Advising the world on water

Dr Patricia Wouters, an expert in international water law at the University of Dundee will give recommendations to governments at the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto today on how countries should share their water to ensure equal economic gain and move towards poverty alleviation.

Pat will recommend six steps

• Governments should commit to the preparation of Integrated Water Resource Management plans by 2005 in accordance with the World Summit on Sustainable Development. These plans should set out strategies and should be prepared with the participation of stakeholders. Plans should link to national poverty reduction strategies.
• The donor community should commit an increased percentage of their funds for water and for establishing better water governance systems. Extra support should be given to countries with sensible socio-economic policies to help implement laws and build administrative capacity for efficient public institutions at different levels of authority as well as provide seed money for infrastructure development for the poor.
• Central government should strengthen its capacity for sustainable management of water resources and decentralise operational and service delivery functions to municipalities, local governments, communities and private operators. Water services should be paid for by consumers and/or through transparent, targeted and funded subsidies so that all water service delivery systems are financially and managerially sustainable.
• Governments should commit to institutional development and prepare simple but clear legal and regulatory frameworks that avoid jurisdictional overlaps and conflict between sectors and fill administrative gaps.
• Better communications and access to information sharing should be promoted to help establish accountable and transparent systems and reduce corruption. Civil society and the local media should act as watchdogs to help ensure compliance within a monopoly situation. Legitimacy and 'ownership' of policies by society should be secured through social mobilisation and participation by stakeholders.

By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk