FW: [Source-weekly] Source Weekly, No. 33-34, 23 August 2005
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parvathy rao
Aug 24, 2005, 5:51:24 AM8/24/05
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Dear All,
Sending you link for source weekly.
Parvathy
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Subject: [Source-weekly] Source Weekly, No. 33-34, 23 August 2005
SOURCE WATER AND SANITATION WEEKLY
************************************************************
No. 33-34, 23 August 2005
http://www.irc.nl/source/
************************************************************
Contents
International
- Corporate responsibility: Starbucks to donate US$ 10 million for clean
water
- Water crisis: documentary gets Hollywood première
Quote of the week
- Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chairperson, Global Water Partnership
(GWP), Canada
- Hajira Mdimu, Women's Councilor, Unyanga village, Tanzania
Africa South of Sahara
- Kenya, Nairobi: making a living from water
- Africa: donors give millions for water and sanitation development
- South Africa: Cabinet approves new water agency
Asia & Pacific
- India, Maharashtra: water-borne diseases kill 247
- China: air- and water pollution 'top concerns' for most people
- Nepal: handicapped deprived of accessible toilets
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Peru: basic sanitation
- Jamaica: greater attention needed in rural areas
- Bolivia, La Paz, El Alto: protests against 'secret' government talks
with Suez
Central & Eastern Europe
- Albania, Durres: conflicting reports on water contract cancellation
- Bulgaria: investing in wastewater treatment, floods damage water
infrastructure
Western Europe & North America
- Europe: treaty to prevent water-related diseases in Europe enters into
force
- USA: research ties arsenic to tumour growth
Names
- Angelina Jolie: Hollywood actress to Kenya for MTV special
- Nepal: officials sentenced for corruption
Projects
- Indonesia, Laos: gender mainstreaming in two 2005 ADB loan projects
- Mozambique: Dutch finance project in four cities
- Mexico: Potable Water and Sanitation in Rural Areas II project
Vacancies
- Water management adviser, Gland, Switzerland
Readers React
- Large scale purification with Moringa oleifera seeds
Lessons Learned
- Bolivia: after water wars - searching common ground
- Regulation: participation of regulators in utility-to-government
contracts?
Technology Update
- Mobile phones: boon for plumbers and small businesses in Kenya
Funding
- Research grants: UPE Focus Cities Research Program
Source - New Publications
- Water, sanitation and hygiene education for schools
- Gender in water resources management, water supply and sanitation
- The Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Targets in Nepal
- Child labour in scavenging Africa, Asia and Europe assessment
New on the Net
- Pacific Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Water Management
- World Bank Watsan web site (update)
- Mvuramanzi Trust website and newsletter
- Water Information Network South Africa (WIN-SA)
Conferences & Events
- E-consultation: Promising Approaches to Local-level IWRM in the MENA
Region
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Published by the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre
Circulation: 3335 subscribers
For contributions or comments, contact the editor at mailto:diet...@irc.nl
Visit the Source website: http://www.irc.nl/source
InterWater: http://www.irc.nl/interwater/
1 Euro (EUR) = US$ 1.223
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INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Starbucks to donate US$ 10 million for clean
water
With the official launch of Ethos™ Water in its 5,000 U.S. Company-operated
stores, Starbucks aims to donate US$ 10 million (EUR 8.2 million) over the
next five years to clean-water projects in developing countries. From every
bottle of Ethos™ Water that Starbucks sells it donates US$ 0.05 (EUR 0.04)
for water projects run by organisations like UNICEF, CARE, WaterAid and
WaterPartners International. During a 10-week road show, Starbucks will
educate its employees on the world water crisis.
Ethos ™ Water [http://www.ethoswater.com/] was founded in 2002 with the
specific aim to help the cause of clean water through the sale of bottled
water. Starbucks bought the brand in April 2005 and made Ethos™ Water
co-founders Peter Thum and Jonathan Greenblatt Starbucks vice presidents.
However, at US$ 1.80 (EUR 1.48) for 700 ml, Ethos™ Water is 30 to 80 US
cents more than expensive than most other bottled waters – “more expensive,
per millilitre, than even San Pellegrino”, according to a newspaper
columnist [1]. A USA Today reader asks whether “a concerned citizen would
do better to drink tap water and send $1.80 to a relief and development
organization that is actively drilling water wells” [2].
[1] Debra Pickett, Watered-down solution not enough to save the world,
Chicago Sun
[http://www.suntimes.com/output/pickett/cst-nws-pickett12.html], 12 Aug
2005
[2] Jenny Fredette, USA Today
[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-08-08-letters-other_x.
htm],
8 Aug 2005
Source: USA Today
[http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-08-02-starbucks-usat_x.h
tm],
2 Aug 2005 ; Ethos Water
[http://www.ethoswater.com/index.cfm?objectid=7A87DCB6-F1F6-6035-BE3F34DF46B
17BC6],
3 Aug 2005
--------------------
WATER CRISIS: documentary gets Hollywood première
The documentary “Running Dry” on the global water crisis will have its
“Hollywood première” at the Los Angeles Short Film Festival on 7 September
2005. The film forms the centrepiece of the Running Dry
[http://www.runningdry.org/] public information/education project of the
Chronicles Group, which aims to raise awareness about the global water
crisis. The project was inspired by the work of the late U.S. Senator Paul
Simon [1].
The documentary was produced early in 2005 and has already been screened to
members and staff of the U.S. Congress and on World Water Day 2005 in
Beijing. The aim is to release “Running Dry” theatrically and on television
world-wide and to develop curricula and other educational materials.
American Water, a subsidiary of multinational RWE, is the main funder of
“Running Water”. This has led to questions about the project’s real agenda.
In an earlier statement [2], Public Citizen suggested that the documentary
“subtly promotes ‘public-private partnerships,’ but shockingly does not
explore the almost universal disasters that have occurred around the world
from showcase privatizations”.
[1] Simon, P. (1998). Tapped out : the coming world crisis in water and
what we can do about it. New York, NY, USA, Welcome Rain. ISBN 1566493498
[2] Wenonah Hauter, Running Dry: documentary or corporate propaganda?”,
Public Citizen - Water for All Campaign
[http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/general/whyoppose/articles.cfm?ID=13063],
May 2005,
Contact: James Thebaut, The Chronicles Group, USA,
mailto:jamest...@msn.com, http://www.runningdry.org
Source: The Chronicles Group [http://www.chroniclesgroup.org/], 2005
************************************************************
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chairperson, Global Water Partnership (GWP),
Canada
"The UN Millennium Task Force found that African women spend 40
billion hours a year getting water. Well imagine what the poverty impact
would be if those women could put those 40 billion hours to productive use
- raising their families, getting more schooling, keeping their girls in
school".
Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson in an interview with the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) of which she is a governor. Her many
functions include that of Chairperson of the Global Water Partnership
(GWP).
Source: IDRC [http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-85757-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html], Aug 2005
--------------------
Hajira Mdimu, Women's Councilor, Unyanga village, Tanzania
“We women are relieved from the burden of having to fight for clean water,
we are now opening up new businesses, gardening and attending to farms more
efficiently".
Hajira Mdimu, the Women's Councilor of the Haneti ward, Unyanga village,
Tanzania. Unyanga is one of the villages in the WaterAid programme in
Dodoma.
Source: WaterAid [http://www.wateraid.org/what_we_do/case_studies/6437.asp]
************************************************************
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA
KENYA, NAIROBI: making a living from water
Ongata Rongai is one of the few suburbs in Kenya that enjoy almost 100 per
cent water sufficiency, courtesy of private entrepreneurs, while the
official water supply is enough for only about 1000 people in an area
hosting over 70,000 residents. The area contains about 25 major boreholes
placed strategically in the area. Residents or landlords enter into an
agreement with borehole owners to pipe the water to their premises.
Those who are not lucky to have 'piped' water at their premises have to
cart it from the boreholes in various containers.
Sinking a borehole and installing a tank is an expensive undertaking, at
KES 2 million (EUR 21,754) definitely out of the reach of many Kenyans.
Water at the source costs KES 3 (EUR 0.03) for every 20 litres. Handcarts
sell a 20-litre jerrycan for KES 10 (EUR 0.11) delivered at the door. John
Muhia, a handcart pusher, is happy with the situation. "It has created
employment for us. In a day I can make up to KES 300 (EUR 3.3).”
Area councillor, Ruth Wakaba, is equally happy with the situation. However
she says if the government would provide subsidies to the well drillers,
the cost of water would go down.
Source: Erick Wamanji, The Nation / allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508110014.html], 11 Aug 2005
--------------------
AFRICA: donors give millions for water and sanitation development
Germany has released EUR 2 million to support phase one of strengthening of
the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) which incorporates 53
African countries. Another EUR 2.7 million has been set aside for water and
sanitation development for the fourth phase, according to German Ambassador
Alexander Muhlen.
The UN Environment Programme Nairobi-based deputy director on policy
development, Halifa Drammeh, says that the UN and the European Union will
continue supporting AMCOW to provide clean water.
For Uganda, a total of EUR 54.8 million has been earmarked by donors for
water and sanitation development over the next four years.
Related news: Africa: WSP-AF and EUWI partner in supporting achievement of
water and sanitation MDGs, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/24953], 14
Jul 2005
Web site: AMCOW [http://www.amcow.org]
Soruce: Patrick Jaramogi, New Vision / allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508090095.html] and allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508090148.html], 9 Aug 2005
--------------------
SOUTH AFRICA: Cabinet approves new water agency
The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a National Water Resource
Infrastructure Agency (NWRIA) by April 2008 to ensure long-term water
security for South Africa. The agency will also integrate the TCTA, the
parastatal organisation responsible for funding the Lesotho Highlands Water
Project.
The new agency will take responsibility for developing and operating South
Africa's major national dams and water transfer schemes that are currently
managed directly by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF).
NWRIA will not be responsible for domestic water supplies that remain the
responsibility of municipalities and regional Water Boards.
NWRIA will be required to make funding arrangements, ensure that projects
are designed and built according to appropriate technical, social and
environmental standards, and operated effectively and efficiently. DWAF
will still be responsible for deciding what projects need to be built, in
terms of the National Water Resource Strategy.
Contact: Mr Mike Muller, DWAF, mailto:y...@dwaf.gov.za
Source: Bua News / allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508050156.html], 5 Aug 2005; DWAF Press
Release
[http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Communications/PressReleases/2005/NWRIA3Aug05.doc],
3 Aug 2005
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ASIA & PACIFIC
INDIA, MAHARASHTRA: water-borne diseases kill 247
Various news sources report that the death toll from waterborne diseases in
the wake of recent floods in Maharashtra has risen to between 224 and
247. More than 5,000 people are being treated across the state. The
majority are suffering from diseases such as leptospirosis, cholera and
jaundice. Cases of malaria have also been reported. Some Mumbai (Bombay)
city officials admitted they were not equipped to test for leptospirosis, a
disease spread through exposure to water contaminated by rat's urine. The
number of serious cases is reducing and there is a marked decrease in cases
reported and admissions to hospitals in the city and surrounding areas,
according to hospital sources. Scientists from India's Defence Services
Laboratory have joined the state government in Maharashtra to try to stem
the spread of disease, particularly in the towns of Sangli and Kolhapur.
Source: The Hindu
[http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200508161601.htm], 16 Aug
2005 ; BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4156592.stm], 16
Aug 2005
--------------------
CHINA: air- and water pollution 'top concerns' for most people
China is paying an environmental price for its rapid economic growth and,
according to a survey, this has become one of the top concerns of its
citizens. The vast majority of Chinese rivers now have serious pollution
problems. According to state-owned news agency Xinhua research conducted by
the All-China Federation on Environmental Protection revealed that almost
95% of those quizzed on environmental degradation considered it a 'burning
issue that must be tackled immediately'. The survey was carried out to
assess public opinion in the build up to the publication of China's
eleventh Five Year Plan, which will steer national policy from 2006 to
2010.
A huge majority, 80.5% believed priority should be given to combating air
pollution. Concerns over poor water quality closely followed those of air
pollution, with 64.4% of those polled saying that water polluters should
face heavy fines. The South China Morning Post reports that international
issues related to the country’s rise as a major power often overshadow
serious water shortages in China. But the water problem could ultimately
cripple the nation and its aspirations to build an advanced industrial
economy with a strong agricultural base.
Source: Edie [http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=10341&channel=0],
5 Aug 2005 ; World Bank
[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,date:2005-08-12~menuPK:344
61~pagePK:34392~piPK:64256810~theSitePK:4607,00.h
tml],
12 Aug 2005
--------------------
NEPAL: handicapped deprived of accessible toilets
Most rest rooms in almost all offices in Kathmandu, including those in
government offices are not friendly to people using wheelchairs, the
visually impaired, and people with other physical disabilities. Most of the
toilets are made for physically fit people only. Even the Health Ministry,
which disseminates messages to people to build toilets, has not been
sensitive towards adjusting its toilets to handicapped people. None of the
12 rest rooms in the ministry are friendly for people with a handicap.
"I have fallen in such toilets many times, especially in government
offices, as most of the toilets there are covered with moss and
slippery," said Indra Prasad Upadhyaya, a physically challenged person
who uses crutches. As programme officer at National Federation of
Disabled-Nepal (NFDN), Upadhyaya has to visit government offices quite
often. According to WHO statistics, there are 2.4 million people with
disabilities in Nepal. A survey conducted recently by Nepal Water for
Health (NEWAH) in 51 institutions, including government offices in
Kathmandu, states that 90 percent of the institutions lack physically
challenged-friendly toilets
See also: NEWAH (2004). Making latrines user friendly for everyone : an
exploratory research study on the discomfort faced by pregnant women,
elderly, overweight, sick and disabled people when using squat latrines.
Pokhara, Nepal, Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), Western Region Office. 14
p. PDF file
[http://www.newah.org.np/Everyone%20friendly%20latrines.pdf] (623 KB)
Web site: WEDC - Access to water and sanitation for disabled people
[http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/projects/new_projects3.php?id=60]
Contact: NEWAH, Nepal, mailto:ne...@newah.org.np, http://www.newah.org.np
Source: Sangeeta Rijal, The Kathmandu Post
[http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=46136], 18 July 2005
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LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
PERU: basic sanitation
The basic sanitation sector is the most backward of all public services in
Peru, says Sergio Salinas of SUNASS [http://www.sunass.gob.pe/], Peru’s
basic services regulator. He estimates it would take US$ 3.8 billion (EUR
3.1 billion) to revert the country's water and sanitation infrastructure
deficit in urban areas alone.
Peru's government issued a decree modifying the 1996 sanitation law to
encourage private sector participation in basic services companies (EPS).
"The new law is designed to ratify the process of water services
concessions that the government has started with the awarding of the Tumbes
EPS [department tender earlier this year]," according an official from
Adepsep, the private sector association of companies operating in public
services.
Related news: Peru: association criticizes waterworks funds decree, Source
Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17129], 23 Mar 2005; Peru: poor are waiting
for water, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/24244], 15 Jun 2005; Peru:
PPPs key to improving water service says KfW, Source Weekly
[http://www.irc.nl/page/13121], 8 Sep 2004
Contact: SUNASS, mailto:sun...@sunass.gob.pe, http://www.sunass.gob.pe/
Source: BNamericas.com
[http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?sector=4&idioma=I¬icia=326299]
(subscription
site), 10 Aug 2005; BNamericas.com
[/:%20http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?sector=4&idioma=I¬icia=326127]
(subscription site), 8 Aug 2005
--------------------
JAMAICA: greater attention needed in rural areas
Jamaica's government will have to focus more on rural areas if the country
wants to achieve its goal of providing every household with access to
potable water by 2010, says Water and Housing minister Harry Douglas.
"As a country, we have to commit to a basic level of service for
domestic water systems in rural areas of at least 35 to 40 gallons (132-151
litres) of water per person, per day for each household," Douglas
says.
As for sanitation, 59.2% of the population has access to flush toilets,
with another 40% using pit latrines, sharing with a neighbour, or using
communal facilities.
In collaboration with several ministries and agencies a sanitation policy
is being developed to address these and other water management issues, the
minister adds.
Source: BNamericas.com
[http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I§or=4¬icia=326913]
(subscription
site), 16 Aug 2005
--------------------
BOLIVIA, LA PAZ, EL ALTO: protests against 'secret' government talks with
Suez
Contrary to local press reports, there is still no end in sight to talks to
terminate the contract between Bolivia's government and capital La Paz
water concessionaire Aguas del Illimani.
The government has been in direct negotiations for several months with
Illimani, a subsidiary of French energy group Suez, over the terms of
rescission of the La Paz waterworks management concession after prolonged
street protests by local residents.
The government is still left with the problem of how to replace the
concessionaire after it became clear that the state or local authorities do
not have the funds to carry out the capital investments needed to expand
services. They have now proposed a new mixed company where Suez will retain
shares. Secret negotiations between the government and Suez continue, but
civil society organizations have lost patience and they have announced new
civil disobedience actions.
Related news: Bolivia, La Paz, El Alto: mull post-Illimani water management
options, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17541], 8 Apr 2005
Source: Patrick Sheil, BNamericas.com
[http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I§or=4¬icia=326897]
(subscription
site), 16 Aug 2005 ; Currents
[http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/new/currents/articles.cfm?ID=13891], Aug
2005
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CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
ALBANIA, DURRES: conflicting reports on water contract cancellation
According to OneWorld, the Durres District Office has cancelled the water
supply contract of this coastal city with the German company Berlinwasser
International. The company was being blamed for poor service levels,
especially to the Plazh (beach) area, which was having a negative impact on
tourism. In a reaction to Source Weekly, Berlinwasser denied the contract
has been cancelled and said the accusations against them should be seen in
the context of "floods of political promises during the election
campaign".
Berlinwasser International’s Communication Manager, Claudia Charrabé, said
the company could not “confirm a cancellation or the intention of a
cancellation by our client”. “Since this Management Contract was entered
into between Berlinwasser International AG and the 4 Water and Sewerage
Companies of Durres, Fier, Lezhe and Saranda, the Durres District Office is
not entitled to any such contract cancellation”, she added. Water shortages
were a result of “insufficient sustainable investment” over the past
decades. The company added that supply to Durres in 2005 had increased by
10% compared to 2004, mostly to the beach area.
Since Berlinwasser International started services in Durres, they have
invested over US$ 2 million (EUR 1.6 million), and an additional US$ 5
million (EUR 4.1 million) are in the pipeline. The Albanian state is said
to have invested US$ 20 million (EUR 16.4 million).
Related news: Albania: World Bank debars fraudulent firms involved in water
project, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17570], 8 Apr 2005
Web site: Berlinwasser International – Four-Cities-Project, Albania
[http://www.berlinwasser.net/ENG/157.php]
Contact: Claudia Charrabé, Communications Manager, Berlinwasser
International AG, Germany, mailto:claudia....@berlinwasser.net,
http://www.berlinwasser.net
Source: Hekuran Toci, OneWorld Southeast Europe
[http://see.oneworld.net/article/view/116789/1/30], 9 Aug 2005
--------------------
BULGARIA: investing in wastewater treatment, floods damage water
infrastructure
One of the consequences of Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union (EU)
in January 2007, is that more and more towns need to invest in wastewater
treatment. By 2010, some 70 municipalities with over 10,000 inhabitants
still need to have a wastewater treatment plant. By 2014 all municipalities
with more than 2,000 inhabitants must have a sewerage system. At present
about 20 per cent of wastewater is untreated. The EU is providing part of
the required investment in wastewater infrastructure through its Instrument
for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA) programme.
Meanwhile continuous flooding in Bulgaria, which started in May 2005, has
affected more than a quarter of the country’s 7.5 million people, causing
20 deaths. Unicef has supplied water purifying tablets, oral rehydration
salts, cooking sets, water tanks, basic family water kits and blankets to
about 10,000 families. Up to 8 August, the government has estimated that
damage to water and sewerage systems amounted to BGN 5.3 million (EUR 2.8
million).
Web sites: Bulgaria - Ministry of Environment and Water
[http://www.moew.government.bg/index_e.html] ; EU - ISPA
[http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/pas/ispa.htm] ; ReliefWeb - Bulgaria
- floods
[http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=FL-2005-000098-BGR
&rc=4]
Source: EVD
[http://www.evd.nl/zoeken/showalert.asp?bstnum=144206&pid=26782&cid=34042]
(in
Dutch), 16 Aug 2005 ; Focus News Agency
[http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=94&newsid=69860&ch=0&datte=2005-08
-09],
9 Aug 2005 ; UNICEF [http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/media_2570.html], 10 Aug
2005
************************************************************
WESTERN EUROPE & NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE: treaty to prevent water-related diseases in Europe enters into
force
The Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on Protection and
Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes entered into
force on 4 August 2005, following ratification by the minimum 16 countries.
The Protocol will help prevent, control and reduce water-related diseases.
It covers both the provision of safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation
and the basin-wide protection of water resources.
In Europe almost 140 million (16%) do not have a household connection to a
drinking-water supply; 85 million (10%) do not have improved sanitation;
and over 41 million (5%) lack access to a safe drinking-water supply. There
are over 13 000 deaths from diarrhoea among children aged 0-14 years (5.3%
of all deaths in this age group) each year, mainly in central and Eastern
Europe and central Asia.
The countries that are Parties to the Protocol will review their systems
for disease surveillance and outbreak detection, and implement measures to
reduce disease, including vaccination or water treatment and distribution
measures. Chemical contaminants of drinking-water and related diseases are
also under review.
Web site: WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/EURO) – Water and sanitation
[http://www.euro.who.int/watsan]
Contact: Mr Roger Aertgeerts, Regional Adviser, Water and Sanitation, WHO
Regional Office for Europe, Italy, mailto:r...@ecr.euro.who.int
Source: WHO/EURO
[http://www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/WHO/MediaCentre/PR/2005/20050729_1], 3
Aug 2005
--------------------
USA: research ties arsenic to tumour growth
A study [1] by researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center indicates environmental arsenic in drinking water can stimulate the
growth of cancerous tumours and cause them to spread faster. Arsenic levels
as low as four parts per billion stimulated blood vessel growth in mice,
while levels as low as 10 ppb caused tumours to expand. The findings
support government plans to introduce a new 10 ppb federal arsenic standard
for drinking water on 23 January 2006. Further research is in progress to
discover if arsenic levels increase the risk of developing tumours, and if
the process can be interrupted or reversed. Results are expected within a
year.
[1] Kamat, C.D. … [ et al.] (2005). Role of HIF signaling on tumorigenesis
in response to chronic low-dose arsenic administration. Toxicological
sciences ; vol. 86, no. 2 ; p. 248-257.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfi190
Web site: WHO – Arsenic in drinking water
[http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/arsenic/en/]
Contact: Dr. Michael A. Ihnat, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center, USA, mailto:michae...@ouhsc.edu,
http://w3.ouhsc.edu/cell_biology/faculty/ihnatfacultytext.html
Source: Kendal Kelly, AP / Yahoo! News
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050809/ap_on_sc/arsenic_study], 8 Aug 2005
************************************************************
NAMES
ANGELINA JOLIE: Hollywood actress to Kenya for MTV special
Hollywood Actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie, will
join Dr. Jeffrey Sachs for a MTV special on a trip to Kenya to deal with
issues of poverty and to inspire young people to take action. Their journey
is being documented for a 14 September MTV special, The Diary Of Angelina
Jolie & Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa. The 30-minute program will follow
the actress and Sachs on their trip to Sauri, a remote group of villages in
Western Kenya. There, Sachs's United Nations Millennium Project team is
working with mothers, children, teachers, health workers and village elders
to end poverty, hunger and disease, MTV says in a statement.
The Millennium Villages Project’s water and sanitation team, led by Upmanu
Lall, intends to develop a science-based approach for providing these basic
necessities. Although this area has seen several efforts to install water
distribution infrastructure in the past, no group has taken responsibility
for the maintenance of such systems. The proposed designs will use local
resources in a cost-effective strategy for dramatically improving access to
safe drinking water and sanitation.
The special's airdate will coincide with the opening of the U.N. Special
Summit on the Millennium Development Goals.
Web site: Earth Institute - Millennium Villages Project - Sauri
[http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/mvp/locations/sauri/] ; Angelina
Jolie - UNCHR Godwill Ambassador
[http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/help?id=3f94ff664]
Source: People News
[http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1094286,00.html], 16 Aug
2005
--------------------
NEPAL: officials sentenced for corruption
The controversial Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) has given
former premier Sher Bahadur Deuba and former minister Prakash Man Singh a
jail sentence of two years and a fine of NPR 90 million (EUR 1.1 million)
each. The verdict came on 26 July 2005 for alleged corruption in the
Melamchi water supply case. The RCCC also convicted former secretary, Tika
Dutta Niraula, executive director of Melamchi Drinking Water Project,
Dhruba Bahadur Shrestha, deputy executive director of the project Dipak
Kumar Jha, and contractor Jep Chhring Lama of Lama Constructions of
corruption in the drinking water project.
The Water and Energy Users' Federation, Nepal (WAFED), a Kathmandu-based
NGO, wants the US$ 464 million (EUR 379 million) Melamchi water supply
project - funded mainly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan
Bank for International Cooperation, the Japan government and three more
foreign donors - to be stopped. WAFED, however, distanced itself from the
commission. They consider it an unconstitutional body formed arbitrarily by
the King after the royal coup.
Related news: Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrested over Nepal
water contract, Source [http://www.irc.nl/page/23007] 20 May 2005
Source: PD / Nepalnews.com
[http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2005/jul/jul26/news11.php], 26 Jul
2005 ; IANS [http://www.eians.com/stories/2005/07/26/26ne.shtml], 27 Jul
2005
************************************************************
PROJECTS
INDONESIA, LAOS: gender mainstreaming in two 2005 ADB loan projects
The Asian Development Bank is mainstreaming gender in two of its 2005 loan
projects in Indonesia and Laos. The Indonesia Community Water Services and
Health Project will provide access to reliable water supply and improved
sanitation and hygiene practices to 20 districts in the most underserved
areas in the country. The objective of the project in Laos is to improve
the accessibility, quality, reliability and sustainability of water supply
services in 12 small towns.
The Indonesian project has developed a gender action plan to promote and
ensure women’s involvement in the project design, planning and
implementation stages. Key strategies underlying the GAP include the active
involvement of women (50%) as both implementers and beneficiaries
including:
* engagement of women teachers, the women’s Family Welfare Movement (PKK),
village midwives, health volunteers, and other women activists, for
information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns on clean water
for hygiene and sanitation purposes;
* engagement of female community facilitators with equal salary to male
facilitators;
* representation of women on the community implementation team; and
* specific training activities for village women.
Gender design features in Laos include construction of new public toilet
facilities to give women more privacy and engagement of women in
employment, decision-making, learning and training activities under the
project. Thiry per cent of new jobs generated by the project will be
reserved for women.
Source: ADB Gender Network News
[http://www.adb.org/Documents/Periodicals/GNN/newsletter-12.pdf], no. 12,
Apr-Jun 2005
--------------------
MOZAMBIQUE: Dutch finance project in four cities
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Development Cooperation (DGIS), water
company Vitens and the Mozambique water company FIPAG signed an agreement
in Maputo on 10 August 2005 to provide safe drinking water to more than
500,000 people in Chokwé, Inhambane, Maxixe and Xai-Xai. The ministry
contributes EUR 1 million to the total investment of EUR 2.7 million. The
project includes improvement and construction of public taps in the four
cities and will last three years. It will also strengthen the local water
companies.
Source: DGIS
[http://www.minbuza.nl/default.asp?CMS_ITEM=0E86654F57D1433E840798CC13CB2BC5
X1X55167X55] (in
Dutch), 10 Aug 2005
--------------------
MEXICO: Potable Water and Sanitation in Rural Areas II project
The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) on 20 July 2005 approved a loan
of US$ 150 million (EUR 123 million) for the Potable Water and Sanitation
in Rural Areas II project in Mexico. The project will support expansion of
coverage in rural water supply and sanitation services through mechanisms
that assure quality, efficiency and sustainability.
The project has three components:
* institutional strengthening;
* community participation, and;
* infrastructure investments.
The executing agencies are the Organismos Operadores Municipales (OO) and
the Comissiones Estatales de Agua Potable y Saneamiento (CEAS), Mexico.
Counterpart funding from Mexico amounts to US$ 142 million (EUR 116
milion).
Web site: IADB project
[/%20http://www.iadb.org/projects/Project.cfm?project=ME0212&Language=Englis
h]
Source: EVD
[http://www.evd.nl/zoeken/showalert.asp?bstnum=131159&pid=26782&cid=34042],
17 Aug 2005
************************************************************
VACANCIES
Water management adviser, Gland, Switzerland
Organisation: IUCN Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland
Requirements include: post graduate qualifications, preferably a Ph.D., in
natural resources management, water management or water engineering; more
than 10 years' experience in managing water, river basin or wetlands
projects and programmes in developing and developed countries and
up-to-date knowledge of the current issues around water management
practices including water infrastructure development and management.
Language: demonstrated spoken and written fluency in English, and
preferably in one or more of IUCN’s other official languages (French and
Spanish).
Contact: Director - Human Resources, mailto:jobappl...@iucn.org
More information: [http://www.iucn.org/en/about/vacancies.htm]
- Apply before: 31 Aug 05
************************************************************
READERS REACT
Large scale purification with Moringa oleifera seeds
In reaction to the item on "Natural coagulants: simple method to
extract protein from Moringa oleifera seeds", Source Weekly, 15 July
2005, http://www.irc.nl/page/24919, Dr. Kebreab Ghebremichael provides this
update:
"We have already standardized the purification parameters for large
scale production. We are looking for funds and an appropriate partner to
implement large scale purification and application on at least pilot scale
level. By the way I will soon join the department of Municipal
Infrastructure at UNESCO-IHE institute in Delft as a lecturer in water
supply. There may be a chance to further the research and implementation of
the results somehow in connection with masters or PhD students".
Dr. Kebreab Ghebremichael, Royal Institute of Technology, Land and Water
Resources Engineering, Sweden, keb...@kth.se
************************************************************
LESSONS LEARNED
BOLIVIA: after water wars - searching common ground
After 32 failed attempts to reach consensus on water legislation and a
deadly social conflict over water rights, IDRC-supported researchers in
Bolivia have helped their country develop a water law that everyone could
agree on. Following the water wars in Bolivia from 1998 to 2000 a special
council was created, the Consejo Interinstitucional del Agua (CONIAG), that
was charged with drafting a water management law based on public
consultation. This was an unusual gesture: Bolivia had rarely sought public
input into policy-making. Researchers from the nongovernmental organization
(NGO) Comisión para la Gestión Integral del Agua en Bolivia (CGIAB)
convinced the government to combine grassroots dialogue with high-tech
science. They used a water simulation model developed by the Danish
Hydraulic Institute to build a computerized replica of Bolivian water
systems. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to map water
rights. A database of existing customary (or traditional) water rights was
also developed through lot-by-lot fieldwork and surveys. Social groups that
had protested the water law in the research process participated in the
research design. They were asked to help gather data, and regularly
communicating and explaining their findings.
Research revealed that the approach favoured by the government (volume per
time) would lead to a more inefficient use of water and cause larger
differences in water availability between communities, actually resulting
in water deficits in many cases. The impact: water rights are defined in
law. On 8 October 2004, the Government of Bolivia promulgated la Ley numero
2878, de Promoción y Apoyo al Sector Riego. The law takes into account
CGIAB’s research by recognising traditional water rights and uses, and
guarantees rights to water for irrigation for Indigenous and farming
communities. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supported
CGIAB’s research project, which ran from 2002 to 2005, with a CAD 270,000
(EUR 184,000) grant.
Web site: La Comisión para la Gestión Integral del Agua en Bolivia (CGIAB
[http://www.aguabolivia.org])
Source: IDRC Bolivia project
[http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-85928-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html], accessed 17 Aug 2005
--------------------
REGULATION: participation of regulators in utility-to-government contracts?
Utilities in the water, electricity, transportation, and telecommunications
sectors enter into agreements with governments for a variety of issues.
Some may be "privatisation" projects and others service delivery
contracts with the state-owned utility. Often these agreements do not meet
the expectations of the governments and consumers alike for a number of
reasons. ``Tariff rates: the political hot potato`` is one of them and
contracts are either renegotiated or in some cases, cancelled. In an
interesting recent paper [1] senior regulatory specialist David Jankofsky
from IP3 argues for a strong regulator to oversee utility privatisation and
service contracts so as to hopefully avoid the many problems in the recent
past. A brief "blueprint" of a successful process for possible
regulatory involvement is also presented.
[1] Jankofsky, D. (2005). How can the regulator participate in
utility-to-government contracts?
[http://www.ip3.org/pub/2005_publication_010.htm]. Washington, DC, USA,
Public-Private Partnerships (IP3).
Contact: David Jankofsky [mailto:DJank...@aol.com]
************************************************************
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
MOBILE PHONES: boon for plumbers and small businesses in Kenya
The mobile phone has become the most essential work item for Theuri, a
plumber, electrician and small businessman who, like many Kenyans, makes a
living from various different jobs at the same time. Sometimes he receives
up to five calls a day for jobs. “Were it not for mobile phones, jobs would
have been very minimal. With the phone, I am well known," Theuri says.
He says his phone number goes around by word-of-mouth from satisfied
customers. The phone also saves him a lot of travelling because he can call
around shopping for goods. Five other people that Theuri employs also
benefit from his increased work.
Theuri is among thousands of poor Kenyan men and women, whose small
businesses have benefited from the mobile phone expansion. The number of
mobile phone subscribers has increased from only 15,000 in June 1999 to an
expected 4 million by mid-2005.
See also: IICD supported project: Information Centres Water Hygiene
[http://www.iicd.org/projects/articles/iicdprojects.2005-07-05.1690547770]
Web site: Development Gateway - ICT for SMEs
[http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ict/rc/BrowseContent.do~source=RCConte
ntUser~folderId=3113]
Source: George Obulutsa, Reuters / The Standard
[http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=25485], 19 July 2005
************************************************************
FUNDING
RESEARCH GRANTS: UPE Focus Cities Research Program
Organisation: Urban Poverty and Environment Program (UPE) of the
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Theme: Easing environmental burdens in slums.
Award: Up to CAD 1.2 million (EUR 816,000) for four projects - two in
sub-Saharan Africa and two in Asia.
A call has been launched for concept notes in Africa and Asia
for innovative projects linking urban poverty alleviation, environmental
management and natural resource use for food, water and income security. It
involves in-depth participatory research with multi-stakeholder City Teams.
Contact: Focus City Coordinator, IDRC, Canada, mailto:upe-fo...@idrc.ca
More information: [http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-84978-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html]
- Apply before: 15 Oct 05
************************************************************
SOURCE - NEW PUBLICATIONS
Water, sanitation and hygiene education for schools
UNICEF; IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (2005). Water,
sanitation and hygiene education for schools : Roundtable proceedings and
framework for action. Delft, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and
Sanitation Centre. – 80 p. : boxes, photogr. – Annexes: p. 48-76.
Report of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Schools Roundtable meeting,
which took place in Oxford, UK, 24-26 January 2005. It contains two
documents. The first, ‘A Call for Action’, sets out actions that
participants agreed must be taken to ensure that by 2015 – the target date
of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – all schools receive a basic
quality package of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) education. The
second, ‘A Package for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education: The Oxford
Roundtable Statement’, is a concise and comprehensive outline of the
‘optimal package’ for scaling up with quality the programmes for Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene Education in Schools.
Download here: [http://www.irc.nl/page/25321]
--------------------
Gender in water resources management, water supply and sanitation
Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. van (1998). Gender in water resources management,
water supply and sanitation : roles and realities revisited. (Technical
paper series; no. 33-E). Delft, The Netherlands, IRC International Water
and Sanitation Centre. - - xii, 200 p. : 7 boxes, 24 fig., 6 tab. -
Bibliography: p. 153 -200.
The book is the revised and updated edition of an earlier IRC/PROWWESS/UNDP
publication: Participation of women in water supply and sanitation : roles
and realities (1985) which is now out of print. Those sections that are
still valid have been retained. Now, however, the text has been placed in
the context of overall water resources management and made gender - instead
of women - specific. It has been expanded to cover recent literature,
providing an overview of gender developments in water supply and sanitation
in the context of water resources management from 1980 to 1997. The book is
also available in French.
This IRC publication is now available electronically for the first time and
can be downloaded in two parts; the main text and the references.
Download here: [http://www.irc.nl/page/1893]
--------------------
The Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Targets in Nepal
WaterAid Nepal (2004). The Water and Sanitation Millennium Development
Targets in Nepal : what do they mean? what will they cost? can Nepal meet
them? Kathmandu, Nepal, WaterAid Nepal. – xii, 42 p. : 36 tab.
This research report explores the detailed implications of the MDGs for
Nepal on water and sanitation. It is an attempt to support MDG commitment
of Nepal by calculating the additional number of households to be served
and resources required to meet the targets, comparing these requirements
with available resources and calculating the resource gap. To reach the
sanitation target, an additional 14,000 households need to be served per
month between 2000 and 2015, and an additional 11,300 households need to be
served per month to reach the drinking water target. The total financial
requirement to meet these targets is US$ 1,087 million and the resource
availability for 2000 to 2015 is US$ 755 million, resulting in an annual
resource gap of US$ 23 million. The report’s methodology and findings have
been presented and debated at various meetings in Nepal and elsewhere, and
inputs and comments have been incorporated.
Available from: Anita Pradhan, Documentation Manager/ Resource Center
Coordinator, WaterAid Nepal, mailto:anitap...@wateraidnepal.org.np
--------------------
child labour in scavenging Africa, Asia and Europe assessment
WASTE (2005). Thematic evaluation on child labour in scavenging Africa,
Asia and Europe assessment. Gouda, The Netherlands, WASTE. - 6 reports
WASTE has published six reports on child labour in waste and rag picking in
Africa, Asia and Europe. The assessments were done for the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) to provide guidance on how best to address the
exploitation of children in this sector. The issue of child labour is
regarded from the perspective of waste picking as a livelihood activity in
the context of the overall socio-economic conditions in cities in the
South. Issues are: General economic developments in Southern cities of the
past 10-20 years; Specific developments in the solid waste management
sector; The role of waste picking in solid waste management; The position
and condition of waste pickers, distribution of sexes, ethnicities, ages,
etc; The risks and hazards faced by waste pickers; their decision-making in
light of these; and The function of waste picking in their overall
livelihood activities. The report, including the strategic assessment and
recommendations, is available in English and Spanish. Field researchers in
Egypt, Tanzania, Thailand, India, and Romania have additionally written
five reports.
Download here: [http://www.waste.nl/page/720]
************************************************************
NEW ON THE NET
Pacific Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Water Management
A voluntary partnership of water and wastewater stakeholders in the Pacific
region, with a common goal of achieving sustainable water and wastewater
management in Pacific Island Countries. The web site aims to support the
implementation of water and sanitation activities articulated in the
Pacific Regional Action Plan on Sustainable Water Management (the Pacific
RAP).
Web
site: http://www.sopac.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=CLP+Pacific+Partnership
--------------------
World Bank Watsan web site (update)
The updated web site explains how the World Bank supports countries to
improve water supply and sanitation access across countries and regions.
It focuses on operations, and links knowledge and policy work to lending.
In the Lending Portfolio you can search for watsan projects by region. The
Knowledge and Learning section provides various toolkits.
Web site: http://www.worldbank.org/watsan
--------------------
Mvuramanzi Trust website and newsletter
NGO in Zimbabwe aiming to assist rural and peri-urban families improve
their livelihoods through productive water use and management of natural
resources. Sign up for their newsletter is for free.
Mvuramanzi Trust was founded in 1993 with Peter Morgan, Ephraim Chimbunde,
and Mr Mtakwa as founding members. The three resigned from the Blair
Research Institution to implement findings about various research projects
they had undertaken.
Web site: http://www.mvuramanzi.org.zw/
--------------------
Water Information Network South Africa (WIN-SA)
WIN is being set up to improve the South African water services sector. The
initiative aims to manage and disseminate sector knowledge to all
stakeholders, both government and non-government, and to improve access to
and use of shared information and knowledge.
Web site: http://www.win-sa.org.za/
************************************************************
CONFERENCES & EVENTS
E-CONSULTATION: Promising Approaches to Local-level IWRM in the MENA Region
Internet, 4 Sep 05 - 16 Oct 05
Organised by: EMPOWERS Partnership (Euro-Med Participatory Water Resources
Scenarios)
This moderated 6-week e-consultation seeks to identify experiences and
lessons learned as part of ongoing processes of decentralisation and
stakeholder involvement in the water sector (both water resource management
and water service delivery). It will share experiences on what is
successful, and what is less so; and to find out about promising approaches
and tools in participatory planning for local water resources management
and development.
Topics include:
* capacity building for local water governance;
* promoting local ownership and accountability in water use and
management; and
* right based approaches to ensure that especially women and
under-privileged groups in rural communities get actively involved and
access to water.
This e-consultation ouputs will feed into EMPOWERS Regional Symposium
[http://www.empowers.info/page/704](Cairo, November 13 -17th, 2005) on
“End-user ownership and involvement in integrated water resources
management”.
More information: [http://www.empowers.info/page/1374]
_______________________________________________
Source-weekly mailing list
Source...@listserv.antenna.nl
*************************************************************
Editor: Cor Dietvorst, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre,
The Netherlands, mailto:diet...@irc.nl, http://www.irc.nl/source/
Special features editor: Dick de Jong, mailto:jo...@irc.nl
Contributors: Ingeborg Krukkert, Dick de Jong, Bettie Westerhof, Cor
Dietvorst
The contents of Source Weekly do not necessarily reflect the official
policy of the IRC.
Copyright Notice
Information contained in this newsletter may be freely used for non-
commercial purposes as long as due acknowledgement is provided to the
IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and the Source web site:
http://www.irc.nl/source. Commercial use or redistribution in any
form, printed or electronic, requires prior approval
*************************************************************
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Parvathy
-----Original Message-----
From: source-we...@listserv.antenna.nl
[mailto:source-we...@listserv.antenna.nl] On Behalf Of Dietvorst
Sent: 23 August 2005 21:18
To: source...@listserv.antenna.nl
Subject: [Source-weekly] Source Weekly, No. 33-34, 23 August 2005
SOURCE WATER AND SANITATION WEEKLY
************************************************************
No. 33-34, 23 August 2005
http://www.irc.nl/source/
************************************************************
Contents
International
- Corporate responsibility: Starbucks to donate US$ 10 million for clean
water
- Water crisis: documentary gets Hollywood première
Quote of the week
- Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chairperson, Global Water Partnership
(GWP), Canada
- Hajira Mdimu, Women's Councilor, Unyanga village, Tanzania
Africa South of Sahara
- Kenya, Nairobi: making a living from water
- Africa: donors give millions for water and sanitation development
- South Africa: Cabinet approves new water agency
Asia & Pacific
- India, Maharashtra: water-borne diseases kill 247
- China: air- and water pollution 'top concerns' for most people
- Nepal: handicapped deprived of accessible toilets
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Peru: basic sanitation
- Jamaica: greater attention needed in rural areas
- Bolivia, La Paz, El Alto: protests against 'secret' government talks
with Suez
Central & Eastern Europe
- Albania, Durres: conflicting reports on water contract cancellation
- Bulgaria: investing in wastewater treatment, floods damage water
infrastructure
Western Europe & North America
- Europe: treaty to prevent water-related diseases in Europe enters into
force
- USA: research ties arsenic to tumour growth
Names
- Angelina Jolie: Hollywood actress to Kenya for MTV special
- Nepal: officials sentenced for corruption
Projects
- Indonesia, Laos: gender mainstreaming in two 2005 ADB loan projects
- Mozambique: Dutch finance project in four cities
- Mexico: Potable Water and Sanitation in Rural Areas II project
Vacancies
- Water management adviser, Gland, Switzerland
Readers React
- Large scale purification with Moringa oleifera seeds
Lessons Learned
- Bolivia: after water wars - searching common ground
- Regulation: participation of regulators in utility-to-government
contracts?
Technology Update
- Mobile phones: boon for plumbers and small businesses in Kenya
Funding
- Research grants: UPE Focus Cities Research Program
Source - New Publications
- Water, sanitation and hygiene education for schools
- Gender in water resources management, water supply and sanitation
- The Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Targets in Nepal
- Child labour in scavenging Africa, Asia and Europe assessment
New on the Net
- Pacific Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Water Management
- World Bank Watsan web site (update)
- Mvuramanzi Trust website and newsletter
- Water Information Network South Africa (WIN-SA)
Conferences & Events
- E-consultation: Promising Approaches to Local-level IWRM in the MENA
Region
************************************************************
Published by the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre
Circulation: 3335 subscribers
For contributions or comments, contact the editor at mailto:diet...@irc.nl
Visit the Source website: http://www.irc.nl/source
InterWater: http://www.irc.nl/interwater/
1 Euro (EUR) = US$ 1.223
************************************************************
INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Starbucks to donate US$ 10 million for clean
water
With the official launch of Ethos™ Water in its 5,000 U.S. Company-operated
stores, Starbucks aims to donate US$ 10 million (EUR 8.2 million) over the
next five years to clean-water projects in developing countries. From every
bottle of Ethos™ Water that Starbucks sells it donates US$ 0.05 (EUR 0.04)
for water projects run by organisations like UNICEF, CARE, WaterAid and
WaterPartners International. During a 10-week road show, Starbucks will
educate its employees on the world water crisis.
Ethos ™ Water [http://www.ethoswater.com/] was founded in 2002 with the
specific aim to help the cause of clean water through the sale of bottled
water. Starbucks bought the brand in April 2005 and made Ethos™ Water
co-founders Peter Thum and Jonathan Greenblatt Starbucks vice presidents.
However, at US$ 1.80 (EUR 1.48) for 700 ml, Ethos™ Water is 30 to 80 US
cents more than expensive than most other bottled waters – “more expensive,
per millilitre, than even San Pellegrino”, according to a newspaper
columnist [1]. A USA Today reader asks whether “a concerned citizen would
do better to drink tap water and send $1.80 to a relief and development
organization that is actively drilling water wells” [2].
[1] Debra Pickett, Watered-down solution not enough to save the world,
Chicago Sun
[http://www.suntimes.com/output/pickett/cst-nws-pickett12.html], 12 Aug
2005
[2] Jenny Fredette, USA Today
[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-08-08-letters-other_x.
htm],
8 Aug 2005
Source: USA Today
[http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-08-02-starbucks-usat_x.h
tm],
2 Aug 2005 ; Ethos Water
[http://www.ethoswater.com/index.cfm?objectid=7A87DCB6-F1F6-6035-BE3F34DF46B
17BC6],
3 Aug 2005
--------------------
WATER CRISIS: documentary gets Hollywood première
The documentary “Running Dry” on the global water crisis will have its
“Hollywood première” at the Los Angeles Short Film Festival on 7 September
2005. The film forms the centrepiece of the Running Dry
[http://www.runningdry.org/] public information/education project of the
Chronicles Group, which aims to raise awareness about the global water
crisis. The project was inspired by the work of the late U.S. Senator Paul
Simon [1].
The documentary was produced early in 2005 and has already been screened to
members and staff of the U.S. Congress and on World Water Day 2005 in
Beijing. The aim is to release “Running Dry” theatrically and on television
world-wide and to develop curricula and other educational materials.
American Water, a subsidiary of multinational RWE, is the main funder of
“Running Water”. This has led to questions about the project’s real agenda.
In an earlier statement [2], Public Citizen suggested that the documentary
“subtly promotes ‘public-private partnerships,’ but shockingly does not
explore the almost universal disasters that have occurred around the world
from showcase privatizations”.
[1] Simon, P. (1998). Tapped out : the coming world crisis in water and
what we can do about it. New York, NY, USA, Welcome Rain. ISBN 1566493498
[2] Wenonah Hauter, Running Dry: documentary or corporate propaganda?”,
Public Citizen - Water for All Campaign
[http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/general/whyoppose/articles.cfm?ID=13063],
May 2005,
Contact: James Thebaut, The Chronicles Group, USA,
mailto:jamest...@msn.com, http://www.runningdry.org
Source: The Chronicles Group [http://www.chroniclesgroup.org/], 2005
************************************************************
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chairperson, Global Water Partnership (GWP),
Canada
"The UN Millennium Task Force found that African women spend 40
billion hours a year getting water. Well imagine what the poverty impact
would be if those women could put those 40 billion hours to productive use
- raising their families, getting more schooling, keeping their girls in
school".
Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson in an interview with the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) of which she is a governor. Her many
functions include that of Chairperson of the Global Water Partnership
(GWP).
Source: IDRC [http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-85757-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html], Aug 2005
--------------------
Hajira Mdimu, Women's Councilor, Unyanga village, Tanzania
“We women are relieved from the burden of having to fight for clean water,
we are now opening up new businesses, gardening and attending to farms more
efficiently".
Hajira Mdimu, the Women's Councilor of the Haneti ward, Unyanga village,
Tanzania. Unyanga is one of the villages in the WaterAid programme in
Dodoma.
Source: WaterAid [http://www.wateraid.org/what_we_do/case_studies/6437.asp]
************************************************************
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA
KENYA, NAIROBI: making a living from water
Ongata Rongai is one of the few suburbs in Kenya that enjoy almost 100 per
cent water sufficiency, courtesy of private entrepreneurs, while the
official water supply is enough for only about 1000 people in an area
hosting over 70,000 residents. The area contains about 25 major boreholes
placed strategically in the area. Residents or landlords enter into an
agreement with borehole owners to pipe the water to their premises.
Those who are not lucky to have 'piped' water at their premises have to
cart it from the boreholes in various containers.
Sinking a borehole and installing a tank is an expensive undertaking, at
KES 2 million (EUR 21,754) definitely out of the reach of many Kenyans.
Water at the source costs KES 3 (EUR 0.03) for every 20 litres. Handcarts
sell a 20-litre jerrycan for KES 10 (EUR 0.11) delivered at the door. John
Muhia, a handcart pusher, is happy with the situation. "It has created
employment for us. In a day I can make up to KES 300 (EUR 3.3).”
Area councillor, Ruth Wakaba, is equally happy with the situation. However
she says if the government would provide subsidies to the well drillers,
the cost of water would go down.
Source: Erick Wamanji, The Nation / allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508110014.html], 11 Aug 2005
--------------------
AFRICA: donors give millions for water and sanitation development
Germany has released EUR 2 million to support phase one of strengthening of
the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) which incorporates 53
African countries. Another EUR 2.7 million has been set aside for water and
sanitation development for the fourth phase, according to German Ambassador
Alexander Muhlen.
The UN Environment Programme Nairobi-based deputy director on policy
development, Halifa Drammeh, says that the UN and the European Union will
continue supporting AMCOW to provide clean water.
For Uganda, a total of EUR 54.8 million has been earmarked by donors for
water and sanitation development over the next four years.
Related news: Africa: WSP-AF and EUWI partner in supporting achievement of
water and sanitation MDGs, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/24953], 14
Jul 2005
Web site: AMCOW [http://www.amcow.org]
Soruce: Patrick Jaramogi, New Vision / allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508090095.html] and allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508090148.html], 9 Aug 2005
--------------------
SOUTH AFRICA: Cabinet approves new water agency
The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a National Water Resource
Infrastructure Agency (NWRIA) by April 2008 to ensure long-term water
security for South Africa. The agency will also integrate the TCTA, the
parastatal organisation responsible for funding the Lesotho Highlands Water
Project.
The new agency will take responsibility for developing and operating South
Africa's major national dams and water transfer schemes that are currently
managed directly by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF).
NWRIA will not be responsible for domestic water supplies that remain the
responsibility of municipalities and regional Water Boards.
NWRIA will be required to make funding arrangements, ensure that projects
are designed and built according to appropriate technical, social and
environmental standards, and operated effectively and efficiently. DWAF
will still be responsible for deciding what projects need to be built, in
terms of the National Water Resource Strategy.
Contact: Mr Mike Muller, DWAF, mailto:y...@dwaf.gov.za
Source: Bua News / allAfrica.com
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200508050156.html], 5 Aug 2005; DWAF Press
Release
[http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Communications/PressReleases/2005/NWRIA3Aug05.doc],
3 Aug 2005
************************************************************
ASIA & PACIFIC
INDIA, MAHARASHTRA: water-borne diseases kill 247
Various news sources report that the death toll from waterborne diseases in
the wake of recent floods in Maharashtra has risen to between 224 and
247. More than 5,000 people are being treated across the state. The
majority are suffering from diseases such as leptospirosis, cholera and
jaundice. Cases of malaria have also been reported. Some Mumbai (Bombay)
city officials admitted they were not equipped to test for leptospirosis, a
disease spread through exposure to water contaminated by rat's urine. The
number of serious cases is reducing and there is a marked decrease in cases
reported and admissions to hospitals in the city and surrounding areas,
according to hospital sources. Scientists from India's Defence Services
Laboratory have joined the state government in Maharashtra to try to stem
the spread of disease, particularly in the towns of Sangli and Kolhapur.
Source: The Hindu
[http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200508161601.htm], 16 Aug
2005 ; BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4156592.stm], 16
Aug 2005
--------------------
CHINA: air- and water pollution 'top concerns' for most people
China is paying an environmental price for its rapid economic growth and,
according to a survey, this has become one of the top concerns of its
citizens. The vast majority of Chinese rivers now have serious pollution
problems. According to state-owned news agency Xinhua research conducted by
the All-China Federation on Environmental Protection revealed that almost
95% of those quizzed on environmental degradation considered it a 'burning
issue that must be tackled immediately'. The survey was carried out to
assess public opinion in the build up to the publication of China's
eleventh Five Year Plan, which will steer national policy from 2006 to
2010.
A huge majority, 80.5% believed priority should be given to combating air
pollution. Concerns over poor water quality closely followed those of air
pollution, with 64.4% of those polled saying that water polluters should
face heavy fines. The South China Morning Post reports that international
issues related to the country’s rise as a major power often overshadow
serious water shortages in China. But the water problem could ultimately
cripple the nation and its aspirations to build an advanced industrial
economy with a strong agricultural base.
Source: Edie [http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=10341&channel=0],
5 Aug 2005 ; World Bank
[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,date:2005-08-12~menuPK:344
61~pagePK:34392~piPK:64256810~theSitePK:4607,00.h
tml],
12 Aug 2005
--------------------
NEPAL: handicapped deprived of accessible toilets
Most rest rooms in almost all offices in Kathmandu, including those in
government offices are not friendly to people using wheelchairs, the
visually impaired, and people with other physical disabilities. Most of the
toilets are made for physically fit people only. Even the Health Ministry,
which disseminates messages to people to build toilets, has not been
sensitive towards adjusting its toilets to handicapped people. None of the
12 rest rooms in the ministry are friendly for people with a handicap.
"I have fallen in such toilets many times, especially in government
offices, as most of the toilets there are covered with moss and
slippery," said Indra Prasad Upadhyaya, a physically challenged person
who uses crutches. As programme officer at National Federation of
Disabled-Nepal (NFDN), Upadhyaya has to visit government offices quite
often. According to WHO statistics, there are 2.4 million people with
disabilities in Nepal. A survey conducted recently by Nepal Water for
Health (NEWAH) in 51 institutions, including government offices in
Kathmandu, states that 90 percent of the institutions lack physically
challenged-friendly toilets
See also: NEWAH (2004). Making latrines user friendly for everyone : an
exploratory research study on the discomfort faced by pregnant women,
elderly, overweight, sick and disabled people when using squat latrines.
Pokhara, Nepal, Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), Western Region Office. 14
p. PDF file
[http://www.newah.org.np/Everyone%20friendly%20latrines.pdf] (623 KB)
Web site: WEDC - Access to water and sanitation for disabled people
[http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/projects/new_projects3.php?id=60]
Contact: NEWAH, Nepal, mailto:ne...@newah.org.np, http://www.newah.org.np
Source: Sangeeta Rijal, The Kathmandu Post
[http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=46136], 18 July 2005
************************************************************
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
PERU: basic sanitation
The basic sanitation sector is the most backward of all public services in
Peru, says Sergio Salinas of SUNASS [http://www.sunass.gob.pe/], Peru’s
basic services regulator. He estimates it would take US$ 3.8 billion (EUR
3.1 billion) to revert the country's water and sanitation infrastructure
deficit in urban areas alone.
Peru's government issued a decree modifying the 1996 sanitation law to
encourage private sector participation in basic services companies (EPS).
"The new law is designed to ratify the process of water services
concessions that the government has started with the awarding of the Tumbes
EPS [department tender earlier this year]," according an official from
Adepsep, the private sector association of companies operating in public
services.
Related news: Peru: association criticizes waterworks funds decree, Source
Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17129], 23 Mar 2005; Peru: poor are waiting
for water, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/24244], 15 Jun 2005; Peru:
PPPs key to improving water service says KfW, Source Weekly
[http://www.irc.nl/page/13121], 8 Sep 2004
Contact: SUNASS, mailto:sun...@sunass.gob.pe, http://www.sunass.gob.pe/
Source: BNamericas.com
[http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?sector=4&idioma=I¬icia=326299]
(subscription
site), 10 Aug 2005; BNamericas.com
[/:%20http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?sector=4&idioma=I¬icia=326127]
(subscription site), 8 Aug 2005
--------------------
JAMAICA: greater attention needed in rural areas
Jamaica's government will have to focus more on rural areas if the country
wants to achieve its goal of providing every household with access to
potable water by 2010, says Water and Housing minister Harry Douglas.
"As a country, we have to commit to a basic level of service for
domestic water systems in rural areas of at least 35 to 40 gallons (132-151
litres) of water per person, per day for each household," Douglas
says.
As for sanitation, 59.2% of the population has access to flush toilets,
with another 40% using pit latrines, sharing with a neighbour, or using
communal facilities.
In collaboration with several ministries and agencies a sanitation policy
is being developed to address these and other water management issues, the
minister adds.
Source: BNamericas.com
[http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I§or=4¬icia=326913]
(subscription
site), 16 Aug 2005
--------------------
BOLIVIA, LA PAZ, EL ALTO: protests against 'secret' government talks with
Suez
Contrary to local press reports, there is still no end in sight to talks to
terminate the contract between Bolivia's government and capital La Paz
water concessionaire Aguas del Illimani.
The government has been in direct negotiations for several months with
Illimani, a subsidiary of French energy group Suez, over the terms of
rescission of the La Paz waterworks management concession after prolonged
street protests by local residents.
The government is still left with the problem of how to replace the
concessionaire after it became clear that the state or local authorities do
not have the funds to carry out the capital investments needed to expand
services. They have now proposed a new mixed company where Suez will retain
shares. Secret negotiations between the government and Suez continue, but
civil society organizations have lost patience and they have announced new
civil disobedience actions.
Related news: Bolivia, La Paz, El Alto: mull post-Illimani water management
options, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17541], 8 Apr 2005
Source: Patrick Sheil, BNamericas.com
[http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?idioma=I§or=4¬icia=326897]
(subscription
site), 16 Aug 2005 ; Currents
[http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/new/currents/articles.cfm?ID=13891], Aug
2005
************************************************************
CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
ALBANIA, DURRES: conflicting reports on water contract cancellation
According to OneWorld, the Durres District Office has cancelled the water
supply contract of this coastal city with the German company Berlinwasser
International. The company was being blamed for poor service levels,
especially to the Plazh (beach) area, which was having a negative impact on
tourism. In a reaction to Source Weekly, Berlinwasser denied the contract
has been cancelled and said the accusations against them should be seen in
the context of "floods of political promises during the election
campaign".
Berlinwasser International’s Communication Manager, Claudia Charrabé, said
the company could not “confirm a cancellation or the intention of a
cancellation by our client”. “Since this Management Contract was entered
into between Berlinwasser International AG and the 4 Water and Sewerage
Companies of Durres, Fier, Lezhe and Saranda, the Durres District Office is
not entitled to any such contract cancellation”, she added. Water shortages
were a result of “insufficient sustainable investment” over the past
decades. The company added that supply to Durres in 2005 had increased by
10% compared to 2004, mostly to the beach area.
Since Berlinwasser International started services in Durres, they have
invested over US$ 2 million (EUR 1.6 million), and an additional US$ 5
million (EUR 4.1 million) are in the pipeline. The Albanian state is said
to have invested US$ 20 million (EUR 16.4 million).
Related news: Albania: World Bank debars fraudulent firms involved in water
project, Source Weekly [http://www.irc.nl/page/17570], 8 Apr 2005
Web site: Berlinwasser International – Four-Cities-Project, Albania
[http://www.berlinwasser.net/ENG/157.php]
Contact: Claudia Charrabé, Communications Manager, Berlinwasser
International AG, Germany, mailto:claudia....@berlinwasser.net,
http://www.berlinwasser.net
Source: Hekuran Toci, OneWorld Southeast Europe
[http://see.oneworld.net/article/view/116789/1/30], 9 Aug 2005
--------------------
BULGARIA: investing in wastewater treatment, floods damage water
infrastructure
One of the consequences of Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union (EU)
in January 2007, is that more and more towns need to invest in wastewater
treatment. By 2010, some 70 municipalities with over 10,000 inhabitants
still need to have a wastewater treatment plant. By 2014 all municipalities
with more than 2,000 inhabitants must have a sewerage system. At present
about 20 per cent of wastewater is untreated. The EU is providing part of
the required investment in wastewater infrastructure through its Instrument
for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA) programme.
Meanwhile continuous flooding in Bulgaria, which started in May 2005, has
affected more than a quarter of the country’s 7.5 million people, causing
20 deaths. Unicef has supplied water purifying tablets, oral rehydration
salts, cooking sets, water tanks, basic family water kits and blankets to
about 10,000 families. Up to 8 August, the government has estimated that
damage to water and sewerage systems amounted to BGN 5.3 million (EUR 2.8
million).
Web sites: Bulgaria - Ministry of Environment and Water
[http://www.moew.government.bg/index_e.html] ; EU - ISPA
[http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/pas/ispa.htm] ; ReliefWeb - Bulgaria
- floods
[http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=FL-2005-000098-BGR
&rc=4]
Source: EVD
[http://www.evd.nl/zoeken/showalert.asp?bstnum=144206&pid=26782&cid=34042]
(in
Dutch), 16 Aug 2005 ; Focus News Agency
[http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=94&newsid=69860&ch=0&datte=2005-08
-09],
9 Aug 2005 ; UNICEF [http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/media_2570.html], 10 Aug
2005
************************************************************
WESTERN EUROPE & NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE: treaty to prevent water-related diseases in Europe enters into
force
The Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on Protection and
Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes entered into
force on 4 August 2005, following ratification by the minimum 16 countries.
The Protocol will help prevent, control and reduce water-related diseases.
It covers both the provision of safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation
and the basin-wide protection of water resources.
In Europe almost 140 million (16%) do not have a household connection to a
drinking-water supply; 85 million (10%) do not have improved sanitation;
and over 41 million (5%) lack access to a safe drinking-water supply. There
are over 13 000 deaths from diarrhoea among children aged 0-14 years (5.3%
of all deaths in this age group) each year, mainly in central and Eastern
Europe and central Asia.
The countries that are Parties to the Protocol will review their systems
for disease surveillance and outbreak detection, and implement measures to
reduce disease, including vaccination or water treatment and distribution
measures. Chemical contaminants of drinking-water and related diseases are
also under review.
Web site: WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/EURO) – Water and sanitation
[http://www.euro.who.int/watsan]
Contact: Mr Roger Aertgeerts, Regional Adviser, Water and Sanitation, WHO
Regional Office for Europe, Italy, mailto:r...@ecr.euro.who.int
Source: WHO/EURO
[http://www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/WHO/MediaCentre/PR/2005/20050729_1], 3
Aug 2005
--------------------
USA: research ties arsenic to tumour growth
A study [1] by researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center indicates environmental arsenic in drinking water can stimulate the
growth of cancerous tumours and cause them to spread faster. Arsenic levels
as low as four parts per billion stimulated blood vessel growth in mice,
while levels as low as 10 ppb caused tumours to expand. The findings
support government plans to introduce a new 10 ppb federal arsenic standard
for drinking water on 23 January 2006. Further research is in progress to
discover if arsenic levels increase the risk of developing tumours, and if
the process can be interrupted or reversed. Results are expected within a
year.
[1] Kamat, C.D. … [ et al.] (2005). Role of HIF signaling on tumorigenesis
in response to chronic low-dose arsenic administration. Toxicological
sciences ; vol. 86, no. 2 ; p. 248-257.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfi190
Web site: WHO – Arsenic in drinking water
[http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/arsenic/en/]
Contact: Dr. Michael A. Ihnat, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center, USA, mailto:michae...@ouhsc.edu,
http://w3.ouhsc.edu/cell_biology/faculty/ihnatfacultytext.html
Source: Kendal Kelly, AP / Yahoo! News
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050809/ap_on_sc/arsenic_study], 8 Aug 2005
************************************************************
NAMES
ANGELINA JOLIE: Hollywood actress to Kenya for MTV special
Hollywood Actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie, will
join Dr. Jeffrey Sachs for a MTV special on a trip to Kenya to deal with
issues of poverty and to inspire young people to take action. Their journey
is being documented for a 14 September MTV special, The Diary Of Angelina
Jolie & Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa. The 30-minute program will follow
the actress and Sachs on their trip to Sauri, a remote group of villages in
Western Kenya. There, Sachs's United Nations Millennium Project team is
working with mothers, children, teachers, health workers and village elders
to end poverty, hunger and disease, MTV says in a statement.
The Millennium Villages Project’s water and sanitation team, led by Upmanu
Lall, intends to develop a science-based approach for providing these basic
necessities. Although this area has seen several efforts to install water
distribution infrastructure in the past, no group has taken responsibility
for the maintenance of such systems. The proposed designs will use local
resources in a cost-effective strategy for dramatically improving access to
safe drinking water and sanitation.
The special's airdate will coincide with the opening of the U.N. Special
Summit on the Millennium Development Goals.
Web site: Earth Institute - Millennium Villages Project - Sauri
[http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/mvp/locations/sauri/] ; Angelina
Jolie - UNCHR Godwill Ambassador
[http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/help?id=3f94ff664]
Source: People News
[http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1094286,00.html], 16 Aug
2005
--------------------
NEPAL: officials sentenced for corruption
The controversial Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) has given
former premier Sher Bahadur Deuba and former minister Prakash Man Singh a
jail sentence of two years and a fine of NPR 90 million (EUR 1.1 million)
each. The verdict came on 26 July 2005 for alleged corruption in the
Melamchi water supply case. The RCCC also convicted former secretary, Tika
Dutta Niraula, executive director of Melamchi Drinking Water Project,
Dhruba Bahadur Shrestha, deputy executive director of the project Dipak
Kumar Jha, and contractor Jep Chhring Lama of Lama Constructions of
corruption in the drinking water project.
The Water and Energy Users' Federation, Nepal (WAFED), a Kathmandu-based
NGO, wants the US$ 464 million (EUR 379 million) Melamchi water supply
project - funded mainly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan
Bank for International Cooperation, the Japan government and three more
foreign donors - to be stopped. WAFED, however, distanced itself from the
commission. They consider it an unconstitutional body formed arbitrarily by
the King after the royal coup.
Related news: Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrested over Nepal
water contract, Source [http://www.irc.nl/page/23007] 20 May 2005
Source: PD / Nepalnews.com
[http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2005/jul/jul26/news11.php], 26 Jul
2005 ; IANS [http://www.eians.com/stories/2005/07/26/26ne.shtml], 27 Jul
2005
************************************************************
PROJECTS
INDONESIA, LAOS: gender mainstreaming in two 2005 ADB loan projects
The Asian Development Bank is mainstreaming gender in two of its 2005 loan
projects in Indonesia and Laos. The Indonesia Community Water Services and
Health Project will provide access to reliable water supply and improved
sanitation and hygiene practices to 20 districts in the most underserved
areas in the country. The objective of the project in Laos is to improve
the accessibility, quality, reliability and sustainability of water supply
services in 12 small towns.
The Indonesian project has developed a gender action plan to promote and
ensure women’s involvement in the project design, planning and
implementation stages. Key strategies underlying the GAP include the active
involvement of women (50%) as both implementers and beneficiaries
including:
* engagement of women teachers, the women’s Family Welfare Movement (PKK),
village midwives, health volunteers, and other women activists, for
information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns on clean water
for hygiene and sanitation purposes;
* engagement of female community facilitators with equal salary to male
facilitators;
* representation of women on the community implementation team; and
* specific training activities for village women.
Gender design features in Laos include construction of new public toilet
facilities to give women more privacy and engagement of women in
employment, decision-making, learning and training activities under the
project. Thiry per cent of new jobs generated by the project will be
reserved for women.
Source: ADB Gender Network News
[http://www.adb.org/Documents/Periodicals/GNN/newsletter-12.pdf], no. 12,
Apr-Jun 2005
--------------------
MOZAMBIQUE: Dutch finance project in four cities
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Development Cooperation (DGIS), water
company Vitens and the Mozambique water company FIPAG signed an agreement
in Maputo on 10 August 2005 to provide safe drinking water to more than
500,000 people in Chokwé, Inhambane, Maxixe and Xai-Xai. The ministry
contributes EUR 1 million to the total investment of EUR 2.7 million. The
project includes improvement and construction of public taps in the four
cities and will last three years. It will also strengthen the local water
companies.
Source: DGIS
[http://www.minbuza.nl/default.asp?CMS_ITEM=0E86654F57D1433E840798CC13CB2BC5
X1X55167X55] (in
Dutch), 10 Aug 2005
--------------------
MEXICO: Potable Water and Sanitation in Rural Areas II project
The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) on 20 July 2005 approved a loan
of US$ 150 million (EUR 123 million) for the Potable Water and Sanitation
in Rural Areas II project in Mexico. The project will support expansion of
coverage in rural water supply and sanitation services through mechanisms
that assure quality, efficiency and sustainability.
The project has three components:
* institutional strengthening;
* community participation, and;
* infrastructure investments.
The executing agencies are the Organismos Operadores Municipales (OO) and
the Comissiones Estatales de Agua Potable y Saneamiento (CEAS), Mexico.
Counterpart funding from Mexico amounts to US$ 142 million (EUR 116
milion).
Web site: IADB project
[/%20http://www.iadb.org/projects/Project.cfm?project=ME0212&Language=Englis
h]
Source: EVD
[http://www.evd.nl/zoeken/showalert.asp?bstnum=131159&pid=26782&cid=34042],
17 Aug 2005
************************************************************
VACANCIES
Water management adviser, Gland, Switzerland
Organisation: IUCN Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland
Requirements include: post graduate qualifications, preferably a Ph.D., in
natural resources management, water management or water engineering; more
than 10 years' experience in managing water, river basin or wetlands
projects and programmes in developing and developed countries and
up-to-date knowledge of the current issues around water management
practices including water infrastructure development and management.
Language: demonstrated spoken and written fluency in English, and
preferably in one or more of IUCN’s other official languages (French and
Spanish).
Contact: Director - Human Resources, mailto:jobappl...@iucn.org
More information: [http://www.iucn.org/en/about/vacancies.htm]
- Apply before: 31 Aug 05
************************************************************
READERS REACT
Large scale purification with Moringa oleifera seeds
In reaction to the item on "Natural coagulants: simple method to
extract protein from Moringa oleifera seeds", Source Weekly, 15 July
2005, http://www.irc.nl/page/24919, Dr. Kebreab Ghebremichael provides this
update:
"We have already standardized the purification parameters for large
scale production. We are looking for funds and an appropriate partner to
implement large scale purification and application on at least pilot scale
level. By the way I will soon join the department of Municipal
Infrastructure at UNESCO-IHE institute in Delft as a lecturer in water
supply. There may be a chance to further the research and implementation of
the results somehow in connection with masters or PhD students".
Dr. Kebreab Ghebremichael, Royal Institute of Technology, Land and Water
Resources Engineering, Sweden, keb...@kth.se
************************************************************
LESSONS LEARNED
BOLIVIA: after water wars - searching common ground
After 32 failed attempts to reach consensus on water legislation and a
deadly social conflict over water rights, IDRC-supported researchers in
Bolivia have helped their country develop a water law that everyone could
agree on. Following the water wars in Bolivia from 1998 to 2000 a special
council was created, the Consejo Interinstitucional del Agua (CONIAG), that
was charged with drafting a water management law based on public
consultation. This was an unusual gesture: Bolivia had rarely sought public
input into policy-making. Researchers from the nongovernmental organization
(NGO) Comisión para la Gestión Integral del Agua en Bolivia (CGIAB)
convinced the government to combine grassroots dialogue with high-tech
science. They used a water simulation model developed by the Danish
Hydraulic Institute to build a computerized replica of Bolivian water
systems. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to map water
rights. A database of existing customary (or traditional) water rights was
also developed through lot-by-lot fieldwork and surveys. Social groups that
had protested the water law in the research process participated in the
research design. They were asked to help gather data, and regularly
communicating and explaining their findings.
Research revealed that the approach favoured by the government (volume per
time) would lead to a more inefficient use of water and cause larger
differences in water availability between communities, actually resulting
in water deficits in many cases. The impact: water rights are defined in
law. On 8 October 2004, the Government of Bolivia promulgated la Ley numero
2878, de Promoción y Apoyo al Sector Riego. The law takes into account
CGIAB’s research by recognising traditional water rights and uses, and
guarantees rights to water for irrigation for Indigenous and farming
communities. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supported
CGIAB’s research project, which ran from 2002 to 2005, with a CAD 270,000
(EUR 184,000) grant.
Web site: La Comisión para la Gestión Integral del Agua en Bolivia (CGIAB
[http://www.aguabolivia.org])
Source: IDRC Bolivia project
[http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-85928-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html], accessed 17 Aug 2005
--------------------
REGULATION: participation of regulators in utility-to-government contracts?
Utilities in the water, electricity, transportation, and telecommunications
sectors enter into agreements with governments for a variety of issues.
Some may be "privatisation" projects and others service delivery
contracts with the state-owned utility. Often these agreements do not meet
the expectations of the governments and consumers alike for a number of
reasons. ``Tariff rates: the political hot potato`` is one of them and
contracts are either renegotiated or in some cases, cancelled. In an
interesting recent paper [1] senior regulatory specialist David Jankofsky
from IP3 argues for a strong regulator to oversee utility privatisation and
service contracts so as to hopefully avoid the many problems in the recent
past. A brief "blueprint" of a successful process for possible
regulatory involvement is also presented.
[1] Jankofsky, D. (2005). How can the regulator participate in
utility-to-government contracts?
[http://www.ip3.org/pub/2005_publication_010.htm]. Washington, DC, USA,
Public-Private Partnerships (IP3).
Contact: David Jankofsky [mailto:DJank...@aol.com]
************************************************************
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
MOBILE PHONES: boon for plumbers and small businesses in Kenya
The mobile phone has become the most essential work item for Theuri, a
plumber, electrician and small businessman who, like many Kenyans, makes a
living from various different jobs at the same time. Sometimes he receives
up to five calls a day for jobs. “Were it not for mobile phones, jobs would
have been very minimal. With the phone, I am well known," Theuri says.
He says his phone number goes around by word-of-mouth from satisfied
customers. The phone also saves him a lot of travelling because he can call
around shopping for goods. Five other people that Theuri employs also
benefit from his increased work.
Theuri is among thousands of poor Kenyan men and women, whose small
businesses have benefited from the mobile phone expansion. The number of
mobile phone subscribers has increased from only 15,000 in June 1999 to an
expected 4 million by mid-2005.
See also: IICD supported project: Information Centres Water Hygiene
[http://www.iicd.org/projects/articles/iicdprojects.2005-07-05.1690547770]
Web site: Development Gateway - ICT for SMEs
[http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ict/rc/BrowseContent.do~source=RCConte
ntUser~folderId=3113]
Source: George Obulutsa, Reuters / The Standard
[http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=25485], 19 July 2005
************************************************************
FUNDING
RESEARCH GRANTS: UPE Focus Cities Research Program
Organisation: Urban Poverty and Environment Program (UPE) of the
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Theme: Easing environmental burdens in slums.
Award: Up to CAD 1.2 million (EUR 816,000) for four projects - two in
sub-Saharan Africa and two in Asia.
A call has been launched for concept notes in Africa and Asia
for innovative projects linking urban poverty alleviation, environmental
management and natural resource use for food, water and income security. It
involves in-depth participatory research with multi-stakeholder City Teams.
Contact: Focus City Coordinator, IDRC, Canada, mailto:upe-fo...@idrc.ca
More information: [http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-84978-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html]
- Apply before: 15 Oct 05
************************************************************
SOURCE - NEW PUBLICATIONS
Water, sanitation and hygiene education for schools
UNICEF; IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (2005). Water,
sanitation and hygiene education for schools : Roundtable proceedings and
framework for action. Delft, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and
Sanitation Centre. – 80 p. : boxes, photogr. – Annexes: p. 48-76.
Report of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Schools Roundtable meeting,
which took place in Oxford, UK, 24-26 January 2005. It contains two
documents. The first, ‘A Call for Action’, sets out actions that
participants agreed must be taken to ensure that by 2015 – the target date
of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – all schools receive a basic
quality package of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) education. The
second, ‘A Package for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education: The Oxford
Roundtable Statement’, is a concise and comprehensive outline of the
‘optimal package’ for scaling up with quality the programmes for Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene Education in Schools.
Download here: [http://www.irc.nl/page/25321]
--------------------
Gender in water resources management, water supply and sanitation
Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. van (1998). Gender in water resources management,
water supply and sanitation : roles and realities revisited. (Technical
paper series; no. 33-E). Delft, The Netherlands, IRC International Water
and Sanitation Centre. - - xii, 200 p. : 7 boxes, 24 fig., 6 tab. -
Bibliography: p. 153 -200.
The book is the revised and updated edition of an earlier IRC/PROWWESS/UNDP
publication: Participation of women in water supply and sanitation : roles
and realities (1985) which is now out of print. Those sections that are
still valid have been retained. Now, however, the text has been placed in
the context of overall water resources management and made gender - instead
of women - specific. It has been expanded to cover recent literature,
providing an overview of gender developments in water supply and sanitation
in the context of water resources management from 1980 to 1997. The book is
also available in French.
This IRC publication is now available electronically for the first time and
can be downloaded in two parts; the main text and the references.
Download here: [http://www.irc.nl/page/1893]
--------------------
The Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Targets in Nepal
WaterAid Nepal (2004). The Water and Sanitation Millennium Development
Targets in Nepal : what do they mean? what will they cost? can Nepal meet
them? Kathmandu, Nepal, WaterAid Nepal. – xii, 42 p. : 36 tab.
This research report explores the detailed implications of the MDGs for
Nepal on water and sanitation. It is an attempt to support MDG commitment
of Nepal by calculating the additional number of households to be served
and resources required to meet the targets, comparing these requirements
with available resources and calculating the resource gap. To reach the
sanitation target, an additional 14,000 households need to be served per
month between 2000 and 2015, and an additional 11,300 households need to be
served per month to reach the drinking water target. The total financial
requirement to meet these targets is US$ 1,087 million and the resource
availability for 2000 to 2015 is US$ 755 million, resulting in an annual
resource gap of US$ 23 million. The report’s methodology and findings have
been presented and debated at various meetings in Nepal and elsewhere, and
inputs and comments have been incorporated.
Available from: Anita Pradhan, Documentation Manager/ Resource Center
Coordinator, WaterAid Nepal, mailto:anitap...@wateraidnepal.org.np
--------------------
child labour in scavenging Africa, Asia and Europe assessment
WASTE (2005). Thematic evaluation on child labour in scavenging Africa,
Asia and Europe assessment. Gouda, The Netherlands, WASTE. - 6 reports
WASTE has published six reports on child labour in waste and rag picking in
Africa, Asia and Europe. The assessments were done for the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) to provide guidance on how best to address the
exploitation of children in this sector. The issue of child labour is
regarded from the perspective of waste picking as a livelihood activity in
the context of the overall socio-economic conditions in cities in the
South. Issues are: General economic developments in Southern cities of the
past 10-20 years; Specific developments in the solid waste management
sector; The role of waste picking in solid waste management; The position
and condition of waste pickers, distribution of sexes, ethnicities, ages,
etc; The risks and hazards faced by waste pickers; their decision-making in
light of these; and The function of waste picking in their overall
livelihood activities. The report, including the strategic assessment and
recommendations, is available in English and Spanish. Field researchers in
Egypt, Tanzania, Thailand, India, and Romania have additionally written
five reports.
Download here: [http://www.waste.nl/page/720]
************************************************************
NEW ON THE NET
Pacific Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Water Management
A voluntary partnership of water and wastewater stakeholders in the Pacific
region, with a common goal of achieving sustainable water and wastewater
management in Pacific Island Countries. The web site aims to support the
implementation of water and sanitation activities articulated in the
Pacific Regional Action Plan on Sustainable Water Management (the Pacific
RAP).
Web
site: http://www.sopac.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=CLP+Pacific+Partnership
--------------------
World Bank Watsan web site (update)
The updated web site explains how the World Bank supports countries to
improve water supply and sanitation access across countries and regions.
It focuses on operations, and links knowledge and policy work to lending.
In the Lending Portfolio you can search for watsan projects by region. The
Knowledge and Learning section provides various toolkits.
Web site: http://www.worldbank.org/watsan
--------------------
Mvuramanzi Trust website and newsletter
NGO in Zimbabwe aiming to assist rural and peri-urban families improve
their livelihoods through productive water use and management of natural
resources. Sign up for their newsletter is for free.
Mvuramanzi Trust was founded in 1993 with Peter Morgan, Ephraim Chimbunde,
and Mr Mtakwa as founding members. The three resigned from the Blair
Research Institution to implement findings about various research projects
they had undertaken.
Web site: http://www.mvuramanzi.org.zw/
--------------------
Water Information Network South Africa (WIN-SA)
WIN is being set up to improve the South African water services sector. The
initiative aims to manage and disseminate sector knowledge to all
stakeholders, both government and non-government, and to improve access to
and use of shared information and knowledge.
Web site: http://www.win-sa.org.za/
************************************************************
CONFERENCES & EVENTS
E-CONSULTATION: Promising Approaches to Local-level IWRM in the MENA Region
Internet, 4 Sep 05 - 16 Oct 05
Organised by: EMPOWERS Partnership (Euro-Med Participatory Water Resources
Scenarios)
This moderated 6-week e-consultation seeks to identify experiences and
lessons learned as part of ongoing processes of decentralisation and
stakeholder involvement in the water sector (both water resource management
and water service delivery). It will share experiences on what is
successful, and what is less so; and to find out about promising approaches
and tools in participatory planning for local water resources management
and development.
Topics include:
* capacity building for local water governance;
* promoting local ownership and accountability in water use and
management; and
* right based approaches to ensure that especially women and
under-privileged groups in rural communities get actively involved and
access to water.
This e-consultation ouputs will feed into EMPOWERS Regional Symposium
[http://www.empowers.info/page/704](Cairo, November 13 -17th, 2005) on
“End-user ownership and involvement in integrated water resources
management”.
More information: [http://www.empowers.info/page/1374]
_______________________________________________
Source-weekly mailing list
Source...@listserv.antenna.nl
*************************************************************
Editor: Cor Dietvorst, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre,
The Netherlands, mailto:diet...@irc.nl, http://www.irc.nl/source/
Special features editor: Dick de Jong, mailto:jo...@irc.nl
Contributors: Ingeborg Krukkert, Dick de Jong, Bettie Westerhof, Cor
Dietvorst
The contents of Source Weekly do not necessarily reflect the official
policy of the IRC.
Copyright Notice
Information contained in this newsletter may be freely used for non-
commercial purposes as long as due acknowledgement is provided to the
IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and the Source web site:
http://www.irc.nl/source. Commercial use or redistribution in any
form, printed or electronic, requires prior approval
*************************************************************
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