There have been many dialogues and seminars on river pollution in the past 20 years or so. Generally everyone agrees that as a country, we desperately need to do something about the sad state of our rivers, especially when we hope to achieve developed nation status by 2020. However, we have not been successful in translating consensus at these forums into changes on the ground.
The DRC Country Water Partnership (DRC-CWP) was established in November 2004. The Partnership was established to assist government and other actors to promote Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principles in the water sector and related sectors. The Partnership is hosted by The National Committee of Water and Sanitation.
The Global Water Partnership of West Africa, whose official abbreviation is "GWP/WA" was established in 2002 by water partners of the west african sub-region. GWP/WA is the regional branch of the Global Water Partnership.
Irrigation infrastructure is crucial for economic development in Fujian. However, due to incomplete water management, the existing water facilities do not satisfy the current development. Action has been taken by the infrastructure department of Fujian provinces to cooperate with local farmers and organisations to explore participatory management and new mechanism of local water management. This case indicates that direct involvement of water users will result in rational use of water resources.
Two back-to-back meetings on water management in Central Asia recently took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. GWP representatives Natalia Alexeeva and Vadim Sokolov were invited to the regional workshop “Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia”, where they presented the IWRM Toolbox and instruments, and gave an overview of the SDG process and the activities of GWP Central Asia and Caucasus.
The overexploitation and pollution of water resources of the San Jeronimo River, together with agricultural developments and deforestation, have generated conflicts between bordering communities. To address these, the San Jeronimo Basin Committee was created, mantling the role as a negotiating body and with a mission to implement IWRM. The key lesson learnt is that for success, it is crucial that local organisations take their social responsibility.
The Upper Veda Project involves a dam that would submerge 14 villages. Opposing the project, the affected communities took action and urged for alternative solutions. The dam was eventually constructed, but the process was characterised by conflicts between the project authorities and the communities. This case illustrates that dam projects, which directly affect the livelihoods of large numbers of people, need to have developed a well defined rehabilitation plan prior to construction.
After some devastating floods in the Yangtze, the Chinese government took action and issued a policy to counter floods, including wetland restoration. WWF further assisted and developed four pilot sites to demonstrate the benefits of wetland restoration for biodiversity, and to seek alternative income options for farmers, based on the sustainable use of wetlands. This case illustrates the value of a participatory approach.