6
The News N° 24 - March 2014
inTeRnaTional evenTs
9
th
World General Assembly
of the International Network of Basin Organizations
Declaration of Fortaleza
The 9
th
General Assembly of the Interna-
tional Network of Basin Organizations
took place in Fortaleza, in Brazil, from
13 to 16 August 2013.
It gathered 319 delegates, coming from
49 countries.
The meeting dealt with the adaptation to the
world great challenges that are population
growth, increasing food and energy demand
or the effects of Climate Change, which were
discussed during five round tables:
➊
Water management in the new post
2015 Sustainable Development
Goals of the UN;
➋
Adaptation to the effects of climate
change and prevention of extreme
phenomena of floods and droughts;
➌
Institutional frameworks for action
of Basin Organizations and partici-
pation of local authorities, water
users and the public;
➍
Management of transboundary
rivers, lakes and aquifers,
➎
Financing of water management
and of basin organizations.
From the debates, it emerged that inte-
grated water resources management in
basins, whether local, national or trans-
boundary, is essential worldwide.
The experiments of integrated basin manage-
ment carried out today in many countries,
some of which are fifty years old, show the
relevance of this approach.
The General Assembly reaffirmed some
conditions to guarantee the success of
basin management:
It is compulsory to
develop approaches
which integrate surface, ground and
coastal waters,
seek cross and inter-secto-
ral solutions, reduce pressures on available
resources, restore the hydro-morphology of
rivers and protect or restore aquatic ecosys-
tems.
Integrated information systems
should
allow having knowledge on resources and
their uses, on polluting pressures, ecosystems
and their functioning, risks and evolution
follow-up.
Production and availability of reliable infor-
mation and data are essential to enable
a
constructive dialogue between part-
ners,
facilitate decision-making and evaluate
the results of the implemented policies.
These information systems should take data
on climate change into account.
Basin management plans or master
plans,
established through dialogue with all
the stakeholders should define the medium
and long-term objectives to be achieved,
through the development of
Programs of
Measures and successive multiyear
priority investments.
Sustainable financing of water resour-
ces management and of the basin orga-
nizations that are in charge of it must be
guaranteed regarding investments and
operation
and based on the application of
the ”polluter pays” and ”user pays” princi-
ples, ensuring all necessary geographical and
cross-sectoral equalizations, and true soli-
darity between all categories of users and
combining national or local administrative
taxes, the pricing of community services, and
taxes specific to objectives selected through
dialogue.
At the side of the relevant Governmental
Administrations, active participation in deci-
sion-making of the local Authorities concer-
ned, including municipalities, representatives
of different categories of users and associa-
tions for environmental protection or of public
interest should be organized.
The establishment of Basin Committees
or Councils seems to be the best way of
ensuring all the stakeholders’ participa-
tion, provided that they have the neces-
sary resources made available.
These Basin bodies should be involved in the
decision-making related to water policy in
their basin, with procedures and a mandate
clearly defining their role. They allow establi-
shing the necessary cross-sectoral links for
the exchange of information and dialogue
among all the partners.
Their establishment or their reinforcement
should be a priority for the donors.
”The World PACT for better river basin
management”,
initiated by INBO in March
2012 during the Marseilles 6
th
World Water
Forum and signed today by 128 organiza-
tions from the whole world, is based on all
these principles.
Adaptation to the effects of global and
climate changes is a local and world
priority!
The social, economic and ecological conse-
quences may be very significant and require a
quick mobilization
to prepare the neces-
sary adaptation programs in each
basin,
taking account of surface and ground-
water.
The opening ceremony © IOWater - C.Runel
