In all, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of stakeholders who have been acting more or less independently throughout much time. But water knows no boundaries, and many of these issues can only be solved in a concerted effort.

In response to this need, the World Water Council was founded in Marseille in 1996 on an initiative of reputed water experts and international organisations. Its most powerful instrument is the World Water Forum held every three years. Soon after the first event took place in Marrakech (1997), these fora were to become the largest international water events worldwide.

This year’s event attracted as many as 20,000 delegates. In contrast to IWA World Water Congresses with their scientific/technical bias, the World Water Fora are directed at a wider audience and at top-level politicians. The latter shall be encouraged to put more effort into water protection and sustainable water use. A key goal is to develop strategic visions for the management of water resources and water-related services. The World Water Council is funded by member fees and draws support from the City of Marseille.

Bridging divides for water

This year’s 5th World Water Forum was held in Istanbul (16 – 22 March) and therefore a good match with the event’s overall motto: bridging divides for water. The Turkish metropolis that links two continents provided a platform for debates on new incentives to strengthen the UN Millennium Development Goals while still keeping an eye on ecosystem protection.

Workshops, technical conferences and other events had been developed throughout the world over several months for this purpose, featuring a diversity of experiences and approaches. Scientific, economic, political and administrative representatives as well as NGOs entered into exciting and partly controversial debates that spanned the following six main themes:

global change and risk management; advancing human development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG); managing and protecting water resources; governance and management; finance; education, knowledge and capacity development. At political level, the ministers responsible for water issues thoroughly discussed these themes and the adjustments required to respond to climate change and its implications.

The 5th World Water Forum was to close with a Ministerial Declaration, to which a comprehensive technical guidance, the so-called “Istanbul Water Strategy Guide”, was attached. Both documents also embrace the results of previous world water fora; representatives from all participating nations, international organisations, parliament representatives, lobbyists and community representatives have worked together to reach a worldwide consensus. The final text of the Ministerial Declaration and the pertaining Guide were not yet available as this issue went to press (editor’s note).

Since the European Union is not only the world’s largest funding agency for water aid projects but also a leader in water technologies and transboundary water protection, EU member states and organisations were greatly involved in the preparations for the 5th World Water Forum and thus decisively influenced its course.

VIP representatives from European cities and regions

Since the last World Water Forum in Mexico City (2006), much of this input has come from cities and regions, whose know-how then proved to be an indispensable key factor in the development of an efficient water policy. In 2009, this political dialogue focused on 20 March, a day reserved to mayors and regional politicians discussing such important issues as water for energy, water and natural disasters, or financing water projects during the global financial crisis.

Experts and people’s representatives were also given the opportunity to exchange their experiences in the framework of specialised sessions. Not only do local and regional authorities in Europe have the responsibility to provide their citizens with best-quality drinking water; just as important is their task to allocate adequate funding for water management and to effectively counter problems like urban sprawl and climate change.

Local and regional authorities are willing to assume this responsibility and reconfirmed their readiness to do so at the 5th World Water Forum by signing the “Istanbul Water Consensus” on 19 March. In this document, which was developed on the initiative of Istanbul’s mayor Kadir Topbas, mayors as well as other local and regional politicians commit themselves to developing sound water management strategies for all areas which effectively cope with the challenges of climate change, demographic change, urbanisation, economic development, or migration.

The Istanbul Water Consensus is in particular directed at national governments and international institutions. These are called upon to establish the legal, institutional and financial frameworks required to guarantee a sound water supply and wastewater disposal system at local level. At the same time, the Istanbul Water Consensus also urges authority departments to work more effectively together on all levels, assuring “good governance” in water management with due consideration of the principle of subsidiarity.

But also local and regional authorities need to have a share in this and are required to attune their water management strategies to the respective needs as well as develop action plans for local and regional levels. Through the Istanbul Water Consensus, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) once again recognises water as a crucial field of activity.

Austria postulates a sustainable water management

As a country abounding with water, Austria’s engagement in the 5th World Water Forum was quite evident. Priority was given to the social aspects of water management. Head of Division Wilfried Schimon, representing Austria, also stressed the importance of protecting water bodies and aquatic ecosystems. They must not be sacrificed at the cost of investing in infrastructure essential for physical and economic survival.

While in EU countries and especially in Austria we take this for granted as an integral part of our culture, such awareness yet needs to be raised in many other parts of the world. The example of an Austrian development project in Mozambique, Africa, shows how this may work.
(Source: aqua press Int. 1/2009, Marie Bullet, DI Karl Schwaiger, Karl Kriechenbaum)