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Newsletter and Technical Publications CHAPTER 3. POLICY, INSTITUTIONAL, AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 3.4. Policies for Eutrophication Control 3.4.2. Some Relevant Management Tools to Support Eutrophication Control Policies (suite) Environmental Audits Recent development in management policy is the establishment of expert committees and community committees for environmental audit. The databases need to be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively by experts who analyze the quality of data and their validity. Also, the whole procedure for the decision making process is evaluated by this environmental audit. Environmental audit is established as an independent body of consultants and community, subjecting permanently, results, programs, and predictions to this critical evaluation. The Establishment of Partnerships The recent development of a large-scale privatization process that will take place in water treatment for public supply, as well as wastewater treatment, has stimulated the establishment of a partnership system for management which is another advanced tool for control of eutrophication and toxicity, in water systems. Since the watersheds are the basic units to integrate the effects of human activities and the ecosystem functioning, these partnerships are an efficient tool for optimization of management and for making the best use of financial and technical resources. The Role of the University The first component of this partnership is the University or research institutes that provide the basic information, organize and improve the data bases, propose the specific monitoring actions, and gives the possibility of continuity allowing for long-term planning and management. In-depth knowledge of the ecosystem, its interactions, the hierarchy of factors, and the main forcing functions, are fundamental to the establishment of a sound management strategy. The University will also provide the necessary synthesis and assessment of the ecosystem status, its characteristics and responses to natural forcing functions and anthropogenic inputs. Thus the research system, at local regional levels (river watershed) is a catalyst of actions if appropriate contacts, associations, interrelationships with other components and users of the river basin are developed. This is a long-term strategy in which the scientific and theoretical basis constructed by the University is fundamental and plays a key role. The University component of this partnership has to be innovative in this strategy, meaning that it has to look for creative actions derived from the research system. It has to be integrative considering its role as catalyst. It has to be technologically advanced by introducing the eco-technological approaches and software derived from ecological research. It has to be application oriented to rapidly return the investment made in research and technology. Public Sector The other fundamental component of this partnership is the public sector, and in this case of water quality management the local public sector such as prefectures, small counties, villages, etc. This is the component, which is in charge with the decision and the implementation of the new ideas and proposals designed by the University. Recently, in Brazil, the public sector has included an ombudsman for the environment in São Paulo, which represents an enormous advance in the strategies for environmental planning and management in river basins. The example is described in detail in Chapter 4, section 4.3.4. of this publication. The Role of the Private Sector The private sector also has a key role in the partnership system. It can develop joint ventures and consortia with the Universities regarding the implementation of new and innovative environmental technologies. It can contribute with funding of specific projects, for which joint incentives with the public sector can be promoted. Industries interacting with the public sector and Universities and interrelated with the "water industry" can promote an enhancement of controls for eutrophication and can provide substantial input to the management process. Industry can also help in the establishment of new criteria and demands for the preparation of qualified human resources. In addition, industry can be actively engaged in providing "environmental jobs" for the local community. These jobs will enhance community participation in the environmental problems and increase the potentiality for eutrophication preservation and recovery. Community Participation The confrontation between development and conservation is due, partly, to the excessive centralization and the attitude of governments towards the use of resources. The local community has other designs and aspirations for the use of resources in the river basin and one of the greatest benefits of decentralization is the possibility to include the view of the community in the development of the river basin management strategies, and environmental planning. Therefore, community participation has the important objective to criticize, redirect, and offer alternatives to development plans. Without this participation any regional development plan with an environmental background will fail and the word "sustainable development" will be only rhetoric. The effectiveness of the conservation, recovery, and planning programmes can be very much increased with public participation. This includes not only the representatives in the public sector, but also a direct participation throughout the NGOs and conservation societies. The University needs to develop strong links with the local community. For that, it is necessary to decode the scientific information to the general public and an interface should be created. This interface could be the NGOs, syndicates, school teachers, and professional associations which would assist in the process of increasing communication and awareness and producing better visibility for the scientific programmes and projects, showing clearly the application. The community can participate in programmes of recycling, reforestation, and helping in the circulation of ideas in the river watershed. Periodic training courses for school teachers and school children related with the watershed, field excursions, observations, and experiments should increase the interest, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and help in the recovery of the "environmental memory". In many countries, large-scale urbanization has disrupted the natural ecosystem so much that it is necessary to recover the human relationships with the river basin and the natural environment. Education, training, and public awareness are critical for sustainable development of water resources as discussed in Chapter 4 of this publication Main Roles to be Developed for a Long-term Programme in River Basin Management UNIVERSITY
PUBLIC SECTOR (at regional and local level)
PRIVATE SECTOR
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Development of partnerships in river watershed management is a long-term process which needs to progress with two basic assumptions: a) A systematic and articulated approach to the problem, with the watershed as a unit (ecosystem approach). b) The aim is a better quality of life and sustainable development.
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