Virtual Water Forum” and the
week will include: and events in the Citizen’s Water House; gathering of thousands of testimonies with-
– Heads of State, Ministers, Parliamentarians – And much more besides. in the “Voices of Water.” The Council, follow-
and Local Authorities will meet at the Fo- ing its commitments made at the 2nd World Wa-
rum to have both individual and joint work- The World Water Forum: Background ter Forum, presented its “World Water Actions”
ing sessions aiming to foster discussion and The World Water Forum is organised once eve- Report: an inventory of 3000 actions on the
consensus on priority water-related issues; ry 3 years by the World Water Council in close ground. By gathering more than 24,000 partici-
– 100 topic-sessions will be held throughout collaboration with the authorities of the host pants, the 3rd World Water Forum was the larg-
the week, each one attempting to provide an country. It constitutes the largest water-related est water-related event ever organised.
answer and clearer understanding on a cru- event in the world. Its 3 main objectives are to:
cial water-related question, through multi- – Make water a priority in the political and One hundred and thirty ministers attended the
stakeholder dialogue; economic agenda worldwide; Ministerial Conference. Several hundred com-
– Keynotes speeches will be delivered every – Facilitate and encourage in-depth debates mitments were made both during the Forum and
morning by renowned personalities on the on major water issues; during the Ministerial Conference. Each session-
Forum’s main themes; – Generate political commitment and bring the organiser was also asked to formulate a list of
– High-level presentations will be made on the public’s attention to these commitments. concrete actions to be set up in the near future.
work accomplished in the various regions of the
world to identify solutions to their water issues; The 1st World Water Forum was held in Mar- For the 4th edition, the World Water Forum was
– Hundreds of exhibitors will present their ac- rakech, Morocco, in 1997. This Forum led to the organised for the first time on the American
tivities and technology in the World Water preparation of a “Vision for Water, Life and the continent in Mexico City, gathering approxi-
Expo and Water Fair; Environment in the 21st Century”, whose results mately 20,000 participants.
– Some excellent grassroots water-related ac- were discussed during the 2nd World Water Fo- For more information:
tivities, as candidates for the Kyoto World rum in 2000 in The Hague, Netherlands. www.worldwaterforum5.org
New Training Manual on Economics of Water
WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE, DEVELOPMENT, structure. Financial tools are applied for financ-
Economics in Sustainable Water Management
HEALTH, AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION. ing water management and infrastructure, wa-
ter sector reforms and planning for integrated
We live in a time where the world faces huge management of the resource.
needs and challenges to ensure better access to
safe water and sanitation service to billions of Water managers are expected to make rational
people. This has been rightly addressed in the water allocation decisions based on efficiency
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and and effectiveness. It is within this context that
many other global, regional, and local-level res- Cap-Net, the Global Water Partnership (GWP),
olutions. There is general consensus that im- and the European Union Water Initiative Fi- Economics in
proved efficiency in the water sector, and the nance Working Group (EUWI-FWG) have joined Sustainable Water Management
direct positive consequences that better water efforts to develop this training manual on eco-
resources management and better access to nomic and financial instruments for IWRM. Training Manual
water and sanitation, will bring to major devel- The need for the manual is evidenced by the and
)DFLOLWDWRUV· *XLGH
opment targets. many training courses that have been organ-
March 2008
ised, following on from an international train-
For better management and improved access, ing of trainers’ workshop held in Mexico in May
there are several tools and instruments avail- 2007 and organised by Cap-Net and its partner
able to the water manager. This training manual networks. It is our aspiration that the manual
i
focuses on economic and financial instruments. would find its way to those capacity builders
Economic instruments provide incentives for on the ground who intends to organise train-
more efficient water use, either in terms of re- ing activities on economics in sustainable Water The handbook is available in English, French,
duction of water quantity or increasing returns Management (IWRM) and who may find inspi- Portuguese and Spanish and can be download-
on investment in water management and infra- ration and guidance from it. ed from www.gwpforum.org.
7

8. The International Symposium etitled “Drava The symposium resulted in the “Drava Riv-
Drava River Vision River Vision” brought together officials, experts
and professionals from the fields of nature pro-
er Vision Memorandum of Understanding”, a
framework for nature protection, hydropower
THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SUS- tection, water management, hydropower and and water management institutions and indi-
TAINABLE TRANSBOUNDARY RIVER BASIN land use planning and NGOs from the Drava vidual professionals to effectively implement
MANAGEMENT TOOK PLACE ON 23-25 SEP- River riparian countries (Italy, Austria, Slovenia, best practices and activities that will contrib-
TEMBER 2008 IN MARIBOR, SLOVENIA. Croatia and Hungary) to share good practices ute to achieving the sustainability goals.
in the field of river basin management. The goal
The common European legislation related to of the symposium was to come up with possi- The Institute for Water and the Government of
water, in particular the Habitat Directive, the ble solutions to the identified challenges with Carinthia – the Department of Water Manage-
Birds Directive, the Water Framework Direc- an emphasis on potential synergies. ment, with the assistance of the Environmen-
tive, the Renewable Energy Sources Directive tal Agency - Section Drava River Sub-Basin or-
and the Flood Directive, presents a frame- Speakers from different European countries ganised the symposium. Support was provided
work for developing the processes and prac- and institutions discussed the importance of by the Ministry of the Environment and Spa-
tices for sustainable river basin management. sustainable river basin management in the tial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia and
The transboundary cooperation and sharing transboundary context, the status and future the Austrian Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry,
of knowledge among several countries in one development of nature conservation, the ex- Environment and Water Management.
river basin is therefore an additional challenge isting and future hydropower infrastructure,
on the way to sustainability in the field of riv- flood protection challenges as well as many For more information,
er basin management. other issues raised by the participants. visit www.life-drau.at
Global Water Partnership Appoints New Executive Secretary
THE GLOBAL WATER Dr. Grobicki has spent the majority of her cieties and nations under pressure from the
PARTNERSHIP (GWP) working life establishing and growing a range economic downturn and from the effects of
ANNOUNCED THE AP- of organizations, and working on water-re- increasing climate variability, I believe pas-
POINTMENT OF DR. lated issues at the sub-national, nation- sionately that GWP‘s key task is to keep the
ANIA GROBICKI AS al and international levels. For 10 years she focus on water security for all, especially for
THE GWP EXECUTIVE managed her own consulting firm where she the most vulnerable groups, such as women
SECRETARY, EFFECTIVE worked on, among other things, water sup- and children, who are the first affected in
MARCH 11, 2009. ply, reuse, water quality, pollution, sanitation, times of crisis.”
and integrated catchment management is-
Dr. Grobicki is currently Head of Secretariat for sues. She has worked on the water needs of Dr. Grobicki has worked extensively with various
the multi-stakeholder forum on strengthen- industry, energy, agriculture, health and the NGOs and UN agencies and is a prolific writer of
ing research for health, development and equi- environment. books and papers, including for the 2nd World
ty worldwide which was established to prepare Water Development Report. She has been a Co-
for the 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Re- “I look forward to serving and supporting this ordinator for the African National Congress’s
search for Health. As Head, she was responsible unique network of stakeholders that is GWP, Science and Technology Group, a Coordinator
for operations, fundraising, outreach, commu- and reaching out to new and potential part- for the CGIAR’s Challenge Program for Water
nications, and engagement with high-level in- ners worldwide,” said Dr. Grobicki. Noting and Food and has also been a university lectur-
dividuals across the globe and oversaw the No- that her new responsibilities coincide with er in South Africa and the UK. Dr. Grobicki has a
vember 2008 Bamako conference. the start of a new strategy period for GWP BA in Economics, a BSc in Chemical Engineering
(2009-2013), she remarked that, “through the and a PhD in Biotechnology from Imperial Col-
“The GWP Steering Committee looked for and global strategy we will support approaches lege, London.
found in Dr. Grobicki a unique and energizing that are innovative and sustainable, in order
person to lead the GWP network into the next to meet the water needs of all sectors of the Dr. Grobicki succeeds Emilio Gabrielli who left
strategy period,” said Letitia A. Obeng, GWP economy, and ecosystems.” in May 2008 to take a private sector position
Chair. “We wanted someone strategic who will in Australia. Martin Walshe, GWP Deputy Ex-
excite the Partnership, bringing with them a key Affirming the priorities of the new strategy, ecutive Secretary, is serving as Acting Executive
range of skills.” Dr. Grobicki added, “With communities, so- Secretary.
Volume 8, Issue No. 2/2008, December 2008
Water Talk is the official newsletter of Global Water Partnership Central and Easter Europe (GWP CEE)
published twice a year. Water Talk assists GWP CEE to promote principles of Integrated Water Resourc-
es Management (IWRM) in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. The views and opinions expressed
in Water Talk do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of GWP CEE.
Publisher: GWP CEE - Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe, gwpcee@shmu.sk,
Editor: Richard Müller, Language Proofreading: Euro VKM, Ltd, Layout and Printing: TYPOCON, Ltd.
Registration No: EV 1796/08
ISSN: 1336-5525
GWP CEE – Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe, c/o Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Jeseniova 17, 833 15 Bratislava, Slovakia,
phone: +421 2 5941 5294, fax: +421 2 5941 5273, e-mail: gwpcee@shmu.sk, http://www.gwpceeforum.org
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