Water and Green Growth in developing countries

1. The Korean Initiative for Sustainable Development- “Water and Green Growth”". September 9, 2012, Jeju Island, South Korea Water and Green Growth in developing countries SalmahZakaria ESWRS/EDD ESCAP UNITED NATIONS ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

2. Table of Contents • Messages • Green Growth, Green Economy & IWRM/IRBM • ESCAP Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap • Water and Green Growth (WGG) • Water-Food-Energy Nexus and others • Implementation of WGG in developing countries

3. Messages • Managing the water as best as we can is critical as our resources are finite • Numerous case studies, but results are still isolated • If WGG is managing water in an integrated, holistic manner, and have the elements of environment, economics and social sustainability • Then it is perhaps not something new, but re-newed, rebranded, re-invigorated • If WGG (and its hybrids) must be implemented at country/local levels there is a need to bridge the communication divide, between rhetoricsand reality • A WGG “story board”?

4. Definition:Green Growth, Green Economy & IWRM • David Pearce at el Green Economy- Blueprint for a Green Economy (1989 ) • Sustainable development….include providing a bequest to the next generation ….. at least equal to that inherited by current generation • GWP’s IWRM GWP, TEC Background Paper No. 4: Integrated Water Resources Management ( • IWRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems • UNEP’s Green Economy http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/AboutGEI/WhatisGEI/tabid/29784/Default.aspx (2009) • improved human well-being and social equity • significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities • low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive • OECD’s Green Growth http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3542/The_OECD_Green_Growth_Strategy.html (2011) • foster economic growth and development, while ensuring that the earth’s natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our wellbeing relies. • ESCAP’s Green Growth http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/lcgg/index.asp (2012) • Low carbon, socially inclusive, ecological-based, innovative and efficient

5. ….and…..the Blue Economy • “…an economic paradigm in which water sustainability is rewarded” as “water fuels the global economy” • …reduced demands through conservation, efficiency, re-use and the replenishment of natural system • Narrowing the gap between water demand and supply • Technological innovation • Policy, human and financial innovation – creating enabling environment for solutions D Henderson & NR Parker: The Blue Economy-Risks and opportunities in addressing global water crisis, 2012

6. The definitions • The many definitions • Are these a matter of semantics, real differences or required renewals/energizers? • How do the developing world –digest these and implement them - considering • minimal grasp of the English Language • Many just coming out of destabilizing environment and focusing on developing basic needs • Others, may be autocratic, with few technical leaders that can quickly understand the issues • Is water in GG a subset of GE, which is a subset of IWRM/IRBM, which is subset of MDGs and is in turn a subset SDGs • How does it matters? • There is also the multiple, urgent and critical water security issues – beyond water supply and sanitation e.g. as indicated in ESCAP’s Asia Pacific Hotspots • How can international organizations effectively assist the developing countries? • Making sense beyond the rhetoric

7. ESCAP’s AP Hot Spots • 1st produced in the ESCAP Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2012 – pg 98 • Analyzing 10 water related challenges in AP base on available information from the WB • Reproduced in the UN WWDR4- Vol1 –pg 195

8. ESCAP Green Growth Roadmapfor Asia and the Pacific • 5 Tracks in ESCAP Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap • Improving quality of growth and maximizing net growth • Changing the invisible structure of the economy: closing the gap between economic and ecological efficiency • Legal and institutional framework, fiscal policies • Changing visible structure of the economy: planning and designing eco-efficient infrastructure • Urban planning and design, transport systems, green buildings, energy and water infrastructure and solid waste management • Turning green into a business opportunity • Formulating and implementing low-carbon development • Ref: ESCAP Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific, www.unescap.org/esd/environment

9. Water and Green Growth • The vision for water and green growth (Ania Grobicki 2010) • Improvements in systems and institutions for water management can enhance green growth and nurture resilience to climate change. • Innovative approaches to limiting consumption of water resources, such as water recycling and reuse in domestic as well as industrial sectors, can protect the environment and help maximize the volume of water available for human use. • Technological advancements and integrated approaches to water management can also improve efficiency of water use • rainwater harvesting (dams & reservoirs, households & urban floods) • use of information technologies for decision making systems, • more efficient irrigation systems and water supply systems, • Water recycling in industry and agriculture • Released of fully treated wastewater into the environment • storm water management and • aquifer management http://www.gwp.org/Global/Events/COP16/Managing%20Water%20for%20Green%20Growth_Dr%20Grobicki%20article.pdf

10. Ref: http://www.waterandgreengrowth.org/fileadmin/wgg/common/Reports/WWC_ExecutiveSummary_EXE_LD_V2.pdf, pg 9

11. Water- food-energy nexus • Why these three resources? • Shared concerns about access to water, sanitation, energy, and food; compounded by growing challenges to resource availability, management and sustainability; • Water, energy, and food sectors are connected in important ways, and actions in one sector have the potential to either help or harm the other two; • Based on a better understanding of the inter-dependencies across water, energy and food challenges, the nexus approach provides a more comprehensive base for allocating scarce resources. Bonn Perspectives Adapted from Bazilian et al 2011

12. Water- food-energy nexus • The “new” kid-on-the-block? • Some others, new & not so new, initiatives but so essential for implementation at local level • Integrated National Physical Plans • Including river basin master plans/blue prints • Integrated Flood Management • For whole river basin – bridging the urban and rural water • Integrated Urban Waters management • Incorporating water supply, waste water treatment, flash floods, etc • Integrated Agricultural water management • Incorporating soil-water-crop continuum in the production systems • etc

13. WGG in developing countries Case Studies • GWP ToolBox -http://www.gwptoolbox.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=5 • Case studies by regions and with linkages to toolbox partners • ESCAP Low-Carbon GG Road Map • 50 case studies with some focusing on water and green growth • UNW-DPC –Water and Green Economy, Capacity Development Aspects (2012) • 10 chapters – each a case study • OECD report prepared for the 6WWFhttp://www.waterandgreengrowth.org/fileadmin/wgg/common/Reports/WWC_ExecutiveSummary_EXE_LD_V2.pdf, • 26 case studies: covering ecosystem recovery & water quality; watershed management; planning policy & governance; innovation & technology; and Infrastructure • etc

14. Green Growth Case studies Ref: http://www.waterandgreengrowth.org/fileadmin/wgg/common/Reports/WWC_ExecutiveSummary_EXE_LD_V2.pdf, pg 11

15. Green Growth Case studies Ref: http://www.waterandgreengrowth.org/fileadmin/wgg/common/Reports/WWC_ExecutiveSummary_EXE_LD_V2.pdf, pg 11

16. Other related Reports • IWRM Progress Report – GWP/JWF report on IWRM implementation in Asia Pacific to 4WWF in Mexico • ESCAP ‘s efforts under MIR (Monitoring of Investments an Results) on water resources management – since 1st APWS Inclusion of IWRM in National Plans http://www.unesco.org/water/news/pdf/wwf4_report_iwrm.pdf

17. Implementation of WGG in developing countries • So why do we continue to have critical problems in water management? • Leadership? Awareness? Communication? • Rio+20 “The future we want” • A need to continue the development agenda • Focus on multi-sectoral integrated approach, to break the focus on silos • Balanced approach with more focus on social equity • New from Rio+20 • Bottom up consultation from member countries on what is needed vis-à-vis life realities • Adding on resilience and shared equity to inclusiveness and sustainability • Strengthened mandate for the five Regional Commissions

18. Merging development initiatives • To lead to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) • Through understanding of local physical unit and realities • Cities are part of a river basin/sub-basin and river basin is ecological based • Planned development with a river basin master plan/s • Identify focus of development of each basin/sub-basin; agriculture, industry, eco-tourism etc – and synergize • Identify eco sensitive areas: steep slope, wetlands, floodways • Identify locations of industrial estates, housing, public utilities, roads, railways etc • where possible away from eco-sensitive areas • where otherwise , developed local resilience : eg buildings elevated/on stilts • Revisit the multi-sectoral national/federal development plans, to • Include the required governance policies, capacity building, advocacy, awareness etc, as well as the physical planning, from the very begininng • Analyze end-to-end development initiatives; where will the waste go, can it be recycled; can the waste be minimize; what can be capitalized for sustainable economic development • eg waste to energy, water recycle, etc • etc

19. Seamless WGG “Story Board” • Can the development and implementation of WGG be presented in a “seamless development Story Board” on water management or WGG • Pictures/visuals speak a thousand words • It can also be edited/updated and changed, with new players included along the way • Can the “Story Board” include other related components of developments, besides governances and finance, energy, social welfare, • eg transport, trade, etc • so that we can explain the breaking of “silos” and explain the meaning of all inclusive to developing countries • If so, where/how do we start?

20. Thank you