A Road Map for the Implementation of Sustainable Water Management Policies by Local Governments - The 7th World Water Forum’s 4th Local and Regional Authorities Conference

April 14, 2015

A Road Map for the Implementation of Sustainable Water Management Policies by Local Governments

- The 7th World Water Forum’s 4th Local and Regional Authorities Conference -

â–¡ Sustainable water management led by local governments, is the key topic of the 4th Local and Regional Authorities Conference that is being held on the 13th and the 14th of April at the HICO in Gyeongju. Over 100 local government representatives, international organizations and NGO's from twenty-five countries including Japan, France, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, Vietnam and China have joined the conference.

â–¡ The 4th Local and Regional Authorities Conference is dedicated to four central issues.

â—‹ The central issues are: â‘  to acknowledge the importance of local government’s role in resolving global water challenges, â‘¡ to examine the global trend of regional-based integrated water management policy and projects to strengthen the policy implementation, â‘¢ to search for the integrated approach between the national government and local levels to strengthen the local government’s competency â‘£ to monitor progress against the targets and commitments of the local and regional authorities that have been developed since the Istanbul Water Consensus (IWC). This should include identification of future targets as well as to outline measures to enhance the regional-based integrated water management policy and service provision in the context of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that will be adopted in September, 2015.

â–¡ The accomplishments of the 4th Local and Regional Authorities Process includes:

1. Adoption of strategy document ‘Daegu Gyeongbuk Water Action for Sustainable Cities’

â—‹ The strategy document calls on the national governments to establish a foundation for the local and regional authorities to be actively involved in the definition and implementation of political strategies of international consensus taken at the national and supra-national level for sustainable water management.

â—‹ The local and regional strategies are: â–´ to speed up development and implementation of equitable measures that could be carried out in regional units; â–´ to strengthen the alliance of various tiers of stakeholders in terms of cause and purpose. â–´ to reinforce current water-related legislation on principles of equity, transparency founded on the basis of Istanbul Water Consensus and spirit of sustainable development; â–´ to realize the ‘good governance’, to effectively link water management policy with various areas of city management including the urban planning and development; â–´to expand creative awareness-raising campaigns on the value of water and how this limited resource should be treated.

2. Korea’s Pilot Project ‘Sustainable Watershed Management of Urban Areas’ launched

â—‹ Together with the local governments, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport launched a pilot project that aims to; first, strengthen the collaboration among the central ministries, as well as between central and local governments; second, expand citizens’ participation and connecting the regional areas with the world (local and global)

â—‹ Led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the project which will be participated by regions with 21 urban rivers such as Gyeonggi Province, Busan Metropolitan City, Gyeonsangnam-do, and Chungcheongnam-do along with support from the central ministries such as Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Public Safety and Security and related public corporations. Above mentioned stakeholders including the citizens will jointly take part in every step of the project from developing flood prevention plan to completion of the project. The project will be a pioneering initiative that solidifies the outcomes of the Local and Regional Authorities Process and the project process and accomplishments will be reported in the 8th World Water Forum 2018 in Brazil.

â—‹ The significance of the project and its expected outcome:

The local and regional authorities that have participated in the conference described the Project as “a creative and collaborative implementation project established on the foundation of participation of various stakeholders” and expressed their expectation that “It will encourage and promote more implementation projects around the world.”

â–¡ The Local and Regional Process, now in its fourth year, was introduced at the 4th World Water Forum (Mexico City, 2006) as the official conference of the Political Process. The Local and Regional Authorities Conference is designed for local and regional governments to identify the water challenges they face and share their experiences, solutions and achievements in addressing these water issues.

â—‹ The Local and Regional Authorities Process is jointly organized by the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), The Global Network of Cities, Local and Regional Governments (UCLG), UN-HABITAT/Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance(GWOPA), World Water Council (WWC), Daegu Gyeongbuk Development Institute, and the 7th World Water Forum Organizing Committee.

â—‹ As the level of governance closest to citizens, the local authorities must provide public service that ensures citizens’ safety and quality of living. In order to fulfill its role, the local authority must identify water related issues and manage them in integrated and sustainable means.

â—‹ Migration and rapid urbanization made the sustainable integrated urban city water management more important than ever and the international community is focusing on the policy competency of the local government which is the main agent that carries out the urban water management policy and water governance with the participation of various stakeholders.

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