Role of ecosystems as water suppliers

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Role of ecosystems as water suppliers

• Institutional opportunities for an integrated
  approach

Douglas McGuire FAO Geneva, 13-14 December 2004
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Institutional setting

• diverse and complex
• many processes occurring simultaneously
• lack of coordination and information sharing
• Sector-focused, lack of integration

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Key Players

• Governments
• UN agencies/commissions
• NGOs
• Private Sector

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Recent events and processes
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FAO/EFC Working Party on the Management of
Mountain Watersheds

• 50 years experience in watershed mgt in Europe
• Session every 2 years Poland 2004, Austria 2006
• Technical body - also aims to influence policy
• Forum of exchange within and outside Europe

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"The Next Generation of Watershed Management
Programmes

• Multi-stakeholder exercise
• Regional conferences Megève, France Sep. 2002
• Global Conference Sassari
• Integrated Watershed Management Water resources
  for the future
• Lessons learned and Guidelines for action

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Ministerial Conference on the Protection of
Forests in Europe

• Resolution S4 on Mountain Forests
• EOMF-FAO-IUFRO responsible for coordinating
  implementation

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International Year of Mountains 2002

• Awareness raising leading to Action
• Bishkek Global Summit
• UN resolution - International Mountain Day
• 78 national committees set stage for long term
  institutional reform

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International Year of Fresh Water 2003

• World Water Forum
• Shiga Declaration

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FAO Programme on Forests and Water

• Improve understanding of influence of forests on
  water
• Technical assistance to countries
• Ensure that hydrological function of forests is
  fully considered in sustainable forest management
• Special study FRA 2005

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FAO-Netherlands Conference onWater, Food
Ecosystems

• 31 January 04 February 2005

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Objectives

• Focus on IWRM for Food and Ecosytems
• Promote a shift from reconfirming problems and
  policy statements to action orientation and
  implementation at national and local level.
• New Practices and Partnership Programmes

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Goals

• improve lives of mountain people protect mountain
  environments around the world

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Membership

• 112 members
• 43 countries
• 14 IGOs
• 55 major groups

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Secretariat

• Hosted at FAO, Rome
• FAO, UNEP
• Close collaboration with Mountain Forum

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Initiatives

• By theme ...
• education
• gender
• policy and law
• research
• SARD-M
• sustainable livelihoods
• watershed management

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• By region...
• Andes
• Central Asia
• Central America and the Caribbean
• East Africa
• Europe
• Hindu Kush Himalaya

Initiatives
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Initiatives

• Making them work through ...
• knowledge information
• dialogue debate
• joint programmes projects
• collaborative activities
• networking

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Planned activities

• A few examples
• analysis of existing mountain policies and laws
• courses on mountain watershed management
• database of mountain gender experts
• mountain education network

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Ecosystems and Water

• Potential collaboration
• mobilize support and interest of MP members
• explore the issue in existing Initiatives or new
  mountains and water initiative
• greater involvement of NGOs and private sector

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www.mountainpartnership.org
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Conclusions

• Need to understand institutional setting whos
  who and whos doing what
• Better networking and information sharing among
  various processes and within Governments - avoid
  fragmentation
• More is needed at both technical and political
  level gaps still exist
• Greater focus upstream

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