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The News N° 24
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inTeRnaTional evenTs
This applies to many sectors such as hydropo-
wer and cooling of thermal and nuclear
power plants, food production with irrigation,
fisheries and aquaculture, urbanization with
the needs for drinking water supply and sani-
tation or inland waterways transport, etc.
The water sector is one of the most directly
affected by changes in the hydrological
cycles, and thus in the spatial and temporal
availability of resources and in impacts on all
uses.
The assessment, using various scena-
rios, of the hydrological consequences
of global changes, is quickly required in
each basin!
Research and prospective efforts should be
increased and accelerated to give local field
decision makers the essential elements for
designing appropriate and necessary diversi-
fied programs.
It is also essential to prepare future
generations
by developing educational
tools and youth participation, relying particu-
larly on
Youth Water Parliaments.
Anticipation, the taking into account of uncer-
tainty and the capacity to plan on the long
term should be the new bases of water
management policies.
The exchange of information on good prac-
tices is essential: UNECE and INBO have star-
ted to establish
a network of pilot basin
organizations to test measures for
adapting to climate change.
With regard to floods, the "upstream-
downstream" common cause should be
the basis of consistent and coordinated
management on the scale of basins and
sub-basins
both for prevention and protec-
tion. This is especially true in transboundary
basins where cooperation between riparian
States should be promoted.
The prevention of droughts must be
planned in the long term in each basin,
by solving the structural problems
which occur, in order to prevent, in the
best possible way, their effects and to
avoid the total degradation of water
resources.
All the uses are concerned, especially water
use in agriculture, which must be rationalized
as well as possible.
Pressures on water resources require looking
for new ways, such as the use of non-conven-
tional water and reuse of treated water.
Mobilizing new resources and creating new
reserves are needed; this should be done
after making sure that water demands are
rationalized and that projects are ecologically
acceptable and economically reasonable. “No
regret” approaches should be sufficiently
flexible to adapt to highly fluctuating situa-
tions in the future.
Cooperation between riparian Coun-
tries of transboundary rivers, lakes and
aquifers should be improved.
It is urgent that existing cooperation agree-
ments, conventions or treaties be broadened
and strengthened.
Where there is no agreement yet, it is essen-
tial that the riparian countries establish one
and create common institutions necessary for
its implementation.
The 1992 Helsinki Convention
on the pro-
tection and use of transboundary water-
courses and international lakes, on the one
hand, and
the United Nations Conven-
tion of 1997
on the other give a framework
for improving transboundary cooperation in
the field of water.
In addition,
the European Water Frame-
work Directive (WFD)
proposes regional
cooperation in the field of water based on the
principles of integrated basin management. It
may inspire other regions of the World.
While thinking has started for defining
the
UN post 2015 Sustainable Development
Goals,
INBO considers essential to include
water resources management in the top prio-
rities as this more and more scarce resource is
essential for economic, social and environ-
mental development.
It intends to get mobilized for the next major
world events on water, especially for the
7
th
World Water Forum, the United Nations
Climate Conferences and for the first Interna-
tional Environment Forum for Basin Organiza-
tions to be organized by UNEP in 2014.
INBO member organizations have more
and more recognized experience and
know-how which they intend to share,
disseminate and put at the disposal of
all the countries and institutions which
would like to follow them in an effec-
tive basin management approach.
The General Assembly thanked
the National
Water Agency (ANA) and the Brazilian
Network of Basin Organizations (REBOB)
for their outstanding welcoming in Fortaleza.
It congratulated
the Organization for the
Development of the Senegal River
(OMVS)
and its two High Commissioners,
Their Excellencies M.S Ould Merzoug and R.
Komara, for the masterful way in which they
have assumed the World Presidency of INBO
since the General Assembly in Dakar in 2010.
Mr. Lupercio Ziroldo Antonio, President
of REBOB, was elected new INBO Presi-
dent until the next General Assembly
that will take place in Mexico in 2016.
The website of basin management
worldwide.
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319 delegates coming from 49 countries © IOWater - C.Runel
”For better basin management over the world!”
