Water Council Research Articles

The role of the World Alternative Water Forum (FAMA) and social mobilization

The fight to guarantee human rights to water and sanitation has a prominent moment during the World Alternative Water Forum (FAMA), organized simultaneously with the World Water Forum (FMA), organized by the World Water Council (CMA), every three years. The FAMA organizers adopt a narrative of concern about the need to "take care" of the planet's water and to ensure sanitation for the entire population, but in these meetings, small spaces of participation are reserved for civil society, whose sole objective is to legitimize decisions that seek to expand its control by the private sector, corporations, and agribusiness. Results: FAMA, occurs in opposition to the FMA and is configured in a space of democratic debate, exchange of experiences of struggle and resistance in defense of water and public sanitation and against privatizations. It brings together social, popular and trade union movements, the city and the countryside, indigenous populations, and various religiosities, allows discussions around water under the most varied perspectives, under the most varied views and experiences. The themes that have been highlighted in the FAMAs are the fight against privatization; the emphasis on the role of women in the fight for access to water, which in the privatization processes deepen. The need for global organization to cope with the processes of privatization and appropriation of water by capital; the importance of processes of derivatization of sanitation services around the world; the importance of democratic control over companies, and the strengthening of instruments of control and social participation. Conclusion: Every achievement of FAMA, which has been held since the first edition of the FMA in 1997, strengthens the ties between popular organizations around the world that fight in defense of water in a view to reaffirming that water is right and not merchandise. Keywords: Water Forum, Social Mobilization, Human right

Market response to the hierarchical water environment regulations on heavily polluting firm: Evidence from China

Using event study methodology, this paper examined the effects of water environment regulations on the stock prices of polluting Chinese firms over the past decade. It was found that there were relatively weak market responses to regulations passed by the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, and more significant market responses to regulations implemented by less powerful administrations. In particular, the market reaction in various industries to the State Council's Water Ten Plan was instant and strong. While most water environment regulations had negative effects on heavy polluters, some recent regulations had positive wealth effects. Because water environment regulations have different effects on shareholder values in different industries, these results could assist in guiding hierarchical water environment regulation policies and portfolio diversification.

Brazilian Declaration of Judges on Water Justice of March 2018 as a source of soft environmental law

This article provides the results of research conducted within the framework of the concept of international legal protection of Lake Baikal on the outcome of environmental work of international non-governmental organizations in the sphere of protection and sustainable of water resources. Coverage is given on the activity of the World Water Council. Special attention is turned to the reflection of the main results of the World Water Forum, including the outcome of its activity in form of the Brazilian Declaration of Judges on Water Justice adopted in March 2018. Leaning on the results of the work with authentic text, the author examines 10 basic principles contained in the Brazilian Declaration of Judges on Water Justice, which a certain degree reflect the environmental priority in the consideration of civil, administrative and criminal cases related to the use and protection of waters, with the disclosure of their basic content. One of the proposals is the formation of the Expert Council on Lake Baikal that incorporates the academic staff of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, other representatives of scientific community who take part in preparation of assessment of the scientific validity of draft documents in the sphere of conservation of Lake Baikal that significantly affect then environmental activity in the Baikal Nature Reserve. A proposal is formulated on the inclusion into the current and newly developed programs for the advanced training of judges and prosecutors that imply the study of the key aspects of law enforcement practice in the sphere of environmental protection (considering the natural specificity of the region for the judges to implement their activity). Attention is given to the work of the International Water Resources Association and the results of the 16th World Water Congress held in Cancun (Mexico). The analyzed international experience is extrapolated to the problematic of conservation of the ecosystem of Lake Baikal.

Environmental management of waters and riparian areas to protect biodiversity through River Contracts: The experience of Tiber River (Rome, Italy)

AbstractUrban rivers may perform important ecological roles and provide many ecosystem services, especially in urban contexts. Considering this, River Contracts were officially introduced in 2000, during the Second Forum of the World Water Council, as participative agreements aimed at managing the complexity of fluvial ecosystems. Collecting data on fluvial and riparian biodiversity, establishing ecological relationships among biological components, and evaluating their resistance and resilience to anthropic impacts are needed to assess the ecological sustainability of the anthropic actions. Here, we provide a review of literature and regulation on River Contracts, and a methodological contribution to the evaluation of different environmental components, their ecological connections, and the role of anthropic impacts. To address the aim, we performed a critical analysis of the existing data on the Tiber River close to Rome. We used the information to identify the actions that should be included in the Tiber River Contract to improve its natural value and its potential ecosystem services. Several areas emerged where information was lacking such as the human impact on these ecosystems. Data highlight the disappearance of rare Mediterranean species and of those linked to wetland habitats, as well as an increase in alien species and species typical of disturbed areas. Further research on biodiversity and management is required to support nature conservation.

Magnetic and electric field accelerate Phytoextraction of copper Lemna minor duckweed.

In accordance with the opinion of the World Health Organization and the World Water Council the development of effective technologies for the treatment of wastewater from heavy metals for their discharge into water bodies or reuse is an urgent task nowadays. Phytoremediation biotechnologies is the most environmentally friendly and cheapest way of the treatment of wastewater, suitable for sustainable development principals. The main disadvantage of the phytoremediation is the slow speed of the process. A method for accelerating the process of phytoremediation by the combined effect of magnetic and weak electric fields is proposed. The purpose of this study is to determine the values of the parameters of the magnetic and weak electric fields that are most suitable for extracting cuprum ions from wastewater using the higher aqua plants (Lemna minor). A corresponding technological process based on the results of the study is proposed. The results have shown that the removal of copper cations from sulfate solutions effectively occurs in the initial period of time (1-5 hours) under the influence of a magnetic field with an intensity of H = 2 kA/m. Under the combined influence of an electrical current with density j = 240 μA/cm2 and a magnetic field (H = 2 kA/m) the highest rate of copper extraction by duckweed leaves is achieved. Under these conditions, the greatest growth and development of plant leaves occurs. The paper presents the results of determining of the parameters of the electrochemical release from the eluate of the spent phytomass of duckweed. It has been determined that the release of metal occurs at E = 0.32 V. An original scheme for wastewater treatment from copper with subsequent separation of copper from the spent phytomass of duckweed is proposed. In general, the presented results are a scientific justification of wastewater treatment technologies and a contribution to resolving the crisis in the field of fresh water supply. An important contribution in the circular economy is a technology recommendation proposed for recovering copper from duckweed after wastewater treatment.

The African Water Vision 2025: its influence on water governance in the development of Africa's water sector, with an emphasis on rural communities in Kenya: a review

Abstract Reliable and secure water resources for rural communities in Africa continue to be at the forefront of the challenges facing these communities in the last 20 years, particularly for smallholders, agricultural sector productivity, food security and economic development increasingly exacerbated by climate change and rapidly growing urban populations. Addressing these challenges requires well-structured policy in the water sector, to implement commitments and investments effectively, and ultimately ensure the quantity and quality of water supply. The AWV 2025 for Africa was commissioned by the World Water Council in 2000 to create a framework to target these aspects in Africa. We examine the progress towards achieving this vision after two decades, through the initiatives, government policies and water strategies that have been implemented. We take a closer look at the top-down impact of the AWV 2025 in the national context of Kenya and its rural population. While the water sector has evolved since 2000, it remains difficult to meet international standards, both at the continental level and in Kenya. This requires continued efforts to strengthen good governance in the water sector, address the financial challenges associated with the expansion of the infrastructure, and developing decentralized approaches to water supply provision.

Study regarding the coordination of multifunctional use and management for each canal water conservation by the Kanazawa City Canal Water Council

Study regarding the coordination of multifunctional use and management for each canal water conservation by the Kanazawa City Canal Water Council

Russian initiative to unblock water conflicts in the Middle East

The paper is based on the materials of the Strategic Session on the problems of "Water Diplomacy", which was held in Moscow at the end of October 2021 by the НSE University (Russia) together with the Russian Ecological Society, Geneva Water Hub, International Association of Lake Regions and a number of other international and regional environmental organizations. The discussion focused on issues related to the implementation of the Russian initiative to form an international expert working group on water and environmental problems of the Middle East. The article tells about the projects of solving water problems in the Middle East in a collective format, about the reasons that complicate the implementation of these plans. An important place in the article is dedicated to the evaluation of the activities of the first joint environmental projects in the Middle East with the participation of representatives of Arab countries and Israel, the analysis of the most optimal ways to move towards the formation of a region-wide system of rational and safe water use in the Middle East. In this context, specific proposals are being considered, including the creation of a regional unified water center - the Middle East Water Council.

Деятельность неправительственных международных организаций как предпосылка совершенствования законодательства об охране озера Байкал

The reported study aims to analyze the instruments adopted by international environmental non-governmental organizations in the sphere of protection and sustainable use of water resources. The structure of the World Water Council and its principal outcomes are reviewed. The practice of holding the World Water Forum is analyzed due to its rare coverage in Russian legal literature. Primary attention is paid to the outcomes of the Forum in the form of declarations. The activities of the International Water Resources Association are reviewed, particularly the outcomes of the 16th World Water Congress. The above mentioned international experience is extrapolated to the problems of Baikal’s legal protection. The documents adopted by the mentioned forums are proposed to be used as an inspiration and model for the legislative improvements in Baikal’s legal regime. For instance, the Ministerial Declaration “An urgent call for decisive action on water”, adopted at the 8th World Water Forum stresses the public attention on the issues of climate change and encourages the states to take into account this global problem in national water strategies. However, due to various reasons, the climate change issues are completely out of the legal discourse of Baikal protection. The Sustainability Declaration of the Forum has a significant potential for legislative and political improvements. Its 8th recommendation calls for business to value and mainstream water into its strategies, materiality and decision making process and share good practices in water management. Baikal’s business community’s commitment to the goals of sustainable development (in the form of Declaration) would be a useful politico-legal instrument within the lake’s legal regime. The outcomes of the 16th World Water Council in Cancun hosted by International Water Resources Association may also be a premise for the improvement of environmental policy and legislation in Baikal region. Among the most fruitful ideas of the forum is the acknowledgment of the pivotal role of scientific expertise in the environmental policy-making. The management system of Lake Baikal clearly needs an expert council, exercising advisory powers in respect to all the regulatory instruments concerning the ecosystem of the lake.

Fostering Cross-Sector Collaboration to Promote Innovation in the Water Sector

Ongoing global climate change, growing population and the intensification of economic activities, increase pressure on water resources, a situation many see as a water governance crisis. Water-related issues are becoming a limiting factor for sustainable economic growth and require a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, to foster innovative solutions. This paper provides an evidence-based contribution to understanding Triple Helix Model (THM) relations and the path to innovation policy in the water sector. The analysis focuses on the interaction between university–industry–government, with specific reference to the Murcia region in Southeast Spain. This region combines a chronic shortage of water and a leading role for agriculture. Starting from the experience of a researcher, working for the General Water Council of the Murcia Region, this paper is based on both desk research and in-depth personal interviews with representatives of THM actors. In addition, a questionnaire was forwarded to all those companies in charge of providing water services in the Murcia region. The study has found that stakeholders are not fully cooperative in seeking innovation. The main challenges are the renewal of water-related facilities and the improvement of remote control systems, denitrification and desalination technologies and achieving better energy efficiency. To this aim, THM approach is suggested as a source of local innovation policies, identifying a series of tools to foster a collaborative approach.

Dr. Ari M. Michelsen: Life Dedicated to Advances in Water Resources Development

Dr. Ari M. Michelsen: Life Dedicated to Advances in Water Resources Development

Examination of Finland Integrated Water Management Sample of EU’s Hydro Political Approach for Sustainable Ecological Planning

First rule of sustainable ecological planning is to maintain continuously the balance between available amount and demand of ecological resources. A water resource, which is one of the most important ecological resources, is one of the resources that must be protected with priority since it is one of the most initial conditions of continuity of life. Upon this perspective, EU countries are developing various water policies and calling attention to the effects of insensibly usage of water on the ecology. Among EU countries, Finland is a very rich country in terms of water resources. According to water quality charts, Finland is at the top of the list among 122 countries within the scope of UN World Water Evaluation Report of World Water development reports issued in 2003. Additionally, it is one of the richest of 147 countries evaluated according to the water poverty index which was conducted by World Water Council and British Center for Ecology and Hydrology. Finland has developed many policies for sustainable use of this ecological value of its, and has made progress on many aspects from resource preservation to wastewater reclamation. Purpose of this study is to reveal AB hydro politic approaches and to examine water policies of Finland which conducts integrated water management. This study subject has been presented verbally at the International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2015.

Low Volume Water Desalination in the Gaza Strip – Al Salam Small Scale RO Water Desalination Plant Case Study

The rapid deterioration of the water supply of the Gaza strip poses a difficult challenge for water planners and sustainable management of the coastal aquifer. The aquifer is currently overexploited, with total pumping exceeding total recharge. In addition, anthropogenic sources of pollution threaten the water supplies in major urban centres. Many water quality parameters presently exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water standards. The major documented water quality problems are elevated chloride (salinity) and nitrate concentrations in the aquifer. Up to 95 per cent of Gaza’s population source their drinking water from public or private producers, whose production and supply chain result in the potential contamination of up to 68% of drinking water supplies, exposing nearly 60% of the population to severe public health risks. Drinking water is being produced through 154 private and public desalination plants across the Gaza strip in addition to 10 MCM of drinking water received from Mekorot water company as a result of Oslo peace accord To tackle the water crisis and the rapid deterioration of water resources, the PWA and water council have developed a national and strategic water plan. It has been reviewed and updated recently, via a water study conducted by PWA. 1 The national plan includes integrated water solutions such as water desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse, and storm water harvesting. This paper presents the details of the implementation of a medium scale brackish water desalination plant constructed in eastern Rafah – Gaza by Oxfam and its partner the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility to reduce the water stress in the Gaza strip and contribute to the provision of safe and clean drinking water.

Water is a prerequisite for all development

The World Water Council (WWC) considers the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be an endeavour of the highest importance for the achievement of water security throughout the world, which is crucial for a prosperous and equitable future for humankind. Thus, SDG 6, aiming to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, is central to the Council’s mission. The World Water Council is compelled to reiterate its message that sustainable development is not possible without water security.

The multipurpose water uses of hydropower reservoir: The SHARE concept

Abstract The production and use of energy and the capture and use of water are vital to the economy and the health and welfare of all nations, and the wise stewardship of these resources is essential to the protection of the environment. After the 6th World Water Forum held in Marseille (France, 2012), Electricite de France (EDF) and the World Water Council (WWC) have agreed to work on “the multipurpose water uses of hydropower reservoirs”. This framework bridges between 6th Forum in Marseille and the 7th Forum in Daegu/Gyeongbuk in the Republic of Korea and addresses the following issues: (i) how to minimize contradictions/competition among multipurpose water uses of hydropower reservoirs, and (ii) how to set an appropriate governance to allow coordinated/integrated water uses management (in terms of strategy, planning, decision-making and operation). This process was conducted under a participative multi-stakeholder approach with governments, banks, NGOs, international organizations, hydropower utilities, and other sectors. Multipurpose hydropower reservoirs are designed and/or operated to provide services beyond electricity generation, such as water supply, flood and drought management, irrigation, navigation, fisheries, environmental services and recreational activities, etc. While these objectives (renewable and power services, water quantity management, ecosystem services, economic growth and local livelihoods) can conflict at times, they are also often complementary. Although there are no universal solutions, there are principles that can be shared and adapted to local contexts. Indeed the development and/or operation of such multipurpose hydropower reservoirs to reach sustainable water management should rely on the following principles: shared vision, shared resource, shared responsibilities, shared rights and risks, shared costs and benefits. These principles and acknowledgement of joint sharing among all the stakeholders are essential to successful development and management of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs, and should frame all phases from early stage to operation. The SHARE concept also gives guidance. Based on 12 worldwide case studies of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs, the SHARE concept was developed and proposed as a solution to address this issue. A special focus will be presented on the Durance–Verdon Rivers in France.

Job as dispossessed

This article is a reworking of a paper that was originally presented at the Society of Biblical Literature meetings held in New Orleans in fall 2009, four years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. To this day, twelve years later, portions of the city have not been restored, and numerous homes have not been rebuilt. Exactly ten years after Katrina, J. David Rogers, lead author of a new report in the official journal of the World Water Council, concluded that the flooding during Katrina “could have been prevented had the corps retained an external review board to double-check its flood-wall designs.”1 The book of Job struggles with the question, “Why do the innocent suffer?” This article explores a new reading of Job that points to our unrealized participation in evil systems that oppress the disenfranchised.

Stakeholder Engagement and Knowledge Co-Creation in Water Planning: Can Public Participation Increase Cost-Effectiveness?

In 2014, a radical shift took place in Danish water planning. Following years of a top-down water planning approach, 23 regional water councils were established to co-create and provide input to Danish authorities on the development of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP). The water councils advised local authorities on the application of measures to improve the physical conditions in Danish streams within a given economic frame. The paper shows the difference the use of water councils (public participation) made by comparing the final water council proposal included in the 2015 RBMP to the RBMPs proposed by the central government (Nature Agency) in 2014. The study concludes that the measures proposed by the water councils will generally deliver better results than the proposed Nature Agency plans, which do not include the same level of participation. Specifically, the water councils with stakeholder involvement proposed a much longer network of streams (3800 km), yielding a better ecological outcome than the shorter stream network (1615 km) proposed by the Nature Agency for the same budget. Having a structured and fixed institutional frame around public participation (top-down meeting bottom-up) can produce cost-effective results, but the results show that cost-effectiveness was not the only deciding factor, and that local circumstances like the practicalities of implementing the measures were also considered when developing the Programmes of Measures. The findings suggest that the use of water councils in water planning has significant advantages, including the fact that the knowledge of local conditions helps to identify efficient solutions at lower costs, which can be useful for administrators, policy-makers, and other stakeholders implementing the Water Framework Directive in years to come.

Bathymetric and Volumetric Analysis of Jebba (Hydropower) Dam Harnessing its Capability for Multipurpose Use

The need to carry out routine bathymetric survey on dam in order to analyse the quantity of water in the dam’s reservoir cannot be underrated. “multipurpose water uses of hydropower reservoirs” has been the world water council advocacy. Multipurpose water use include categories, such as domestic purposes, cooling of power plants, irrigation, mining, recreation, navigation, fisheries, etc., This research uses topographic and bathymetric data obtained from field operations to compute the volume of water present in the dam. Midas Surveyor dual frequency GPS echo sounder, Trimble 5700 Dual Frequency GPS ‘Base Station’ receiver and Trimble 5800 Dual Frequency GPS ‘Rover’ receiver, were employed for data collections. Data processing and presentation were done with Surfer 10 software. The volume computed from data analysis gives 3880 x 106 MCM. The volume of water needed to run the six turbines per day added up to 1,735200 litres and that of per capita use was 0.006 litre per day for minimum and 0.025 litres per day for maximum. The volume left after removing other withdrawer was 62% of the actual volume computed for the dam.

5. South America

This document references key aspects of selected regulation issued in Colombia during 2017 regarding protection of the environment. Therefore, the following document presents laws, decrees, and resolutions issued by the Colombian Congress and Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, from the approval of international treaties (the Paris Agreement) to the delimitation of new areas of páramos or wetlands of international importance. The Paris Agreement was approved by Law 1844 of 2017. Colombia subscribed to the Paris Agreement adopted at the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP-21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015. According to Colombia’s commitments derived from Paris Agreement, the country must meet an unconditional reduction target of 20 percent of its projected greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Decree 585 of 2017 establishes the National Water Council, which aims to coordinate and articulate the policies, plans, and programs of the public entities with the National Policy for the management of water resources.

Evaluating public participation in Denmark’s water councils

Under the Water Framework Directive, public participation was identified as a key part of water planning. This caused a paradigm shift in Danish water planning. Water councils in River Basin Districts were established to provide public input on how to improve the physical conditions in streams. A study of the water councils found that Denmark has complied with the requirements of making background information available to the public and ensuring consultation. The facilitation of the councils’ processes has worked well. However, while they are presented as the ‘new governance option’ in Danish water planning, this does not accord with reality. The water council processes are limited in scope and controlled by the central government. Their process can be better characterized as expanded stakeholder consultation, officially part of the policy process but involving very little active public involvement. The article concludes by indicating the consequences for participation and collaborative innovation.