Water for people.pdf - WHO Thailand Digital Repository

3 1 8 / M A N A G E M E N T C H A L L E N G E S : S T E W A R D S H I P A N D G O V E R N A N C ESharing Water: Defining a Common Interesteconomic and institutional and legal considerations need to besupplemented by such critical matters as capacity-building,participation, raising awareness, investment and appropriatetechnology (Puri, 2001a).The key features of transboundary aquifers include a naturalsubsurface path of groundwater flow, intersected by an internationalboundary, such that water transfers from one side of the boundaryto the other. In many cases, the aquifer might receive the majorityof its recharge on one side, while the majority of its dischargewould be on the other. It is this feature that requires wisegovernance and agreement on what constitutes equitable share.Activities such as withdrawals of the natural recharge on one sideof the boundary could have subtle impact on base flows andwetlands on another side of a boundary, e.g. the aquifers in thedelta areas of rivers flowing to the Aral Sea (Sydykov et al., 1998).In most transboundary aquifers these impacts can be widespreadand delayed by decades. Many years may pass before the impactsare detected by monitoring. If the transboundary groundwatersupports the biodiversity resources of a wetland, and a residenthuman population, valuing that aquifer remains a challenge to thepolicy-makers. Current international water law provides no guidancefor these conditions.It is therefore obvious that a thorough database is required toprovide the information required to maintain sustainablegroundwater resources for the needs of the planet.Lessons in Hydrodiplomacy for theInternational CommunityConflict, cooperation and effective institutionsAs demonstrated earlier in this chapter through comparisons of thenumber and nature of conflicts with the number of agreements,shared water is more often a catalyst for cooperation than a sourceof conflict. In an effort to explore this further, UNESCO launched aprogramme entitled From Potential for Conflict to CooperationPotential (PCCP). While this programme is still ongoing, it hasalready identified certain critical lessons learnt from globalexperience in international water resource issues.■ Water crossing international boundaries can cause tensionsbetween nations that share the basin. While the tension is notlikely to lead to warfare, early coordination between riparianstates can help prevent potential conflicts.■ Once international institutions are in place, they are tremendouslyresilient over time, even between otherwise hostile ripariannations, and even when conflict is waged over other issues.■ More likely than the occurrence of violent conflict, is the gradualdecreasing of water quantity or quality, or both, which over timecan affect the internal stability of a nation or region, and act asan irritant between ethnic groups, water sectors or states/provinces. The resulting instability may have effects in theinternational arena.■ The greatest threat of the global water crisis to human securitycomes from the fact that millions of people lack access tosufficient quantities of water at sufficient quality for their wellbeing.This issue is receiving global attention that goes beyondindividual basins.Effective transboundary water resource managementThe centrality of institutions both in effective transboundary watermanagement and in preventive hydrodiplomacy cannot beoveremphasized. Twentieth century water management offerslessons for the conception and implementation of transboundarywater institutions. In combination with the existing efforts of theinternational community, the following lessons may help shapefuture policy and institution-building programmes directedspecifically to the world’s transboundary basins.■ Adaptable management structure: effective institutionalmanagement structures incorporate a certain level of flexibility,allowing for public input, changing basin priorities and newinformation and monitoring technologies. The adaptability ofmanagement structures must also extend to non-signatoryriparian states, by incorporating provisions addressing theirneeds, rights and potential accession. The International JointCommission (United States/Canada) has been particularlysuccessful in dealing with such an evolving agenda of issues.■ Clear and flexible criteria for water allocations and quality:allocations, which are at the heart of most water disputes, are afunction of water quantity and quality as well as political fiat.Thus, effective institutions must at least identify clearmechanisms for water allocation and water quality standards thatsimultaneously provide for extreme hydrological events, newunderstanding of basin dynamics and changing societal values.Additionally, riparian states may consider prioritizing usesthroughout the basin. Establishing catchment-wide precedentsbased on the agreed principles may not only help to avertinterriparian conflicts over water use, but also protect theenvironmental health of the basin as a whole.■ Equitable distribution of benefits: this concept, subtly yetpowerfully different from equitable use or allocation, is at the