Asia-Pacific Water Forum

Why the people are going for urban area. If they feel that their shelter in rural pockets will not provide enough opportunities for earning then immediately they flock to cities. Hence a policy of making rural as an urbanized rural will alone solve the problem of migration.
Industries should be started in rural pockets to feed the hungry rural people. Infrastructure including water should be provided in quality to the rural. Many rural women are walking for morethan 5kms to fetch a pot of water. Thus the womenfolk forefeit their study, work etc.
Poverty rises at the cost of drinking water.Who should be blamed for it.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.17 2007 17:23 | url: |

In Outline of recommendations for Theme C, the water management between environmental flow and agricultural water use in the continental river basins are mainly commented.
The water management in the continental river basins is an immediate problem, but it seems that this Recommendations has to be commented about more extensive problems such as following issues.

1. The necessity of the integrated water resource management plan
It seems that the integrated water resource management plan is needed to accommodate between various purposes of water use.
The water resource conservation plan, the water supply plan, the water use reduction plan and the water reuse plan should be contained in the integrated management plan.
Therefore, it should be included that this Recommendations refer to the water resource conservation methods, the accommodation methods between various purposes of water use including environmental flow, and the water use reduction methods, under the influence of Global warming.
In addition, it seems necessary to refer the water resource development method concerned with the flood control measures, in particularly in South Asian countries where the most of annual precipitation are concentrated for the flood season.

2. The necessity of considering various purposes of water use
Although agricultural water takes a large proportion of total water use, there are different purposes of water use such as industrial water, domestic water, hydropower, and so on. A part of water used by these purposes will cycle and go back to rivers, and a part of water will consume and not go back to rivers. In order to accommodate water use, it is necessary to consider the present state and future of such complex situations of water use.
Therefore, it should be better that this Recommendations refer to the accommodation methods between various form of water use.

3. The necessity of considering circumstances of various countries
There are many continental and international rivers in this region, on the other hand there are countries which have only domestic rivers like the Pacific countries. Island countries are different from countries which have international rivers in having problems such as the domestic and small size of rivers, the low storage capacity of watersheds.
Therefore, it should be better that this Recommendations refer to the solution of these problems in island countries.

| by Shigeyuki NISHIDA | 09.13 2007 13:09 | url: |

Investment in the Irrigation sector is the topic of today. Many business houses should come forward to invest in agriculture. The retail vegetable show room established by the Reliance group is a welcome sign in this regard.Pollution free irrigation is highly required. For which the use of bioorganic farm or organic farm is highly recommended.
Effective policies and programmes on Integrated approach alone will solve the maladies in agriculture. Whether the entire nation would accept this policy.
Maintaining the health status of urban water bodies is the paramount duty of policy makers and administrators.Climatic variation will have a telling effect on water sources. Hence the adaptability to the climatic change is the need of the hour. Our farmers have to shift their choice of cultivating grains to the changing mood of climate.
Threats in the water bodies in flow regimes and precipitation patterns has to be seriously viewed by the administrators.
All should be ready to adjust with the rising sealevel and changes in delta hydrology.
Depend upon the environment fluctuation, the mindset of farmers should change to go for a new type of cultivation.A thorough understanding of ecosystem will be helpful for the administrators to provide a better solution to the problems of water scarcity faced by the common man. A long lasting solution is highly recommended rather than a short term benefit.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:45 | url: |

The distribution of benefit across society is more uneven. I strongly agree.

What are the steps to be taken to solve this menace. The tax breaks, tenure and other financial and non-financial instruments should be considered for the affected parties. Upland and Upstream communities are mostly affected and they should be suitably compensated.

Water sharing among the users should be clearly marked and the three Rs such as Reduce, Recycle and Reuse should be carefully handled with the technical background to save the water.

Food security is one of the need of the hour. Hence water management is tuned to achieve the best result in food security. Policy-makers can avoid conflict between agriculture and competing sectors by providing direction and incentives for reform of irrigation management and infrastructure. This concept is a welcome sign.
Incentives is the order of the day. Hence providing incentives to the rainfed agriculture is an acceptable one. But what is the scale by which the output could be measured? Equitable investment is an another good idea. Water finance is the talk of this time. How to make the public to get involved in water projects through finance partnership. This is the major task faced by the governments.
It is very clear that rainfed and irrigated agriculture has to be supported.I accept the fact that policy alone can make the communities sustained with food security, health and sanitation. But the stakeholders and involvement of public also counts much.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:42 | url: |

This is a good idea of linking development , livelihoods and ecosystem. But how it should be brought in to picture? Who has to take the re E-flows can be a catalyst for obtaining information and analysis from a diverse range of stakeholders and specialists such as ecologists, hydrologists, lawyers, planners, social scientists, etc. Information and analysis of this type is essential for decision-making that affects the trade-offs associated with water management. It is a good idea. How about the illetrate farmers who form a major user of water.The information regarding the cultivation of Paddy, the water requirements of Paddy, and for which what type of basins are required, how much water is needed, how to conserved the required water etc has to be disseminated for the better out put of administration on environment.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:40 | url: |

The Multinational companies swindle the money from Indian Population in the name of soft beverages .

There is a hue and cry aganist one MNC aganist taking water from Indian soil at the rate of Paise 0.10/ l and sold back to the Indian people in the name of mineral water at the cost of Rs 12/l. The affected community raised their voices but so far no decisive decision has been taken.

Another Scientific lab proved the presence of Pesticides in the MNC soft beverage, but the voice of this lab is not all taken for granted properly.

If this trend goes, should we say that we are run by transparency and participation.
A clear cut definition of water rights are highly necessary and it should be followed in letter and spirit.
There is no compromise in the water rights between states. Is it possible for a coalition govt.Definitely there is a chance for resources competition, hence there is a vast scope for political pressure on the subject. How this could be setteled in a country having federal set up?
Our state has a bitter experience of dialogues on water sharing . Nearly fifty meetings have been arranged to negotiate the water sharing between T.Nadu and Karnataka on one side and T.Nadu and Kerala on other side. Inspite of this dialogue , the problem is still alive without any solutions. In this context how negotiations with lips can solve the problem unless the heart unites.The suffers are still suffering and gainers are gaining some way or other. This is the real situation.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:39 | url: |

I accept the fact that implementation of ecosystem approaches has not been upto the mark.
Whether we are following Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration.
How about the information regarding the ecosystem. Whether it reaches to the last citizen of the country in a proper form. What type of Participatory mechanism is offered to the public in the water managment in IndiaHow about the Justice for Water Problems. In the case of sharing Cauvery water in Tamilnadu , the order has been issued by the court but how about the response of the governments to that order.
Do the state governments stick to the lines of the order of the court. This question has to be discussed. What steps should be taken to the defaulters of justice in the case of environmental matters. Governance is still to be improved. The laws are available in the book but whether this law is put into use in curbing the acts of damaging the enviornment. Participation of society cautious stake holder is highly required rather than a biased stake holder.
The opportunities for open dialogue and participation in the water management is still infancy. No active dialogue has been conducted. We the people are praising the man at the helm of affairs rather than focussing our valuable points related to the environmental issues. The voice of person who speaks aganist poor administration is being curtailed and so the real problem is not exposed. Who is responsible for this?Transparency and accountability are the watch words for better management. How it should be inculcated in the democratic set up. Our mindset has to be changed to go for society oriented tasks rather than self developed endaveours.
By providing legal and policy frame work we can boost the image of inputs of society by various stakeholders.But the question arises whether the government has good stake holders on their merit or not. If the stake holders are genuine then the mechanism will be good other wise it would be viceversa. Multi stake dialogues and informed networks could be useful for only those who can understand the communciation well. It will not suit for the illetrated farmers.
Social justice ethics could be provided if the ruler has the guts of governing through transparent and participatory way. Is it possible in the present context? whether in the democratic or dictorial attitude.
It has to be discussed in a larger extent.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:37 | url: |

Expanding economies means over industrialisation, urbanisation will definitely lead to the demand of more water. This will be a headache for the rulers.Water and Politics is the main theme. The People should understand that every one should be free from thirst. Each and every one has a right to taste the drops of water, No one can say that this water belongs to me as the water is the gift of nature. We cannot have right over Nature. Tension will be there as long as the Tenderness is missing in the hearts of people. Giving provides more happy than taking. Decentralization will not help a lot for water sharing and management. Like that closed decision making will become utter failure in terms of water management and for which the policy framing authority should go for transparent decision making system.Climate change is a universal phenomenon. Hence no country can escape from the clutches of this cliamatic change. The people alone should understand that they are main responsible for this change. The outcome of this change will be presentable in different forms, naturally. But we must be cautious and so we could avoid another Tsunami effect.Naturally the changes in the hydrological regimes will affect the aquatic biodiverstiy. Thus it will cause more damage to the economic and social values of this product.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:35 | url: |

The conflict between commitments to environment sustainability and poverty reduction is to be rectified through Green Growth with in the gambit of MDG. This attempt may divert economic growth a little. This worry has not been putforwarded as the environmental safety and security is above than the mere economic growth in the eyes of environmentalist. But as an economist, the economic growth is the pivotal one. Hence which is more needed Environmental sustainability or Economic stability? This is to be discussed in detail.
Holistic water management is the need of the hour. Yes what type of holisitic management? Who has to work? Which one should be given more prominence? Whether political system will accept and implement holistic approach whole heartedly? What are limitations of this approach? These questions has arisen while reading the theme.

It is good to have a idea of goals of ecosystem production and human developement. I can not get the meaning of human development through ecosystem protection. More clear note is needed on this vital aspect.

What innovative approaches will make the management more successful? Is there any classical examples of success stories of this type of innovative approaches. An awareness is needed for the water management . But a single type of awareness can not match the mindset of all sections of society. Hence broder aspects of awareness programmes has to be thought over to be carried out to make the public understand the value of water management.
Unity in diversity is the success slogan of India. The sources of attempt may vary according to the differences in political , geographical, socio-economic conditions of the people all over Asia Pacific region. But the target is only one that is providing safe and secure water to the public and to conserve the water for the future generation.I understand that this is the main problem in agri based countries. Which are the success formulae to overcome this problem. Is there any attempt to divert more water from agri to other domestic uses.Why the degradation has occured? How to prevent this degradation ? This thinking will help to solve the problem of watershed degradation.No country has escaped from the agriculture, industrial and urbanization revolution. How to successfully manage the water due to this revolution has to be thought over.Rich becomes Richer and Poor becomes Poorer, this is the trend interms of economic growth. The population living below poverty line normally grows in the same level from 2000 to till date. This trend will be the same in the years to come.

| by Dr.P.S.Navaraj | 09.05 2007 17:33 | url: |

About the Preliminary findings:
It is true that the agriculture is the largest water consumer in the region; however, present problems of water are mainly caused by concentration of population to urban areas and rapid growth in industries. The governments in the region have been invested their limited resources to conventional water resources development projects. Although there were a lot of arguments on those projects, the projects in general contributing to economic and social development in the region.

About the conclusion of the Preliminary findings:
Similar words are voiced at different occasions and places but in some cases it had resulted a simplistic misunderstanding that conservation of upstream ecosystem including forest and paddy field is the only and sufficient solution to solve quantitative and qualitative problems. It was just true in case of journalism. Economy and society in Asia-Monsoon area is deeply depending on water resources, particularly in paddy cultivating areas. Moreover their economic and social activities are so high and continuing that water demand will grow anyway. In such situation, water resources development projects are crucial in most of the countries despite its bad publicity. Increase of property which is a concrete indicator of living standard is resulting increase of flood vulnerability even if no natural and/or ecological change is assumed. I afraid, that this statement fosters misunderstanding of people and negligence by the governments for flood mitigation, water resources development and establishment of water saving society, while strengthening the conservation of the ecosystem, the upstream watershed, and the agricultural landscapes are also key elements without any question.

About the Recommendations
All the items integrated in the recommendations are logical; however the temporal frame and social and economic situations in each area shall be taken into account. Although conservation and restoration of the ecosystem shall be initiated as soon as possible, water environment in urban area and mitigation of water shortage and damage caused by the too much water are the matters of great urgency. Restoration of forest may improve flow regimes however; its effect may be uncertain and may be realized in longer time span. Therefore I suggest accommodating such facts in the Recommendation. Otherwise, this Recommendation may carry little conviction to the authorities, while no one makes objection.

| by Toshikatsu OMACHI | 08.27 2007 22:58 | url: |