E Newsletter 38

THE INPIM E-NEWSLETTER

January 12, 2005; Number 38

http://www.inpim.org

Welcome to the INPIM E-Newsletter #38!

We want to wish all our subscribers best wishes for the New Year.  At this time, we at INPIM wish to express our sympathy to colleagues in the countries hit by the tsunami and our hope that the aid is received quickly to all who need it and that the tremendous effort at rebuilding begins soon.

INPIM News and Events

1. Salah Darghouth to continue as Chairman of INPIM for a second term;
2. INPIM Capacity Building Program (Menemen, Turkey December 2004) a great success;
3. Announcing: INPIM 8^th International Seminar (Tarbes, France; May 2005).

New Publications

4.  Women and Water:  An Ethical Issue

5. Meeting the Future Requirements of Pakistan under Scarce Water Resources
6. Institutional Reforms in Indian Irrigation

Events

Past Events

7. International Seminar on “Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems and Governance Alternatives” (Nepal; September 9-10, 2004).

Future Events 

8. Conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems (Netherlands; January 31-February 5, 2005);
9. 2005 Water Management Workshop (Denver, CO; February 7-11, 2005);
10. SEAWUN Convention Water and Wastewater in South East Asia (Hanoi; March 9-10, 2005);
11. World Bank Water Week (Washington, DC; March 1-3, 2005);
12. INPIM Co-Sponsors the Third International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (San Diego, CA; March 30-April 2, 2005)
13. 2005 World Water Week Programme Announced (Stockholm; August 21-27, 2005)
14. The 7^th Gulf Water Conference (Kuwait; November 19-23, 2005)

INPIM News and Events

1. Salah Darghouth to continue as Chairman INPIM for a second term.  INPIM is happy to announce that Mr. Salah Darghouth, Senior Water Advisor for Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank has consented to continue as the Chairman INPIM.  The INPIM Board of Directors, which met on June 15-16, 2004 in Tirana, unanimously resolved that Mr. Darghouth continue as Chairman of INPIM for one more term.  The first term of Mr. Darghouth expired on December 31, 2004.  Mr. Darghouth has conveyed his acceptance to be chairman for the current term which will expire on December 31, 2007.  During the last term Mr. Darghouth provided excellent leadership to steer INPIM into a number of new activities.  Some of the important activities that were conducted during the period were: the Sixth International Seminar in Beijing in April 2002; launching of the pilot project on Farmers’ Networks in South Asia; the Seventh International Seminar on PIM in Albania in June 2004; and the first International Capacity Building Program in Turkey in December 2004.  INPIM is actively planning to launch the Eighth International Seminar on PIM in Tarbes, France in May 2005, and the Ninth International Seminar in Egypt in 2006.  INPIM is indeed fortunate to have Mr. Darghouth as its Chairman and looks forward to continue actively under his leadership. To know more activities on INPIM visit us at http://www.inpm.org

2.  INPIM Capacity Building Program (Menemen, Turkey; December 2004) a great success.  From December 5-14, INPIM conducted a Capacity Building Program in Menemen, Turkey in conjunction with the State Hydraulic Works (DSI), Turkey.  The Capacity Building program drew 46 participants from 15 countries outside Turkey and provided a unique opportunity for them to learn the different dimensions of participatory irrigation management; and Turkey’s irrigation management transfer program.  Modules were provided on the: Regulatory and Legal Framework; Communications and Organization Management for Water User Associations; Technical Management of Water User Associations; and Financial Management of WUAs.  In addition, a session on Capacity Building of Water User Organizations was well-received by the group.  We received positive feedback and will be considering some suggestions on improvement of the content and scope of training.  Then, INPIM will offer the CBP again in September, once again in Turkey.  Further information will be provided in this e-newsletter closer to the date of the class. Visit the INPIM website at http://www.inpim.org for details.

3.  Announcing: INPIM 8^th International Seminar (Tarbes, France; May 2005).  The challenges for increasing the productivity of irrigation systems to meet the additional demands of food for an increasing population in the face of increasing scarcity and competition of water has forced countries to think of new strategies.  Reforms in the irrigation sector have envisaged the transfer of irrigation systems to farmers and water users However, The cumulative experience of working with water user associations has shown that WUAs in most developing countries continue to be fragile with weak technical capacity and continued dependence on the Government.   In countries such as Japan and China the possibility of farmer’s participation is gradually diminishing as non-farm incomes and urban jobs compete with agriculture.  This has stimulated thinking on the role and potential of public private partnerships in the irrigation sector.  This Seminar will provide a forum for discussion on the role and scope of public-private partnerships in improving the sustainability of irrigation systems.  The seminar will focus on the experience with public-private partnerships around the world and also deliberate on specific themes relevant to the topic and also provide an opportunity to learn on the French experience. Visit the INPIM website at http://www.inpim.org for details.

New Publications

4.  Women and Water: An Ethical Issue (authors Alice Aureli and Claudine Brelet; UNESCO International Hydrological Programme and World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology).  This essay, one in a series on Water and Ethics published under the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme, is concerned with the ethical issues arising from the special role of women in water use and from related social and environmental problems. It discusses both the nature of some of the key problems and the efforts in recent decades by both intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to overcome these problems.

5.  Meeting the future food requirements of Pakistan under scarce water resources (author: Shehzad Ahmed, International Water Management Institute).  Unlike most of the developing countries, Pakistan consumes up to 98% of its fresh water resources for agriculture, however in future, the non-agricultural water requirements will increase its share depending mainly upon the population, leaving less water for agriculture. Presently, the water use efficiencies in irrigated agricultural areas are among the lowest in the world, which creates a lot of potential for water savings provided the utilization of available resources is made with wise management. The basis for such management is the proper estimation of the future availabilities from different resources and their requirements by different competitors. In this study, such estimations are made using the Policy Dialogue Model (PODIUM). This paper presents the food and water requirements situation in Pakistan under four different scenarios. Low agricultural yields, high population growth rate, and low water use efficiencies, stress the adoption of effective resource management strategies that could address these constraints.

6.  Institutional Reforms in Indian Irrigation (authors Ashok Gulati, Ruth Meinzen-Dick and K.V Raju; IFPRI).  As water resources become increasing scare in India and demand only increases, the challenge of sustaining irrigation systems and the lands they serve is a matter of crucial importance. In particular, the livelihood of millions of farmers is threatened. India’s canal irrigation systems, which have so far made an enormous contribution to food security, are now in crisis because of increasing competition for water, poor management, and declining funding.  The authors of this book examine the nature of large-scale surface irrigation systems in India, analyze their associated problems, and discuss the options for reform. They also assess the impact of several pilot reform projects

Events

Past Events

7.  International Seminar on “Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems and Governance Alternatives” (Nepal; September 8-10, 2004).  Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) Promotion Trust, Nepal organized its third international seminar on “FMIS and Governance Alternatives” in Kathmandu.  One hundred thirty-nine participants from 15 countries attended and 26 papers were presented at two parallel sessions on reform, socio-economic, equity, eco-technology as well as information and communication dimensions on FMIS governance.  The compilation of the proceedings of the Seminar is underway and the Trust will soon publish it.  For additional information, please contact Dr. Upendra Gautam at fmist@wlink.com.np.

Future Events

8.  Conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems (Netherlands; January 31-February 5, 2005).  FAO and the Government of the Netherlands are organizing an International Conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems, from January 31-February 5, 2005 in the Hague. The conference will provide a high level platform for around 350 participants around the globe, including a ministerial segment.  The prime objective of the WFE Conference is: to help governments identify management practices, practical lessons learned and the necessary enabling environments that lead to sustainable water use at the river-basin level and the harmonization of food production and ecosystem management with a view to implementing already internationally agreed commitments.  The outcomes of the International Conference in The Hague will provide a direct input to the CSD-13, which has a focus on water issues. In addition it will help to implement working programmes under international conventions as the Convention on Biodiversity and the Cop 9 of the Ramsar convention, as well as the Plan of Implementation of the WSSD (Johannesburg 2002).

9. 2005 Water Management Workshop (Denver, CO; February 7-11, 2005).  The Water Management Workshop is a seminar for supervisors, managers, water masters and others responsible for or associated with the operation and maintenance of water systems.  The objective is the self-improvement of personnel who are directly responsible for the technical details of operating and maintaining water systems.  The focus will include increased emphasis on water conservation and efficient water management activities.  For further information, please phone (in the US), Staci Link at 303-445-2808 or email her at slink@do.usbr.gov.

10. SEAWUN Convention Water and Wastewater in South East Asia (Hanoi; March 9-10, 2005).  Organized by the Convention on Water and Wastewater in South East Asia – SEAWUN, the convention aims to: 1) facilitate information and experience-sharing among key stakeholders in water supply and wastewater service provision; 2) promote utility-to-utility collaboration to build consensus on SEAWUN program priorities; and 3) provide a venue for donors and international organizations to explore investment opportunities in the region and the sector.

11. World Bank Water Week (Washington, DC; March 1-3, 2005).  The title of this year's Water Week is: Water Security: Policies and Investments. The preconception that all water problems can be solved with infrastructure is as questionable as the assumption that, in the right institutional environments, problems can be solved with minimal infrastructure. Rather, countries need to develop their institutional environment and invest in infrastructure in parallel. The balance between the two interventions is different in different settings. In all of the countries and many dimensions of water it works in (water supply and sanitation, irrigation, water/environment, water resources management, hydropower, etc.), the World Bank helps countries to balance infrastructure and institutions.  The World Bank Water Week is the Bank’s premier learning event for staff. We also traditionally invite a number of external invitees to attend Water Week. The 3-day event thus brings together the water sector community -the internal World Bank community, as well as the external stakeholders, including clients, international and donor organizations, NGOs, and private sector representatives. The World Bank Water Week is jointly organized by the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Board and the Water Resources Management Group.  For more information please contact wweek@worldbank.org.

12.  INPIM Co-Sponsors the Third International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (San Diego, CA; March 30-April 2, 2005).  Water Districts are the most common vehicle for irrigation and drainage management in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and a growing number of other countries. District management brings decision making to the level of the farmers the District serves, enhancing accountability, transparency and responsiveness. In the western U.S. and other industrialized countries, Districts are facing a long list of new management challenges related to increasing water scarcity, urbanization and expanding environmental awareness and concern. This Conference provides an opportunity for District mangers, policy makers and others to share their experiences in dealing with these challenging issues.  As a part of a global trend toward decentralization, countries worldwide are introducing and implementing District-based management of agricultural water supplies. Often these organizations are called by other names — Water User Associations (WUAs) or Irrigation Unions — but in fundamental respects many are similar to the Water Districts of the western U.S. These organizations are facing a set of first-generation problems related to governance, financing, system maintenance and organization — problems familiar to district managers in the U.S., many of whom have developed effective strategies for addressing these issues. The Conference seeks to bring together District managers and staff from the U.S., and their counterparts and supporters from countries where this form of management is just getting underway.  Professionals from the U.S. and abroad involved in irrigation, drainage and water resources planning will find the multi-disciplinary Conference of interest. Participants will include engineers, environmental and social scientists, managers, attorneys and economists representing academia, consulting firms, water districts, multi-lateral banks, foreign assistance agencies, NGOs and government agencies.  Visit the website for registration and details at http://www.uscid.org

13.  2005 World Water Week (Stockholm; August 21-27, 2005).   The World Water Week in Stockholm is the leading annual global meeting place for the world's diverse water community. The World Water Week includes the Stockholm Water Symposium, topical plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific workshops, independently organised seminars and side events, exhibitions and festive prize ceremonies.  Participants in Stockholm will be experts coming from more than 100 countries and representing the business, civil society, governmental, inter-governmental, science and water management sectors.  Visit the website for further details at http://www.siwi.org

14.  The 7th Gulf Water Conference, Water in the GCC countries Towards an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) (Kuwait; November 19-23, 2005).  Organized by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and Water Sciences and Technology Association, this conference aims to review and assess the progress made in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) towards the adoption and implementation of comprehensive policies and strategies for integrated water resources management (IWRM) and their active implementation. The goal is to identify main issues, challenges, constraints, as well as opportunities and lessons learned in the implementation of IWRM for sustainable development in arid regions with special reference to the GCC countries and its prevailing socio-economic, political, and environmental conditions. 

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