zaragoza, 7 initiatives on water cooperation
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Zaragoza, 7 initiatives on water cooperation. Victor Viñuales, Director of ECODES. Techniques and models to further water cooperation to improve water efficiency and water services in cities. International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference 2012/2013. Preparing for the 2013 International Year. Water Cooperation: Making it Happen! 8-10 January 2013TRANSCRIPT
Zaragoza,seven initiatives on water cooperation
International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference 2012/2013
January 9th 2013
Víctor Viñuales
Index
• Introduction
• Seven Case Studies on multisector
cooperation
• 10 Lessons Learned
Introduction
The following case studies have been developed and promoted by ECODES in collaboration with the main local, regional and national institutions:
– Zaragoza City Council– Aragon Regional Government– EXPO2008– Ebro Riber Basin Authority– Environment Ministry of Spain– AECID (Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for
Development)– United Nations Office for MDG…
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
1.- One Challenge: saving 1 Hm3 in domestic water consumption in one year in Zaragoza
• A project supported by the EU LIFE funding programme.
• 65 % of the city`s businesses involved.
• 75 % of the city`s schools involved.
• How? Change of habits and technological changes.
• The overall goal was reached.
• But the technological changes were less accepted.
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
1.- One Challenge: saving 1 Hm3 in domestic water consumption in one year in Zaragoza
SPOT Zaragoza, Water Saving City
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
2.- Training in the city: 50 good practices (technological changes)
• Hospitals, restaurants, industry, schools, sports centers, businesses, parks … in all of them we found good practices in water consumption and water savings through technological changes that were a reference for similar users.
• Good practices where spread out through similar users/consumers.
• It was easier to identify “top savers” than just disseminate technological changes and general recommendations to each sector.
3.- 160.000 public commitments with water saving
• More than 300 entities in the city publicly commited to water saving through four different actions.
• More than 30.000 citizen publicly commited to take more than four actions to save water.
• Media involvement and the Expo 2008 proximity were important for reaching 160.000 commitments.
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
4.- Solving water conflicts though Social Mediation
• ECODES with the sponsorship of the Regional Government of Aragon and the support of relevant people of the region carried out social mediation in three water conflicts caused by three projects of construction of big dams (Santaliestra, Biscarrués and Torre del Compte).
• These conflicts had led to severe social confrontation for years.
• In two of them (Santaliestra and Torre del Compte) an agreement was reached by consensus of farmers, ecologists, local governments, irrigation communities…the agreements reached are currently being implemented.
• On the basis of one of the agreements (Torre del Compte) in the Matarraña river basin, today ECODES is promoting the first pilot experience of a River Contract in Spain in collaboration with political, social and economic actos.
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
5.- A scream for water as a human right: the pavilion for citizen initiatives, el FARO (the lighthouse)
• More than 350 NGOs (environmental, emergencies, consumers, women, indigenous, trade unions..) from the five continents agreed to common messages on water issues, throuh a exhibition and a programme of activities in Zaragoza Expo 2008.
• A bioclimatic building was built with mud, straw and wood.
• It had more than 1.000.000 visitors.
• 108.000 people signed a common petition to the United Nations for the recognition and support of the human right to water and sanitation. Those signatures were presented in the UN Headquarters in NYC.
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
6.- ZINNAE, Urban cluster for water efficiency
23 members (public administration, business entities, research centers, NGO..) are working together in ZINNAE for water efficiency in the city: Boosting R&D&I and demonstration projects.
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
7.- A water alliance for Central America: Water Nexus
• With the support of Zaragoza Expo 2008, a Alliance for Water was developed www.alianzaporelagua.org, aiming to reduce the lack of access to water and sanitation in Central America.
• Founders of the Alliance: Expo2008, AECID, Environment Ministry of Spain, UN Office for MDG in Spain and ECODES.
• More than 300 entities in Spain and Latin America participate in this multisector initiative (public administrations, business entities, NGOs, etc).
SPOT Alliance for Water
Seven Case studies on multisector Cooperation
7.- A water alliance for Central America: Water Nexus
• Project launched by the water Alliance. We make stable linkages between local authorities and water operators in Central America and local authorities and water operators in Spain. For example, Zaragoza cooperates with the city of Leon (Nicaragua).
10 Lessons Learned
The case studies exposed gave us at least 10 lessons learned:
1. The greatest objective of these multi-sector projects was to build up trust among the participating actors. To do so it is necessary to invest time and resources.
10 Lessons Learned
2. The importance of identifying a collective and shared challenge.
10 Lessons Learned
3. To set up objectives that are simple, concrete, and possible to reach and that can seduce the general public.
10 Lessons Learned
4. “Triple Therapy”:
– A new public regulation.– Civic awareness: active citizens.– “Responsible” Market instruments.
This triple therapy requires that we set up a cooperative environment between three main actors: public administrations, NGOs and business entities.
Public regulat
ion
Market instru
ments.
Active citizen
s, responsible
consumers
10 Lessons Learned
5. The importance of creating a dynamization “core” of entities commited with the project.
10 Lessons Learned
6. It is very important to identify and choose a FACILITATOR that:
• translates different “cultures”,• integrates different approaches, • repairs conflicts and mistrusts among
project partners…
10 Lessons Learned
7. It is very important to manage partners’ EGOS (and other involved entities).
10 Lessons Learned
8. Identify the active minority that can become a NETWORK OF ALLIES for change. Minorities have always had a leading role in change!
10 Lessons Learned
9. The success of reaching agreements through mediation has a shortcoming: it might be an agreement that does not take into account some actors as they are not visible actors (such as future generations and nature). We were not able to integrate them into the agreement.
10 Lessons Learned
10. PATIENCE is essential to build up the revolution in water management that we need.
The seven initiatives exposed were carried out through 15 years in a consecutive manner.
Trust must be built in the first initiatives, making it possible to design and build together with other actors the following experiences.
Acknowledgements
Ayuntamiento Zaragoza, Gobierno de Aragón, Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro, Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), Ibercaja, BSH Balay, Universidad de Zaragoza, Cámara de Comercio…
…all members that have made possible these
7 successfull stories …
