The case of the water insecure: building a national, regional and global coalition Dr. Letitia A. Obeng Chair Global Water Partnership
Jul 14, 2015
The case of the water insecure: building a national, regional and global coalition Dr. Letitia A. Obeng Chair Global Water Partnership
Cooperation is crucial!
Water
Food
Energy
CC
Finance
Conflicts
Problems are interconnected
Mohamed AIT KADI GWP/TEC
Zimbabwe: rainfall and GDP growth
-10.0
-5.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
19
79
19
80
19
81
19
82
19
83
19
84
19
85
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
Years
Rea
l G
DP
gro
wth
(%
)
-4.0
-3.0
-2.0
-1.0
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
Var
iab
ilit
y in
Rai
nfa
ll (
Met
er)
Real GDP grow th (%)
Variability in Rainfall (Meter)
Correla7on between GDP and Rainfall in Zimbabwe (Source: David Grey )
Everything is connected…
020406080100120140
0
200
400
600
800
US
$/ba
rrel
US
$/to
n
CornWheatRiceOil (right scale)
Source: von Braun 2008 with data from FAO 2008 and IMF 2008.
Rio
ts
The volatility in food prices in 2008 should be treated as a warning sign of what is to come!
Mohamed AIT KADI GWP/TEC
The age of consequences
State failures International conflicts
Migration Difficulties of supplying cities
Increasing food insecurity More competition over water resources
Mohamed AIT KADI GWP/TEC
We need to learn from each other
Water
Food
Energy
CC
Finance
Conflicts
Problems are interconnected
Mohamed AIT KADI GWP/TEC
Vital for a better future in which: • there is enough water for people’s social and economic development and for ecosystems.
• the world is better able to harnesses water's productive power and minimize the impact of its destructive force.
Water Security
Index includes: access to improved drinking water and sanitation; the availability of renewable water and the reliance on external supplies; the relationship between available water and supply demands; and the water dependency of each country's economy.
UN Water Review of IWRM Planning • 125 countries reviewed
• 64% of countries have development plans
• 34% of these plans are advanced in implementation
• IWRM is the means to an end, an approach, a set of tools
• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner, without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems and the environment
Building Water Security through the IWRM
Geography
Resources endowment/variability
Trade
Democracy & Governance
Power asymmetries
Diplomatic relations
Political regimes
Colonial heritages….
Mohamed AIT KADI GWP/TEC
Opportunities for Cooperation - River
Type of Cooperation The Challenge The Opportunities
Increasing the benefits to the river
Degraded water quality, watersheds, wetlands, and biodiversity
Improved water quality, river flow characteristics, soil conservation, biodiversity and overall sustainability
Increasing benefits from the river
Increasing demands for water
Improved WRM (Agri +hydrop) flood-drought management, navigation, environmental conservation, water quality and recreation
Reduced costs because of the river
Tense regional relations and political economy impacts
Coop& Dev < Dispute/conflict, food/ energy selfsufficiency > security, ..
Increasing benefits beyond the river
Regional fragmentation Integration of regional infrastructure, markets and trade
C.W. Sadoff, D. Grey / Water Policy (2002)
• High level leadership and ownership
• Stakeholder involvement and ownership
• Financed water management plans for implementation
• Strong inter-sectoral cooperation
• Institutions
• Information
• Infrastructure
• Managing trade-offs
• Good governance
A Water Secure World
Local, global, regional, cooperation
Water
Food
Energy
CC
Finance
Conflicts
Problems are interconnected & Cannot be solved by 1 country alone
Mohamed AIT KADI GWP/TEC
Keys for Success • Measurement to assess and improve
performance, supported by clear policies • Convene the players needed to develop better
solutions across sectors • Lead change locally through government-
corporate-civil society partnerships supported by financial instruments