By declaring 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation, the United Nations General Assembly recognises the broad benefits of cooperation in the water domain for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This UNESCO publication has brought together a broad range of water professionals and stakeholders to share their knowledge and experiences. The chapters in this book reflect the progress and challenges encountered in the fields of water management and cooperation around the world.

Water has rarely been the root of conflicts, but it can be an exacerbating factor where social and political tensions already exist. But while transboundary cooperation has often been difficult, experience has shown that sharing a resource as precious as water can be a catalyst for cooperation rather than conflicts. In his contribution, Dr. Jägerskog argues why developing approaches that balance interdependencies of transboundary waters is a matter of high importance. His article also shows how qualitative cooperation, joint management and open communication is critical adequate management is for successful transboundary management.

• Read the article ”Transboundary water management – why it is important and why it needs to be developed” directly

• Read the digital version of “Free Flow – Reaching Water Security Trough Cooperation”

The 2013 World Water Week report “Cooperation for a Water Wise World – Partnerships for Sustainable Development” is now available.

The report provides input into the discussions at the 2013 World Water Week in Stockholm, which is held under the theme of Water Cooperation: Building Partnerships. The report also explore emerging issues such as the role of information and communications technology in advancing water cooperation, the importance of climate mitigation and adaptation coherence and the interplay between actors in the water, food and energy nexus.

Read and download the report here.

The 2013 World Water Week Report “Cooperation for a Water Wise World – Partnerships for Sustainable Development” provides input into the discussions at the 2013 World Water Week in Stockholm, which is held under the theme of Water Cooperation: Building Partnerships. The editors of the report are Anders Jägerskog, Director, Knowledge Services, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI); Torkil Jønch Clausen, Chair, World Water Week Scientific Programme Committee, SIWI; Karin Lexén, Director, World Water Week & Prizes, SIWI; and Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director, SIWI.

The report focuses on some of the key opportunities and challenges to effective cooperation over transboundary waters; in the private sector and for environmental protection. The authors also explore emerging issues such as the role of information and communications technology in advancing water cooperation; the importance of climate mitigation and adaptation coherence; the interplay between actors in the water, food and energy ‘nexus’; as well as provide new insights to resolve long standing challenges, such as improving coordination and collaboration in the management of freshwater and coastal systems.

The chapters in this report do not necessarily represent the views of SIWI but are contributions from individuals and organisations to the theme of the 2013 World Water Week.

One important item for this year is the 2013 Stockholm Statement online forum (www.siwi.org/stockholmstatement2013), where you are encouraged to share your views on what message the water community should take to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 68) as it develops a roadmap towards the Post-2015 development agenda. We look forward hearing your thoughts on how we together can work towards a water wise world.

Read more and download the full magazine here.

• Dr. Peter Morgan Wins Stockholm Water Prize by by Mr. Josh Weinberg
• Netafim receives Stockholm Industry Water Award by Mr. Josh Weinberg
• Will 2013 be seen as the International Year of Water Law Cooperation? by Mr. Alistair Rieu-Clarke
• 2013 World Water Week in Stockholm – What’s New? by Ms. Sanna Gustafsson
• 2013 Stockholm Statement: Advocating Water by Ms. Maya Rebermark
  
• Setting the stage for collaboration over shared waters by Mr. Kerry Schneider
• Book review: Water, Christianity and the Rise of Capitalism by Mr. Terje Oestigaard

Un rapport du Groupe de Travail Afrique de l´Initiative européenne pour l´Eau, basée à SIWI, « Etude sur l´assistance financière à la coopération pour les eaux transfrontalières en Afrique » recommande que la gestion des ressources en eaux partagées, et en particulier ses bénéfices potentiels pour le développement socio-économique et l´éradication de la pauvreté, fasse l´objet d´une priorité accrue de la part des partenaires de développement.

En dépit d´une croissance des financements destinés à soutenir la gestion des eaux transfrontalières en Afrique, ce type de soutien ne dépassait pas 1% du total de l´Assistance publique au Développement en 2011. De même, la promotion de la coopération dans la gestion des ressources en eaux partagées est loin d´être l´approche privilégiée par l´ensemble des bailleurs de fonds.

L´étude recommande que la communauté des partenaires de développement, en concertation étroite avec les organisations de bassin africaines, axe ses interventions en faveur d´une approche plus cohérente, plus concertée et plus équitable du soutien financier à la gestion des ressources en eau douce transfrontalières, en complément des interventions déjà financées par les pays membres des organisations africaines.

Pour plus d´information sur le Groupe de Travail Afrique de l´Initiative européenne pour l´Eau, cliquez ici.

A new report from the Africa Working Group of the EU Water Initiative, hosted by SIWI, Mapping of financial Support to Transboundary Water Cooperation in Africa recommends that Transboundary Water Resources Management and its high potential contribution to socio-economic development and poverty eradication receive full policy attention from international development partners.

Despite an increase since 2007 of the resource flows supporting management of transboundary waters in Africa, it still represents less than one per cent of the entire Official Development Assistance spending in 2011. Far from all development partners make support to development and management of international water basins a priority of their assistance to the water sector in Africa.

The report therefore recommends that the donor community works together with African basin organisations for a more coherent, concerted and equitable approach to financing support to the management of shared water, complementing initiatives already funded by basin member states.

Click here to learn more about the work of the EU Water Initiative, Africa Working Group.

SIWI’s Anders Jägerskog discussed the opportunities and challenges surrounding international water cooperation with representatives from The Global Environment Facility, the World Bank and UNDP.

The seminar outcomes have been published on The Environmental Change and Security Program’s blog - follow the link to read all about the issues debated at the seminar.

Water is among the most shared resource on earth. Over 260 watersheds are shared by two or more states, and 40% of the world’s population shares critical water supplies with another country. The seminar thus aims to mark the 2013 Year of Water Cooperation by discussing tools, approaches and mechanisms that advance global transboundary water cooperation.

SIWI’s Anders Jägerskog will partake in a panel discussion together with representatives from The Global Environment Facility, the World Bank and UNDP.

Read more and RSVP here!

Transboundary Water Management (TWM) is a complex matter. Often the perspective in analysing the transboundary water interactions that occur in a basin is on the drivers inside of the basin, such as development hydropower and irrigation infrastructure. While those are important as factors to consider when analysing and seeking to understand TWM interaction, they are far from the only (or even the most important) factors to consider. One should also include factors external to the basin of which the race for energy is a key factor. This special issue aims to zoom in on the linkages between TWM and energy both from a basin perspective as well as beyond the basin to the wider regional and global scales. How transboundary water management relates to energy development is not well understood at present. A broader perspective on TWM that include issues such as energy linkages and potential, power generation and interconnections, electricity generation, regional integration and regional power pools are all areas that will be covered. The special edition seeks to explore in greater depth than previously done these linkages which are expected to, apart from generating new and important research results also contribute in identifying new clusters of related issues for further research.

A provisional list of topics includes:

1. Water transfer schemes – inter as well as intra basin, donor and recipient,
2. Electricity generation and related infrastructure
3. Electricity transmission and provision
4. Regional power pools and regional integration
5. Conflicts of use – trade-offs between water for energy (electricity generation and biofuels) and water for food
6. Urbanisation and energy
7. Regional economic communities – transboundary water cooperation and regional power pools
8. International actors – donors, IFIs, NGOs, private companies including construction companies etc
9. Regional and national conflicts (including non-water ones)
10. Regional and international trade in goods and services
11. Off-shoring of production and associated water demands and pollution
12. Land acquisitions and water storage
13. Economics of cooperation – external drivers