IW:LEARN GLOBAL GROUNDWATER COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

Multiple Dimensions of Groundwater Governance

WEBINAR by Lucilla Minelli, Kirstin Conti and Andrea MerlaOctober 17th, 2013

GEF Targets Groundwater – Part 1Outlook

GROUNDWATER represents 96% of Earth’s unfrozen freshwater

A CRITICAL RESOURCE

Groundwater Governance aims at ensuring full and long lasting use of groundwater resources and dependent ecosystem services

WATER SECURITY

SDG on WATER?

Haiti – photo m.miletto

The recognition of the role of groundwater in the GEF International Waters Strategy for the GEF 6th Cycle

Groundwater ?

The new proposed International Waters strategy for the 6th GEF replenishment cycle states:

“Groundwater governance frameworks remain weak”

“There is thus an urgent need for more systematically linking surface and groundwater governance systems and management”

“The technical and governance needs are challenging and not yet comprehensively addressed in the existing GEF International Waters portfolio.”

IW1: Catalyze sustainable management of transboundary water systems by supporting multi- state cooperation through foundational capacity building, targeted research and portfolio learning.

PROGRAM 1.1 (90-120 $US): Foster cooperation for sustainable use of transboundary water systems and economic growth.

Outcome 1.1.1: Political commitment/shared vision and improved governance demonstrated for joint, ecosystem-based management of 7-9 new transboundary water bodies.

Outcome 1.1.2: On-the-ground demonstration actions implemented, such as in water quality, quantity, conjunctive management of groundwater and surface water, fisheries, coastal habitats.

IW 2: Catalyze investments to balance competing water- uses in the management of transboundary surface and groundwater and enhance multi-state cooperation

PROGRAM 2. 1 (130-150 $US): Advance Conjunctive Management of Surface and Groundwater Resources

Outcome 2.1.1: Improved governance of shared water bodies, including conjunctive management of surface and groundwater through regional institutions and frameworks for cooperation lead to increased environmental and socio-economic benefits.

Outcome 2.1.2: Increased management capacity of regional and national institutions to incorporate climate variability and change, including improved capacity for management of floods and droughts.

• Is this enough?

• Do these strategies, programs and expected outcomes, address the major global threats to the sustainability of groundwater resources and of their dependent ecosystems? (deepening of the water tables, salinization, nutrients pollution - compounded by the transboundary nature of the resource)

• Do they allow consideration of the yet untapped opportunities for the strategic uses of deeper aquifers and of subsurface space?

• Will they foster the visibility of this hidden resource, the recognition of its often transboundary nature, and awareness on its vulnerability?

• Will they help to unravel the interdependencies linking groundwater, land use, urban development, energy production and mining?

IW:LEARN GLOBAL GROUNDWATER COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

Multiple Dimensions of Groundwater Governance

WEBINAR by Lucilla Minelli, Kirstin Conti and Andrea MerlaOctober 17th, 2013

GEF Targets Groundwater – Part 2Groundwater Governance – A Global Framework

for Action

Objectives of the project

• Bring to the global attention the urgent need for improved governance of groundwater resources

• Identify and promote globally valid guiding principles for managing groundwater resources at the country level

Project process and milestones

1. Baseline

• Status of groundwater governance

2. Diagnostic

• Scientific and technical knowledge, regional and country experiences

3. Vision

• A shared vision for groundwater governance

4. A global Framework for Action (2014)

Policy and institutional guidelines, recommendations, best practices.

Phase 1. The baselineObjectives

agreement on the scientific and economic issues in relation to groundwater management, consensus on the scope for future action.

Outputs

• A working definition of groundwater governance

• Case studies exemplifying various socio-economic, geologic and climatic conditions: India, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Iran, Libya, Morocco, Near East Region, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Yemen.

• 12 Thematic papers synthesizing the current knowledge and experience concerning key economic, policy, institutional, environmental and technical aspects of groundwater management, and address emerging issues and innovative approaches.

Thematic Papers• Groundwater Governance: Synthesis of Thematic Papers and Case Studies• No.1 – Trends in groundwater pollution; trends in loss of groundwater quality and related

aquifers services• No.2 - Conjunctive Use and Management of Groundwater and Surface Water • No.3 – Urban-rural tensions; opportunities for co-management• No.4 - Management of aquifer recharge / discharge processes and aquifer equilibrium states• No.5 - Groundwater Policy and Governance• No.6 – Legal framework for sustainable groundwater governance• No.7 – Trends in local groundwater management institutions / user partnerships• No.8 - Social adoption of groundwater pumping technology and the development of

groundwater cultures: governance at the point of abstraction• No.9 – Macro-economic trends that influence demand for groundwater and related aquifer

services• No.10 - Governance of the subsurface and groundwater frontier• No.11 - Managing the Invisible - Understanding and Improving Groundwater Governance• No.12 - Groundwater and climate change adaptation http://www.groundwatergovernance.org/resources/thematic-papers/en/

Phase 2. A global groundwater diagnostic

Objectives

build the technical basis for the visioning process and the Global Framework for Action

make the best scientific and technical knowledge accessible to policy and decision makers

Outputs

• 5 Regional Consultations to discuss specific challenges and priorities within the different regional contexts

• Private Sector Roundtable to explore opportunities for partnerships and information sharing

Regional consultations

First Regional Consultation - Latin America and the CaribbeanMontevideo, Uruguay - 18-20 April 2012• Report

Second regional consultation: sub-Saharan AfricaNairobi, Kenya - 29-31 May 2012• Report

Third regional consultation: Arab StatesAmman, Jordan - 8-10 October 2012• Report

Fourth regional consultation: East and South Asia and the PacificShijiazhuang, China - 3-5 December 2012• Report

Fifth regional consultation: UNECE Region The Hague, The Netherlands - 19-21 March 2013• Report

A lot to read!

Private sector roundtable: Public and Private Sector Cooperation

capture the views and interests of the private sector explore opportunities for partnerships and information sharing

The Hague, Netherlands21 March 2013

Key messages to be incorporated into the project Global Framework for Action.

Phase 3. A vision for groundwater governanceand a Global Framework for Action

Key policy messages and recommendations directed to leaders in government, the private

sector and civil society.

raise political awareness globally of the urgency to improve groundwater governance,

foster precautionary and proactive governance approaches, to prolong the integrity of aquifers and their associated goods and services.

Water security - SDGs

Vision

Global Diagnostic

Framework for action

Groundwater governance

Enabling frameworks Guiding principles

Thematic PapersCase StudiesSynthesis PaperRegional ConsultationsRegional Diagnostics

Where are we now

• Recognize Aquifer Recharge Areas (and Waterwell Capture Zones) to be managed and protected through appropriate land use planning, and enhanced when needed (MAR).

• conjunctive management of shallow groundwater systems with the surface

water resources with which they naturally interact

• Conjunctive management of all groundwater and surface water resources in basin/aquifer systems, small islands, and/or other physical/administrative jurisdictions

• managing groundwater quantity and quality on an integrated basis (especially as regards the threat of resource salinization)

• investment in measurement and monitoring – groundwater being very cheap to develop but more expensive to manage

Guiding principles for groundwater management being considered:

• Approach to groundwater management both within and outside river-basin organizations

• Administration of subsurface space for construction and other uses (mainly in urban areas)

• Dealing with the use of non-renewable groundwater resources

• Handling transboundary aquifers and groundwater flow, as an opportunity for international collaboration and synergy

• Need for neutral repositories of subsurface information and groundwater resources

• A range of positions on the ‘socioeconomic developmental cycle’ from needing managed groundwater resource development to requiring action to make current resource use levels sustainable

Topics being discussed:

How should the Vision be structured for maximum reach and impact? How closely should the Vision be linked with the Sustainable Development Goal process? Are there any particular issues you consider essential to a global groundwater Vision? What are the priority actions for the Framework? Any suggestions for how we can increase project visibility (and the importance of improved groundwater governance) both inside and outside the “groundwater box?”

WATER SECURITYThank you!