Water Talk 1-2/2009

1. 1-2 2009
Vol. 9 December 2009
A HelpDesk for Flood Management
GWP AND WMO’S ASSOCIATED PROGRAMME
Calendar of Events
ON FLOOD MANAGEMENT LAUNCHED HELP-
Danube Strategy
1-2 February 2010
DESK AT THE 2ND MEETING OF THE GLOBAL
Ulm, Germany
PLATFORM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION.
ICPDR Ministerial Meeting
The HelpDesk will assist countries in imple- 16 February 2010
menting an integrated approach to flood man- Vienna, Austria
agement and will provide guidance on flood World Water Day 2010
management strategy and policy. 22 March 2010
Brussels, Belgium
The HelpDesk has been created by the World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO) through its BALWOIS 2010
Associated Programme on Flood Management, 25-29 May 2010
a joint initiative of the World Meteorologi- Ohrid, Macedonia
cal Organization (WMO) and the Global Water
Partnership (GWP), and is supported by some
20 partner organizations from governments, are strikingly low. Human loss of life from flood-
New on Water Channel
academia and international bodies. ing is at an unacceptable level in many parts of THE WATER CHANNEL LAUNCHED A PLATFORM
the developing world, despite the availability of ON WATER & CLIMATE.
The GWP provides oversight to the Integrated approaches to reduce flood risks. Economic loss-
Flood Management (IFM) HelpDesk through its es from flooding are also high. Increased climate
role as chair of the Advisory Committee and the variability poses additional risks by affecting the
Management Committee of the APFM. GWP is magnitude and frequency of severe weather
also contributing technical expertise through events. Therefore, the shift from a ‘flood control
its work to strengthen the flood management approach’ to Integrated Flood Management has
provisions within national plans for integrated to be fostered in a sustained manner.
management of water resources.
The HelpDesk will offer on-line visitors several
“The HelpDesk is an especially timely initiative, entry points, such as a:
given the increase in climate variability and the • “Help yourself” section which include Flood
needs in many parts of the world for more help Management Tools, Database References and
and advice on coping with floods” says Dr. Ania Virtual Discussion platforms
Grobicki, Executive Secretary of GWP. Integrat- • “Get help” section providing assistance for
ed approaches to flood management will pro- flood management policy, law and strategy
mote increased resilience in affected communi- and capacity building programs. Together with CPWC and GWP, The Water Chan-
ties, minimize the loss of life from flooding, and nel launched a platform on Water & Climate at
maximize the efficient use of flood-prone land in The HelpDesk website address is: www.waterandclimatechannel.org. This channel
support of livelihood security. Attempts to con- www.apfm.info/helpdesk.htm. is developed to generate a better understand-
trol floods and provide safety from flooding have Links to the HelpDesk can also be found on the ing of the vital links between water and climate
failed in numerous places, and flood awareness GWP website www.gwpforum.org and the GWP change. Besides over 30 videos you will also
and preparedness levels in many flood risk areas TooolBox website www.gwptoolbox.org. find a variety of documents on this topic.
International Water Assessment Center
IWAC IS A PAN-EUROPEAN NETWORK OF Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Slo- challenges in water policy and implementation
SCIENTISTS AND POLICY MAKERS TO SUP- vak Hydrometeorological Institute in Bratislava, at national, transboundary and international
PORT INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MAN- Slovakia, currently hosts the centre. levels. It builds on a network of leading Eu-
AGEMENT. IWAC supports the UNECE Water Convention ropean water institutions. Other governmental
and its Protocols on Water and Health and on organizations and programmes are invited to
The International Water Assessment Centre Civil Liability for Damage caused by Industri- join IWAC’s activities.
(IWAC) is the collaborating centre on integrated al Accidents. IWAC is a joint platform for sci- For more information:
resources management of the United Nations entists and policy makers to respond to new www.iwacportal.org

2. Management plan for the Bic River
GWP MOLDOVA ORGANIZES THE FIRST MEET- the development of the Integrated Water Re- tection measures in the planning of river ba-
ING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIC RIVER sources Management plan for the Bic River Ba- sin activities and the importance of involving
BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN ON 5 NOVEMBER sin as a tool for sustainable water resources of different stakeholders in the development of
2009 IN CHISINAU. management. In this context, the role of GWP Integrated Water Resources Management plan-
in the promotion of such planning was outlined ning in the Bic River Basin.
and the national GWP network resources to be
used for these purposes were mentioned. Tool- The way forward
Box activities and resources were also present- The core team presented materials on the state
ed to participants as an opportunity for devel- of the Bic River Basin and a logical framework
oping different training activities and attracting for a situation analysis. The agenda of the sem-
Representatives of the regional administrative best water management practices to Moldova inar was based on the results of consultation
units (rayons), magistrates of the localities situ- and the Bic River Basin. meetings where local authorities expressed
ated in the Bic River Basin and sectoral institu- concerns about water scarcity in the Bic River
tions dealing with water management in the Bic The UNESCO representative mentioned the sup- Basin, the heavy pollution of water ecosystems,
River Basin participated in the meeting. port of this institution in the development of the degradation of the water infrastructure
the IWRM principles in the planning of the river (drainage systems, state of water bodies, waste
The main goal of the meeting was to identify basins and spoke about UNESCO’s Internation- water loads, etc.) and the necessity for the de-
the main issues, problems and opportunities for al Hydrological Programme (IHP) and opportu- velopment of sewer and drinking water supply
the development of the Bic River management nities for Moldavian experts to benefit from it. systems in rural areas. This document was dis-
plan and activities which could lead to its prep- He also mentioned the results and outcomes of cussed with local authorities before the event.
aration. In this context, the role of local author- UNESCO funded projects on the protection of
ities and their possible involvement in the de- small rivers in Moldova, including those from During the event, participants were informed
velopment of such document were discussed in the Bic River Basin. of the main IWRM principles, opportunities for
order to identify the main goals, objectives and their application in the Bic River Basin, the main
project documents needed for the successful Participants of the event were welcomed by benefits of the IWRM approaches in the plan-
elaboration of the management plan. the representative of the Academy of Scienc- ning of river basins, goals and objectives of the
es of Moldova, who presented the latest de- management of activities in the Bic River Ba-
The meeting was opened by welcoming the velopments in water planning activities in sin, etc. On the basis of discussions, participants
representatives of different institutions, which Moldova and the development of new water identified other issues in the Bic River Basin,
could contribute to the development of the infrastructure projects funded by different in- which could be relevant for achieving the main
management plan for the Bic River Basin. Vlad stitutions within the framework of the nation- planning objectives for the Bic River Basin, in-
Cotet, the Deputy Mayor of the capital city pre- al programme for drinking water supply and cluding:
sented the challenges in the field of water man- sewer network development according to the
agement such as the stock of used sludge and 2007Governmental decision. He also mentioned • the promotion of cooperation on the local lev-
reducing the level of smell pollution in the town. the necessity for the development of flood pro- el for the common management of the Bic River
He also pointed out the necessity of improving
CREDIT: SERGHEI JURMINSKI AND VALERIU DERJANSCHI
the state of the Bic River ecosystems through
the implementation of best technologies on
waste water treatment, recycling of used wa-
ter and improvement of the system of garbage
collection and disposal. The Deputy Mayor wel-
comed cooperation with international institu-
tions such as GWP, which could contribute to
the development of such a plan through the
transfer of know-how to the Bic River Basin. He
mentioned opportunities for sustainable devel-
opment which could arise from the implemen-
tation of good water management practices, the
promotion of local trades, rural tourism, organic
farming, water infrastructure development, etc.
He also mentioned the importance of the de-
velopment of such plans as a tool for further
cooperation within the framework of the Black
Sea programme and the EU Eastern Partnership
funded programme aimed at developing closer
ties of the participating countries with the EU.
GWP Moldova’s Dumitru Drumea welcomed the
participants and mentioned the importance of Chiuhur River near Varatic village in Moldova.
2

3. commitment to cooperate with international
CREDIT: DUMITRU DRUMEA
organizations involved in water resources man-
agement. In this context, they were also in-
formed of the activities carried out in the CEE
region by GWP, opportunities arising from par-
ticipation in the GWP network in the CEE and
other regions and activities of international In-
stitutions in Moldova (WB, UNDP, Secretariats
of International Conventions, etc.). Participants
were also informed of the activities under the
International Commission for Cooperation for
the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and
the main provisions of the Danube River Basin
Management Plan prepared by all Danube coun-
tries including Moldova. The main achievements
of the projects funded in the region from 2005
to 2009 by other local and international institu-
tions were also presented to participants.
Development of the Integrated Bic River Man-
agement Plan according to the provisions of
the EU Water Framework Directive was another
topic for discussion during the workshop. Based
Flood protection on the Tigeci River in Southern Moldova.
on the results of the consultation meetings and
Basin in cooperation with authorities from Ro- Top priorities an analysis of the available statistical sources,
manian institutions dealing with water resourc- A summary of the consultation meetings in the the following issues were presented to local au-
es management and municipalities which have region was also discussed during the Bic River thorities from the Bic River Basin:
planning documents for water management as a workshop. An integrated situation analysis in the
tool for rural and urban development region with regard to the potential for IWRM im- • Public activities organized by the NGO com-
• the attraction of best water management plementation in the basin was presented. Main munity in the Bic River Basin aimed at tree
practices in the Bic River Basin for the develop- discussions focused on the obstacles and ac- planting and cleaning of the banks of the river
ment of different sectors of the local economy tivities needed for organizing the development including the removal of unauthorized garbage
and their adaptation to possible climate change of the management plan and the Action Pro- dumps.
in the region gramme for its implementation. According to the • a flood protection scheme developed by the
• the further development of local water infra- participants, an economic analysis together with ACWAPROIECT Institute in 2001 and complex
structure, which could contribute to pollution an evaluation of the natural potential should be schemes for the use of natural resources pre-
reduction (green carcasses, green agriculture, performed in the Bic River Basin. Discussions pared during the Soviet period.
extension of sewer network in localities, etc.) showed that local authorities depend on the per- • Outcomes of parliament hearings on wa-
• educational issues on IWRM for different formance of the following issues: ter management issues organized in 2003 and
target groups of the population, experts, au- Governmental decisions on the development of
thorities, etc., and the introduction of relevant • information on the state of the environment water infrastructure for the period 2003 -2007
educational curricula in teaching activities in in the Bic River Basin and relevant activities under other national pro-
universities • proposals for attracting the best water man- grammes.
agement practices to the Bic River Basin and
Discussions on IWRM approaches showed great the sectors of the economy that should be de- Based on the results of the presentation, par-
potential for local authorities to develop a man- veloped ticipants of the workshop agreed on the neces-
agement plan for the Bic River Basin accord- • better sharing of institutional responsibili- sity for better cooperation with international
ing to the main provisions of the EU Water ties and identification of the modalities of in- organizations and Romanian authorities. They
Framework Directive. Concrete activities in this volvement of local authorities in preparing the also mentioned opportunities arising from the
domain should be included in the Action pro- Bic River Basin management plan and its imple- signing and implementation of cooperation
gramme for its implementation in the Bic Riv- mentation agreements between Moldavian and Romani-
er Basin. In this context, it was underlined that • modalities of involvement of the local pop- an localities and including this item in future
local authorities from the capital city Chisinau ulation in development and implementation of agreements for localities, where such docu-
could serve as a key institution in the develop- the provisions of the Bic River Basin manage- ments will be prepared in the future.
ment and implementation of this plan in the ment documents
Bic River Basin. Participants of the workshop • an economic analysis for the development of Legislative framework
called on Chisinau municipal authorities to de- certain sectors of the economy in the Bic River The national legislative framework related to
velop such documents in cooperation with in- Basin and cooperation with Romanian and in- water and environmental resources manage-
ternational organizations working in Moldova, ternational counterparts ment was also presented during the workshop.
central environmental and water authorities, According to legislative procedures, water man-
experts from sectoral institutions and the Acad- International cooperation agement activities are under the Law on Envi-
emy of Sciences. Local authorities also expressed their strong ronmental Protection.
3

4. Legislative Act Year of Adoption Water Framework Directive. They also pledged
The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova 1994 to improve regional cooperation in this domain
The Forest Code of the Republic of Moldova 1979 and welcomed the transfer of water manage-
ment experience from Central and Eastern Eu-
The Law on Protected Water Belts 1983
ropean countries to the Bic River Basin, where
The Land Code 1991
there is an urgent necessity to develop and im-
The law on Environmental Protection 1993
plement management plans for sustainable
The Water Code 1993
development. It also showed that there is not
The Code on Subsoil 1993
enough experience on the local level to develop
The Law on Sanitary-Epidemiological Protection of the Population 1993 such documents.
The Law on the Protection of Fauna 1995
The Law on Health Protection 1995 Long term perspective
The Law on State Ecological Expertise 1996 Consultation meetings also pointed to the con-
The Law on Hazardous and Toxic Substances 1999 clusion that Bic River management projects de-
The Law on Environmental Impact Assessment 1999 velopment and implementation should be more
effective and efficient in the long term perspec-
Participants of the workshop also outlined the ne- Lessons learned tive (2012 – 2015). The consultation meetings
cessity for the development of local laws adopted The lessons learned from consultation meet- approach is an efficient tool for identifying the
by the municipality of Chisinau and local district ings with local authorities in the Bic River Basin most effective opportunities for involving lo-
administrations aimed at the support of the initia- highlighted recent developments in the com- cal authorities and key stakeholders in manage-
tives of the village councils in regard to developing mitment to strengthen institutional arrange- ment and planning in the Bic River Basin. These
a local water infrastructure to improve the drink- ments for capacity building in the management opportunities will serve as excellent means to
ing water supply and extend the sewer network in of this basin. One of the most important issues adapt to changing environmental conditions
rural localities. This initiative was also welcomed outlined by them and demonstrated in different such as climate change and society’s demands
by the participants from all of the Bic River Basin ways is that actual practices in water resourc- for improved basic welfare.
administrative districts during consultation meet- es management in Moldova must be performed
ings in November-December 2009. according to the IWRM principles and the EU Written by Dr. Dumitru Drumea
GWP CEE is committed to the sustainable water
management of the Danube River
GWP CEE WAS A CO-ORGANISER OF THE 2ND Danube River Basin Management Plan transnational level. The ICPDR covers 14 coun-
STAKEHOLDER FORUM HELD ON 29-30 JUNE IN The rationale for ICPDR to hold a stakeholder tries and is the largest transboundary commis-
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA. forum is based on the fact that it made a com- sion in the world. It has collected data from
mitment to the European Commission to lead plans in progress at the national level and built
The forum was organised by the International basin planning in the Danube region on the them into the Danube River Basin Management
Commission for the Protection of the Danube Riv-
CREDIT: RICHARD MULLER
er (ICPDR) on the occasion of Danube Day 2009.
Slovakia was the presiding country of the Com-
mission in 2009 and therefore, the Ministry of En-
vironment hosted the meeting in Bratislava.
More than 60 participants from all 14 Dan-
ube countries representing stakeholders mainly
from water and environment sectors, non-gov-
ernmental organisations, research, state ad-
ministrations, from the detergent industry and
navigation sector were in attendance. GWP CEE
representatives of the CWPs of Bulgaria, Hun-
gary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slov-
enia, and Ukraine together with GWPO played
active and appreciated roles throughout the
meeting.
Philip Weller (ICPDR Executive Secretary) to-
gether with Olga Srsnova (ICPDR President for
2009) and Ania Grobicki (GWP Executive Secre-
tary) gave opening speeches. Dr. Ania Grobicki, GWP Executive Secretary gives opening speech.
4

5. CREDIT: RICHARD MULLER
Plan for the coming six years. The Danube River Thus, transition periods will be necessary in or-
Basin Management Plan is being developed in ganic and nutrient pollution reduction as well
line with the European Union Water Framework as in hazardous substances pollution reduction.
Directive requirements and timelines. Thus, at
this forum, the second key report (the Joint Pro- Water paradigm shift
gramme of Measures) was presented to stake- In the final plenary session, which was chaired
holders. by Ania Grobicki, reports from the three working
sessions were given and discussed. Jozsef Gayer
The meeting was organized in order to active- of the Hungarian Ministry of Environment, and
ly involve the stakeholders in generating their the former chair of GWP CEE, concluded that
Pollution by organic substances and nutrients working group
input in the new Danube River Basin Manage- a paradigm shift had occurred towards HYMO
ment Plan which was formally adopted in De- alterations which today seem to have a more organizing inter-ministerial round tables on
cember 2009. This was done in plenary pres- significant negative impact on the Danube than the national level; facilitating links with in-
entations and working sessions on the three pollution. Climate change has made the context ternational organizations in the two sectors
“Significant Water Management Issues” identi- even more complicated. identified, namely FAO and UNIDO
fied in the report, namely: • Climate change adaptation strategies
Conclusions • Integrated flood management and linking
1. Pollution by organic substances and nutrients In his concluding remarks, Philip Weller identi- countries with the WMO/GWP HelpDesk
2. Pollution by hazardous substances fied gaps in the areas of stakeholder involve- • Stimulating the financing of programmes
3. Hydromorphological (HYMO) alterations ment from agriculture and industry, and how to and projects through GWP network of finan-
deal with the protection of wetlands and fish cial partners
The fourth key theme of concern in the Danube populations including the sturgeon and the en- • Danube stakeholder organisations to join
River Basin Management Plan, namely ground- demic Danube salmon. GWP as partners for improved cooperation
water, was specifically included to be dealt with
in each of these three working groups. In her concluding remarks Ania Grobicki wel- The final version of the Danube River Basin
comed the numerous suggestions from partici- Management Plan will be endorsed by the Min-
In each session, the main results of assessments pants on how GWP could work together with isters responsible for water at the Ministerial
were presented and proposed measures were ICPDR, and summarized five areas where GWP Meeting in Vienna on 16 February 2010.
discussed. It was stated that measures identi- can assist, namely:
fied on the national levels will not achieve the • Involving sectoral stakeholders (in agricul- The final version of the Danube River Basin Man-
environmental objectives of EU Water Frame- ture and industry) in the basin countries; agement Plan, together with its annexes and
work Directive on the basin wide scale by 2015. developing an integrated response through maps, is available at www.icpdr.org
International Danube Day 2009
THE JOINT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RIVER’S sectors including agriculture, industry and en- community, in particular the Green Danube Part-
WATER AND RESOURCES BY ALL COUNTRIES vironmental organizations discussed the man- nership, which was formed by Coca-Cola Hel-
AND COMMUNITIES SHARING THE DANUBE BA- agement of the Danube as outlined in the draft lenic, The Coca-Cola Company and the ICPDR in
SIN WAS THE FOCUS OF THE 6TH ANNUAL IN- Danube River Basin Management Plan. This plan 2005. Sir Michael Llewellyn-Smith, Board Direc-
TERNATIONAL DANUBE DAY ON 29 JUNE 2009. is the core element of the European Union Wa- tor of Coca-Cola Hellenic, and Chairman of its
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, says:
“Throughout Coca-Cola Hellenic operations in 28
countries, we have found that one of the most
effective ways to protect and preserve precious
water resources is to partner with others. In con-
ducting and supporting Danube Day events we
With the theme “Shared Waters – Joint Respon- ter Framework Directive, which is the centre seek to convey this message so that people and
sibilities”, many educational, entertainment and piece of the EU environmental water legislation other businesses will be inspired to join with us
recreational activities were held in all Danube Ba- aiming at improving the water environment. and to engage, to the benefit of the communities
sin countries around International Danube Day. “This Forum demonstrates that the principle of of the Danube, in water conservation efforts that
The Day was coordinated by the International ‘joint responsibility’ can be brought into prac- will bring about real, long-term change.”
Commission for the Protection of the Danube Riv- tice,” says Olga Srsnova, ICPDR President and
er (ICPDR). Governmental and non-governmental General Director of the Division of Waters and International Danube Day commemorates the
institutions throughout the Basin organized fes- Energy Sources at the Slovak Ministry of En- anniversary of the signing of the Danube Riv-
tivities, river clean-ups, competitions, workshops, vironment. “To manage our water responsibly er Protection Convention in Sofia, Bulgaria, in
conferences and special events for young people. is not only an objective for government. It re- 1994, and has grown each year to become one
quires the action of all different users, from the of the largest river festivals in the world.
The highlight this year was the ICPDR Stake- person filling their swimming pool to the farm-
holder Forum, held on 29-30 June in Bratislava, er applying fertiliser to the fields.” To find out more about International
Slovakia, on the occasion of the ICPDR Presi- International Danube Day events in all countries Danube Day 2009 events, please visit:
dency of Slovakia. Interested stakeholders from are also supported by partners from the business www.danubeday.org
5

6. Invitation to nominate Steering Committee members 2010
FOUR POSITIONS ON THE GWP STEERING COM- We are looking for candidates with profiles • Female candidates;
MITTEE (SC) WILL BECOME VACANT AFTER THE matching the two sets of criteria below. • Candidates from South Asia, China, Central-
NEXT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN MAY America, Mediterranean, Central & Eastern
2010. The criteria for the Non-Water Sector Profes- Europe;
sional are: • Junior professionals meeting the earlier
Of these two will be selected from the nomi- • Board experience is desirable; mentioned requirements;
nees of the GWP regions and two from the self- • Internationally recognized professional • Candidates from gender focused/based or-
nominated global pool. For the global pool we (from high level educational or applied re- ganizations and networks.
will be seeking one person from the water sec- search establishment, international organi-
tor and one ‘non-water’ person. zation, international NGO, private sector or For each nomination, we need a CV, two ref-
other similar organization); erences and a short explanation of the can-
A Steering Committee member serves in their • Ability to contribute to helping GWP fulfil its didate’s interest and commitment in serving
personal capacity and is expected to work to mission and achieve its vision; as a SC member and what the candidate can
support the realization of GWP’s vision and • Ability to help GWP reach out beyond the contribute. We need your nominations no later
achievement of its mission. All new Steering water sector; than Wednesday 17 March, 2010.
Committee members are required to participate • Experience with water use/management is-
in an induction program, to bring them up to sues in professional area of expertise (energy, Please send the nomination to Ms Suzanne
speed with the operations and culture of the industry, health, agriculture etc.) is desirable; Strömberg, at the GWP Secretariat in Stockholm,
Steering Committee. • Good working knowledge of English to allow E-mail: suzanne.stromberg@gwpforum.org.
effective participation in the work of the SC. Nominations are valid for one year only; howev-
Steering Committee members are not remu- er, unsuccessful nominees can be re-nominated
nerated for their services but may be reim- The criteria for the Water Sector Professional are: an unlimited number of times.
bursed for reasonable expenses. It is expected • Board experience (experience with board
that SC members be available to travel inter- subcommittee work such as HR, or finances The Nominations Committee will draw on the
nationally and attend two 3-day meetings is desirable); global pool to identify two candidates for sub-
per year and it is desirable that they have the • Internationally recognized water sector pro- mission to the Sponsoring Partners as part of
time up to 2 weeks so as to be able to effec- fessional (from high level educational or ap- the normal Steering Committee candidate se-
tively contribute to the deliberations of the plied research establishment, international lection process. The Nominations Committee
SC. Members can serve up to two three year organization, international NGO, private sec- will take into consideration, candidate profiles
terms. tor or other similar organization); and specific needs within the Steering Commit-
• Commitment to GWP’s vision and mission; tee to ensure that there continues to be bal-
On behalf of the Nominations Committee, you • Ability to contribute towards the develop- anced (e.g. gender, organization, sub-commit-
are hereby invited to submit nominations for ment of GWP’s strategic directions; tee skills) representation within the Steering
the global pool. This can be done by self-nomi- • Not less than 15 years experience working Committee. The names of the candidates will
nation or by nomination by any member, part- directly on water issues; be presented to the Consulting Partners in late
ner or donor of GWP. Two global members are • Good working knowledge of English to allow May 2010 for finalization and presentation to
to be nominated at this time. One should be effective participation in the work of the SC. the Sponsoring Partners in August 2010.
a non-water sector professional, drawn from
stakeholder sectors such as energy, agriculture, Given the current SC composition and the out- For a list of the elected members of the GWP SC
industry, community development, econom- going SC member profiles we strongly encour- 2009-2010, please visit the GWP website:
ics, urban development etc. and one should be age candidates with the following qualifica- www.gwpforum.org/servlet/
a water sector professional. tions to apply: PSP?iNodeID=604&iFromNodeID=161
Sustainable Water Management in the Baltic Sea Region
COALITION CLEAN the Baltic Sea Region, with a special focus on nologies for individual households, including
BALTIC (CCB), GWP Southeast Baltic Sea Region (Lithuania, Latvia, problems related to planning, permitting and
POLAND AND POM- Estonia and Poland). running such solutions from the Baltic and
CERT GDYNIA OR- The seminar drew attention to the possible re- Central and Eastern Europe.
GANIZE A SEMI- duction of Baltic Sea nutrient loads through
NAR ON SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT sustainable sanitation, i.e., natural treatment In addition, GWP CEE promoted its work on
IN RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLANS IN THE technologies and eco-sanitation solutions in sustainable sanitation and especially the book
BALTIC SEA REGION. rural and recreational areas that are feasible Sustainable Sanitation in Central and Eastern
from the economic, social and environmental Europe – Addressing the Needs of Small and Me-
The goal of the seminar, which took place on points of view. dium-size Settlements.
18-20 November in Gdynia, Poland on the Baltic The presentations brought positive examples
Sea coast, was to promote sustainable waste- from the educational arena as well as from the For more information on the seminar, go to:
water management in river basin planning in implementation of sustainable sanitation tech- www.ccb.se.
6

7. Open waste water planning helps the poorest
and school have long used individual sinks and excluded inhabitants.” The process is described
CREDIT: MILAN MATUSKA
leaking cesspools. This however, causes signifi- in the book, Sustainable Sanitation in Central
cant ground water pollution. The village has a and Eastern Europe: Addressing the Needs of
fast growing population of 2 400 inhabitants, Small and Medium-Size Settlements, published
of which 700 have permanent residence in the by GWP CEE in 2007.
village. The rest are Roma living illegally in poor
dwellings in a nearby forest. Over next two months, GWP Slovakia will pro-
pose suitable waste water treatment alterna-
Roma living conditions regarding drinking water tives affordable for rural populations to the
and sanitation are completely unsatisfactory. For local municipal office and organize the Open
drinking purposes and basic hygiene needs, they Waste Water Planning process. Local decision
Drinking water is supplied by wells. use only two wells with polluted groundwater. makers and stakeholders should then select the
Social issues also play an important role, since proposed alternative that best suits their local
GWP SLOVAKIA SEEKS THE BEST SOLUTION TO the unemployment rate of Roma is almost 100%. urban, natural and social conditions.
SUSTAINABLE SANITATION INCLUDING WASTE Therefore, the local population is not able to cov-
CREDIT: MILAN MATUSKA
WATER DISPOSAL IN THE VILLAGE OF RICHNAVA er the basic costs of a waste water disposal serv-
IN EASTERN SLOVAKIA. ice. This makes any infrastructure investments
unfeasible from an economic point of view.
The village of
Richnava is lo- To solve the sanitation problem, the GWP Slo-
cated near the vakia expert team proposed to find the best so-
town of Krompachy in the eastern part of Slo- lution using Open Waste Water Planning. Ac-
vakia. Currently, no waste water treatment in- cording to Milan Matuska, the Team Leader, the
Roma settlement located above Richnava village.
frastructure, such as sewage pipes and a waste pilot project “could serve as a model for other
water treatment plant exist in the village. Local local municipalities to find sustainable sanita- For more information,
residents as well as the local municipal office tion solutions for their poorest, often socially contact Milan Matuska at gwpcee@shmu.sk
Kosovo water experts visit Bulgaria GWP Briefing Note
BULGARIA SHARES EXPERIENCES WITH KOSOVO ON INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. Water is central
BRIEFING NOTE
to the world‘s de-
On 29 September – 2 October, 2009, GWP Bulgaria hosted a technical visit of 9 experts, including the velopment chal- Climate Change: Water is central to the world’s
Whether it is food security,
development challenges.
poverty reduction, economic
growth, energy production,
How Can We nexus. Climate change is
human health—water is
the spoiler. No matter how
the
Kosovo Water Director, from the Prishtina-based Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning Wa- lenges. Whether successful mitigation efforts
experience the impacts of
might be, people will
climate change through
water.
Adapt? Floods and droughts will
be more frequent and severe,
rainfall patterns will change,
increase and sea levels rise
water temperatures will
ter Department. During their trip, the Kosovo experts met national experts working on the implemen- it is food secu- change.
The Copenhagen conference
as a consequence of climate
is an opportunity to make
better water resources management
the strategic "threat
tation of Water Frame- rity, poverty re- minimiser" in adapting to
CREDIT: GALIA BARDARSKA
climate change, a priority
must be reflected in the that
COP 15 agreement—and
beyond.
Investments in water are
investments in adaptation.
work Directive/Integrated duction, eco- We urge the Parties to the
Integration
UNFCCC to commit to:
Investment
Prioritise water resources
management in allocating
Integrate adaptation strategies adaptation funds. Investing
with water resources in water is cost-effective:
Water Resources Man- nomic growth, management. Water is an
ment. Its management and
integrated within national
integrated approach also
engine of economic develop-
allocation needs to be
development priorities. An
provides
delivers immediate benefits
economic and environment
ments in water should be
build a climate resilient
as well as long-term social,
al resilience. Today’s invest-
seen as part of a strategy
world: mitigating against
to
it
benefit-sharing of transbounda the framework for droughts and other threats, floods,
ry while contributing right
driver for regional cooperation. waters, which are a
agement in the Danube energy produc- Information
Improve the collection of
water and climate information.
to poverty reduction and
Institutions
Strengthen water management
sustainable development
.
institutions that provide
now
Better information makes water for people, industries,
for better modelling
River Basin Directorate, tion, human scenarios energy, agriculture and eco-
which make for better responses. systems. From transparent
Vulnerable "hotspots" — regulatory frameworks to
arid regions, areas reliant stakeholder dialogues, stronger multi-
on shrinking water resources, institutions can cope with
small island developing states present climate variability
and low-lying deltas — must and be in a better position
identified so that resources be cope with future adaptation. to
for data collection are prioritised. As climate change unfolds,
innovative institutional solutions
Regional Inspectorates of health-water is Infrastructure closer collaboration with will need to be found for
disaster risk reduction efforts.
Build climate resilience by
investing in infrastructur
both "hard" infrastructur e— We need "partnerships for
e such as adaptation" that empower
technologies for water recycling water storage, new communities to identify local
and irrigation, and coping strategies and
“natural” infrastructure such enable all stakeholders to
the Environment and Hy- the nexus. Cli-
as wetlands. participate in water resources
management.
A Water Secure World
The Global Water Partnership
is an intergovernmental
giene and non-govern- mate change Partnerships and more than
secure world.
www.gwpforum.org
organisation of 13 Regional
2,000 Partner organisations
in 150 countries. The GWP
Water Partnerships, 73 Country
network is committed to
Water
building a water
mental organizations in is the spoiler.
the town of Pleven. No matter how successful
mitigation efforts might be, people will expe-
The Kosovo experts then rience the impacts of climate change through
visited the Gorna Orya- water. Floods and droughts will be more fre-
hovitsa waste water quent and severe, rainfall patterns will change,
treatment plant, con- water temperatures will increase and sea lev-
structed with the support els rise as a consequence of climate change.
of the European Union The Copenhagen conference was an oppor-
Visit to Gorna Oryahovitsa Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Pre-Accession Structural tunity to make better water resources man-
Instrument (ISPA). The GWP Bulgaria presentation on the GWP vision and mission and the dissemina- agement the strategic “threat minimiser” in
tion of GWP publications were well received. After the presentation, Kosovo Water Director, Mr. Naser adapting to climate change. Investments in wa-
Bajraktari, expressed his interest in joining the CEE Regional Water Partnership. ter are investments in adaptation.
For more information, The briefing note can be downloaded free from
contact Dr. Galia Bardarska at bwp@dir.bg GWP website www.gwpforum.org
7

8. Global Water Partnership Appoints In addition to providing overall leadership to
the GWP Technical Committee, Dr. Ait Kadi will
New Technical Committee Chair work closely with GWP’s international network
to implement the 2009-2013 Strategy.
THE GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP (GWP) HAS our vision for a water secure world,” said Dr.
APPOINTED DR. MOHAMED AIT KADI AS THE Obeng. Dr. Ait Kadi has been a key player in the Mo-
NEW GWP TECHNICAL COMMITTEE CHAIR, EF- roccan water sector and contributed to draft-
FECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2009. Dr. Ait Kadi has made significant contributions ing the new water law in 1995. He served as
in the fields of irrigation and water resources Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture,
“I am proud to an- management both in Morocco and internation- Rural Development and Fisheries. He was also
nounce that the GWP ally. He helped shape the global water agenda as appointed Chief Agricultural negotiator of the
Steering Committee one of the first members of GWP’s then-named Morocco-United States Free Trade Agreement.
completed its search Technical Advisory Committee. He was nomi- On the international level, Dr. Ait Kadi served
and has made an out- nated by King Mohammed VI of Morocco as a as the water and irrigation expert in the Inter-
standing choice,” said resident member of the King Hassan II Academy national External Evaluation Team of the FAO
Dr. Letitia A. Obeng, of Sciences and Technology, the most prestig- and member of the advisory panel in the World
GWP Chair. “Moham- ious scientific institution in the country. Dr. Ait Bank for the evaluation of water projects. He
ed is no stranger to Kadi speaks Arabic, French and English. was member of the founding committee of the
GWP, having been a member of the GWP Tech- World Water Council and initiated the process
nical Committee in the past, and we are happy “I welcome the opportunity to serve as GWP’s of hosting the first World Water Forum in Mar-
to welcome him back.” Technical Committee Chair at this point in rakech, Morocco, and was president of its or-
GWP’s development,” said Dr. Ait Kadi. “The ganising committee.
Dr. Ait Kadi is President of the General Coun- world is rapidly entering an era in which water is
cil of Agricultural Development in Morocco. at the core of several emerging issues. The high- “From water practitioner to academic to senior
He is also Professor in the Department of est priorities on the current development agen- policy maker, Dr. Ait Kadi combines professional
Equipment and Hydraulics at the Institute da—food, energy, climate, poverty, conflicts—are excellence in water resources management with
of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine Has- all related to water. There is enormous scope for its broad societal linkages. These skills are essen-
san II in Rabat, Morocco. “Dr. Mohamed Ait GWP to provide global leadership in technical tial for GWP as a global network concerned with
Kadi comes to us from one of the most wa- excellence, facilitate the exchange of knowl- the larger role of water in sustainable develop-
ter stressed regions of the world and knows edge and strengthen partnerships with strate- ment,” said Prof. Torkil Jonch Clausen, GWP Sen-
firsthand the importance of sustainable wa- gic allies so that water issues are acted on at ior Advisor and former Chair of the GWP Techni-
ter management for development. He shares the highest levels.” cal Committee from 1996 to 2003.
ToolBox finds its way into academic arena
CORVINUS UNIVERSITY OF BUDAPEST USES TOOL- tation of the Water Framework Directive are the
BOX IN ITS INTERNATIONAL ERASMUS COURSE key topics in the course curricula. The lectures
AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE CURRICULA. introduce them in detail and provide extensive
knowledge on how to use existing tools and
The Department of Soil Science and Water Man- information sources that are available online. the annual ERASMUS Environmental Manage-
agement of Budapest’s Corvinus University of- Since 2008, GWP ToolBox is one of the tools in- ment Course, knowledge and information about
fers an international ERASMUS Environmental troduced to participants during lectures on the the ToolBox are distributed to a wide range of
Management Course in English for agro-envi- Water Framework Directive. They are delivered international graduate students. However, there
ronmental engineering students,. The course by GWP CEE Regional Council member János is a strong need for relevant information and
leader is the internationally renowned Profes- Fehér, Hon. Assoc. Prof. and Senior Scientist of high quality teaching materials about good
sor Emeritus Dr. László Vermes. Integrated Wa- the VITUKI Environmental and Water Manage- practices in integrated water resources man-
ter Resources Management and the implemen- ment Research Institute of Hungary. Through agement.
Volume 9, Issue No. 1-2/2009, December 2009
Water Talk is the official newsletter of GWP CEE Regional Water Partnership published twice a year.
The views and opinions of authors expressed in this issue of 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
8