THE INPIM E-NEWSLETTER

August 20, 2007; Number 67

http://www.inpim.org

ihussain@inpim.org

Welcome to the INPIM E-Newsletter # 67

NEWS

Ø     INPIM’s Third International Capacity Building Program on Participatory Irrigation Management, 21 – 30 October 2007, Izmir, Turkey

Ø      Summary and Conclusions of the Regional Workshop on WUAs Development in Southeastern European Countries, June 4-7, 2007 - Bucharest, Romania, Facilitated by INPIM

Ø      Strong Messages As 2007 World Water Week Ends - It is Time to Do Better on Global Poverty, Sanitation, Water Scarcity and Climate Change

Ø      Updates on ORISSA Integrated Irrigated Agriculture and Water Management Project

Ø      PIDA Establishes 100 New Farmer Organizations in LCC West and CRBC Areas, Punjab, Pakistan

Ø      Modernizing Irrigation Channels Through  Community Participation and  Management in Sindh, Pakistan

Ø      Drip Irrigation — Answer to Water Shortages in Pakistan

Ø      Punjab (Pakistan) Making Institutional Arrangements for Implementing Groundwater Management Plan

Ø      Strengthening Participatory Groundwater Management Project in Mexico and Ethiopia

Ø      Unequal Water Resources Present a Challenge in Africa

Ø      National Peer Review Water Workshops in Uganda and Zambia

Ø      IDWR Expedites Water Transfer for CREP Acreage in USA

Ø      Twinning Arrangement between PPWSA and BIWASE

Ø      Netherlands Helping to Provide Clean, Safe Water in Asia-Pacific

Ø      Improving Access to Clean Water, Sanitation Crucial to Growth in Asia

Ø      Greywater Treatment and Reuse in MENA Region (IDRC’s Initiative)

DONORS’ LENDING AND SUPPORT FOR IRRIGATION & DRAINAGE PROJECTS

World Bank

Ø      Irrigation Development Project: Additional Financing for Armenia

Ø      Liberia Receives a Grant for Agriculture and Infrastructure Development

Ø      World Bank Approves US$12 Million Additional Financing for Agricultural Research in Uganda

African Development Bank (AfDB)

Ø      AfDB Approved US$ 45 million for Water and Sanitation Project in Burkina Faso

UPCOMING REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEETS AND EVENTS

Ø      58th International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting and USCID’s 4th International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage

30 September-5 October 2007

Sacramento, California USA

Ø      International Conference on Sustainable Development and Management of Water Resources in Palestine

25-28 August 2007

Amman, Jordan

Ø      22nd European Regional Conference

2-6 September 2007

Pavia, Italy

Ø      Third International Conference on Climate and Water

3-6 September 2007

Helsinki, Finland

Ø      International Workshop on ‘Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Systems’

10-11 September 2007

Munich, Germany

Ø      14th German Dam Symposium / 5th ICOLD European Club Dam Symposium

17-19 September 2007

Freising, Bavaria, Germany

Ø      European Water & Wastewater Management Conference

24-26 September 2007

St James' Park, Newcastle, UK

Ø      3rd International Yellow River Forum on Sustainable Water Resources Management and Delta Ecosystem Maintenance

16-19 October 2007

Dongying City, Shandong Province, China

Ø      HELP - Local Solutions to Global Water Problems : Lessons from the South

4-9 November 2007

Pretoria, South Africa

Ø      2nd African Regional Conference

6-9 November 2007

Johannesburg, South Africa

Ø      International Conference on the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive

8 - 10 November 2007

Rome, Italy

Ø      The “1st International Conference on Adaptive & Integrated Water Management: Coping with complexity and uncertainty" (CAIWA 2007)

12-15 November 2007

Basel, Switzerland

Ø      South Asian Conference on Water in Agriculture: Management options for increasing crop productivity per drop of water

15-17 November 2007

Raipur, India

Ø      MELIA 1st Workshop: “Water Culture and Water Conflict in the Mediterranean Area”

22-26 November 2007

Tunisia

Ø      Water Management 2008, Exhibition and Conference

14-16 January 2008

Mumbai, India

Ø      Second African Show of Irrigation and Drainage

5-10 February 2008

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Ø      33rd WEDC International Conference “Access to Sanitation and Safe Water: Global Partnerships and Local Actions”

    7-11 April 2008

      Accra, Ghana

Ø      Water Down Under 2008

15-18 April 2008

Adelaide, Australia

Ø      7th International Congress on Hydraulic Engineering: ‘Enough Water for Sustainable Development!’

15-18 May 2008

Juventud Island, Cuba

Ø      Groundwater and Climate in Africa - An International Conference

25-28 June 2008

Kampala, Uganda

Ø      13th World Water Congress

01-04 September 2008

Montpellier, France

Ø      Africa Water Resources Management 2008 (AfricaWRM 2008)

8-10 September 2008

Gaborone, Botswana

Ø      ICID’s 20th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage

13-19 October 2008

Lahore, Pakistan

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Ø      Sustainability of FWUAs in NWFP, Pakistan

Ø      Water Users’ Associations Development in Southeastern European Countries

Ø      The Price of Water (2^nd Edition)

Ø      Water Resources and Hydrometeorology of the Arab Region

Ø      Hydrology and Water Resources of India

Ø      'Water, a shared responsibility': The 2nd United Nations World Water Development Report

Ø      Water Demand Management Glossary (2^nd Edition)

FELLOWSHIP AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Ø      DELTA Scholarships

Ø      Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Program

Ø      Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program

CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAININGS

Ø      INPIM’s Third International Capacity Building Program on Participatory Irrigation Management

21-30 October 2007

Izmir, Turkey

Ø      Water Quality Control in Water Supply

01-12 October 2007

DELFT, The Netherlands

Ø      Groundwater Exploration and Monitoring

07-25 April 2008

DELFT, The Netherlands

Ø      Knowledge Management for Decision Makers in the Water Sector

14-25 April 2008

DELFT, The Netherlands

Ø      Applied Groundwater Modelling

09-27 June 2008

DELFT, The Netherlands

DETAILS

NEWS

INPIM’s Third International Capacity Building Program on Participatory Irrigation Management, 21 – 30 October 2007, Izmir, Turkey

Program Description

The Third International Capacity Building Program (ICBP) on Participatory Irrigation Management will be held in Izmir, Turkey from 21 – 30 October 2007. The ICBP is being organized by the International Network on Participatory Irrigation Management (INPIM) in collaboration with INPIM Turkey Chapter, State Hydraulic Works (DSI), Turkey and the World Bank Institute (WBI). The 10-day course will be held at the DSI’s Gumulder Training Centre, located in South of Izmir, 40 km from Izmir Airport. The course is aimed at faculty of training institutes or consultants, WUA Managers, Policy makers, System managers, and NGOs or Government/Irrigation Agency staff and those who are engaged in WUA capacity-building and implementing PIM programs in their countries. The language of the course will be English. The purpose of the course is to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of WUAs, and at the policy level to support and strengthen the implementation of national PIM programs. Besides offering the opportunity to review state-of-the-art thinking on irrigation reforms, this international CBP offers the opportunity for networking with irrigation professionals from around the world. The program includes 2 and a half day of field visits to 4 WUAs and interactions with WUA managers, farmers, stakeholders and staff of the WUAs in Turkey.

Objectives

1.     To learn from international experience where PIM is being promoted

2.     Focus substantively on the different dimensions of water users associations

3.     Capacity building for the sustainability of water users associations

4.     Networking among participants; learning from the experience of Turkey and learning from each other through country experiences

Language

The course materials will be in English, and most of the formal presentations will also be in English. Translation will be provided from Turkish to English where required.

Course Venue

The programme will be held at DSI’s Gumulder Training Centre in the beautiful town of Gumulder, located in the South of Izmir, 40 Km from Izmir Airport. Gumulder is a small town with the population of 8700, located on the Aegean Sea Coast. The town is close to many famous historical places. The training centre is equipped with all facilities and has excellent accommodation arrangement for the participants.

Admission Requirements

The course will be limited to 50 participants who would fall under three main categories: (1) managers of water user organizations, (2) senior government agency staff responsible for implementing PIM, and (3) faculty and staff of irrigation management training institutes or NGOs who would develop their own PIM training programs in their countries. Preference will be given to country teams of 3 persons representing a mix of both categories and who have strong practical and professional experience.

Registration Fee, Payment, and Travel

INPIM offers a pre-arranged package including course registration fee, meals, lodging, local transportation, and field visits at US$ 2,500 payable to INPIM. Participants shall be responsible for their travel to Izmir and back to their countries. Participants will be issued a letter of invitation addressed to the Embassy of Turkey in their respective countries. As issuance of visa usually takes time, you are requested to ensure that you process for your visa well in advance to avoid last minute disappointments. Participants wishing to arrive before, or stay after, the above mentioned dates and times should arrange for accommodations at their own expense.

Payment of the program fee can be made through a bank/wire transfer directly to INPIM's bank account. The information required to make a wire transfer will be made available upon request by email to ihussain@inpim.org or znaseer@inpim.org.

Participants will be registered through a two step process of registration as explained below:

1.     Pre-registration – Participants are requested to complete the pre-registration by providing basic information in the Table (given below) to express their interest in participating in the program.

Information for pre-registration

Note: Payment of fee can be made at pre-registration stage or at final registration stage as explained below. Early registration and payment of fee offers some financial benefits to the participants.

2.     Final registration and payment of fee – upon receipt and processing of the pre-registration forms, final registration forms will be sent to the pre-registered participants as per the following schedule and benefits:

Final Registration and full fee payment by 30 August 2007, 2 percent discount

Final Registration and full fee payment by 15 September 2007, No discount

Final Registration and full fee payment by 30 September 2007, 5 percent late registration charge

Final Registration and full fee payment by 15 October 2007, 20 percent late registration charge

For further Information, please contact:

Summary and Conclusions of the Regional Workshop on WUAs Development in Southeastern European Countries, June 4-7, 2007 - Bucharest, Romania, Facilitated by INPIM – By Dr. Intizar Hussain, Executive Director INPIM

A 4-day regional workshop on ‘Development of Water Users’ Associations in Southeastern European Countries’ was held during June 4-7, 2007 at the World Bank’s Romania office in Bucharest, Romania. The main objective of the workshop was to share experiences on participatory irrigation management (PIM) reforms and to discuss options and solutions for the development and sustainability of WUAs in the Southeastern European (SEE) region. The workshop had three main components: (i)  discuss and deliberate upon the issues and constraints facing the agricultural water/irrigation sector in the countries of the region today with particular focus on WUAs, including gender issues, and the role of women in water management; (ii) share country experiences on WUAs, promote cross-country learning and document the lessons learnt; and (iii) learn from international experiences on PIM /WUAs reforms and best practice examples – with ultimate aim of building capacity of key stakeholders involved in reforms, and supporting and strengthening on-going reforms through development of sustainable WUAs in the region. With financial support from the Bank Netherlands Water Partnership Program, the workshop was organized by the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank and the World Bank Institute (WBI), and was facilitated by the Executive Director of the International Network on Participatory Irrigation Management (INPIM). The workshop was attended by 28 participants – representing relevant ministries, project management units (PMUs), WUAs and the World Bank including WBI and the Bank’s country offices from 5 countries: Romania, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.

The workshop discussions and deliberations point to the following key conclusions:

1. There is a significant interest among stakeholders in promoting PIM/WUAs reforms in the region: while countries in the region are at various stages of implementing PIM reforms and WUAs development and with varying degree of outcomes and impacts, such reforms are perceived to be beneficial and much needed, and there is a significant interest in promoting them.

2. Understanding local conditions and adopting flexible approach to WUAs development is a key to effective implementation of PIM reforms: while, broadly speaking, the countries of focus in the SEE region have followed similar approach in implementing PIM reforms and the development of WUAs, there are significant differences in local conditions and understanding the local conditions is important for effectively implementing reforms. These include, for example, size, type and complexity of irrigation systems, climatic conditions and availability of water resources, productivity and profitability of agriculture, size and distribution of land holdings, poverty situation, degree of socio-economic homogeneity, and power relations in local communities.  There is no single model or framework that suits all situations, each model has its own advantages and limitations. WUAs have to be country and locale specific – according to local conditions.

3. Understanding and accounting for the contribution (and value) of irrigation to agriculture and the role of agriculture in livelihoods of people in local settings — in designing PIM reform projects: farmers would be interested in PIM reforms and WUAs development where irrigation is critical to agriculture, it generates significant benefits, and farmers derive significant part of their livelihoods from agricultural activities. Where irrigation is not viable or tiny in farm incomes, farmers may not be interested in WUAs reforms. Understanding these factors is important for focusing initial reform efforts in areas where there is a greater dependence of farmers, on irrigation and agriculture, for their livelihoods.

4. Integrating irrigation sector investments with other related agricultural interventions for enhancing benefits of irrigation: irrigation generates larger benefits when combined with other factors – particularly, cultivation of high value crops, new production technology, improved information and extension, and input and output markets. Such an approach provides incentives to farmers and enhances their interests in WUAs and PIM reforms. Linking the WUAs with private sector can be helpful in this regard. In some situations, multi-functional WUAs may also be an answer. However, it is also sometimes suggested that at the initial stages the focus may be on developing and strengthening single-functional WUAs that at later stages may diversify their operations and evolve into multi-functional entities.

5. Continuing support and strengthening of WUAs for their sustainability: PIM/WUAs reforms is a fairly new phenomenon in the region, and the countries are in the process of experimenting and learning from the initiative. Their continuing support – through capacity building, fostering agency relations with WUAs, promoting WUAs linkages with private sector, monitoring and evaluating WUAs activities for identifying and addressing any constraints facing them) – is important not only to address the issues they are presently facing but also to prepare them for dealing with the future ‘second generation’ issues.

6. Promoting cross-country and cross-regional sharing of experiences and lessons: the workshop participants emphasized on promoting cross-country and cross-regional sharing of experiences and lessons on PIM reforms – through regional and international cooperation. The participants acknowledged that INPIM’s national and international seminars on PIM and other similar national, regional and international events have made a great deal of contributions in promoting PIM reforms in the region. The various options discussed for promoting regional and international cooperation on PIM reforms included: establishing a regional forum on PIM, establishing INPIM’s regional chapter on PIM, using existing organizations (such as river basin organizations) as platforms for promoting PIM and holding annual regional workshops or meetings (like the present one). Further, it was suggested that such initiatives could be supported through World Bank projects in the region.

7. Initiating a multi-country study on PIM/WUAs reforms in the region: while the country papers presented at the workshop provide a great deal of information and knowledge about WUAs reforms in the respective countries, there is a need for a formal regional study on assessing the progress, performance and impacts of F/WUAs and identifying opportunities and constraints to WUAs development in the region. Such a study would be helpful not only for developing a long term strategy for strengthening and sustaining already established WUAs but would also help guide for effectively promoting WUAs reforms in areas and countries where the reforms are yet to be implemented.

Strong Messages As 2007 World Water Week Ends - It is Time to Do Better on Global Poverty, Sanitation, Water Scarcity and Climate Change

World Water Week 2007 in Stockholm that began with a call for governments around the world to better manage their existing water resources concluded on August 18 with the 2,500 participants from 140 countries saying, collectively that progress is being made, but in the face of global poverty, critical lack of sanitation, water scarcity and climate change, we all need to do much better. The date, theme and location for the 2008 event was also announced: “Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World,” to be held August 17-23, 2008, at the Stockholm International Fairs centre.

Anders Berntell, Executive Director of the host Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), while assessing at the end of the event the efforts to improve the world water situation, said: “There is progress, but there is still far too little action and now when climate change is upon us and we need to adapt even faster. None of us can say we are prepared but it’s clear that poor people will again suffer the most. Changes in water availability are what will hit us first with an altered climate; rising sea levels and floods in certain regions but drought in others. The pressure on infrastructure and physical planning will be considerable. Ecosystem management will be fundamental. The question remains relevant: Why is water still not high enough on the political agenda?”

Climate, sanitation and hygiene, water management, ecosystems and biodiversity, technology and business issues were prominent programme focal points throughout the week. SIWI itself called for governments around the world to better manage how they use their existing water resources, taking necessary and sometimes painful measures to decrease losses in water delivery infrastructure and irrigation, to cut subsidies to agriculture, and to put in place realistic water-pricing measures – all before attempting to boost water supplies. The World Water Week, which included 140 co-convening organisations, witnessed the launch of a number of new and groundbreaking studies, reports and initiatives designed to improve a global situation where billions of people are without sustainable access to safe drinking water or suffering ill health due to poor sanitation, where bioenergy demands are diverting water from food production, and where global climate change is affecting the overall water balance.

Studies, reports and initiatives and announcements to be made during the week include:

Ø      UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency working with human settlements, launched the 1) Global Water Operators’ Partnership and the 2) Water and Sanitation Trust Fund.

Ø      SIWI and the Swedish Water House launched four new reports: Making Anti-Corruption Approaches Work for the Poor; On the Verge of a New Water Scarcity; Agriculture, Water, and Ecosystems; and Planning for Drinking Water and Sanitation in Peri-Urban Areas.

Ø      The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched the Global Water Tool.

Ø      The Water Supply and Sanitation Council (WSSCC) and SIWI announced the opening of the nomination period for the WASH Media Award.

Ø      British charity WaterAid launched Global Cause and Effect: How the Aid System is Undermining the Millennium Development Goals.

Ø      The Global Water Partnership announced 1) Letitia A. Obeng as the new Chair of GWP and 2) released the policy brief Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management, and 3) the book Sustainable Sanitation in Eastern and Central Europe.

Ø      The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, released a position paper named Natural Resource Tenure.

Ø      The Asian Development Bank released Dignity, Disease and Dollars: Asia’s Urgent Sanitation Challenge.

Ø      The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) South Africa presented new technology for removing heavy metals and subsequent radioactivity from mines.

Ø      The Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC) released Water, Climate, Risk and Adaptation, and presented its new resource centre on water, climate, risk, adaptation and mitigation.

Ø      The World Water Council (WWC), the General Directorate State Hydraulic Works for Turkey (DSI) and the Secretariat of the 5th World Water Forum released the First Announcement of the 5th Forum, to be held in 2009.

Ø      Borealis and Bororouge became a Founder of the Stockholm Water Prize.

Ø      The International Institute for Environment and Development issued two briefing papers that summarise new research on payments for watershed services in developing nations.

Ø      The International Foundation for Science released Strengthening Capacity for Water Resources Research in Countries with Vulnerable Scientific Infrastructure.

Ø      The Government of Singapore and the World Health Organisation (WHO) signed a new partnership agreement to jointly promote the safe management of drinking water globally.

Ø      The Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association introduced the revamped World Water Monitoring Day initiative and provide kits to Stockholm Junior Water Prize participants.

Ø      The International Water & Film Events Istanbul 2009 issued the official call for entries.