WORLD WATER COUNCIL’S BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING
San Francisco, USA, 13-16 October 2010
The regular World Water Council's 40th Board of Governors meeting was held in San Francisco, USA, and was organized by the US Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE)
24 Board's members, 7 alternates of absent members, heads of WWC’s headquarters and invited people attended the meeting.
The Board of Governors considered the report on activity and financial situation of WWC for 1st half year 2010, and information about new members (today there are 406 members in the WWC).
The main focus was on the organizing and preparing of 6th World Water Forum which will be held on March 2012 in Marseille.
At the opening of the meeting, Lieutenant General Robert Van Antwerp (US ACE) has welcomed participants on behalf of the Government and introduced the panelists who presented their papers about rules and decisions by USA's water management with the case of California as one of the biggest water users among the states of USA. The discussion was further pursued by panellists:
- Steve Stockton -World Water Council Governor and Director of Civil Works for the US Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE);
- Paul Robershotte - Special Advisor on Integrated Water Resources Planning (US ACE);
- Lester Snow - Secretary for Natural Resources for the State of California;
- Michael Connor - Bureau of Reclamation, US Dept. of Interior;
- Paul Kelley – President, Association of California Water Agencies.
Loic Fauchon, the President of the World Water Council, has informed participants about his meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, which was 12 October 2010 in New-York. The Secretary-General emphasized the vital importance he pays to the access to water for all in the battle against poverty - whether it’s for food production, fighting water-borne diseases or ensuring the role of women and children in tomorrow’s society. He assured Loic Fauchon of his personal commitment to the cause and congratulated him on making the World Water Council an internationally recognized and respected organization in such a short time. Ban Ki-moon and Lo?c Fauchon discussed different pathways for future collaboration on transboundary waters, the overcoming a tension between water and energy, as well preparation for the Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012.
The report on activity for the 1st half year was presented by Mr. Ger Bergkamp, Executive Director, and was supplemented by other heads of some activity directions.
Mr. Jean Paul Rivard, representative of the Ministry on Environment, emphasized that ahead of the forum the Government and Senate of France have prepared the decision on joining to the UN Convention 1997 on "the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses" and the appeal to the European Parliament on initiation of adoption of all EU Members to that Convention.
The FAO's representative, Mr. Daniel Reno, reported on development of the Program "Water and Food" under the leadership of P. Stedutto, working group manager. Special attention was given to this issue in connection with great decrease of food production in some areas of the world in the past and current year that caused increase of price firstly on wheat. Therefore new interest to irrigation and its sustainability is increasing worldwide. The work on this direction was supported by the representative of China, the President of the World Water Resources Association and the President of the World Water Council.
Mr. A. Iza has reported on adaptation to climate change and emphasized that special attention was given to analysis of floods in Pakistan which caused catastrophic damage to the country amounted billions dollars, as well he stressed that all Governments has to pay more attention this catastrophe. Particularly, Mr. Priscoli, representative of the US Army Corps of Engineers, noted that american juridical organizations have adopted decision on increasing of characteristics of the large hydraulic structures and bank protection embankments to 10 times up to 0.1% probability, and have decided to take inventory of all existing structures to meet those requirements.
Mr. Ksia, President of the World Water Association, has reported on multiple uses of water. He noted that multiple uses of water under integrated approaches must be directed firstly to irrigated agriculture. Using 72 % world water resources, irrigation practically is already multipurpose because irrigation water is used for homestead land irrigation, watering of trees, developing of fishery and simultaneously ensures comprehensive development of the territory. In the Northern China's Valley the multipurpose use of water became the key aspect of water use improvement. At the same time special attention is paid to accurate water service, water monitoring, water price and assessment of non-productive water use. All these things have led to water use priority but not to water delivery priority in Chine.
When discussing the regional process, the EECCA Region was defined as the special group in the European Progrem which will be financed by the French Government through the International Basin Organizations (INBO). Mr. Jean-Franco Donzier was assigned in charge of this program.
The second consultation with water public community on organizing the Forum will be held in the first half of January 2011.
The commission on selection of country for hosting the WWF in 2015 is established. Some proposals on organizing the 7th WWF are already received from: the President of the Republic of Korea, the Prime-Minister of Scotland, Johannesburg, and the Chairman of the Execute Committee of Abu Dhabi (Arab Emirates).
Prof. V.A. Dukhovny
Director, SIC ICWC
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