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II. SESSION REPORTS – Summary/Recommendations -

A. Session 1: Opening and Keynote Addresses

Ms. Lilia Casanova, Deputy Director of UNEP-IETC, welcomed the symposium participants, giving special recognition to 145 representatives from 45 countries, including 30 international experts. She stressed that water is a priority of UNEP and a continuing priority of the new Executive Director, Dr. Klaus Töpfer.

1. Welcome Address

Mr. Takashi Nakamoto then gave a welcoming address, as Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary to Osaka. He praised the symposium as an unprecedented event, in that it involves an extremely broad spectrum of decision-makers and other relevant authorities: representatives from both national and local governments, aid agencies, water supply authorities, research institutes and NGOs. Working together, he said, would surely bring us closer to ensuring adequate supplies of clean, safe water – one of humankind’s most essential needs.

2. Overview of UNEP-IETC

Ms. Casanova presented a brief overview of UNEP-IETC (United Nations Environment Programme - International Environmental Technology Centre. IETC is part of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE), headquartered in Paris. IETC first started operations in 1994. It is supported by the Japanese government through a trust fund. IETC has two Offices in Japan. The office in Osaka City focuses on urban environments and the office in Shiga near Lake Biwa (Japan’s largest lake) concentrates on freshwater issues.

IETC’s mandate is to promote the adoption and use of Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) for managing urban environments and freshwater basins. ESTs include both “hard” and “soft” technologies: “hard” technologies refer to equipment, machines and their accessories, while “soft” ESTs are management systems and procedures, including policy, regulations, and economic instruments. IETC considers soft technologies to be of greater value, since hard technologies would not be able to function effectively without their soft counterparts.

IETC has three functional areas:

4. Keynote Addresses

Dr. Goldstein emphasised that health and sanitation need to be considered in the planning of water supply systems, especially since the lack of sanitation remains one of the greatest threats to urban populations. This approach to water use is the most efficient one in terms of municipal and national budgets, since much capital can be saved through the prevention of water-borne diseases. All water use programmes must address the winners and losers involved, and Dr. Goldstein pointed out that the losers are most often the urban poor. Water shortages – especially in urban areas and regions with low rainfall—are signalling an end to water management on a project-by-project basis. In addition to technology and other hardware, soft approaches involving education are vital. Health and sanitation measures have been found to be most effective when based in the local community: homes, schools, marketplaces and the like.

Dr. Alabaster stressed that governments must give top priority to the current water crisis in Africa, focusing on establishing long-term capacity and changing peoples’ attitudes towards water resources. By the year 2000, twelve African countries will be in a “water stress” situation. And by 2025, about two-thirds of the African population may be in this predicament. Quality of life will suffer and development will be further strained. The scarcity of available fresh water is often due to the effects of increased urbanisation and industry, limited water resources, poor distribution systems, inequality in distribution, contamination, and exploitation of resources. According to Dr. Alabaster, many governments do not appreciate the urgency of the situation, and there is generally greater political support for new capital schemes than for conservation, though the latter is often more important.

This regional initiative seeks to achieve efficient use of freshwater at the city level, including improved, more equitable service and quality of life, through water demand management. It attempts to minimise the impact of urbanisation on freshwater resources, and encourages the exchange of information and good practices on urban water resources management. It will also take steps leading to much-desired capital investment for sound conservation and development projects, while using conservation and “soft” approaches to defer investments in non-essential, hardware-oriented water resources development projects.

Mr. Ikkatai presented outlining how the Japanese government is approaching a comprehensive national water use programme by studying the country’s natural hydrological cycle and human impacts, plus the diverse interests of various government agencies and consumers. The natural hydrological system in Japan has deteriorated due to factors common in many other countries: the development of urban and industrial areas, increases in water demand, the use of toxic chemicals, and an fragmented government approach towards the water cycle, with each government ministry pursuing its own water needs. Mr. Ikkatai suggested a balance of development (to minimise the threat of floods, droughts, etc.) and conservation, so that humankind may continue to enjoy the practical and spiritual benefits of clean water and healthy ecosystems. A sound hydrological cycle can maintain this balance.

In Japan, some of the main steps that need to be taken are education about the problems and goals involved, and more research and information-sharing about indicators of hydrological health. The government needs to establish and implement an effective, inter-agency, comprehensive water policy, including urban planning that encourages aquifer recharge, and implementation of polluter-pays and user-pays principles. Such a programme requires the co-operation of national and local governments, experts, local residents, and NGOs.

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