The case of the water insecure

The case of the water insecure: building a national, regional and global coalition Dr. Letitia A. Obeng Chair Global Water Partnership

WATER

Sources: UN Water/internet

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  )

Challenges Population Urbanization Food Security Climate Change

GWP communications

Everything is connected…

020406080100120140

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200

400

600

800

US

$/ba

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US

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CornWheatRiceOil (right scale)

Source: von Braun 2008 with data from FAO 2008 and IMF 2008.

Hungry people in the developing world

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

Increased Frequency & Intensity of Floods & Droughts

(Sources  David  Grey,  http://www.companysj.com/v244/hurricane.html)  

AFP-Getty Images

Increasing risk

Global Development Center

(Source  David  Grey  )

(Source:David  Grey  )

Reuters

Source  David  Grey  

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