Information and transboundary cooperation – challenges and responses (Francesca Bernardini) - Powerpoint - 200kb
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Objective: Develop concerted action programmes for the reduction of pollution loads Establish warning and alarm procedures. Serve as a forum for the exchange of information on existing and planned uses of water. Promote cooperation and exchange of information on the best available technology. Cooperate with other joint bodies in the same catchment area and with bodies for the marine environment.
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Information and transboundary cooperation – challenges and responses (Francesca Bernardini) - Powerpoint - 200kb
- 1. Information and transboundary cooperation – challenges and responses Francesca Bernardini United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
- 2. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Information: the beauty and the beast • Information is crucial for decision making in water management • Collecting and managing information is expensive • Information is not enough ⇒ meaningful information
- 3. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Information cycle Workshop on Information Management and Public Participation, June 2005 Workshop on Monitoring and Assessment, October 2005
- 4. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary IWRM and information Integration of environmental objectives Water-quality, water-quantity and ecological status, status of related ecosystems (wetlands) Integration of all water resources Fresh surface water and groundwater, wetlands, coastal water at the river basin scale and their interactions Integration of all water uses, functions and values Links between functions, both human and ecological, and uses; multi-functional approach that strikes a balance between all desired uses Involvement of stakeholders in decision- making Identification of stakeholders and their information needs, reporting requirements/information needs, local experience and traditional knowledge on water issues
- 5. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Information needs derive from water management issues and objectives
- 6. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Identification of uses/functions ⇒ stakeholders involvement ⇒ prioritization
- 7. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary DPSIR framework Number of households population density Waste water quantity and composition Concentration of nutrients and organic matter Extra treatment for drinking water Number of people affected by water-related diseases
- 8. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Legislation and information • Different levels – National – Regional (Caspian Sea Convention and Protocol) – Transboundary agreements – International (Conventions, global commitments) • Different fields – Water code – Environmental protection – Irrigation laws – Fisheries – Access to public information and public participation…
- 9. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis development Identification and initial prioritisation of transboundary problems Analysis of impacts/consequences of each transboundary problem Final prioritisation of transboundary problems Causal chain analysis and governance analysis Production and adoption of complete Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
- 10. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Transboundary water management: the model of the Water Convention • Collect, compile and evaluate data in order to identify pollution sources • Elaborate joint monitoring programmes • Draw up inventories and exchange information on the pollution sources • Elaborate emission limits for waste water and evaluate the effectiveness of control programmes • Elaborate joint water quality objectives and criteria‑ and propose relevant measures for maintaining and, where necessary, improving the existing water quality
- 11. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Transboundary water management: the model of the Water Convention • Develop concerted action programmes for the reduction of pollution loads • Establish warning and alarm procedures • Serve as a forum for the exchange of information on existing and planned uses of water • Promote cooperation and exchange of information on the best available technology • Cooperate with other joint bodies in the same catchment area and with bodies for the marine environment ⇒ Exchange of information, as early as possible in an agreed way ⇒ Different tools
- 12. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Information utilization - Reporting Who? What for?
- 13. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Situation in EECCA Some progress has been achieved, also thanks to past and on-going projects, but still many problems related to: • Inadequate legal framework • Weak institutional framework • Management issues • Financial issues
- 14. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Some of your comments • Need to develop a long term National Water Strategy • Need for legal and institutional mechanisms (permitting the exchange of information between parties) • Organize training on data and information management • Support coordinated decision-making • Strengthen the public opinion on the value of water • Increase accessibility of information, public participation and transparency • Develop website and GIS
- 15. Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary The way forward: step by step approach Prioritisation: • Short-term – long-term • Additional funding needed – not needed
Editor's Notes
- Information strategy are fundamental for water and in particular transboundary water management
- Information is never per se. Information answers specific questions in water management decision-making. This first workshop will review the upper part of the information management cycle: Meaning how to identify which information you need to answer to the specific water management “question” How to answer to the question.
- Modern and effective water management requires integration of different aspects and sectors and disciplines. And this bears consequences on the information needed.
- Let’s start from the information needs. Which as we said derives from the water management issues and objectives identified. The process of identifying issues and priorities for the protection and use of a transboundary river requires several activities, such as: inventories on the basis of available (and accessible) information, surveys, identification of hot spots in surface water, effluents and sediments through preliminary investigations, the identification of functions and uses of the river basin, identification of criteria and targets, and the evaluation of the water legislation in the riparian countries. I will give further details on two aspects: identification of uses and functions and legislation
- The identification of uses and functions is specific to the basins and is achieved through consultation of different stakeholders. In the case of transboundary basins the functions could be different in the two riparian countries and therefore consultation among them is necessary and agreement on it can require long negotiation (that’s probably a big lesson on transboundary cooperation that most of the assumption of one country on what is happening on the other side of the border are often wrong. That’s why once again exchange of information is fundamental)
- When focusing on a specific water management issue, information is needed on the origin and the effects of the problem and the measures taken. Causality chains, like the DPSIR framework (figure 7), distinguish between the different aspects of an issue. Information needs can be specified for one or more of these aspects. - “Driving forces” are the sources of the problem (e.g. number of households or population density); - The resulting “pressures” may be the wastewater quantity and composition of the wastewater (e.g. BOD) that is discharged into the surface water, treated or untreated, and the amount of water abstraction for sanitary and drinking-water purposes relative to the available water resources; - The “state” of the surface water may be characterized by concentrations of nutrients or organic matter. The “state” of the sanitary situation can be characterized by the availability of safe drinking water and basic sanitation, e.g. as percentage of the population that has access to it; - The “impact” can be seen in changes in the water use patterns, such as an increasing or decreasing number of drinking-water companies that have to apply extra treatment. The impact in societal terms can be described in terms of number of people with diseases related to bad sanitary situation. (e.g. reduced number of outbreaks of a given water-related disease); - The societal “response” finally is the policies and measures taken: a response measures that aims at “driving forces” is the promotion of better hygienic behavior (e.g. location of waste and/or wastewater disposal separated from location of drinking-water abstraction). Response measures that aim at “pressures” is the application of improved wastewater treatment (e.g. number of facilities with primary, secondary etc. treatment). An example of a response measure to change the “status” is subsidizing improvements and maintenance of sewage water systems. Remediation of “impacts” is done by, for instance, improvements in medical support for sick people or vaccination against water-related diseases
- We will hear from Marianna Bolshakova about the information obligations arising from the Aarhus Convention and its protoco
- I would like to stress that I am using a water convention terminology but the approach is exactly the same as the one promoted in GEF projects with Transboundary GEF, similar steps.
- One of the critical obligations is to exchange information widely and as early as possible on issues covered by the Convention. How information is exchanged is also crucial.Advance cooperation requires the agreement on protocol for the information exchange e.g. Protocol on exchange of environment data and information to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea There are different tools available for sharing data and information and we will hear tomorrow about some of them. Mr. Chub and Mr. Yuriy Nabivanets Estonian-Russian planned joint database which should consist monitoring data, but also data about water users, water discharges etc
- Different users: Politician, decision makers Public Technical staff Joint bodies It has to be tailored : Jos presentation Complexity of water management, where the interests of different groups of water users (e.g. issuing water use permits, compliance with emission standards, communication to the public) and water management organizations (e.g. water agencies, joint bodies) have to be aligned. Thus, the availability, applicability and usability of information to support transboundary water management are a challenge. And to be sure that the information generated is linked to the needs of decision-makers and stakeholders the information needs analysis is fundamental Cooperation among all stakeholders is needed. We will hear about the experience of the stakeholder analysis in the Caspian
- This is the theory. Of course the real implementation is of course far from this. And not only in EECCA countries. Legal framework - National water legislation should have provisions for free access to information on water in the country and between riparian countries; - Access to this information should also be free of charge. The UNECE Convention provides only one exception to this rule, namely if the data and information requested by a riparian country is not available (e.g. if it is not part of the existing monitoring or data gathering activities of the country of origin) than the country of origin may condition the payment of reasonable charges for data collection and processing; - A framework for reporting and exchange of information should be included in the bilateral or multilateral agreements, or in separate protocols. Institutional framework - The joint body should consider establishing a working group on monitoring, assessment and information management. - Where possible, the establishment of permanent Secretariats or at least designated Secretaries of agreements should be considered. Management issues - Even if an agreement has not yet been reached, countries sharing a water basin can start joint work on assessment and information management. Development of a joint databases including a basin GIS database, joint assessments, intercalibration of laboratories are examples of activities that can contribute to the development to the cooperation. - The joint body should, as a basis for their work, at an early stage make a review of information needs and information management. Reporting formats and target audiences should be included in this review. Stakeholder groups and the public should be involved in the review process. See also section 4. - A more balanced data collection, where not only state and environmental impact information, but also driving forces/pressures and responses information originating from the basin should be used as a basis for joint policy development. - Participatory fora and mechanisms, such as workshops and scenario planning models, should be used for communication with stakeholder groups and the public. - A river basin website should be established by the joint body as a means of communication and outreach. - Ultimately, the focus of the information work should be the development and implementation of a joint river basin management plan. The RBMP would define most aspects of information needs, supply and use. Financial issues - National monitoring and information systems should be used and adapted for the purpose of transboundary water management. - With limited financial resources a stepwise approach should be used when developing monitoring and information management.