Thousands pour into Istanbul for the 5th World Water Forum
Story and photos by Gamze Celikyilmaz-Aydemir
After two years of difficult organisational work, the Fifth World Water Forum (WWF) took place in Istanbul, Turkey on March 16-22, drawing an estimated 25,000 registered participants. The event, carrying the theme 'Bridging Divides for Water', was held on two campuses positioned at opposite sides of the Golden Horn, with participants reaching venues either by boat or via the historic Galata Bridge.
Decisions, decisions
Forum organisers claimed that event would "enable multi-stakeholder participation to influence water policy making at a global level," though one general criticism leveled at the WWF is that policy makers have not been present at session discussions, and that decisions have been taken behind closed doors — often without regard for public discussion. This issue was raised in several speeches: Kusum Athukorala from Associated Development Research Consultants, for example, stressed during the opening of the 'thematic sessions' that outcomes of forum discussions must be taken into account during the following ministerial process.
Moreover, other quarters have complained that event organisers opted to exclude NGOs potentially critical of the WWF agenda from setting up side-events at forum venues. Numerous applications to participate at side-events were rejected, as well. Some NGOs did manage to participate in side events, such as 'On the Commons,' formerly the Tomales Bay Institute, which is an international network on a mission to advance a new worldview of commons for all. Charged and well-attended sessions such as these, however, were too often confined to small rooms of the venue.
Tom Vereijken, chairman of the European Water Partnership, noted in his speech that the most important water-related decisions have actually been taken outside the sector. And while arguing that Europe has made significant strides in decoupling economic development and pollution, he pointed out that there are still some 10 million Europeans without adequate provision of sanitation.
Hot topics
Many issues were covered during throughout the multi-day event, though much of the discussion was linked to six major themes, namely: adapting to the impacts of climate change; disaster management and risk reduction; financing of water management; transboundary water issues; water as a crosscutting issue between food, agriculture and energy; and access to fresh water and sanitation.
Sanitation and access to freshwater in poorer countries was probably the most widely discussed, and it was often expressed quite volubly that the phrase "access to clean water and sanitation are human rights" needs to be included in the official wording of the WWF's ministerial declaration.
Another subject open to broad discussion was adaptation of freshwater resources and related sectors and their relationship to climate change. Venue rooms were packed to standing room-only capacity for these talks, with listeners carefully tuning in to suggestions on how to mitigate the serious effects of this phenomenon. Officials from Spain, a country which has suffered long droughts since 2002, shared their experiences of making do during times of water scarcity.
During the regional session for Europe, Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency, addressed complexity of water-related issues, and suggested that instead of seeking funds for disaster relief, the long-term goal should be to reduce risks well in advance. She also lamented Europe's lack of a 'climate archive'. Adding that the continent's current supply-led water management scheme is unsustainable, McGlade argued that a sustainable demand-led approach is needed instead. She also accused current water-pricing regimes as being insensitive to the needs of the poor.
Privatisation: an ethical lightning rod
One of the most emotionally charged water-related issues is that water privatisation. Many people taking part at the WWF have been active in opposing privatisation of their countries' freshwater resources, which they believe should become or remain a public resource. Several governments have chosen to privatise (wholly or partially) the management of various waterworks systems, the outcome of which is often an increase in water rates. Meanwhile, many people in several countries already find water difficult to afford, and water access in general is a key component of any type of development. Water privatisation is linked directly to human rights concerns with respect to access to water, and a popular refrain during the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul was that the practice baldly contradicts Millennium Development Goals.
Herardo Muller, a representative from the South African Government, argued that water privatisation has a specific role to play, but complained that activities related to its application are taking place "in the air" and not on the ground.
The decision of many governments to privatise waterworks management has or will raise water prices — but not without certain benefits, according to some. "It is easier to handle a few waterworks companies rather than trying to handle hundreds of municipalities," claimed Gulsevim Sener from the Turkish Ministry of Environment. Sener added: "We can get water quality data from [these companies] whenever we want, but many municipalities do not have this capacity."
One NGO representative from Pakistan disagreed: "Privatisation in our country is not acceptable, because this will increase water prices four to five times. This would be okay if the government agreed to subsidise the increase." The representative added that in parts of Pakistan local governments tried to privatise waterworks management, but prices got so high that nobody could pay the bills.
Flowing forward
Other debates focused specifically on water-related situations in poorer countries. In one such discussion the case was made that countries lacking sufficient water infrastructure should not be expected to share water for ecological needs. Other arguments stressed the importance of integrating ecosystems into land use planning and water management. Another discussion revolved around the mobilisation of financial sources between countries according to various needs.
The WWF 'wrap-up' sessions provided attendees with an opportunity to review various discussions and to make recommendations. Some of the more noteworthy recommendations were that outcomes of WWF5 should be integrated into Kyoto Protocol negotiations through the UNFCCC, and that climate change adaptation and disaster risk management should be integrated into the wider political agenda.
Finally, the Fifth World Water Forum featured water-themed demonstrations from civil society groups, in addition to several artistic performances and cultural exhibitions for those seeking an occasional break from the steady stream of discussions. The venues were also equipped with bins for separated waste collection, and water fountains for participants requiring liquid nourishment.
