10. National Ground Water Association 2002 Ground Water Expo December 8 - 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Water Crisis: Reforms Needed to Avert Impending Water and Food Shortages

If current trends in water policy and investment hold or worsen, global food supply will be threatened, there will be further environmental damage, and hundreds of millions of people without safe water will face ongoing health risks. Due in part to rapid population growth and urbanization in developing countries, water use for households, industry, and agriculture will increase by at least 50 percent in the next 20 years. These are some of the conclusions from a new report* by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The report suggests three broad strategies to prevent a water crisis: investment in infrastructure to increase the supply of water for irrigation, domestic and industrial purposes; conservation of water and improved efficiency of water use in existing systems through water management and policy reform; and improvement of crop productivity. Promising innovations mentioned in the report include small-scale technologies, such as the five dollar bucket and drip kit or manually operated treadle pumps, and community-level water management.

*Rosegrant, M.W. ; Ximing Cai and Cline, S.A. (2002). Global water outlook to 2025 : averting an impending crisis. (Food policy report). Washington, DC, USA : International Food Policy Research Institute ; Colombo, Sri Lanka : International Water Management Institute. v, 26 p., 18 fig., 2 tab. ISBN 0896296466. http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/fpr/fprwater2025.pdf [495 KB]

Contact: Michael Rubinstein, mailto:m.rubinstein@cgiar.org or Janet Hodur, mailto:j.hodur@cgiar.org or Michele Pietrowski, mailto:m.pietrowski@cgiar.org (IFPRI, 16 Oct 2002, http://www.ifpri.org/pressrel/2002/101602.htm)

Article by Dr Martin Griffiths, recently published on European Water Management Online (EWMO).

Abstract:
The Water Framework Directive is the most significant piece of European water legislation for over twenty years. It will update most of the existing water legislation in Europe and was a feature of the key water initiative at the World Summit in Johannesburg in August. The concepts of river basin management have been central to the approach taken by the UK Government, the Environment Agency, the UK water industry and its predecessors. The paper will review the key principles of the Directive, its implementation in the UK and its applicability to other international river basins.

You may download the complete article at http://www.ewaonline.de/journal/2002_05.pdf.

(Originally published in the European Water Management News of Wednesday 30 October 2002)

3. Arab Water Worries

"The Arab world is currently facing one of the most severe water scarcities in the world," Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mahmoud Abu Zeid said at the First Regional Conference on Perspectives of Arab Water Cooperation - 12-14 Oct 2002, Cairo, Egypt. This has dire consequences on food security in the region. Already, 30 to 50 per cent of the Arab world's food consumption needs are imported. A mere 10 per cent improvement in efficiency of water delivery for irrigation systems could conserve enough water to double the amount available for drinking, Mr. Abu Zeid said.

Among the recommendations for action that emerged from the conference debates were the need to establish a "Council of Arab Ministers" that would work on creating an integrated Arab vision for water resources, the improvement of water productivity of irrigation systems and the creation of a common fund for Arab water security to finance necessary research and water projects. The number of water-scarce Arab countries has risen from three countries (Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait) in 1955 to 11 (Algeria, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen) today, with another seven anticipated to join the list by 2025.

Contact: Dr. Mona El-Kady, Chairperson, National Water Research Center,
mailto:arabwater@nwrc-eg.org, http://www.nwrc.gov.eg
(Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 24-30 Oct 2002,
http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/2002/609/re8.htm)

(Originally published in the Source Water and Sanitation Weekly Issue no. 43-44, 4 November 2002 of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, web site: http://www.irc.nl/source)

4. New Tool Launched: Online Irrigation Benchmarking Services
Benchmarking can be defined as "A systematic process for securing continual improvement through comparison with relevant and achievable internal or external norms and standards."
This initiative by the World Bank, IPTRID, ICID and IWMI puts state-of-the-art system performance monitoring in the hands of practicing irrigation system managers. This online system gives users access to:
" Benchmarking Guidelines: They provide the detailed information required to collect, process, and analyze data which will be needed to benchmark one's irrigation scheme.
" Benchmarking Services: This service provides a spreadsheet template in which a user inputs irrigation scheme data. That date is then calculated and prepared for benchmarking.
" Benchmarking Results: This function allows the user to define comparators for their irrigation scheme's data by region, country, agro region, or water source.
For information or to use this service visit: http://www.lk.iwmi.org:82/oibs/LoadBench.htm

5. INPIM Bi-Annual Newsletter #12 is Published and Disseminated

The latest in the series of INPIM Newsletters was published in October. This issue, which is #12 in the newsletter series, features articles on the Sixth International Seminar on PIM, PIM in China, the reform process of the Office du Niger of Mali, water and food security in Latin America, Aflaj irrigation systems, and much more. Newsletters have been mailed to the INPIM membership. A complementary issue of the newsletter has also been mailed to seminar participants.

6. INPIM ED Attends "Policy Processes - A Workshop" in Andra Pradesh, India

J. Raymond Peter, ED of INPIM, will be attending a policy processes workshop in Andhra Pradesh from 18 to 22 November. This one week workshop is being conducted by James Manor of IDS Sussex, organized by the Centre for Economic and Social Science Research, and funded by the Ford Foundation. The workshop is part of a larger programme, meant to stimulate interest in the study of policy processes as an important and relevant topic in the social sciences, and will be followed by a seminar on policy processes in Andhra Pradesh. Attending this workshop will further develop INPIM staff abilities in analyzing policies in countries with which we are associated in our regular work.

7. INPIM-INA Moves Forward

As of June of this year, INPIM-INA has been legally registered as a non-governmental organization in Indonesia. Since then the chapter has:
" organized a National Workshop for the JBIC funded SAPS study of the irrigation section in Indonesia,
" coordinated a study tour for a visiting team of irrigation officers from Vietnam,
" associated itself with an ADB irrigation reform study, and has
" recruited a 7 member Advisory Board and a 9 member Executive Board.
In September J. Raymond Peter, Executive Director INPIM and Hatsuya Azumi, Founding Chairman INPIM traveled to Indonesia where they met with the leadership of INPIM-INA to discuss the future of the organization. Currently the chapter is developing an action plan and content for a website.

8. Regional Forum on Capacity Building for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Southeast Asia 10 - 14 Dec 2002, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Organized by: Malaysian Water Partnership (MyWP), Malaysian Network on Capacity Building for IWRM (MyCapNet), and Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Malaysia (DID)

This forum will consist of five events: a regional workshop on capacity building for IWRM in Southeast Asia; training workshop IWRM ToolBox; launch of Southeast Asia Regional Network on Capacity Building in IWRM; 12th Global Water Partnership - Southeast Asia Technical Committee (GWP-SEATAC) meeting; Cap-Net regional network managers and IAC meetings. Attendance for the training workshop and GWP and Cap-Net meetings by invitation only. Web address: http://www.gwpforum.org/servlet/PSP?iNodeID=215&itemId=184

Contact: The Secretariat CB (IWRM) 2002, Malaysian Water Partnership (MyWP), Dept. of Irrigation and Drainage, Malaysia, fax: +60-3-26911082, mailto:mywp@did.moa.my

It is obligatory to frame policies which recognize water as an integral part of the eco-system, a precious natural resource with a social and economic value and implement the same in right earnestness for the prosperity and well being of mankind. To focus attention on the various issues of water scarcity, the Geographical Committee of International Water Resources Association (India) in association with Central Board of Irrigation and Power is organizing an International IWRA Regional Symposium on "Water for Human Survival from 27-30 November 2002 at New Delhi, India.

The symposium will deliberate on :
" how water for crucial purposes like drinking water and food production can be secured, highlighting innovative and more water-efficient technologies;
" how threats from water pollution in various parts of the world can be minimized by restructuring the industry;
" awareness and education for achieving water security;
" rules and obligations that have to be linked to the "human rights approach" to water provision.
The following topics have been identified for discussions during the symposium :
1. Water For Food Security: demand assessment to ensure food, resource assessment to meet the demand, management to maximize food production per unit of water, management of water resources in scarcity and flood conditions
2. Water For Health Security: demand assessment for drinking water and sanitation, identification of water resources and habitations, loss prevention in storage and distribution network and water supply and sanitation, water quality and water related diseases.
3. Water For Energy Security
4. Water For Environment: maintaining minimum flows in river system, creating public awareness on ecology and environment
5. Rain Water Harvesting and Conservation: creation of storages and maintenance of existing storages, problems of rehabilitation and resettlement, ecology and environment in creating storages, heritage and concern for preservation and adoption of indigenous methods, augmentation through inter-basin transfer and desalination
6. Water Administration: policy in administering water system and pricing, institutional reforms to improve the administration, public participation and NGOs, and collection, storage and retrieval of all water related data and transparency
7. Water Law: water policy · water related acts and rules and their codification, conflict resolution at local, state and country level, water related disputes among the states and the nations and the international instruments available to resolve disputes
This event is being organized by Geographical Committee of the International Water Resources Association (India) & Central Board of Irrigation and Power and sponsored by the Indian Committee on Large Dams (INCOLD), Committee for International Society for Rock Mechanics (India), and the New Delhi Centre of World Water Council
For more information visit: http://www.cbip.org/forthcoming14.htm

10. National Ground Water Association 2002 Ground Water Expo December 8 - 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The 2002 Ground Water Expo will allow participants to gain first hand knowledge of new technology by sampling equipment on the exhibition floor, advance their career with a full schedule of educational opportunities, and hear lectures and addresses from experts in the industry. There has even been a bonus workshop day added for December 8.

Below are the confirmed technical keynote speakers:
" Scott Bair, The Ohio State University: "Intoxicating Cases of Ground Water Under the Influence of Surface Water"
" Cliff Dahm, University of New Mexico: "Hydrogeology and Biogeochemistry of Surface Water and Ground Water Interfaces"
" David Pyne, ASR Systems LLC: "Aquifer Storage Recovery: Science, Technology, and Regulation"
" Bridget R. Scanlon, University of Texas: "Current and Innovative Approaches for Quantifying Recharge at the Watershed Scale"
" Edward Sudicky, University of Waterloo: "Fully-integrated Modeling of Surface and Subsurface Water Flow and Solute Transport: Model Overview and Applications"
" Garth Van Der Kamp, Environment Canada: "Detection and Measurement of Ground Water Discharge to Wetlands, Lakes, and Streams"
" Ingrid Verstraeten, U.S. Geological Survey: "Transport and Attenuation of Organic Contaminants Including Potential Endocrine Disrupters and Pharmaceuticals from Rivers through Ground Water into Drinking Water: A Case Study"
" William Woessner, University of Montana: "Exchange of Ground Water and Stream Systems: Conceptualization and Implications for Renaturalization"

For more information visit: http://www.ngwa.org/convention/national.html

Created by INPIM
Last modified 19-03-2004 12:48 PM

This Document was created on Tue, January 20, 2004 by INPIM.
Last modified on Fri, March 19, 2004.

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#21

THE INPIM E-NEWSLETTER #21

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