Respected Ladies and Gentlemen/Regional Group Leadership (ESCWA-H2O)

Respected Ladies and Gentlemen/Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting Working Group

After greeting
I would like to thank and acknowledge the opportunity you have given me to participate in the Arab regional
preparatory meeting for the midterm comprehensive review of the International Decade for Action for Water, held in
Beirut on 18 and 19 May 20.
I would also like to commend your participation in the first draft document of this meeting's most important letters
and recommendations for comments and suggestions.
Proposal
You also know that international cooperation is necessary to address water-related goals, given the interrelated
nature of water, climate change and sustainable development. "Policy coherence", it is essential to ensure policy
coherence across and among international cooperation agencies. Indeed, the demand for international support to
align water and climate change policies and post-COVID-19 recovery and sustainable development goals is high
It was imperative for the region's LDCs, and responding to that demand was not only a matter of ultimate credibility
and international solidarity, but also of achieving the goals of water and climate stability was a global public good.
Accordingly, the key messages, recommendations and initiatives contained in the main outcome document should
guide preparations for international cooperation, taking advantage of "transformative change", to the extent possible.
I am also pleased to share with you herewith a detailed analysis of how to benefit from "transformational change".
ِAccordingly, we hope to take everything into account in the analysis to ensure, as far as possible, that the key
messages, recommendations and initiatives contained in the main outcome document guide preparations for
international support, "transformative change"

best regards
Dr. Abdul Ghani Ali Mansour Al

Clearvision strategy | Yemen - Sana 'a - Street – 60 | TE: + 967-777497344 | [email protected]

 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

Water, development and climate change

Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field ??

Major challenges and constraints

• Insufficient knowledge of water resources and lack of capacity to monitor and manage
water resources:
In a World Bank review of surveys of water resources control and monitoring capabilities in Arab
countries, only 9% of countries were found to have sufficient capacity and 80% of countries had
inadequate, weak and low water resource monitoring capabilities (World Bank, 2018).
Accordingly, the lack of capacity to monitor and manage water resources has been identified as a
major obstacle to integrated water resources management (IWRM), second only to financial
constraints for infrastructure development and management (UNEP, 2018). Furthermore, the
density of observation networks and the quality of data on water resources are often particularly
low in areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts (Kerres et al. ، 2020). Furthermore, inter-
agency conflicts of interest impede access to national data and data management competencies
often lag behind international requirements (ibid.)
• Inadequate institutions -- fragmented and ineffective governance:
Although water stress and resulting crises are sometimes manifested at local, national and trans
boundary levels, its motives are linked either directly to global dense water consumption patterns
or indirectly when these patterns affect water availability through climate change (Herrfahrdt -
Pähle et al. ، 2019 ). While such spatial, temporal and intersectoral linkages exist between water
availability, quality and management, and social and economic development, their management
is often fragmented along sectoral boundaries and jurisdiction (Herrfahrdt - Pähle et al. ، 2019).
Policy tools designed to promote water conservation can be matched by policy tools that
encourage the indiscriminate use of water. For example, electricity support for water-intensive
crops is counterproductive because it encourages excessive groundwater extraction in a region
with high water scarcity. Furthermore, the countries of the region share with other countries 24
trough transboundary basins, which account for more than 60% of freshwater flows, and which

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

are currently not subject to a transboundary cooperative operational arrangement between the
countries concerned, which is essential for their socially and environmentally sustainable
management (United Nations, 2020). The Integrated Water Resources Management Framework
(IWRM), one of the objectives (6.5.1) under SDG 6, continues to suffer from very low, low or
medium levels of implementation in 60% of reporting countries in 2018 (United Nations, 2020).
The Sustainable Development Goals 2020 report indicates that coordination in practice does not
occur in water resources management. In some cases, such coordination may exist at the national
level, but it does not move to the level of implementation on the ground (UN, 2020).
• Unequal access to water resources:
Water management frameworks in many Arab countries prefer the seizure of water resources by
the powerful, while marginalized populations struggle to access them. Accordingly, there are still
significant disparities in access to water and efforts should focus on beyond water availability and
water equality (Calow and Mason, 2014). There are spatial and temporal differences in the
interactions between human interventions to address water scarcity (Calow and Mason, 2014).
Human interventions to address water scarcity in high river areas cause water scarcity in
downstream areas. Reforms towards the privatization of water resources
have only further isolated marginalized groups in society. To create shared water ownership
systems, efforts to move water resources management to the community level have also proved
inadequate (Bues and Theesfeld, 2012; Meinzen - Dick، 2014).
• Access to finance:

Insufficient funding is one of the main reasons for the lack of integrated water governance
frameworks. Budgets for infrastructure maintenance, capacity development for surveillance and
service delivery are not commensurate with the demand for these services. In 14 Arab countries,
there is a 61% funding gap to meet water and sanitation targets (Goal 6) (UN 2020). Increased
financial capacity is also necessary to achieve Goal 6.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals on
sustainable water resources management, linked to all other targets under Goal 6 on access to
water and sanitation. However, three quarters of all Arab countries reported inadequate funds for
planned investments in integrated water resources management at the national and subnational

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

levels (UNEP, 2018). Accordingly, water justifies increased allocation of climate finance to realize
the full potential for adaptation and sectoral emission reduction.

priorities for action

▪ Promote efficient water use, in particular through the introduction and dissemination of water-
saving techniques in water-intensive sectors such as agriculture and development

▪ Enhanced integrated water resources management (IWRM), in particular through the development
of water resource and infrastructure control capacity

▪ Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater and sludge, particularly by promoting
technical and institutional solutions. To reduce, treat and reuse wastewater. For example, using
newly created wetlands.

▪ Supporting governance reforms in the water sector designed to overcome institutional

fragmentation and conflicting interests in the multilevel system and enhance the water security of
marginalized groups.

To benefit from international support "transformational change"

The water crisis remains one of the top five global risks according to the World Economic 2019
(WEF, 2019). Accordingly, the water sector has received increased attention in development
cooperation over the past decade and a half. Despite an increase in the water sector's share in total
ODA flows from 2006-2007 to 2012-2013 (7.2%), ODA flows to the water sector fell in absolute
terms and relative value (5.5%) in total ODA flows in 2014-2015. The increase in total official
financial flows is attributable to the continued increase (13% annually) in other official flows
(OOF) to about US $6 billion in 2014-2015 (OECD, 2017). While low- and middle-income
countries (LMICS) received 40% of official flows, higher middle-income countries (UMICS) and
LDCs) received 33% and 22% respectively in 2014-2015. Regionally, Asia was the largest recipient
of 45% of official flows, followed by 27% for Africa, 18% and 6% for the Americas and Europe,
respectively (OECD, 2017). The majority (59%) of all interventions were to build and improve
water supply (20%), sanitation (20%), water and sanitation (19%) infrastructure. Water policy and

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

resource conservation received 14% and river basin development benefited from 2% of total flows
(ibid.).
Adaptation to climate change is mainly related to water in the water-scarce Arab region, yet the
Arab region has received 8.5 times more debt than grants, and climate change mitigation has been
supported 3.5 times more in support of adaptation; Non-concessional debt remains the most
common form of support for the region (2013-2019); Support tends towards climate change
mitigation and does not reach the most vulnerable. 6 Arab LDCs received only 5% of total
commitments and 18% of adjustment commitments. For flows by sector, agriculture, fisheries, food
security and other water and sanitation resources (2013-2019) received only 5% of total
commitments (ESCWA, UN-Water, 2019).
In general, current approaches appear to prioritize climate change adaptation, thus responding to
the relatively high vulnerability of many Arab LDCs to climate risk. However, the water sector's
enormous mitigation potential must not be overlooked. As water crosses sectoral boundaries, some
mitigation options are addressed in other sectors, especially energy and agriculture. Thus, it is
important to ensure consistency with strategies and capacities within the water sector as well.

• Water efficiency techniques and policies across sectors:

CONTEXT: There is currently insufficient support to increase the adoption of water-efficient

Forum techniques, policies and practices in various sectors. The agricultural sector, currently
controlled by smallholder farmers and accounting for more than 70% of total freshwater use across
the Arab region, has tremendous potential to increase water efficiency. Unsurprisingly, this is
where support is most needed, as farmers need technical and financial support to adopt water-
saving irrigation techniques. The so-called "commons tragedy" also often applies to freshwater
supplies. Therefore, no technical solution will be adopted and maintained sustainably unless it is
supported by a favourable institutional environment (supporting the wise use of irrigation water).
Similar technical measures (for example, low-cost water meters) are also suitable for promoting
among urban families to inform better planning, pricing and maintenance of water supply systems
(UN, 2017 b).

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

Opportunity: There are several options to increase water efficiency in different sectors. For
example, effective irrigation techniques and practices and policies that promote water efficiency
(e.g., reallocation of incentives from water-intensive crops to water-saving crops) can reduce water
demand and therefore energy, thus avoiding related emissions. Moreover, an effective irrigation
system for water-intensive crops will reduce emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, which
currently amount to at least 2.5% of total GHG emissions.

Role of development cooperation: Many of the nationally determined contributions are already
in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water efficiency. However, owing to management
challenges arising from "shared resources" of water, technical measures are insufficient to improve
water efficiency in different sectors. Consideration should therefore also be given to experimenting
with and expanding appropriate sets of regulatory and technological innovations, while promoting
the adoption and conservation of water efficiency in all sectors. As long as incentives for overuse
of water persist due to the inadequacy of institutions and governance mechanisms, technical
solutions are unlikely to continue beyond the external funding period.
In order to promote water management reform, emphasis must be placed on avoiding trade-offs
between different sectoral policies that could harm water efficiency. Furthermore, stakeholders in
LDCs in the region "in conflict-affected Arab countries in particular" should be assisted in obtaining
climate finance; Mitigation strategies that increase water efficiency

• Capacity development for water resources monitoring and maintenance of water resources
infrastructure:
CONTEXT: LDCs lack the capacity to adequately control their water resources. However,
monitoring is critical to the development and implementation of water management plans (World
Bank, 2018). Initiatives that meet capacity needs have not yet permeated important water use
sectors such as agriculture, environment and urban planning (UNEP, 2018). Furthermore, the lack
of monitoring and updating of water resources data also hampers countries' preparedness for
disasters. This exposes already vulnerable groups to increased risks of climate disasters.

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Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

Infrastructure for water development and supply also suffers from poor maintenance, which
ultimately leads to the degradation and degradation of infrastructure. Thus, the need to support
the development and implementation of specific needs-based capacity development plans for
various water use sectors has become increasingly urgent in many LDCs.
Opportunity: While water supply infrastructure receives the required attention, the inclusion
of infrastructure and capabilities to monitor water resources at different levels can generate
better data and analysis. A decision support system that encompasses all sectors of water use
would lead to better planning and implementation of risk-based strategies. Integrated water
resources management is implemented in a few Arab countries to varying degrees depending
on their social, political and environmental complexities. Enhancing the capacity of various
governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to control water resources and maintain
related infrastructure at different levels of integrated water resources management would
facilitate effective water management planning and implementation
.Role of development cooperation: Support capacity development plans, developed and
adapted to local conditions, taking into account national knowledge and experience, to
implement integrated water resources management. Programmes aimed at improving the
water sector should seek to develop and implement a monitoring network based on different
needs in different locations and with appropriate capacity to integrate data from different
sources. Partner States' commitment to institutional arrangements and financial allocations for
maintaining control networks and infrastructure should therefore be ensured.
• Technical and institutional solutions for wastewater reduction, treatment and reuse

CONTEXT: More than 80% of the wastewater collected in many Arab region countries is
discharged back into bodies and untreated water resource systems (Kundzewicz and
Krysanova, 2010). This exacerbates the pressure on freshwater resources and marine life. It
currently recounts large areas of agricultural land in semi-urban areas in the Arab region (Thebo
et al. ، 2017 ‫؛‬UNESCO and UN-Water، 2020). This poses a public health risk and increases the
sector's required spending. Moreover, in order to access safe water resources, including over
long distances, the provision of fresh water to urban areas with contaminated surface water

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Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

and groundwater reservoirs requires expensive infrastructure. It may also cause additional
carbon emissions because this distribution often depends on fossil fuel energy.

Opportunity: Decentralized technical solutions for wastewater treatment at source, such as

built wetlands, were found to be successful (Capodaglio et al. ، 2017 ‫؛‬Kaushal ، Wani and Patil
، 2019). However, they vary by pollutant type and other biophysical, social, economic and
political contexts. Incentives for private actors in Arab LDCs to participate in wastewater
treatment are also very low, see Never and Stepping, 2018. Untreated wastewater and sludge
emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, making their treatment eligible for climate finance
geared towards mitigation: Significant reforms in water pollution reduction management are
needed to provide appropriate incentives to various actors (State, industry, civil society and
academia) in identifying and implementing solutions to reduce, treat and reuse wastewater.

Role of development cooperation: Environmental methods of treating (wastewater), such as

built wetlands, should be supported where appropriate because they bring shared benefits to
the climate and local natural resources. Development cooperation could also support
stakeholders in the Arab region's partner countries in accessing climate finance for wastewater
treatment. The new supply chain regulation ("Lieferkettengesetz") can also be used to take into
account the virtual trade of water or the water footprint involved in the supply of agricultural
goods and other raw materials.

• Water management reform

CONTEXT: Owing to cross-sectoral and cross-sectoral linkages to water and other social,
environmental and economic objectives, successive reports on sustainable development goals
show that while intersectoral dialogue and cooperation takes place at the national level, it does
not move to lower levels of governance and implementation, often due to a lack of capacity.
The poor implementation of integrated water resources management, which also relies on
cross-sectoral coordination, is mainly due to a lack of capacity at different levels of water
resources management. Priority should be given to developing capacities for water resources

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

monitoring, data sharing among relevant stakeholders in different sectors, and broad planning
and implementation.

Opportunity: Most sustainable development goals depend either on water resources or affect
water availability and quality. The development and implementation of the integrated strategy
needs to overcome sectoral fragmentation, existing power structures and interests acquired
across levels, and the inclusion of marginalized social groups. To achieve this, there is a need
for major reforms in water management that take into account "well-defined and publicly
available reform objectives; transparency in decision-making and public access to available
data; evaluating water uses and not using them to assess trade - rewards, winners and losers;
Compensating the marginalized or mitigating persons deprived of reform; Supervision of
reform and "heroes"; Ability to deliver; flexible decision-making "(Grafton et al. 2019).

Role of development cooperation: In addition to assisting partner countries in developing

infrastructure for efficient provision of water and sanitation services, it is also important to
make such assistance include planning for climate-resistant land use, especially in urban areas,
while increasing the frequency of extreme rainfall events increase the risk of flooding
(Andimuthu et al. ، 2019 ‫؛‬Ramachandran et al. ، 2019). This has a negative impact on water
supply, infrastructure and sanitation services, particularly in informal urban settlements.
Therefore, any assistance to improve water supply and sanitation must be planned and
implemented in close collaboration with other sectors focusing on sustainable urban
development and climate resilience. Initiatives to strengthen urban local bodies' capacities to
better understand the impacts of climate change on their water security will enable them to
negotiate their water rights.

Opportunities for joint support for climate action and sustainable water development

In addition to this detailed analysis described above; The following table highlights particularly
promising priorities in water actions and recommends ways to take advantage of appropriate
transformation. He explains that opportunities for joint support for climate action and sustainable

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

water development are not limited to more assistance and financing only. It also highlights
important starting points to support the development and implementation of appropriate policies,
build commensurate capacities and promote the transfer of smart technologies and national
development.
... Substantive shared benefits with respect to the sustainable development goals identified with
the commencement of the Paris Agreement's formal implementation phase in 2020,
Ensuring effective governance and the ability to pursue international commitments and national
goals is essential, as is the need to implement policies and strategies locally. To this end, the table
also shows key sustainable development goals that will benefit most from the adoption of
recommended climate action.
Finally, while measures related to a wide range of benefits are considered, some trade-offs may
remain and require special attention to be reduced, managed or avoided.

Table: Integrated employment opportunities and ways to benefit from water transformative
change
Introduction of water efficiency techniques and policies
• A favourable institutional environment to avoid the "tragedy
policy of common attitudes" with freshwater
support • Enhancing water efficiency, including through incentives for
water-saving crops
capacity-
• Enabling farmers to adopt water-efficient irrigation systems
building
• Funding to expand water efficiency and conservation
financing
techniques across relevant sectors
• Water efficiency techniques in the agricultural sector water
transfer of
meters, especially in cities, to better inform planning, pricing
technologies
and maintenance
Developing capacity to monitor water resources infrastructure

Policy • Development of water management plans in important

support sectors such as agriculture, environment and urban planning

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 Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

• Establishment of institutional arrangements for the

development and maintenance of surveillance networks and
infrastructure
• Training of policymakers and sector stakeholders in the
planning and implementation of water resources control at
capacity-
different levels of integrated water resources management
building
• Facilitate control of available water resources, also in light of
disaster preparedness (climate-related).
• Funding for the development and maintenance of
financing
surveillance networks and infrastructure
transfer of • Water resources monitoring technology based on different
technologies needs in different locations

Provide technical and institutional solutions for the reduction, treatment and reuse of
wastewater

• Promote water pollution reduction through incentives

appropriate to different actors (State, industry, farmers, civil
Policy
society, academia)
support
• Calculate the virtual trade of water as the water footprint of
agricultural goods and other financial raw materials.
• Wastewater treatment solutions, including mobilizing private
financing
sector funding
transfer of • Decentralized water treatment techniques, including built
technologies wetlands that treat water at source

Strengthening water management reforms

• Linking water assistance to climate-resistant land-use

planning, especially in urban informal informal settlements.
policy
• Assess the benefits and trade-offs of water reforms for
support
different stakeholders.
• Compensation for persons deprived of water reforms

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Water, development and climate change :Integrated work and how to benefit from transformative change in Water Field

• Training of policymakers and sector stakeholders in cross-

sectoral coordination for water resources management,
including planning, implementation, monitoring and
capacity- evaluation
building • Provide information on the appropriate implementation of
integrated water resources management and the integration
of marginalized stakeholders.
• Policies and ensuring decision-making flexibility

Thank you for sharing

26 May 2022

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