Source Weekly 2009, 05

Published - 28 Apr 09

International

Climate change: a scapegoat for the world’s water woes?

Is the overwhelming emphasis on water and climate change justified? Roger Calow (ODI), believes that treating development and climate adaptation as separate issues is misguided, and that climate change is just one of the many pressures on water.

Water shortages: political upheaval and economic stagnation loom, UN report warns

Demand for water is increasing due to population growth and mobility, rising living standards, changes in food consumption, and increased energy production, especially biofuels. These are among the conclusions of the 3rd United Nations World Water Development Report, released in March 2009. The latest edition emphasizes the role of water in development and economic growth.

Muslim Khan, spokesman, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

They [foreigners] come and tell us how to make latrines in mosques and homes. I’m sure we can do it ourselves.

Ethiopia: charity broadcasts drilling of “Twestival” well live via satellite

In April 2009, charity:water broadcasted live via satellite the drilling of the first Twestival well in Ethiopia. Four daily videos of the drilling are shown on their web site, and they introduce you to the community who got the donations.

South Africa: Supreme Court of Appeal hands down judgment on Phiri water case

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) declared that the pre-payment water meters used in Phiri in respect of water level 3 consumers is unlawful, because such use is not authorised by the by-laws

Zimbabwe: repair collapsed infrastructure to tackle cholera epidemic

Repairing Zimbabwe’s infrastructure is recognized as a key strategy in tackling the cholera epidemic that by 1 April 2009 had claimed 4,127 lives. In the high-density suburbs of Harare, cholera cases are increasing or remain at high levels. Other hotspots are Chitungwiza and Kadoma.

Palestine: World Bank reports assesses restrictions on water development

A World Bank report blames Palestinian mismanagement and Israeli restrictions for severe water shortages in the West Bank and the Gaza. The existing problems affect not just daily supply but the development of water resources, water uses and wastewater management.

Pakistan, NWFP: Water Supply and Sanitation (WATSAN) Cell established

The Government of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) has established a Water Supply and Sanitation (WATSAN) Cell in the Local Government and Rural Development Department, with UNICEF support.

Bolivia, Chile: authorities closer to initial agreement regarding Silala waters

Bolivia and Chile are close to drawing up an initial agreement regarding the use of the Silala waters, following a meeting in Chilean capital Santiago on 3 April 2009.

Colombia: Uribe appoints new environment, housing, territorial development minister

Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has appointed Carlos Costa Posada as the country's new environment, housing and territorial development minister.

Paraguay: Indigenous Peoples in peril

The Paraguayan state is failing to adequately protect the rights of its Indigenous Peoples, forcing many to live in misery and effectively condemning some to death, Amnesty International has said.

Energy Globe Award: Oikos East Africa wins water category

Oikos East Africa has won the 2009 Energy Globe World Award in the water category. The award, worth € 10,000, was given for the “Water supply for Ngarenanyuki and Oldonyosambu” project, implemented by Oikos between 1999 and 2008 in the north of Tanzania.

Skoll Award: EcoPeace and WaterPartners International each win US$ 765,000

EcoPeace / Friends of the Earth Middle East and WaterPartners International are two of the seven organisations that have received a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Each recipient receives a three-year grant of US$ 765,000.

Household water treatment: researchers stick with their conclusion that scaling-up is premature

Wolf-Peter Schmidt and Sandy Cairncross respond to reader’s comments on their journal article which was quoted in the Source Weekly item “Household water treatment: scaling-up is premature say researchers” of 13 March 2009

Free access to environment research for developing countries

Almost fifty UN-HABITAT Governing Council delegates attended a briefing on how to get free access to environmental research through the On-line Access to Research on the Environment (OARE) initiative.

Learning for the water sector: call for papers in KM4D Journal

The December 2009 issue of the Knowledge Management for Development Journal (KM4D Journal) will focus on the effective (and potential) contribution of approaches to learning, collaboration and knowledge management (KM) to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, and the integrated water resource management (IWRM) sector.

Carbon credits: potential source of funding for wastewater treatment projects

Recovering methane from wastewater treatment plants to generate power not only saves energy costs. It also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which offers operators in developing countries an opportunity to sell carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Fundraising: YouTube non-profit collects US$ 10,000 for clean water in a single day

To commemorate World Water Day, YouTube featured a video from charity: water, which included a Call to Action overlay that encouraged YouTube users to donate money to help build wells and provide safe drinking water. Charity:water was able to raise over US$ 10,000 in one day from the video.

Meeting the sanitation and water challenge in South East Asia and the Pacific

This report synthesises the main themes and issues discussed at the Sanitation Conference held in Melbourne from 27-29 October 2008. It provides guidance on important directions in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector in the Asia-Pacific region in the form of 10 key strategies identified in the Conference Statement.

Water and sanitation services : public policy and management

This book presents a historical analysis of the development of water and sanitation services in both developed and developing countries. It provides a critical exploration of the different institutional options, including the interaction between the public and private sectors, and the irreplaceable role of public funding as a condition for success.

The Water Channel

Online repository for water videos. It is an initiative of MetaMeta Communications and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and it currently provides access to 132 videos in 19 categories.

International Water Journalism: 1H2O.org

Media web site aimed at generating worldwide awareness about the provision of safe potable water. It enables journalists from around the world to tell stories about the challenges relating to water.

Sanitation Forum - Weapon against Cholera

Johannesburg, South Africa,, 28-29 May 2009

This conference will review the status of sanitation in South Africa especially the rural areas, review best practice and key entry points and devise actions and approaches that can best provide large scale sustainable solutions with a view to achieving, sanitation and hygiene targets.

International Forum on Integrated Water Resource Management

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, 01-03 June 2009

Main themes: characterisation and diagnosis tools; planning and governance tools; information and joint-action tools; water management tools in the agricultural setting; and intervention tools for the major water-related issues.

ACE09 - AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition

San Diego, California, USA, 14-18 June 2009

ACE09, the 128th Annual Conference & Exposition of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) includes an international track with presentations on international funding of water and sanitation projects; water on the world wide political agenda; and integrated basin management: global case studies.

8th International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH)

Nairobi, Kenya, 18-23 October 2009

The Theme of the 2009 ICUH is “Meeting Urban Health Needs through Innovative Research, Policies and Interventions”.

2nd International Conference for Eau-Afrique: Water and Sustainable Development in Africa

Libreville, Gabon, 14-16 December 2009

The main objective of the conference is to create awareness among all organizations working in the Water Sector on the importance of developing and implementing new approaches of intervention and collaboration, focusing on sustainable development in rural, semi-urban and urban areas.

Third IASTED African Conference on Water Resource Management ~AfricaWRM 2010~

Gaborone, Botswana, 06-08 September 2010

The purpose of this conference is to act as an interdisciplinary forum for decision-makers, academics, and professionals interested in the development and application of technology in ensuring the sustainable use and management of water resources in Africa.