No. 5 (163) July 2009

THE 5th GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC WATER FORUM

Singapore, 26 June 2009

Representatives from more than 40 regional organizations and international agencies, which are coordinating the support of water management organizations of countries in the region took part in the meeting. Professor Tommy Koch, Ambassador of Singapore in the UN, was a chairman of the APWF Governing Council.

The key organizations presented the progress reports on each of the priority themes at the first session:

• ADB and JICA presented information about water financing in Asia;
• The ICHARM Center (under the UN patronage) has presented information about regional programme on risks management connected with natural disasters;
• Water PUB, Singapore, has presented the report about activities of the APWF KnowledgeHubs network (summarized of annual meeting of 24 June);
• FAO Asian office (Mr. Thierry Facon) presented the progress report on the regional policy development on the increasing water deficit control for agriculture;
• Mrs. Taeko Yokota (in her new status of the UN-Habitat employee) has presented information about the assistance program to local initiatives on potential development;
• UNESCAP (Mr. Ti Le Huu) has presented information about preparation process to the high level meeting, which will be held 27-29 October in Bangkok to advance initiative “Ministers for water security”, which was initiated in Istanbul, March, 2009;
• UNESCO jointly with NARBO have presented new publication “Guidelines on IWRM for River Basins” that was presented for the first time in Istanbul on March;
• SWITCH programme (international sustainable development initiative) has presented the initiative to conduct the regional conference "Sustainable Water Management Initiative" that will be held on 1-4 December in Indonesia;
• Japan Water Forum jointly with UN Global Compact have presented new publication by the Asia community leading group about water security problems in the region (www.asiasociety.org/water);
• GWP CACENA (V. Sokolov) has presented information about meeting of Central Asia Presidents on the Aral Sea problems and on next steps being undertaken under coordination of EC IFAS in the sub-region as summarized on this meeting;
• GWP (Mrs. Mercy Dikito-Wachtmeister) has presented proposals for ways of cooperation between GWP and APWF.

At the second session, following the results of discussions on the above-listed presentations, the Governing Council accepted the appropriate decisions. The more significant ones is related to decision that the 2nd Summit of regional countries on water problems in 2010 will not be held because it is unlikely to involve the heads of the states into summit's participating (as it was firstly planned). It was decided to conduct the Summit of leaders of the Asia Pacific water management organizations in June 2010. The Steering Committee was commissioned to prepare for this event. The APWF Secretariat (presented by the Japan Water Forum) was commissioned to define date and venue of 2-d Water Summit of the APWF political leaders.

ADB has to continue preparation of the Water Development Outlook 2010 in Asia by the working group. The main theme of the review 2010 is the water security improvement in the Asia Pacific countries. The preparatory meeting of the experts group will be held on 29-30 June 2009 in Singapore. The main theme of the review 2010 is the water security improvement in the Asia Pacific countries. The working meeting of the experts group will be held on 29-30 June 2009 in Singapore.

REGIONAL CONSULTATIVE SEMINAR ON THE WATER GOVERNANCE IMPROVEMENT “NEW THINKING ON WATER GOVERNANCE”

The conference “New Thinking on Water Governance” dedicated to the water resources management modernization in Asia was held 2-3 July in Singapore under support of ADB.

More than 50 representatives from various countries (Chine, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, USA, France, Indonesia etc.) participated at this conference. Central Asia was presented by Republic of Uzbekistan, Republic of Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic. Poltareva O. took part in the seminar as representative of SIC ICWC (The report: "New Thinking on Water Governance: on example IWRM-Fergana Project").

The issues relating to the countries cases study on the integrated water resources management were considered.

The following problems are covered by presentations during the meeting:

• updating the water legislations which based on the assessment of the water supply sector;
• policy, which is defining the water rights, quality standards, groundwater exploitation, demand management, resource economy, civil society involvement, clear obligations and water sector functions;
• ensuring the effective control for water agencies and neutral governing bodies;
• decentralized governance and technical services of WUAs; policies on reparation damages to water resources;
• new policies in the water resources management;
• existing educational programs in the water management sphere;
• experience of country-participants in the integrated water resources management.

During the conference the problems concerning water allocation between countries in Central Asia (in particular in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) were considered.

More information and presentations can be known on the CD or website of the National University of Singapore: www.lkyspp.nus.edu.sg

During the regional consultative meeting in 4 July the existing problems, new policies and problems of the water governing sphere were considered.

The following participants took part in the meeting:

• the high level representatives relating to water resources sphere;
• experts from the BWOs and the water supply organizations;
• managers of the water, finance and planning organizations;
• lawmakers relating to water supply and ecological legislation;
• managers, practitioners and researchers relating to water sector.

Specialists attended this event shared their experience concerning the governing bodies of water resources management. Specialists shared with their experience concerning the governing bodies of water resources management.

On the whole the conference was successful. The exchange of experience and information was intensive, the communication relations were established and issues and problems, which need attention of the water managers, were defined.