Difficulties of involving the stakeholders at the local level Lessons learned from the experience in the Caucasus region

Nino Chkhobadze Georgian Water Partnership

And GWP South Caucasian colleagues

Water Policy in the countries of South Caucasus.Water legislation • In all Caucasian countries water management sector underwent or is in the stage of

reforms and there are developed or are being developed new water Codes.

• The South Caucasian countries joined United Nations Millennium Declaration and are the Parties of International Environmental Conventions but none of the countries can firmly state that the objectives of the Millennium will be achieved by 2015.

• The important driving force is the policy of EU (approximation to the Water Framework Directive) in accordance of which Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have signed agreements obliging them to approximate the new legislation in the field of environmental protection to the EU legislation and cooperate with neighboring countries in the management of trans-boundary waters.

• At present there is no integrated management of water resources applied in the Caucasus.

Institutional system of water resources management in the countries of South Caucasus

• In the countries of South Caucasus the system of management in the water supply sector is carried out by a big number of ministries, departments and organizations with very complicated base for the coordination.

•The water resources management functions are distributed between different ministries and State institutions in accordance with the country legislation

Institutional system of water resources management in the countries of South Caucasus

•At the same time it should be noted that there is weak coordination between these establishments.

• River Basin Councils are being established in accordance with the legislation only in Armenia.

• In Georgia there have been established only 2 basin Councils, however, their work is not efficient at all.

Institutional system of water resources management in the countries of South Caucasus

•One of the main functions in the formation of water policy in the countries belongs to environmental bodies;

• Big attention is paid to the monitoring of the state of water resources in the countries, particularly to the monitoring of trans-boundary waters ecosystems;

• Insufficient financial resources adversely affect the quality of monitoring of water ecosystems

Main obstacles of the introduction of Integrated water resources management principles

• Absence in the countries of relevant legislative base (with the exception of Armenia)

• Social and economic situation of the countries’ population

• Priority of short-term tasks at the governmental, local levels and in private sector.

• Absence of economic development programs at the local level.

• Limited financial and institutional possibilities of the ministries and institutions.

Main obstacles of the introduction of Integrated water resources management principles

• Weakness of civil society and non-governmental organizations in the protection of the rights of local communities and necessities of the ecosystems;

• Insufficient effectiveness of the existing mechanisms for the settlement of disputes between the different water users;

• Absence of economic mechanisms for stimulating the saving of water;

• Lack of ecological and economic assessment of the present state of water ecosystems;

Сложности привлечения заинтересованных сторон на местном уровне

Basically “participation” (involvement) of the society is understood as the right of people to be informed while the participation itself in decision making is moved aside.

The reason of such an approach lies in the following: – lack of understanding and wish to understand by the state functionaries the

importance of involvement of the society in the process of decision making;

– People are not interested in the participation or do not have enough information about the issues of water resources management;

– Public do not have information about their rights to participate in the process of water resources management;

– Public involvement will demand certain financial resources;

Difficulties in attracting the stakeholders at local level

Significance of stakeholders – public – for water resources management

• Involvement of stakeholders is connected with specific difficulties because of weak coordination and agreement of activities between the responsible bodies and public

• Participation of all stakeholders in the process of the development of management plans will ensure positive results in the process of introduction of Integrated Water Resources Management principles at local level.

• Participation of public in the work of Basin Councils plays important role in the process of the development and carrying out Integrated Water Resources Management

The role of public in water resources management.

• Public as stakeholder, owns valuable information which is useful for the development of Integrated Water Resources Management plans

• Participation of stakeholders in decision making ensures the transparency of work of governmental and private sectors in water resources management, also ensures the public monitoring over the efficient use of water resources.

Examples: Water Day

Examples: exchange of knowledge

Examples: Arrangement of Seminars

Assistance at local level

Armenia rural community project

Involvement of schoolchildren in water monitoring

Georgia

community

There are different ways for the start of coordination and cooperation at governmental and non-governmental levels:

1. To start something small, connected with some specific topic which is of current importance even against the complicated geo-political situation in the region – such can be, for example, cooperation in emergency situations and allied issues;

2. To use existing non-governmental regional organizations for the purpose of creating regional structures of the coordination of initiatives with the active participation of governmental sector, facilitating to move step by step to the united system of management, standards and legislative base;

3. On the basis of kind will of the countries make efforts for the development of multi-lateral legal documents on the protection and management of water resources.

Thank You !