| What's New:
To receive these updates and announcements by email, manage your subscription, or review the mailing list archive, go to the NCSE List User Form.
|
|
Representatives from 182 countries participated in the World Water Forum in Kyoto on March 16-23, 2003, a multi-stakeholder meeting designed to translate visions into concrete actions and specific commitments.
The World Water Forum was linked to a Ministerial Conference, which adopted a Ministerial Declaration and launched a Portfolio of Water Actions, including over 400 projects submitted by 36 countries and 16 international organizations.
A "Dialogue between Forum Participants and Ministers" provided opportunities for water Ministers and other senior officials to meet with small groups of Forum participants to discuss water issues. The small groups developed recommendations, which were prioritized and reported to the full group. A total of nearly 200 ministers and senior officials participated in the Dialogue, along with more than 300 Forum participants.
At the Forum, NCSE Senior Scientist Craig Schiffries promoted the role of science in decisionmaking regarding water. In response to his suggestion, the Ministerial Dialogue contains a recommendation calling for more scientific research on the sustainable use of water. Some participants initially objected to recommendations to increase investments in R&D on the grounds that research would become an excuse for inaction. However, after Schiffries made the case for science at several sessions, it was generally agreed that research and action could proceed simultaneously.
The Ministerial Declaration issued at the conclusion of the conference embraces the target established in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015 and the target established in the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to halve the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015.
The Ministerial Declaration proclaims, "Water is a driving force for sustainable development including environmental integrity, and the eradication of poverty and hunger, indispensable for human health and welfare." This language did not satisfy some participants who were disappointed that the Declaration did not explicitly recognize water as a human right.
The Ministerial Declaration includes objectives related to water resources management, safe drinking water and sanitation, water for food and rural development, water pollution prevention and ecosystem conservation, disaster mitigation and risk management, and good governance, capacity building, and financing. Science and technology play critical roles in achieving many of these objectives. The full text of the Ministerial Declaration is available at www.world.water-forum3.com.
Protestors at the World Water Forum opposed the privatization of water services. The Ministerial Declaration embraces public-private partnerships and allows for participation of the private sector:
We should explore the full range of financing arrangements including private sector participation in line with our national policies and priorities. We will identify and develop new mechanisms of public-private partnerships for the different actors involved, while ensuring the necessary public control and legal frameworks to protect the public interests, with a particular emphasis on protecting the interests of the poor.
In addition to water Ministers, a diverse group of world leaders demonstrated their personal commitment to addressing water issues by participating in the World Water Forum. In his opening address, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan discussed why water crises are expected to become more severe in the future. Ryutaro Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan, stressed the importance of dialogue and the need for concrete actions on water issues. As an example, he discusses how the removal of broad-leaf trees from forests in Japanese mountains impacted rivers and caused a decline fish populations in coastal waters, leading coastal fisherman to help change forest management practices in the mountains.
Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the USSR, emphasized the need for more political will in addressing water issues. Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco focused on the need to establish good governance over water issues. Prince of Orange Willem Alexander of the Netherlands highlighted the need for more investment in the water sector. Fidel Ramos, former President of the Republic of the Philippines, stressed the need to compensate individuals impacted by infrastructure development. In a video address, Jacques Chirac, President of France, called on governments to recognize water as a human right.
Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future is the theme of NCSE's 4th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment. This conference, which will be held in Washington, DC on January 29-30, 2004, will provide opportunities to follow up on the World Water Forum in Kyoto.
|
