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WATER COOPERATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND POVERTY ERADICATIONDeveloping community water servicesand cooperation in Finland and the SouthTapio S. Katko, UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Water Services, Tampere University of Technology;and Antti Rautavaara, Senior Water Advisor, Ministry for Foreign AffairsIn water management it is important to distinguish betweenwater resources and water services. Water use for variouspurposes is managed at several levels – from internationaltreaties and transboundary rivers and groundwater areas towater courses of various sizes. Some 270 transboundary riversflow and 450 groundwater areas are located in at least twosovereign countries.In this article, water services refer to community water supply, sewerageand, to some extent, stormwater management. These are typicallymanaged at lower levels: from the inter-municipal level to cities andcommunities, villages and on-site systems. These systems can also belinked to each other. Water services involve a large number of stakeholders:citizens, communities, municipal decision makers, waterutilities, professional and other associations, educational and traininginstitutions, ministries and other authorities, and research sponsors.The challenge is how to promote smooth collaboration between thesevarious partners and find appropriate roles for each of them.In Finland, municipalities are in charge of providingwater services while municipality-owned utilitiesmainly produce the actual services. There is also a longtradition of smaller, water cooperative-run systems inrural areas. The experience gained from a diversity ofoptions is perhaps one of Finland’s major strengths andis reflected in the activities supported by the FinnishGovernment in developing economies, especially Africa.Finnish development cooperation and policyFinland’s human rights-based development policy andcooperation focus on four priority areas: a democraticand accountable society that promotes human rights; aninclusive green economy that promotes employment;sustainable management of natural resources and environmentalprotection; and human development. Thewater sector, with all its levels and sub-sectors, fits wellwithin this policy frame.Multilevel governance and relations between water resources and water servicesWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT“Global Village”Global policy frameworksTransboundary watersTransboundary commissionsStatesRegionsCentral ministriesRiver basin bodiesMunicipalitiesCommunitiesHouseholdsManagement at thelowest appropriate levelProperty ownerWATER SERVICES MANAGEMENTWater and wastewaterundertakingsUser associationsOn-site systemsSource: Pekka Pietilä[ 240 ]