tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4879407468387624262024-02-19T02:00:47.294-05:00The Water Ethics NetworkThe Water Ethics Network facilitates sharing of experience, ideas, and information about events and activities relating to water ethics. The aim is to bring an awareness of water ethics into the everyday discourse of water policies and management decisions, so that choices about water use and water ecosystem management are consciously informed by values. The network is sponsored by the Water-Culture Institute and the partner organizations listed below.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-88815899406788563472018-11-24T10:24:00.002-05:002018-11-24T10:24:58.457-05:00What Can Water Ethics Do for Climate Change? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The biggest priority for any thinking human has got to be climate change because that is the existential threat to the very survival of our species. Which brings me to the uncomfortable question about water ethics. Is water ethics too refined an issue to worry about when there are more important challenges, like the oil industry hell-bent on profiting from the destruction of our planet? Is water ethics just another form of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, as we head towards the iceberg?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's true that water is not everything; there is more to life than water. But water is clearly connected to everything; it is the basis for life. Ethics is also not everything, but like water, ethics is connected to everything we do. How do the ways we use water and the ways we apply ethics make any difference in limiting the proportion of CO2 in the atmosphere? Is Exxon-Mobil going to pollute the world any less because of our adherence to ethical water principles?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a famous quote by John Muir, one of the 19th Century founders of environmentalism, that if we tug at one small piece of nature "we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe". It's certainly true for water, and it's also true of ethics. The lessons we learn from applying an ethics perspective to the way we use water, can help us tug at the existential threat of climate change.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How? The oil industry uses lots of water directly and contaminates vast aquifers in the process of fracking, drilling, and transporting oil and gas through pipelines prone to leakage. These are huge water management issues made visible in protests by American Indian tribes and environmentalists at Standing Rock last year, and in similar protests around the world. The oil industry is a huge threat to scarce water supplies. That's the water issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But ethics helps us see further connections between water and climate change. Pumping oil out of the ground so it can be burned is a guarantee that climate change will get worse. Ethics reveals the oil industry's activities as not just a water problem, but a climate problem. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Either reason on its own is already pretty impressive: Why pollute scarce groundwater through fracking when there are renewable sources of energy available? But adding climate ethics to the water ethics makes the case for renewable energy even more of a no-brainer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Should we be pumping oil and gas out of the ground? No for reasons of water, and No for reasons of climate. There is an ethical synergy between the ethics of water and the ethics of climate. By applying ethics to water, and becoming aware of the ethics of everything water touches, we can -- and we'd better -- address the ethics of cooking our planet. Water ethics is not a distraction; it's part of the solution! </span></div>
David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-49493035466058602922016-11-17T00:05:00.000-05:002016-11-17T00:22:52.261-05:00Homage to Prof. Ramon Llamas, Water Ethicist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prof. Llamas speaking about water ethics, March 2014</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Today (November 17) the Botin Foundation is hosting a celebration in Madrid to honor the career of Prof. Ramon Llamas, long-time director of the Foundation's <a href="http://www.fundacionbotin.org/observatory-area/mission-and-objectives-of-the-water-observatory.html" target="_blank">Water Observatory</a>, and an early and passionate advocate for water ethics. Prof. Llamas was co-chair of the UNESCO-COMEST initiative on Water and Ethics from 1998-2004, authoring a report on <a href="http://waterethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/7-Use-of-Groundwater.pdf" target="_blank">Groundwater Ethics</a>. His interests in ethics were practical; he worked to solve problems of unsustainable water use by identifying basic principles that can lead to more sustainable management (See the Valencia Declaration Annex in his Groundwater report).</div>
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After the UNESCO program on water and ethics ended in 2004, Prof. Llamas, in his capacity as director of the Botin Water Observatory, sponsored two important symposia on water ethics, which served to maintain a momentum of interest in the topic, within the global water community. In 2007, the Observatory hosted a workshop on Water Ethics in Santander, Spain, with the papers published in 2009 under the title, <a href="http://waterethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Foncacion-Botin-Water-Ethics-2007.pdf" target="_blank">Water Ethics</a>, edited by Prof. Llamas along with Luis Martinez-Cortina and Aditi Mukherji. </div>
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A workshop on water ethics and food security followed in 2010, with the papers published in a special issue of the journal, Water Policy in 2012 under the title, "The Role of Ethics in the Globalization of Water and Food" All the papers from this issue are available for download on the website of the <a href="http://waterethics.org/resources/publications/" target="_blank">Water Ethics Network</a>.</div>
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My own interaction with Prof. Llamas started during the 2012 World Water Forum in Marseille, where we were each involved in separate sessions on water ethics, and discussed how we might collaborate. The opportunity came the following year when the French Water Academy, UNESCO-IHP, Botin Foundation, and Water-Culture Institute began to develop the idea of a global <a href="http://waterethics.org/the-water-ethics-charter/" target="_blank">Water Ethics Charter</a>. This initiative has since attracted wide interest, and is the subject of a new book, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Global-Water-Ethics-Towards-a-global-ethics-charter/Ziegler-Groenfeldt/p/book/9781138204294" target="_blank">Global Water Ethics: Towards a Global Ethics Charter</a>. </div>
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The blogpost I am writing now, the website and social media sites of the Water Ethics Network, and the initiative to develop a global water ethics charter, would probably not exist without the influence and involvement of Prof. Llamas. Thank-you, Ramon, for your passion, your insights, and your leadership in promoting the study and practice of water ethics!</div>
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- David Groenfeldt</div>
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Water-Culture Institute</div>
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David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-11653649825777782482016-02-27T12:27:00.001-05:002016-02-27T12:42:02.248-05:00How to Manage Water Under a Changing Climate: Think Ethically!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Water is life - critical for the survival of
humans and ecosystems, and irreplaceable if lost. Climate change, combined with
the effects of agriculture, industry and other ongoing human activities, poses
tremendous risks to the viability of freshwater ecosystems and the sustainability
of our watersheds. Also, climate change impacts are carried out primarily through
the water cycle, affecting the timing, volume and variability of precipitation worldwide,
causing drying of some regions, while increasing flood risks in others. Water
is therefore absolutely key for both climate change mitigation and adaptation
efforts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">More importantly, however, managing water
under a changing climate requires an ethical approach, because water is
enmeshed in many normative aspects of human and ecosystem life. Water
governance is a profoundly ethical problem on many levels. Making choices about
water allocation, for instance, often involves balancing the needs of
agriculture, industry, households and ecosystems. These choices also involve trade-offs
between the needs and values of present generations versus future generations, between
developed and developing countries, and between present and future ecosystems
and non-human species. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Apart from water specifically, action on
climate change in general also requires that we confront a number of important
ethical challenges, including fairness and responsibility to mitigate and adapt
among individuals, nations, generations and the Earth itself (</span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span lang="EN-US">see <a href="http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/ethics-and-global-climate-change-84226631" target="_blank">Gardiner, 2012</a></span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">). To date, these questions, however, have not been sufficiently
addressed, and we continue to lack the decision tools to deal with inter-generational,
intra-generation and environmental ethics. Developing such tools, and
addressing these questions, is an urgent priority for navigating our future in
a changing climate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">In last year’s <a href="http://www.cop21paris.org/" target="_blank">21st Conference of the Parties (or COP21)</a>, water has received a respectable amount of attention. Led
by the <a href="http://www.inbo-news.org/" target="_blank">International Network of Basin Organizations</a>, the newly proposed ‘<a href="http://newsroom.unfccc.int/lpaa/resilience/press-release-lpaa-resilience-1-paris-pact-on-water-and-climate-change-adaptation-announced/" target="_blank">Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation</a>’ </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">commits to strengthening adaptation to climate change through cooperation,
building sustainability and benefit-sharing at the basin level, considered to
be the preferred governance unit for the integrated management of rivers, lakes
and aquifers. While the Pact introduces a number of concrete and promising options
for water management in the context of climate change, it remains silent on the
topic of ethics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">For instance, by
calling for basin-scale water management, the Pact would rewrite the ways in
which we manage water – a process that will inevitably generate political and
ethical conundrums. How will we reconcile different economic, cultural,
spiritual and ecological values across the various communities in a basin? What
mechanisms will be used to resolve conflicts, especially in places where water resources
are relatively scarce? The Pact aims to increase water availability through
efficiency and demand management – but for what purpose and for whom? Whose
values will be prioritized in this process?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The bold outcome of the 2015 climate
agreement is a big step in the right direction. However, beyond agreeing on the
ambitious target of staying “well below 2 degrees Celsius”, successful climate
action depends on our ability to figure out how to meet the goals and needs of
ever-growing human populations in increasingly stressed watersheds while
reducing emissions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Ethics provides important analytical and
decision tools that can help figure out how to meet our dual obligation to
humans and to ecosystems to ensure that our precious water flows are preserved.
By protecting the health of our watersheds, we protect ecosystems, landscapes, and
species, at present and in the future. As climate change increasingly affects
Earth systems, we need to think not only about water for humans, but also about
water for the ecosystems that support life on Earth. To achieve our bold
climate target in just and sustainable ways, we must finally start tackling the
ethical dilemmas that climate change poses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><i>Acknowledgements: many thanks to Rom Bolliger and David Groenfeldt for the feedback on this post.</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10410862905874860577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-9830534278770369742015-09-30T14:35:00.001-04:002016-02-28T08:26:40.384-05:00Linking the Red to the Dead Sea: is it truly ethical? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The Red-Dead Sea project (hereafter RDS) aims at linking up both seas,
thus (1) refilling the Dead Sea with seawater from the Red Sea (mostly
desalination brine) over a 180km pipeline, (2) providing desalinated drinking water
on the way and (3) generating hydro-electricity due to over 300m difference in
elevation (the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth). Beneficiaries are Jordan
and on medium-term Palestine and Israel. RDS infrastructure will be located on
Jordanian grounds, in the Jordan Valley along the border (see Map). “Save the
Dead Sea!” and regional peace building have been major arguments to get
international funding and support.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIH71vTIOPrbrPQ7vZ44i1GfUddFe2sHPmAS4MFJNz0Wbx854MS7pGinREYdPiCQBQZ6x-XBr8xhvxOzS8DH24Z9B2UB8_VeJ0dXPe65Y9klluDCDOlsCs2IWk2YFMj31xrTf5ZXE8jU/s1600/arirusila.wordpress.com.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIH71vTIOPrbrPQ7vZ44i1GfUddFe2sHPmAS4MFJNz0Wbx854MS7pGinREYdPiCQBQZ6x-XBr8xhvxOzS8DH24Z9B2UB8_VeJ0dXPe65Y9klluDCDOlsCs2IWk2YFMj31xrTf5ZXE8jU/s320/arirusila.wordpress.com.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Arirusila @ wordpress.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">RDS comes at a time when the Dead Sea is losing around 1m per year; drinking
and irrigation water needs increase in parallel to higher energy consumption.
All beneficiaries are facing water stress if not chronic scarcity, Jordan and
Palestine having lower underground and surface water reserves. Overall demand
by far outstrips supply (e.g. Jordan River and basin). The main drivers are
population growth and the sheltering of close to 1 million refugees from Syria and
Iraq. Desalination requires high upfront investments and a steady energy
sources; the latter can only be secured through oil imports or ideally renewable
energy. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHOy3lwrYz89jdg2LOTEYz6fLoLl0gfPgbOG_PiZGukaRtdlRDtljND0oUrFlvq5W4pZTW2ZMSwrwW-XwcM-7Kv-SyYdBF9HaEZo77OKZE83oupOAuqvc1eEg8Y5AgoRoOAfRGIA2gUY/s1600/2outof4flowconfi_feasip17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHOy3lwrYz89jdg2LOTEYz6fLoLl0gfPgbOG_PiZGukaRtdlRDtljND0oUrFlvq5W4pZTW2ZMSwrwW-XwcM-7Kv-SyYdBF9HaEZo77OKZE83oupOAuqvc1eEg8Y5AgoRoOAfRGIA2gUY/s400/2outof4flowconfi_feasip17.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: Feasibility Study p. 17 @ worldbank.org </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Reviewing the original large-scale project from an ethical perspective
invites us to take a closer look at available <a href="http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/EXTREDSEADEADSEA/0,,contentMDK:23442260~menuPK:9258688~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:5174617,00.html">World Bank reports</a> and mull over
a set of cardinal questions: </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Are the objectives reasonable
in terms of balancing expected costs against benefits, sustainability and risks?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Expected benefits or “tangibles” are desalinated water and
hydroelectricity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Financial costs a</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">re estimated
to reach around USD 11 billion for all RDS-type scenarios. This estimate takes
into account capital, operational and maintenance costs in 2020. </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Non-money values </span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">In the final Environmental Assessment and Social Report (ESA), the
non-money value of the Dead Sea is defined according to criteria set by the
World Heritage Organisation. The Sea is “associated with events or living
traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of
outstanding universal significance” (criterion vi); it is an “area of
exceptional beauty and aesthetic importance” (criterion vii); it is an
“outstanding example representing major stages of Earth’s history, including
the record of life” (criterion viii). These criteria are so called
“intangibles” because the market does not value them. </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The cost benefit evaluation tackles intangibles by surveying public
opinions, a common practice in environmental economics. The sticking points are
three-fold. First, the survey interviewed around 9000 people in 18 countries.
This probably means that a significant number of interviewees were not familiar
with the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley’s daily problems, thus fudging their
preferences. Second, only a fraction out of 9000 would reflect the preferences
of local communities living within the project area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Third and most importantly, the survey revolved around two questions
valuing intangibles:</span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt 18pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What would you be willing to pay
to stabilize declining Dead Sea levels and prevent further environmental degradation?</span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt 18pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What would you be willing to
pay to build a symbol of peaceful co-operation in the Middle East?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Total benefits vs intangibles <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The aggregated answers to both questions were respectively USD 30 and 11
billion. What does it mean? It means that all interviewees are willing to spend
41 billion to save the Dead Sea and support peace in the Middle East. The main
problem is that estimated intangibles (41 billion!) are recorded as part of
total benefits (See Table infra). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This figure
makes up for almost </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">¾<sup> </sup></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">of total benefits, meaning that
the key-objectives of generating water and hydropower, including profits
generated by tourism and the chemical industry amount to only </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">¼<sup> </sup></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">of the total. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This approach “inflates” total benefits, but by
deleting intangibles, total benefits fall down to 15 billion! Once adjusted total
benefits represent only 15 billion instead of 57 billion, versus 11 billon
total costs. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqDI6VlEitsO1sQibAcrp-siivKjnb0GkwM-hKDfpQFpV0auvvBNarpcmw-9rQPv1dV06pCSPylFGxeLWzRfNOydx-mcA9ThHfjfXEB2YlVgFPjzHVcbL0-fsLOIqufxCKV8Tf3LjxiA/s1600/Tablep72feasi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqDI6VlEitsO1sQibAcrp-siivKjnb0GkwM-hKDfpQFpV0auvvBNarpcmw-9rQPv1dV06pCSPylFGxeLWzRfNOydx-mcA9ThHfjfXEB2YlVgFPjzHVcbL0-fsLOIqufxCKV8Tf3LjxiA/s400/Tablep72feasi.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Feasibility Study p.72 @ worldbank.org </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The stabilization of Dead Sea levels is considered a direct positive
benefit, but the promised salvage is not guaranteed. The limit of conveyed Red
Sea water is set at 2000 MCM/year because it must be channelled and “available”
at different heights. Due to pumping cost and network capacity, this amount
will remain a systemic limitation. The working assumption is that at least 1200
MCM are needed to save the Dead Sea annually. This is just enough to halt the
process if everything remains stable within the next 30 years. Over time, more
fres<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">h</span>water will be require<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">d </span>as demand grows. In addition,
evaporation rates will rise due to climate change. Realistically, the share of
water going to the Dead Sea could become insufficient <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">as it is in<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">creasingl<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">y</span></span></span> </span>reallocated for desalination purposes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Approach to risk assessments </span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The Feasibility Study highlights two external
risks, namely seismic activity in the region, and potential pipeline damages causing
saltwater intrusion. Moreover, the deterioration of Dead Sea water quality
causing algae bloom constitutes <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">an additional<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recalling the “heritage site” criterion, the
ESA posits that post-mitigation impact will be “moderate”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far though, there is no clear-cut evidence
that the Red-Dead mixing regime will be harmless. ESA admits that “because of
the uncertainties regarding these effects, their potential impact on cultural
and natural heritage is considered to be of major significance”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It therefore deems<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span>“additional study
from information gained from physical trials”<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span>necessary</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">. In other
words, this means that the risks related to RDS are not entirely predictable
and are likely (if not very likely) to damage the Dead Sea and its
surroundings. </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Adding to uncertainty, the cost analysis leaves
out identified external risk-related costs. The relationship of risks related
to environmental damages and potential benefits is of critical importance. In
the present case, the costs of risk-occurrence remain unknown. Clearly, it does
not mean that because risks are listed on paper, that these cease to exist in
reality<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">, e</span>specially in terms of<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span>damages to the environment and
reparation costs. In that sense, both principles of sustainability and
precaution constitute weak spots of the RDS feasibility. In this case, it is politically
acknowledged that risks are worth taking. In other words, the costs and
benefits of answering growing energy and water demand, in the context of scarcity,
are considered more important than identified risks and alternative options. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Are there other alternatives
available that can offer lower costs, less risks and more sustainability? </span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The nature of the landscape and external risks identified call, from a
technical perspective, for joint management and cross-border alternatives,
decentralised infrastructure and independent power sources, providing
desalinated water close to national water networks. This would allow for better
maintenance and shorter cost recovery, timely upgrades and adjustments. </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Saving the Jordan?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">historical
flow of the Jordan River of about 1,300 MCM/year annually has been
progressively reduced by upstream diversion – mainly by Israel, Jordan and
Syria.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The ethical question is; should
efforts focus on the Dead Sea, which is already “dead” or should efforts focus
on the Jordan River, which is very much “alive” but threatened to disappear
completely from the Basin? From an ethical perspective, it would be wise to
concentrate all efforts on the Jordan River, and then try to revive the Dead
Sea. Reviving the Jordan ultimately means saving the Dead Sea because the
Jordan naturally flows into the Dead Sea. Surely, no one will contest that
losing the Jordan (and its aquifer) would be far worse than losing the Dead
Sea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The “comparison of alternatives” table in the Final Environmental and
Social Assessment compares the costs of each alternative to RDS. The table
explains that the identified benefits of RDS respectively to “stabilize the
dead sea”, “provide water for three beneficiaries” and “generate hydropower”
will not be achieved by saving the Jordan River. Hence, the full range of
benefits such as ecosystem restauration, aquifer replenishment, health gains, and
touristic advantages etc., fall out of the study. Accordingly, the scenario of
the Jordan River’s full restauration is evaluated as “not know; but costly”.
This seems vague and insufficient given that saving the Jordan is one of the
most important alternatives to RDS. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">These findings ignore the wealth of options that could provide water and
generate hydropower while saving the Jordan. See for instance the “Jordan
River’s full restauration” scenario as described here by a<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> regional </span>NGO<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://foeme.org/www/?module=projects&record_id=104">EcoPeaceMiddle East</a> in its “Regional Master Plan for the Sustainable Development of the
Jordan Valley”. </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: black;">The intangible valuation of restoring the river would bring about
similar or potentially higher results than those obtained for RDS. First, part
of the Jordan’s banks and nearby locations are classified as UNESCO “World
Heritage” sites. Second, the Jordan River is not only related to Christian
baptism, but bears great symbolical meaning for Jewish and Muslims in the
region and around the world. Hence, a “Jordan” vs. “Dead Sea” survey is likely
to see people choose the river over the sea.</span> </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Other
alternatives?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The RDS project lifetime calls for other alternatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the first drops of desalinated water
will reach the first Jordanian taps in 2020, if there are no delays. By then, scarcity
will be more severe even though a fraction of the required capital investments could
have financed smaller alternatives with shorter implementation time, lower
risks and immediate water or energy outputs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Even </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">the ESA
report underscores that RDS is not without public concerns. Israeli and
Palestinian communities invited to public hearings worried that other strategic
alternatives, such as the restauration of the Jordan Valley, were being
dismissed too rapidly. </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Other interrelated alternatives that could deliver an immediate positive
impact on water availability and bring peace in the region include;</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Regulate the chemical industry’s rate of extraction and increase water efficiency in the agricultural and tourism sector.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Reduce water loses within national water carriers and restore the old-aged piping infrastructure in Jordan and Palestine. </span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maximise rainwater harvesting during winter precipitations in Palestine and Jordan thus minimizing treatment and pumping cost. </span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Share water equitably along the Jordan and its tributaries e.g. starting with Lake Tiberias (see red pin on the Map) in Israel or the multiple dams build on the Yarmouk River in Syria.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The last option would require joint diplomacy to achieve long-lasting
peace because water is always related to national security in the Middle East.
So far, multiple security deadlocks tremendously impair the much more
sustainable aim of cross-border water sharing. The total cost of these alternatives
could be higher than RDS, but there is no doubt that their benefits, taken
separately or not, would be higher, less risky and more sustainable. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1Hu34WaJfMzq_oaLSh9ZqOJGofQsVI6dEesX-eWXOsrxg9dKUIm1X0a_l_ZUNSJDdY-4s12j9atY0HNH2jiftzXzSgJQvoyrxDmOJcgkO68Yd01MsHZz-Kufqop1Bm5PYOoDEfhLiP4/s1600/Bild2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1Hu34WaJfMzq_oaLSh9ZqOJGofQsVI6dEesX-eWXOsrxg9dKUIm1X0a_l_ZUNSJDdY-4s12j9atY0HNH2jiftzXzSgJQvoyrxDmOJcgkO68Yd01MsHZz-Kufqop1Bm5PYOoDEfhLiP4/s400/Bild2.png" width="387" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Google Map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Are information disclosure and
public participation guaranteed at all stages? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The World Bank has made all studies available on its website. Hence, the
public disclosure of background documents is largely fulfilled. However, the
involvement of Palestinian, Israeli and Jordan civil society by the World Bank
and state parties cannot be qualified as progressive. In fact, even though NGOs
and private sectors have expressed their views during public hearings, no
democratic participation mechanism were set up by the beneficiary parties or by
the World Bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence, civil society is not
be included in decision-making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consultations were limited to public statements and sharing opinions but
did not grant further rights to representatives from civil society and
communities. There is no need to explain that this could potentially back fire
in the future (e.g. civil disobedience, lack of ownership, free riding and non-payment
of tariffs). </span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Finally, is RDS ethical? In the light of the previous points, it seems
not. This brief review leaves me with two nagging questions. First, can ethics
be sacrificed to provide water and energy in times of scarcity and war? Second,
can ethics exist without democratic participation? Despite the tangible
benefits of the project, it seems that its main shortcomings are mostly the
result of the political deadlock in the region. Hence, instead of strengthening
political peace, decision makers have chosen an ambitious technical substitute.
However, RDS remains potentially unethical in its grand design. It is up to
decision-makers to feel out whether it is the right way to revive the Dead Sea,
or whether efforts should focus on<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> more </span>ethical alternatives. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<i>RB</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-23912044493844004282015-04-05T07:09:00.003-04:002015-04-05T08:28:00.666-04:00Towards a Water Ethics Manifesto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>The original article is to be found on the following<a href="http://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/water-ethics-manifesto/#comment-4066"> website </a>and is posted here with the express agreement of the Praxis Center. </i><br />
<br />
By Lucy Rodina<br />
<br />
Is it ethical to let a river run dry?<br />
Is it ethical to have clean drinking water in Vancouver and hundreds of
boil water advisories in Indigenous communities all across Canada?<br />
Is it ethical to take away water from rural areas to quench the thirst of ever growing cities?
<br />
Try to think about a river and ethics together. These two words do
not fit together easily because we tend to separate the world of the
“natural” from that of the “ethical.”<br />
<span id="more-6269"></span><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6274" style="width: 310px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6274" src="http://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/files/2015/03/ry-land-in-Saskatchewan-300x200.jpg" height="133" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dry land in Saskatchewan (Photo credit: Lucy Rodina)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
We rarely ask ourselves these questions. Worse, we think it’s the
philosopher’s job to figure out the ethics questions. Not true. Ethics
is not abstract, not just an idea. We apply ethics everyday— from our
personal choices to making decisions about the environment.<br />
<br />
So what <i>is</i> environmental ethics? In short, it is derived
from the human relationship with the natural environment. Broadly
speaking, it is about deeply held values related to our connections with
non-human beings and ecosystems. It goes without saying that different
people and peoples hold different values and therefore convey and abide
by very different ethics. Unfortunately, in environmental governance
(i.e., the ways in which we manage natural resources, such as water,
forests, fisheries, and the environment) we rarely acknowledge our own
values, let alone critically engage with them. Instead, environmental
planners and decision-makers often bury value judgments in the technical
language of efficacy and expediency. A lack of critical engagement with
ethics constitutes a major blind spot in environmental governance. As a
result we fail to acknowledge that competing ethics can be sources of
environmental and social injustice and conflict.<br />
<br />
With 780 million people without access to clean water for drinking
and domestic use and close to 2.5 billion people without access to
adequate sanitation (most of whom live in aboriginal communities and
impoverished rural and urban areas in the Global South) combined with
population growth, urbanization and climate change, water access is
indeed a complex problem. In conventional water management, economic and
technical thinking have been the main drivers of decision-making and
planning. As a result of relying too heavily on the productive uses of
water, we have seen water grabbing, diversion, damming and displacement
of peoples in the Global South and elsewhere.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6272" style="width: 310px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6272" src="http://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/files/2015/03/agmati-Rvier-in-Kathmandu-Nepal-300x225.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bagmati Rvier in Kathmandu, Nepal (Photo credit: Lucy Rodina)</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Why do we value efficiency in water supply systems more than their
impact on wildlife or marginalized peoples? Would we still build dams if
we understood them to be unethical? This is not to say that we should
not care about efficiency at all, but to question <i>why</i> we value economic and technical aspects more than other considerations.<br />
<br />
Deciding where and how water should be allocated only based on
economic and technical principles risks severely undermining the
livelihoods and cultural, spiritual and environmental worldviews of
those whose access to water is already precarious.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
A Water Ethics Charter </h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
Rather than bemoan all problems, let me tell you about the <a href="http://waterethics.org/">Water Ethics Initiative</a>
– a relatively small, but committed movement (and by movement here I
mean a loose network of scholars and practitioners working with water in
various ways) advancing an ethics agenda for water management. The
initiative is mostly led by the Water Ethics Network, which was
established at the Water-Culture Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in
2010.<br />
The Water Ethics Initiative builds on the work of a number of
scholars and organizations (for example see the work of Groenfeldt,
2013; Groenfeldt & Schmidt, 2013; Schmidt & Peppard, 2014). One
of the key objectives of the Initiative is to create a Water Ethics
Charter— a consensus document outlining the guiding moral and ethical
principles in water governance— to be endorsed by governments, NGOs,
water stewardship organizations, Indigenous nations and companies.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6275" style="width: 310px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6275" src="http://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/files/2015/03/ater-taps-in-Nepal-300x199.jpg" height="132" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Water taps in Nepal (Photo credit: Lucy Rodina)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
The process of creating the Charter does not have a clear
pre-determined water ethic in mind. Instead, through the deliberation
process, the Initiative hopes to raise awareness around ethics, a far
too mute aspect of water governance. The process of creating the Charter
aims to build up a more grounded understanding of the values that do
and those that should guide decision-making around water. An ethical
framing of water governance, for example, could be significantly more
attentive to questions of social and environmental justice as well as
diverse cultural and spiritual beliefs around water. An ethics-based
water paradigm could start by asking <i>whose </i>water we are talking about, <i>who</i>
is involved in the governance process, and how burdens, benefits and
responsibilities are shared among the community of water users.<br />
<br />
Ethics in a classical sense refers to morals— and deeply held
values—that determine which social practices are acceptable or
unacceptable. Ethics offer a guide in deciding which actions to take
(i.e. between two choices, the ethical one is more desirable).
Traditionally, in Western industrialized contexts, we tend to think
about morals only in reference to humans. Valuing <i>nature</i>, for
example, happens in terms of its utility to society. In contrast, First
Nations communities in British Columbia have had historically a rather
different mentality around water and the biosphere in general—one more
in tune with the various relationships between humans and nature and the
obligations that arise from these deep interconnections.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6273" style="width: 310px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6273" src="http://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/files/2015/03/ommunal-water-tap-in-Cape-Town-slum-300x225.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Communal water tap in Cape Town slum (Photo credit: Lucy Rodina)</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
With the rise of environmental ethics in philosophy, scholars started
talking about nature’s intrinsic value and questioned the lack of moral
considerations for non-human species and ecosystems. Today, many,
including myself, argue that we have numerous reasons to start thinking
more comprehensively about ethics in environmental governance. One
reason is the fact that the ways we manage or intervene in ecosystems
often have serious ethical implications that are explicitly related to
social an environmental justice. For instance, a decision to increase
water supply through dam building has oftentimes led to displacement of
people, dramatically altering watercourses, destroying fish habitats and
other ecosystems.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Re-thinking Our Relationship to Water </h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
A few powerful lessons have already emerged from the work of the
Water Ethics Initiative. First, fairness, justice and equity are
important dimensions of water governance. This of course is not new, but
few water policies score very well on these points. Second, there are
many moral worldviews (western, Indigenous, cultural and spiritual) that
pertain to water and the biosphere in general. Many of them are
incommensurable. This challenges the possibility to arrive at “mutually
agreed upon” water ethics and raises the need for place-based approaches
to thinking about ethics. Third, a number of water experts and
practitioners are highlighting the need to think about water as a
complex social-ecological system (in other words, seeing nature and
society as highly interlinked) and argue for embedding our ethical
worldview in this systems understanding. And lastly, water ethics, and
environmental ethics in general, should start from a (re)thinking of our
relationship with the ecological world around us.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhvgRzGIImTo5pRbqrVL9J1nTVLooBo1pYGxJjHtpvzaJhfVxLTFaQOtQL5qTWCdB40tFBy-oFUlYpEebIK2e83Lu42GFdEH8UVLSchLX5U5xHPDdLn_mijnry2y9_WsHpn7EQtMExVYW4PdN1NDYfQFoweAe7XVZn9VSwzGQnxtqShZoxdtHybyy876pQCTqA=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-6270" src="http://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/files/2015/03/creen-Shot-2015-03-24-at-7.56.00-PM.png" height="165" width="200" /></a>Clearly,
coming up with a Water Ethics Charter poses a number of conceptual and
practical challenges: how to reconcile diverse and often incommensurable
values? How to conceptualize ethics within an understanding of water
and society as interlinked? One thing is clear, a deceptively
value-neutral technical or economic way of thinking about water, or
other elements of the natural environment for that matter, misses a set
of important social and ecological relationships around it. We need to
expand our understanding of the water cycle to account for power,
culture, and politics. In simple words: water does not exist only
naturally. It has a social and a political life, permeated by power
dynamics and often injustice.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Social and environmental (in)justice are highly interlinked
processes. We see this in the inequitable distribution of pollution and
“clean” environmental spaces between richer and poorer populations.
Power relations and inequality do not only affect society. Instead,
power relations also affect different kinds of environments,
prioritizing sites for conservation and contributing to environmental
degradation to maintain the interests of social elites to the detriment
of marginalized, impoverished and racialized populations— and to the
detriment of ecosystems themselves. In other words, <i>social injustice</i> is often played out through the ecosystem.<br />
<br />
An understanding that ecosystems have political lives can take us a
long way. As water is simultaneously material and political (Bakker,
2012), so are other ecosystems, natural resources, or ecosystem
services. This can help us start seeing that power relations are
internal to social-ecological systems, not external. Employing ethics
could help explicitly and directly address the social and environmental
justice implications of decisions in environmental governance. This is
not just wishful thinking. We have already made tremendous progress over
the past centuries in extending our ethical boundaries beyond personal
self-interest. Historically, we have seen progress in adopting ethical
principles of fairness, solidarity, and equity in social systems that we
could perhaps draw from to apply to ecological systems. However, we
have had much less success in adopting a more ethical relationship with
the surrounding environment.<br />
<br />
This new water ethic should move beyond human relationships between
individuals. It should involve responsibilities and obligations among
communities and nations, between humans and non-human species and
ecosystems, and between present and future generations. We can start by
first asking whether a decision we make around water is ethical. We can
start by evaluating the outcomes of water policies in terms of how
ethical they are. We can also collectively work towards building a
shared vision for more ethical water governance.<br />
<br />
<i>Lyudmila (Lucy) Rodina is a PhD student, working with Leila Harris, at
the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (<a href="http://ires.ubc.ca/">IRES</a>)
and a Liu Scholar at the Liu Institute for Global Issues. In her
research, Lucy explores the intersection of water governance and climate
change in urban contexts using a social-ecological systems
approach. Lucy is a Steering Committee member of the <a href="http://www.idrn-ubc.org/">International Development Research Network at UBC</a> and a member of the <a href="http://edges.sites.olt.ubc.ca/">EDGES research collaborative</a> and the Program on Water Governance. She is also a social media intern for the <a href="http://waterethics.org/">Water Ethics Network</a>. </i></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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</xml><![endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Water
and its related aspects of hygiene and sanitation will seal the success of many
of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): access to food, poverty
eradication, gender equality and education to name a few. There can be no real
absolute improvements in the later if water remains insufficient. Recently, Germany and the
World Food Program have pledged to<a href="http://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/german-minister-plans-green-revolution-combat-world-hunger-313222"> eradicate hunger by 2030</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can this be possible without water to
irrigate, clean and cook food products, not to mention water needed to maintain
life stocks? Is this even realistic in poor areas impacted by climate change? Truly,
we need to set clear priorities in what must come first on the international
development agenda. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Unique
in its global political dimension, the 7<sup>th</sup> Edition of the World
Water Forum is organized by South
Korea in April 2015. In its previous
editions the Forum was often seen as a platform promoting state-run water
projects and advertising “best practices” or public development programs. Hence,
the Forum has often been viewed as a show room for state actors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in the face of sobering and pressing international
water challenges, see for instance the new UNESCO World Water Development
<a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/wwdr/">Report</a>, the Forum needs to depart from political status quo and take the lead
regarding three cardinal points: </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJxnzzozEcSEQZGol-mBmRk3NeE1P8bJ0-uWxfXzKMEKH3rvljcb0DQ_1GC_QI6h68RmmszyskmLFCIm-81KodZRTSX5YB5gaj9Ri-tuYdivHVaSeLXCgKHQJWkSmbeOphO7JTR9Cvb4/s1600/forum_6_1_ministers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJxnzzozEcSEQZGol-mBmRk3NeE1P8bJ0-uWxfXzKMEKH3rvljcb0DQ_1GC_QI6h68RmmszyskmLFCIm-81KodZRTSX5YB5gaj9Ri-tuYdivHVaSeLXCgKHQJWkSmbeOphO7JTR9Cvb4/s1600/forum_6_1_ministers.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy World Water Council @ worldwatercouncil.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZIwquaWM-vJUQ0HkMfRU4esomyRiFlRA31LbG0vpwXKEPXrYk2OklUXYrF14c70j9_MUDC-qYIqawC_2Gu9_1lx_8Gm5Lafw7FBr5GoHxJ7n8pXyp5x_zEWpcEM_nuRPTcPqYvYsa7o/s1600/medium_Screen+Shot+2015-03-19+at+17.42.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZIwquaWM-vJUQ0HkMfRU4esomyRiFlRA31LbG0vpwXKEPXrYk2OklUXYrF14c70j9_MUDC-qYIqawC_2Gu9_1lx_8Gm5Lafw7FBr5GoHxJ7n8pXyp5x_zEWpcEM_nuRPTcPqYvYsa7o/s1600/medium_Screen+Shot+2015-03-19+at+17.42.30.png" height="200" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy UNESCO @ unesco.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">First,
the Forum must actively seek to get those that ultimately provide water services and
deliver drinking water to all sectors on board: small and medium companies, water
utilities and spare parts producers to share their concerns, co-design and
produce tailor-made and low-cost water infrastructure. In fact, the UN and various
stakeholders have drafted very ambitious SDGs for water, hygiene and sanitation <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgsproposal">(Goal 6)</a> to be achieved in no less than 15 years. In order
to meet those universal and quantifiable targets, the Forum should launch
regional working groups linking up local businesses from the water sector,
civil society representatives with public servants to trigger applied
discussions on how to best solve local problems and present concrete regional
recommendations before, during and after the Forum. </span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Second,
the Forum should be an open platform for testimonies, critics and diverging
point of views from water users experiencing the daily water crisis. During the
last 2012 World Water Forum, in France,
the only place to meet and hear the alarm call of farmers, community
representatives, women and minority groups suffering from the water crisis was
at the unofficial side event or “Alternative World Water Forum”: a civil
society <a href="http://www.fame2012.org/en/">initiative </a>organized for civil society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For many people around the world the World Water Forum remains a vitrine
organized by public authorities for public authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, the Forum must become the place for all
water users to voice their concerns on the international stage. </span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwS4YusFTz9o72B7wDVi6kMx6WHt9aYF6D2dKYvs-Zg3YSrQfESwuJfSezMKVoJAnZWMHqVX5tqyOM3KD45oxgBnsdVy7nYe-ybCVrGYa4FuUh0rQPhM7iRBaO-6I50VbQXtqPEn6VEI/s1600/Goal-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwS4YusFTz9o72B7wDVi6kMx6WHt9aYF6D2dKYvs-Zg3YSrQfESwuJfSezMKVoJAnZWMHqVX5tqyOM3KD45oxgBnsdVy7nYe-ybCVrGYa4FuUh0rQPhM7iRBaO-6I50VbQXtqPEn6VEI/s1600/Goal-6.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy United Nations @ sustainabledevelopment.un.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Third,
the Forum ought to coordinate with other high level environmental summits such
as the climate change and sustainability summits. For instance in <a href="http://newsroom.unfccc.int/lima/lima-call-for-climate-action-puts-world-on-track-to-paris-2015/">Lima</a> 2014 and in Copenhagen 2009, member states have pledged financial help for least developed and developing countries to adapt to climate change, via National
Adaptation Plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, part of those
adaptation funds will be channelled to non conventional supply technologies
(efficient irrigation, flood control, desalination etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Forum can help to tailor low-cost
technologies more systematically and get political commitment on critical
issues such as technology transfer and awareness-raising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be of great help to realistically
plan and implement the framework agreements of future environmental summits. </span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Political
commitment to fast-track related summits; more openness and inclusion towards civil society and the
water industry; those are but a few points to guarantee overall coherence and generate
the extra momentum needed for the World Water Forum to effectively contribute
to world peace and human development:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>without
safe drinking water, proper hygiene and sanitation for all, the Sustainable
Development Goals won’t be sustainable!</span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">RB </span></i></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-5979487512085414052014-09-29T13:05:00.000-04:002015-01-03T13:49:50.948-05:00From the ethics of islands (Part 2) - two different stories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Two places,
two different stories in terms of water ethics. Both have one thing in common:
they are small islands with a fragile ecosystem. The Republic of Nauru is located in Oceania,
while El Hierro is part of the Canaries, off the Atlantic coast. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">These two islands have chosen to give very different answers to these ethical questions:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Do we promote long term profits over short term profits? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With what means do we exploit our natural resources and to what ends?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Should we protect our human and natural</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> capital and seek self-sufficiency? <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Is there a limit to growth beyond the expansion of economic capital? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">How do we provide the island with a sustainable water and energy source?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Is it feasible to bear initial investments by generating renewable energy? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nauru
unlike El Hierro had tremendous amounts of phosphates exploited throughout
colonial times and after its independence in 1964. Driven by the international
market for fertilizers, Nauru became one of the world’s wealthiest
countries </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">in the 1960s-70</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1970s its citizens
used to buy all sorts of goods, some driving their SUV along the only road, leaving it on the sidewalk once the tank got empty to immediately get a brand new
car. However, failing to diversify its tiny economy, phosphate-moneys were squandered
abroad in shady real estate and trust funds. After the 1980s the promised
return on investments did not occur and phosphate reserves rapidly
declined – so did royalties to landowners in Nauru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today billions of profits have vanished, state debts are piling up,
public health is disastrous due to fast-food diets and inactivity – for years
work was subcontracted to foreigners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
deliberate choice to promote phosphates as the only trade and rampant political
corruption have destroyed the island’s ecosystem within less than 50 years.
Top-soils have been completely dug out (80% of the Nauru’s surface) causing
soil erosion and desertification, underground layers are dangerously hollow and
threaten to collapse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rising sea levels
worsen this phenomenon, as is already the case for <a href="http://www.thuletuvalu.com/">other islands</a> in Oceania. Mining
activities took a huge toll on groundwater quality and reserves, leaving Nauru
a barren land stripped from its plant cover, a reality cast in its
topography today (see pictures below).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVBZF8c1ibpfiyJdxaZxX1nGMPuQl12QbaRgdi-MXSslSl5PxAm7vGbjYFnHP9GRzrlxl2GRCiIoF7bE2eEbendNMnuuLvdP712np9agHR-ahPturkQyBFnHJJDWRlhzX7Jr3T7C-Nbg/s1600/image008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVBZF8c1ibpfiyJdxaZxX1nGMPuQl12QbaRgdi-MXSslSl5PxAm7vGbjYFnHP9GRzrlxl2GRCiIoF7bE2eEbendNMnuuLvdP712np9agHR-ahPturkQyBFnHJJDWRlhzX7Jr3T7C-Nbg/s1600/image008.jpg" height="142" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Nauru @ commonground191.com </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrrIqjhyphenhyphen5rKvMCYD0qzv9dvhICL5LLnYV7dBcYFIAzqP7tl_RZxY757Svv1OswDaqc7Dib-1i1NifpqLJ98n-q31Vei2r5VTjsVF9yJaFiITtMNSzy7Ef0HQjpRKMA1W-6EVrj2iVo1Y/s1600/Nauru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrrIqjhyphenhyphen5rKvMCYD0qzv9dvhICL5LLnYV7dBcYFIAzqP7tl_RZxY757Svv1OswDaqc7Dib-1i1NifpqLJ98n-q31Vei2r5VTjsVF9yJaFiITtMNSzy7Ef0HQjpRKMA1W-6EVrj2iVo1Y/s1600/Nauru.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Nauru @ toptenfamous.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">El Hierro
took an entirely different path despite being a resource-poor island. Most of its leaders' decision-making has been aimed at sustainability and self-sufficiency. Ethical choices are
set in a strategy called<a href="http://www.goronadelviento.es/index.php?accion=galeria&IdSeccion=87"> “El Hierro 100% sustainable”</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It required no less than 30 years of persistent lobbying to get approval from Spain and the EU. </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Let’s take a look at three of this strategy's key-dimensions:</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>(1) Agriculture:</b>
acknowledging that over 40% of El Hierro's water is going to agriculture, biological
farming is considered the less harmful approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, sheep and goats are preferred
over cows to avoid soil erosion. The Island council rents 20 hectares of agricultural
land to farmers including a greenhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Locally bio-labelled products such as banana, pineapples, mangos,
papayas, avocados and figs are preferred over water-intensive products (e.g. olives, rice). </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>(2) Energy & water supply:</b> confronted
with water and energy scarcity El-Hierro’s initial problem was to find a
cost-effective way to desalinate sea water and harvest energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thereby, the technical concept made use of
the only natural resource available in bulk: streams of Atlantic wind!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a nutshell 5 windmills (total capacity
11.5 MW) generate up to three times electricity needs (11,000 households).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additional power is channeled to the
desalination plant producing drinking water. What if there is no wind? The
back-up plan involves pumping water from a lower basin to a higher basin, which
is then released thus triggering 6 hydro-turbines (total capacity 11.3 MW)
satisfying energy and water demand (see sketch below). </span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ5ney3uBk7V7eWTFIPPmEL7NjFG2twa322CCasscPoojqcUCG8yvA7Svjg5DUkvGiqBQm-xfoABEFONm20MdzLNxrxggRchaSEBopO6Q7JnnQXYIKki_NveUcpGV-or1SpFwEw-Ez8Q/s1600/xxxxxxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ5ney3uBk7V7eWTFIPPmEL7NjFG2twa322CCasscPoojqcUCG8yvA7Svjg5DUkvGiqBQm-xfoABEFONm20MdzLNxrxggRchaSEBopO6Q7JnnQXYIKki_NveUcpGV-or1SpFwEw-Ez8Q/s1600/xxxxxxx.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy El Hierro @ GEO Magazine, goronadelviento.es</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV028kMIV3R9ZRMSjRQHqGGEWdM1Is5zDK2e_NAba-XKF0Qa-KvSY81-FwzSW6wvPBYq6iL_TUnDqS0fOxggR8VQQSQxVLqUR1wsDqTO5J-0qwyYRyq-QJ8JaOgRZcUWotsuIqdHvO7hU/s1600/Unbenannt.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV028kMIV3R9ZRMSjRQHqGGEWdM1Is5zDK2e_NAba-XKF0Qa-KvSY81-FwzSW6wvPBYq6iL_TUnDqS0fOxggR8VQQSQxVLqUR1wsDqTO5J-0qwyYRyq-QJ8JaOgRZcUWotsuIqdHvO7hU/s1600/Unbenannt.png" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy El Hierro @ eldiaro.es</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>(3) Tourism:</b> El
Hierro made the early choice of ecological tourism restraining from building costal sea
resorts and huge touristic estates overlooking the main beaches. Instead, its
shores are left almost intact with the exception of a small artificial harbor.
In turn, scarce resources are not overburdened by mass tourism and local
inhabitants do make a living from small businesses (eco-lodges, bed and
breakfast, local market ect.) most tourists staying only for a day or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next step is to rely exclusively on
electric cars and recycle 100% of waste instead of 50% today.</span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Ethical
choices have bestowed opposite fates upon Nauru and El Hierro – surely we
can learn from them in terms of water and environmental ethics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Islands will always give us valuable<a href="http://waterethicsnetwork.blogspot.ch/2014/07/from-ethics-of-islands-1.html"> insights</a>!
</span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>RB</i></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-91840229164650040522014-07-20T14:18:00.002-04:002014-10-01T14:44:11.986-04:00From the Ethics of Islands (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfCRLKJrNPHJF6lrwiP8YT3b7r-Hbc6ljQgb-Fyo7bNMvVw2WNQ3CwmldhyphenhyphenzjoKx4xOXdr00qH4TS9qhvnZXYVbIbD1CiURbSEExW5V71dQIjMkcZI-XleZythU9liJ0pVe1PEg2CiXU/s1600/22814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfCRLKJrNPHJF6lrwiP8YT3b7r-Hbc6ljQgb-Fyo7bNMvVw2WNQ3CwmldhyphenhyphenzjoKx4xOXdr00qH4TS9qhvnZXYVbIbD1CiURbSEExW5V71dQIjMkcZI-XleZythU9liJ0pVe1PEg2CiXU/s1600/22814.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: WWW</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE">When Robinson Crusoe got stranded on his desolated
Island, he first felt that he was being cursed, on second thoughts he came to
realize that his prison was ultimately his salvation providing him with all
necessities of life (freshwater, goat meat, fruits and crops). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Him being alone in his kingdom, and having
nothing to share with anyone, simplified his minimalistic way of life: why
desire more when there is enough to live on? </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Robinson’s answer would have been that it is
natural to seek what is being denied and forget about what is already
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span lang="DE">The ups and downs of the world’s most famous shipwrecked
person are deemed as an early tale of capitalism, especially by demonstrating
the utility principle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is every
resource has to be produced and consumed in its best possible way (without
waste, because waste is expensive) – more broadly the fulfillment of basic
supply and demand equilibrium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that
sense Robinson is not only a tale of the protestant ideal of capitalism (hard
work leads to rightful earnings and deeds),</span> but also entails a critic of
unethical consumption patterns. In fact, the harder Robinson worked the more
sustainable he became.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span lang="DE">I see another important lesson from Robinson Crusoe.
Apart from being dependent of the island’s natural ecosystem, his hardship to
get agricultural resources (it took him several years to harvest his first
crop) makes us rediscover the fragility of human nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Available resources are limited and precious,
which we tend to forget because of the high division of labor and global supply
chains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many, I have no clue about
how to produce most of the things I use. It gives us a false impression of
almightiness quickly gone once left alone to fend for ourselves like Robinson
did on his island. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span lang="DE">Today, Daniel Defoe's novel is still very much related to
water ethics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, Islands offer
scarce hydrological resources i.e. biomass, meat, vegetables and fruits.
Agriculture and husbandry depend on trade-offs between competing available
land/water resources and pollution from inputs (natural or chemical
fertilizers) and outputs (solid and liquid waste). Most production processes
(e.g. cooling or cooking) depend on freshwater, if not, at some stage, on
drinking water. Hence, without any trade with the outside world (all things
kept constant, as economists would say), Islands can only sustain a finite
number of consumers such as Robinson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But what is the Earth if not an island lost in millions of galactic
seas? </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiEeP_Xyus_CuwAT40apa1xw1Kpqpd1zrkt_qt0RhdgxAQZAuK6ljT-HepIWlk3SOcl3eWE6qa3O5YZ-gtqGlEAxEKJXGLKuAcXaMOaqbKFMKhHaI__rbK0qni0IOTS7vRM-uZtNlGAM/s1600/velaaisland_2626084k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiEeP_Xyus_CuwAT40apa1xw1Kpqpd1zrkt_qt0RhdgxAQZAuK6ljT-HepIWlk3SOcl3eWE6qa3O5YZ-gtqGlEAxEKJXGLKuAcXaMOaqbKFMKhHaI__rbK0qni0IOTS7vRM-uZtNlGAM/s1600/velaaisland_2626084k.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: Daily Telegraph UK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE">Islands are ecosystems to experience and measure
sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the ethical observer
and practitioner they represent the ideal hydrological unit to study and learn
from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water ethics is all about
sustainability, because ethics brings us back to some of the core questions that
tormented Robinson all these years on his Island;</span></div>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span lang="DE">What are my basic food and water requirements? What is
secondary?</span></li>
<li><span lang="DE">How much inputs (water for instance) do I need to
produce? </span></li>
<li><span lang="DE">How much can the ecosystem provide in future?</span></li>
<li><span lang="DE">Do I need to share with other people? Am I the only one
in need? </span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What are the limits to
production and consumption? </span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Do I make some stocks
for next week, next month or next year? </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE">Those questions are of utmost importance because one
agent has no exclusive right (we might say natural right) to answer these (or
ignore them) on behalf of other living creatures (including flora), thus
jeopardizing the ecosystem by over-producing or over-polluting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence, water ethics should guide us away from
productive quantity to enter the age of productive quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, one might argue that being moderate
is already an amazing achievement in terms of sustainability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we need a new smart phone, mineral water
from the Fijis, a steak-meal every day, all of these water-intensive products?
Robinson teaches that it is already unethical to produce more than what is
needed, for instance, by boosting bio fuel profits using chemical fertilizers
and cheap labor (Robinson’s boat sunk on his way to find slaves for his
plantation) diverting water and ultimately distorting food prices in many parts
of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Islands will help us to
understand this idea – Robinson, apart from finding faith was also an early
environmentalist, but it took him many, many years on the Island to realize
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<span lang="DE">Soon a comparative case study about islands and water
ethics! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<span lang="DE"><em>RB</em></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-75673058291338628182014-04-14T14:47:00.000-04:002014-06-17T14:55:20.294-04:00The Water Integrity Network<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_l5lRotorCm_IpRarAQYFXEp_mCFISbiCgXth6SGWilDz_NXQJsDWWmoOyFkFbUN6teR5sJ07Qi0EqUE51GSAT1wp7nDYCn6BNABC2Iva23coXx9JgitNyIQXMVp85KxXlOCTuzzIh8/s1600/Picture+1+Hansa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_l5lRotorCm_IpRarAQYFXEp_mCFISbiCgXth6SGWilDz_NXQJsDWWmoOyFkFbUN6teR5sJ07Qi0EqUE51GSAT1wp7nDYCn6BNABC2Iva23coXx9JgitNyIQXMVp85KxXlOCTuzzIh8/s1600/Picture+1+Hansa.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">© Hansa Tangmanpoowadol (*)</span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span lang="en-GB"></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 25.2pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="http://www.waterintegritynetwork.net/"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Water Integrity Network (WIN)</span></a> was
formed in 2006 to respond to increasing concerns among water and
anti-corruption stakeholders over corruption in the water sector. It combines
global advocacy, regional networks and local action, to promote increased
transparency and integrity, bringing together partners and members from the
public and private sectors, civil society and academia, to drive change that
will improve the lives of people who need it most.<br /><br />WIN’s
vision is a world with equitable and sustained access to water and a clean
environment, which is no longer threatened by corruption, greed, dishonesty and
wilful malpractice. To achieve this WIN will continue to raise awareness about
the issue of corruption in its different forms (e.g. not just bribery, but also
extortion, collusion and large-scale systemic corruption) and the fact that
something can be done about it through multi-stakeholder coalitions that build
integrity. It will share and facilitate the use of water integrity tools,
methods and applied research findings and knowledge among water-users and
professionals. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />WIN’s
work will not just concern preventing corruption, a big enough challenge in
itself, but also ensuring that the poor participate meaningfully in
decision-making processes and benefit in particular from the solutions put in
place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
(*) </span><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The story behind the photo is as
follows: The Fishermen live close to the Mae Moh Coal Mine, a power plant
factory in Lampang Province, Thailand. They have to live
with environmental fluxes of arsenic from lignite mining and power
generation contaminating their water and food source.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i><br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-86656169757949387612014-01-16T06:31:00.000-05:002014-06-17T13:45:15.311-04:00A Vehicle for Water Ethics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Two years ago I was working on my master’s degree, concentrating on water and its relation to sustainability. I was not quite sure of how to put my ideas together into a practical and meaningful application. As I was doing research for a paper on water privatization, I came across a small book by Robert William Sandford and Merrell-Ann S. Phare called Ethical Water: Learning to Value What Matters Most. This book, while small in size was big on content and became the basis for the rest of my academic career and the inspiration for my self-designed degree. All of my thinking about water seemed to suddenly find its focus.<br />
<br />
The issue with water went beyond the disproportionate amounts that people had access to and the shortages and lack of sanitation that were occurring around the world. The real problem seemed to be in how easily water was ignored by most people unless there was some issue relating to either its lack or abundance. It was not appreciated for its value in everything including not just health and sanitation, but manufacturing, transportation, energy, and literally every aspect of our lives. Without water there would be no life as we know it on earth.<br />
<br />
As the importance of all this took hold of me, I also questioned how I could pass on this vital understanding to others. I knew this would be difficult for any one person to do and I wondered how much impact I could realistically have. My idea was to try and pass these lessons on to children, the water stewards of tomorrow. I carried this notion forward into my thesis, “Water Ethics in Elementary Education.” I discovered there were no easy answers, as is so often the case in life. My research exposed as many new questions as answers, but it did not reduce my resolve or the importance of the message. I am still looking for a meaningful outlet to help people understand the significance of water in every aspect of our lives. I hope by reading my thesis, you will begin to understand some of the challenges in teaching our children about the ethics of water as well as the importance to do so.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Nancy Wells</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">,
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Self-Designed MA in Water Ethics & Sustainability (*)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">(*) The author's work (MA thesis) can be downloaded <a href="http://www.filedropper.com/finalthesisforsubmission-1"><b>here</b></a>. Usual copyrights apply, please contact the author for further information. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-92146252761534344462013-12-23T14:04:00.001-05:002014-06-17T13:40:15.173-04:00Vernacular Efficiency <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Do you know
what ‘Vernacular Arts’ is? Until recently I didn’t either. But then I visited a startling exhibition
about traditional societies’ housing architectures from all around the world.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A couple of
things struck me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, vernacular is
highly diverse and beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today a modern
tower looks pretty much the same anywhere on earth – a concrete glass and steel
rectangle. Second, vernacular entails a highly efficient energy footprint
before and after construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact,
building components are made out of locally available materials with natural
heating and cooling properties. Hence, it is argued that only 1% (!) of the
modern total building costs are needed to erect and maintain ancient vernacular
structures. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Water-wise,
most of the models exposed had useful rainwater harvesting features. For
instance, rooftops in Central Africa were
meant to collect rainwater during the rainy seasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Indonesia, traditionnal houses similar to
“pagodas” had self-lifting tsunami-proofed rooftops sheltering from heavy
rains. Today, most rooftops in urban areas are covered with cooling units,
water tanks or satellite dishes making it difficult to install rain pipes and
water treatment units. On the other hand, cement and plastic have become a
universal quick-fix relinquishing wood and straw to cooking and heating fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Although,
much more research needs to be done in the face of extreme weather events (typhoons,
earthquakes, flash floods etc.), it seems that vernacular engineering matches closely
with sustainable development and pro-poor strategies. Its sustainable use and re-use
of natural resources should inspire architects and planners around the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, traditional know-how should
be studied more in depth before relying on conventional glass and steel. Surely
asbestos does not enter in the list of vernacular construction materials…</span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">RB </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Links: </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: FR;"> <a href="http://www.tkwb.org/web/?page_id=4&language=it">Traditionnal Knowledge Worldbank</a> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvo5hs3WznZl3eVl_eosNrJi0Z_9XQeHbHb4qk_7KJeTfKNQ-94SrJ2cnfebIw6xssIS5nBNdnt0oaVoRQSoQnAP-pNmMZWeeEuUi9KFBPEf-JCzonqzTD0h3LNHS-uCKirIPbaEMsg0/s1600/104-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvo5hs3WznZl3eVl_eosNrJi0Z_9XQeHbHb4qk_7KJeTfKNQ-94SrJ2cnfebIw6xssIS5nBNdnt0oaVoRQSoQnAP-pNmMZWeeEuUi9KFBPEf-JCzonqzTD0h3LNHS-uCKirIPbaEMsg0/s1600/104-3.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4o_XzB5Uko0Y4LiPDEL-kTVvqOiC6a5Za7JA5Tlet18ho_qg586mWB4DXG5moy6s9dB66XmZvCG8iHwms0NZq3QZBlNjvb8ygzyCmNaJkjqtxyyIRsCHaHN6AAwq_BC5JgfArJTSyYuM/s1600/170-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4o_XzB5Uko0Y4LiPDEL-kTVvqOiC6a5Za7JA5Tlet18ho_qg586mWB4DXG5moy6s9dB66XmZvCG8iHwms0NZq3QZBlNjvb8ygzyCmNaJkjqtxyyIRsCHaHN6AAwq_BC5JgfArJTSyYuM/s1600/170-2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSFK1CAcmfnF8Jtlj5zdL5VF4VTij2fpvjvSf8LBVhh8O4iVPUlLpkflc77Vqhwn-FZQajupKh1afncfUc3Smrpw6LFx7s6D3t8GUNvPXWlsj9F7-pEJi0tc_tfeHINzysVcQrt6kawM/s1600/076-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSFK1CAcmfnF8Jtlj5zdL5VF4VTij2fpvjvSf8LBVhh8O4iVPUlLpkflc77Vqhwn-FZQajupKh1afncfUc3Smrpw6LFx7s6D3t8GUNvPXWlsj9F7-pEJi0tc_tfeHINzysVcQrt6kawM/s1600/076-5.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
(Vernacular housing models from L to R in Indonesia, Japan and Tunisia, courtesy of EPFL Lausanne, retrieved 23.12.2013)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08457174958310854903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-70364961815218935092013-04-09T23:26:00.002-04:002014-06-17T13:41:58.336-04:00Water Guides, Rules or Regulations?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Australia's arid heartland, a water
conservation revolution is under-way. Last November I spoke with Liz
Locksley, Alice Water Smart (AWS) Homes and Business Program Manager,
about </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.alicewatersmart.com.au/?q=content/alice-water-smart-guide">Alice
Water Smart Guide</a>, </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at that
time called the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.alicewatersmart.com.au/?q=content/alice-springs-becomes-first-australian-town-adopt-voluntary-water-use-guidelines">“Community
Water Rules</a>”.</i><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <i>Alice Water Smart Guide</i> is
part of AWS's multi-pronged approach to reducing the town's
<a href="http://www.alicewatersmart.com.au/?q=AliceWaterUse">unsustainable
water consumption</a>. Concerned residents have worked for years to
raise awareness about the problem and find solutions to it,
culminating in the AWS program. Last year a diverse, voluntary,
Citizen's Advisory Panel of 12 town residents got together and
devised the Top Six Actions to save water in Alice Springs which form
the <i>Alice Water Smart Guide</i>, launched in 2013 on World Water
Day.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to the launching, the initiative
was changed from “<i>Community Water Rules</i>” to “<i>Alice
Water Smart Guide</i>.” In a <a href="http://www.alicewatersmart.com.au/sites/default/files/news/Media%20Release%20-%20Water%20Rules%20are%20out%20-%208%20March%202013.pdf">media
release</a>, panel spokesperson Michelle Cooper said “It was a
unanimous decision. The name <i>Alice Water Smart Guide</i> is the
right fit with our hopes for this initiative. We heard the
community’s call for the working title of ‘Community Water
Rules,’ to be changed.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listening to feedback is essential for
the success of a bottom-up, community driven process. However, my
initial outsider's reaction was disappointment. Had Alice lost its
nerve? The idea of community-driven regulation is such a bold move.
In contrast to “rules”, the word “guide” sounded, to my ear, to lack confidence. It brought to mind existing educational resources
such as the <span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.alicewatersmart.com.au/?q=content/water-use-alice-springs"><i>WaterWise
Action in Central Australia</i></a></u></span></span> booklet, one of countless government sponsored brochures. A major
difference is that the <i>Guide</i> was devised by the Citizen's Advisory
Panel and launched in conjunction with a solid social marketing
strategy, that includes, for example, the game <a href="http://www.alicewatersmart.com.au/?q=content/pass-it-game#"><i>Pass
It On</i></a>. The Top Six Actions will develop into new social norms
that embody a high value for water. Essentially, water consumption will be
reduced though social regulation, rather than enforcement.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps in a town as isolated, wild and
fiercely independent as Alice, “Rules” were never going to stick.
You want rules and regulations? Go to Canberra, the Nation's
orderly capital. Go to Perth, which has been under government
mandated water restrictions on and off since 1977. In November I'd
asked Liz about why the initiative would create a set of Rules (as
the Top Six Actions were called at that stage) rather than,
hypothetically, lobby the government for water restrictions. Liz
described Rules as are a more proactive community approach, “There's
a lot people can do. We don't have to wait for the government [to
take action such as implementing mandatory restrictions].”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The residents of Alice Springs won't
wait for government led restrictions, nor, it seems, will they
tolerate Rules. They've gone down another path. The town took a
problem and saw an opportunity. Rather than accepting the status
quo, Alice Springs filled the Northern Territory government's
leadership void with a bottom-up process that allows genuine
community participation and direction in water management. Top
Actions, Guides, Rules or Regulations? The outcome might be the same,
but the process is different.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's still early days for the Alice
Water Smart Guide. The real impact will only be known some time down
the track. I asked Liz about her hopes for the process;“ I hope to
come up with a useful, creative approach to how we manage water in
Alice Springs...People can feel proud of the community they live in”.
It's important for the town that receives, arguably, an unfair
proportion of bad news stories in the media. “So we want to save
water by people adopting the water Actions, and create a positive
image for ourselves.”<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDjaaRkMETX7DXMdkePkKxw4dgMIdK5cdT3vg3LmbZtzqDn1M7oh_5x0o0mUeqdGsTeF0xuQQppTUDVS2658Lo1kFtdJ1uyoEe8DIVPqMbP52dOKtVSWhcUVb5P2PfIQLHyH0a7S4_6o/s1600/wedding+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDjaaRkMETX7DXMdkePkKxw4dgMIdK5cdT3vg3LmbZtzqDn1M7oh_5x0o0mUeqdGsTeF0xuQQppTUDVS2658Lo1kFtdJ1uyoEe8DIVPqMbP52dOKtVSWhcUVb5P2PfIQLHyH0a7S4_6o/s320/wedding+car.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Alice, they do it their own way (Wedding 2010)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575605328430692023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-1045832283729206542012-12-30T02:25:00.000-05:002012-12-30T02:25:23.142-05:00Water Ethics for Climate Adaptation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's unfortunate that the COP 18 meetings on climate change held in Doha, Qatar last month gave so little attention to water, much less to water ethics. Water and climate impacts and adaptation strategies had been discussed in detail at a workshop in Mexico City in July, resulting in a very useful<a href="http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2012/sbsta/eng/04.pdf" target="_blank"> report</a>. But the much anticipated COP 18 meetings would have been an opportunity for exploring how water strategies, including the ethics underlying those strategies, could make a difference.<br />
<br />
Statements from water experts participating in COP 18 focused on the need for more funding to implement adaptation measures that were not specified, as if everyone already knows what needs to be done. In her <a href="http://www3.unog.ch/dohaclimatechange/sites/default/files/Statement%20by%20GWP%20%28COP18%29.pdf" target="_blank">presentation</a> GWP Executive Director, Ania Grobicki noted, "We have the knowledge. We have the tools." What is missing is funding. The Water and Climate Coalition issued a <a href="http://www.stakeholderforum.org/fileadmin/files/Water_and_Climate_Coalition_Doha_Positions.pdf" target="_blank">position paper</a> which highlighted the need for both more funding, and a higher profile for water issues in climate discussions generally.<br />
<br />
Maybe the water community would get more respect, and more funding too, if they broadened their message to include water ethics. The key to successful adaptation to more erratic water regimes is not simply more infrastructure or more effective governance, though both will be necessary. A shift in values and ethics is also needed to avoid the technology treadmill that I see happening in the Southwestern United States, where I live. Without an ethic recognizing the rights of nature, we apply our engineering technology to transfer water from our rivers to our cities, farms, and factories, leaving the rivers dry and their ecosystems nearly dead. Fear of climate change only enhances the incentives to remove every last drop from nature to meet the incessant human demand.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdp6U7ZGoliEWFlfSWd2wPsCACeKAKOku3UJaBhbRdOaR2nkuX0dRQPi3A6a8CLMS-avzvoRK-piSr62NiGS1yLk3slzr49hdz4ucU9BEUDQm1HGA8cNDSpJY6z_G-aa4lAVk1DtDASDG/s1600/Horned+Toad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdp6U7ZGoliEWFlfSWd2wPsCACeKAKOku3UJaBhbRdOaR2nkuX0dRQPi3A6a8CLMS-avzvoRK-piSr62NiGS1yLk3slzr49hdz4ucU9BEUDQm1HGA8cNDSpJY6z_G-aa4lAVk1DtDASDG/s320/Horned+Toad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Successful adaptation to a harsh climate: a baby horned toad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ethics underlying the European Water Framework Directive, by contrast, recognizes the needs (and indirectly, the "rights") of rivers to flow, in order to support their dependent ecosystems, as well as future generations of dependent people. <br />
<br />
Adaptive water management needs to "get the ethics right" as an integral part of the adaptive process. The ethics that got us into the water crisis are not the right ethics to get us out, particularly as climate change exacerbates the crisis. <br />
<br />
</div>
David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-69901705862308315612012-08-03T13:17:00.002-04:002012-08-03T13:33:37.670-04:00Gutsy<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Bold statement on Indigenous access
to water resources barely causes a ripple</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
My water-nerd friend called it “gutsy”.
Last month, Australia's <a href="http://www.nwc.gov.au/commission">National
Water Commission</a> (NWC) released <a href="http://nwc.gov.au/media/commission/2012/advancing-indigenous-access-to-australias-water">this
statement</a> calling for water allocation plans to include reserves
of water for Indigenous economic development.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The NWC's “<i>Position Statement:
Indigenous Access to Water Resources”</i> reflects policy from the
advisory group, <a href="http://www.nwc.gov.au/planning/fpwec">First
People's Water Engagement Council</a>. The statement describes
actions needed to improve Indigenous access to water in several
areas: water for culture, water for economic development, leadership
and governance, water planning/ management and drinking water
security in remote communities.
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Readers of this blog might be
particularly interested in the first recommendation: that water
management practices discern cultural water values independently of
environmental water values. Environmental values alone can be
somewhat utilitarian. This move would further legitimise cultural
values (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) as water management
considerations.<br />
. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Likely to be most controversial are the
recommendations to set aside water for Indigenous economic
development. In Australia, Indigenous land rights are recognised
through the 1993 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Title_Act_1993"><i>Native
Title Act</i></a>. However, rights to water are uncoupled from land
rights. In general, recognition of Native Title is not accompanied by
any substantial water rights. One way to get around the limitations of
the legislation is by allocating Strategic Indigenous Reserves
(SIRs) of water in water management plans. Examples exist in the
Northern Territory and Queensland. For the other States, taking on
the NWC's recommendations would be a major change to
business-as-usual. It would also be a challenge; the statement
doesn't detail <i>how </i><span style="font-style: normal;">the new
water entitlements might be allocated. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The mainstream media's limited
attention for this statement is astonishing. Other water issues,
like the messy saga of the Murray-Darling Basin, are taking up most
of the spotlight. If you look at the <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/water/policy-programs/index.html">Australian
Government's page on water policy</a> and programs the word
“Indigenous” doesn't even appear. The lack of attention could
reflect general public disinterest in the abstract, jargon rich
world of water allocation and resource management or a complacency
about Indigenous rights. Another factor is that these
recommendations from the NWC are not binding. The NWC is an advisory
body.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Whatever the reason, water resources
and Indigenous rights are both of national importance. The effect of
SIR's (or similar) is to acknowledge that prior to colonisation,
Australia's Indigenous population “owned” the water resources.
SIRs could change- in fact, are changing- the way Australia sees
itself as a nation. They are changing some fundamental assumptions
of water resource management. Broader public interest may be ignited
sometime in the future if legislative changes are proposed,
especially in the more densely populated southern states Until then,
the NWC's quiet statement contributes to the slow movement of
Indigenous water rights.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kat Taylor</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">More
reading.. you might like this <a href="http://www.water.anu.edu.au/pdf/2011/RSES_Seminar_20111011_ppp.pdf">informative
pdf</a> on water rights from Australian National University.</span></div>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575605328430692023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-81354875638728872802012-07-27T13:15:00.000-04:002012-08-03T11:38:00.820-04:00Relationships of convenienceIn Australia tap water
is generally safe and seemingly abundant. This convenience comes
with a small price: the impact on our attitudes to water. Although
identifying our own biases is difficult, I've tried to expose a few
of my underlying assumptions. To help, I looked at my reactions to
different drinking water supplies. Welcome to
my mini-diary of drinking water baggage!<br />
<a name='more'></a><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
- March. Stream in
a forest reserve, Costa Rica: For me, streams are associated with
swimming rather than with drinking water. Drinking directly from the
mountain-fed streams felt odd, although getting water from the taps,
fed with untreated water from the same stream, felt “normal” My
disconnection between “tap-water” and its source surprised me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">-April.
Tap water in Port Antonio, Jamaica. The water pressure was low or
non-existent for part of the day. Containers are filled with water
at night to cover the gap. Out of necessity, people in Port Antonio
were very water conscious, far more than the average Australian. To my embarrassment, it took me days to realise this basic fact because most tourist facilities have massive private water storage tanks.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">-
May. City supply and no supply, Guatemala: In spite of avoiding the
Quetzaltenango's notorious tap water, I got sick. It made me wary to
the point of paranoia. Later, on a visit to a rural Mayan community
(San Francisco), I was struck by the local guide's comments about the
role of water. He said it brought people together, giving them an
opportunity to share news which would be missed if the houses had
piped water. Is facebook my equivalent to hauling water?</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
My tourist's
impressions of life, and relationship to water, in the countries above
will never match the opinion of a local. As limited as my impressions were, they shed some light onto my own
assumptions. Water in Australia seems so convenient, safe and
abundant. It's a black box with an aquifer or dam at one end and
clean tap water at the other. There is a cost: water from the tap
seems separate to the environment, external costs are hidden,
consumption is difficult for the consumer to judge, there is no social aspect. There is
nothing new here, yet its easy to ignore the impact of ingrained
thought habits. The structure of our municipal water supplies effects
our underlying assumptions. Let's remember to take that into account;
our daily interactions with water shape our ethic as much as our
ethic dictates our actions.<br />
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<i>Kat Taylor. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLSlgDl6pAKiIw0r5P_htZYhOZIiqnnNp0AhgvVE9iPSH9bEigCD7GGlSN8MOORq3PYEYZhDeu3njy1GR377PBDJJ8pWKzGq0RE9UTjRSv_EBfnh8nhqrK31CMY-EB0jejfrmGZyzVM8/s1600/DSC00050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLSlgDl6pAKiIw0r5P_htZYhOZIiqnnNp0AhgvVE9iPSH9bEigCD7GGlSN8MOORq3PYEYZhDeu3njy1GR377PBDJJ8pWKzGq0RE9UTjRSv_EBfnh8nhqrK31CMY-EB0jejfrmGZyzVM8/s320/DSC00050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamaica: Tourist 'paradise', water pressure problems for locals.</td></tr>
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</div>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575605328430692023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-82333176178729665022012-07-27T11:14:00.000-04:002014-06-17T13:41:00.072-04:00The Bosque in the 'Burbs<i>What draws so many people to the Rio Grande Nature Center (RGNC)? To find out, I spoke with Karen Herzenberg, RGNC's Instructional co-ordinator and Interpretive Naturalist. In this excerpt she describes two unintentional interpretive features at RGNC. Sorry about the poor audio quality.</i><br />
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Albuquerque's RGNC attracts an impressive number of visitors; 130,000 per year. A team of 170 volunteers commit to at least 24 hours of training before running a stack of activities, walks and talks. Every year 12,000 children attend a class at the center. It's not just locals taking advantage of a natural area so close to the city. Herzenberg tells me that visitors from “all over” come to see the waterbirds, “We're know internationally as a destination for birdwatchers... [who come for] specific birds you might only see in this area.”<br />
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In spite of it's high public value, I'm surprised that the cottonwood forest, or bosque, at RGNC still exists. Levees and irrigation ditches have dramatically reduced flow throughout the Rio Grande. The last flood was in 1941. Without floods, cottonwoods can't germinate and grow. Today, the aging stands of trees are slowly dying off. Reforestation is hampered by low water levels. Consequently, the bosque and wetland areas at RGNC contain some of the few remnants of the endemic ecosystems.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The future might be grim but RGNC doesn't bludgeon visitors with gloom. Herzenberg says “our goal is for people to learn about the ecosystem of this area, to provide opportunities for that.” Learning opportunities are everywhere- not just on information panels. Often these questions lead to bigger conversations about the bosque and the Rio Grande. Herzenberg says, “...and that's sort of the idea of being interpretive. Rather than lecturing people, going blah blah blah, that you provide opportunities for them to discover things themselves or to ask the right questions.”<br />
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Maybe these opportunities are the key to RGNC's draw. As the 'burbs continue to creep, places to experience local ecosystems and waterways can be difficult to find. In some ways, RGNC is a refuge for local humans as well as waterbirds!<br />
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<i>~Kat Taylor. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visitors often ask the function of the odd X's: jetty jacks</td></tr>
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Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575605328430692023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-13094355174020444292012-01-23T01:26:00.002-05:002012-01-23T01:35:04.694-05:00Two California River StoriesOur guest blogger is Kat Taylor, a part-time Intern with the Water Ethics Network, who has a background in indigenous land and water issues in NW Australia. She served as “Water Facilitator” for the Kimberly Land Council, an Aboriginal Corporation dedicated to “Getting back country, looking after country, and getting control of our future.” Kim is currently spending a year traveling around the United States, and along the way, she will be writing about the land and water issues. She sends us this report from Northern California:<br /><br />The streams of Northern California hide stories. My first impression only took in their charm. This foreign traveler was tempted to assume their character is unchanging. But then, I started to talk to some locals people and learned two contrasting stories:<br /><br />The first story was about the dams on the Feather River. The network of dams allows sections of river to be turned “on” and “off”. This ability was used in a novel in-situ study of the river bed; a<br />section of the river was temporarily emptied so a research scientist could examine the gravel. What a lucky researcher! Looking at the river, it seemed like strange magic. Imagine having the power to turn off the water like a giant's tap.<br /><br />Over beers on a Chico front porch, I heard a contrasting tale. A local Tribe, the <a href="http://www.winnememwintu.us/who-we-are/">Winnemem Wintu</a>, are in an ongoing struggle with the Forest Service. Unlike the researcher, they didn’t ask for the river to stop flowing. They applied for a section of the McCloud river to be temporarily closed to recreational boat traffic. Restricting boat access makes it much safer for the participants of Bałas Chonas (Coming of Age Ceremony). During Balas Chonas, the girls swim across the river. The Winnemem Wintu, who are not a “Federally recognized” tribe, have applied for river closure several times with varying levels of success. In 2006 the Forest Service closure was not granted and drunken boaters disturbed the ceremony. Full closure was granted<br />in 2010 and the ceremony took place in peace. In 2011 closure was not granted, so the ceremony was postponed to 2012. The Winnemem Wintu will campaign for full closure again this year.<br /><br />These two stories say a lot about what is valued. Scientific understanding and its contribution towards healthier waterways is recognized as important. We value it so highly we will drastically alter the river flow itself, as contradictory as that sounds. The importance of maintaining cultural river health, on the other hand, does not have the same recognition. When we involve rivers in the most sacred aspects of our lives, we are drawn closer to Nature (and to each other). When cultural and spiritual values are recognized as having importance and legitimacy, perhaps we will see a shift in our relationship to water.David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-18504293263451300972011-11-18T15:49:00.003-05:002014-06-17T13:43:58.460-04:00Water Ethics News<div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><b>Launch of the Water Ethics Website</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Our new central cyber-hub for the Water Ethics Network is up and running at http://waterethics.org. Visit the site to connect to other Network members and to stay up to date on water ethics happenings worldwide. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">> In the Community page you can post a brief profile and include the projects and organizations in which you are involved (as long as they’re somehow related to water ethics!). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">> Click on the “Get Involved” tab to link to our social media sites: our Facebook page, Linked-in group, and Twitter (@H2OEthics). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">> There is a separate page for the e-Newsletter where you can see past issues, subscribe for email delivery, and (please take note!) submit news and information for the next issue.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">> The other tab we would urge you to click is labeled “Donate to the Network.” Please help us keep this network going by contributing any amount. Not only will this help us immediately; it will also help us demonstrate to potential sponsors that our services are valued. Thank you! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">- Katey Blumenthal, Water Ethics</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">November 19 is World Toilet Day organized by the <a href="http://worldtoilet.org/">World Toilet Organization</a>, whose mission is “Improving sanitation conditions for people globally through powerful advocacy, inventive technology, education and building marketplace opportunities locally.” Access to basic sanitation is included in the UN-recognized “Human Right to Water and Sanitation” but the “sanitation” part is often omitted in both thought and action. Sanitation and water are inextricably inter-twined: water is used for sanitation, and the way sanitation is done, or not done, has a big effect on water quality. Visit the <a href="http://www.worldtoilet.org/WTD/">World Toilet Day website</a> for more information about how the day is being observed around the world, or download the <a href="http://www.worldtoilet.org/WTD/wtd_brochure.pdf">World Toilet Day Toolkit </a>(3MB).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><b>Adopt a Water Ethic!</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Feeling frustrated that the world hasn't adopted the water ethic you know we need for a sustainable future? Consider developing your own water ethic and adopting it as your own personal code. The process of writing it down will be rewarding, as well as humbling. There's a lot to consider. Here are two water ethics to get you started:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">> <b> Mike Barerra's Water Ethic</b>. A Baptist minister living along the Rio Grande in Laredo, Texas, Mike is passionate about safeguarding the future of the river. He serves as chairman of the Rio Grande Regional Advisory Council which networks among existing groups to develop a basin-wide river ethic. He keeps a running list of water ethics principles; click <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/A_Global_Water_Ethic.pdf">here</a> for the current version. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">> <b>Maude Barlow's Water Ethic</b>. In her 2001 book, Blue Gold, writer and activist Maude Barlow suggests Ten Principles for protecting water. Click <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=80aeafc049&e=1fd5fc01b7">here</a> for the complete list.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><b>Ecumenical Water Network Develops New Strategy</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The World Council of Churches launched the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) in 2006 with a mandate to report back to the Council’s 2013 World Assembly to be held in Busan, Korea. That time is getting closer and the Ecumenical Water Network has just developed a new action plan so they will have something interesting to report. For details of their current activities and future plans, see the <a href="http://www.oikoumene.org/en/activities/ewn-home/ewn-news-and-events-containers/english-news-container/single-news/article/3083/ecumenical-water-network-5.html">EWN website</a>. What kind of work does EWN do? Sometimes it gets political. In the words of Dr. Rommel F. Linatoc, a representative of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, political action has be part of the mix: “For us, water is an issue of human rights and dignity. Once that dignity and human right is eradicated from each individual then it become a political issue that some of our churches don’t want to be involved. However, I think water is a political matter that needs to be addressed politically.” (Click <a href="http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/water-a-political-issue.html">here</a> for more…)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><b>What's the Value of Ecosystem Services?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Everyone agrees that ecosystems provide valuable services, but just how valuable are they? Eric Landen (<a href="http://www.landenconsulting.com/">Landen Consulting</a>) has put together a briefing note about valuing the coral reef and mangrove ecosystems in Belize. When a ship ran aground and damaged a 6,000 square meter swath of coral, the Belize Supreme Court awarded damages equivalent to US$5,000 per square meter. It helped that the country had recently completed an economic valuation of the reef’s ecosystem services, and this served as one basis for awarding compensation to the government. Click <a href="http://www.landenconsulting.com/downloads/LC-case-study--unlocking-the-value-of-reefs.pdf">here</a> to view/download the one-page briefing document. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><b>Measuring Water (and ethics?) with Aqua Gauge</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Aqua Gauge is a flexible Excel-based tool that allows investors to scorecard a company's water management activities against detailed definitions of leading practice. It has been developed by <a href="http://www.ceres.org/">Ceres</a>, a non-profit organization working with investors to nudge major corporations towards environmental sustainability. Aqua gauge measures not only the water footprint, but also includes dimensions of governance and management, stakeholder engagement and disclosure. The tool can be used for assessing corporate water risk management and also gives companies a resource to inform and strengthen their water management strategies. For details, click <a href="http://www.ceres.org/issues/water/aqua-gauge/aqua-gauge">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In a demonstration of respect for the sacred Great Lakes, a group of Native American grandmothers walked around parts of the lakes between 2002 and 2009. This year they invited other Native Americans to join them from the far North, the Pacific West, the Atlantic East, and the South. They congregated in June in the Bad River Ojibwe Reservation of Northern Wisconsin. For a news account of the Water Walk, click <a href="http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11908&Itemid=1">here</a>. The spirit of the Water Walkers is effectively communicated in a video interview with First Nations Grandmother, Josephine Mandamin which is in three segments, each 5 to 10 minutes: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPega7E8Lhg">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn5eEWWEc30&feature=related">Part 2</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsGN7OofDAI&feature=related">Part 3</a>. For more about the 2011 Water Walk as well as the earlier walks, visit www.motherearthwaterwalk.com and take some time to explore this rich website.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>Jeff Rich</b> is a photographer with a keen eye for watershed, rivers, and people. His "<a href="http://www.jeffreyrich.com/watershed.html">Survey of the French Broad River Basin</a>" in North Carolina documents a once horribly polluted river which was cleaned up following the Clean Water Act, but now once again is becoming more polluted. Click <a href="http://www.daylightmagazine.org/podcast/january2009">here</a> for a narrated short video of the images.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>School children</b> living the Europe's Danube Basin were invited to submit art work depicting something about the river. The works of art can be seen <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dam2011/">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">"History, Ethics, and Religious Values: Contributions to Water and Food Security" was a side session at World Water Week in Stockholm this past August, organized by Global Water System Project (GWSP), the Botin Foundation Water Observatory, and UNESCO. The presentations can be viewed or downloaded <a href="http://www.worldwaterweek.org/sa/node.asp?node=1079&selEvent=&selTheme=&selYear=&filter=1&mySchedule=&txbFreeText=ethics&selRegion=&sa_content_url=%2Fplugins%2FEventFinder%2Fevent%2Easp&sa_title=History%2C+Ethics%2C+Religious+Values%3A+Contributions+to+Water+and+Food+Security&id=4&event=368">here</a> (link to World Water Week site). [Thanks to Janos Bogardi for this link.]</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">An article about the Jordan River appears in the current issue of Orion Magazine, under the title of "Holy Water: A Precious Commodity in a Region of Conflict." Click <a href="http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6473">here</a> to view the article. [Thanks for Jeremy Schmidt for suggesting this.]</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">"Renewing a Naxi environmental ethic in Lijiang, China: an approach for water management," by Elizabeth Voeller appears in the September 2011 issue of the journal, Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management. Click <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-1770.2011.00477.x/full">here</a> for the article. [The author writes that she is not currently involved in water ethics reseach but hopes to return to this topic eventually.]</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><b>Upcoming Water Conferences</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>Water, Energy and Food Nexus</b>. The Bonn "Nexus Conference" is going on now (16-18 Nov.) serving as preparation for Rio+20 (see below). The <a href="http://www.water-energy-food.org/en/home.html">conference website</a> includes a wealth of <a href="http://www.water-energy-food.org/en/conference/documents.html">background papers</a> and major presentations, but the topic of ethics barely appears. (There is one mention in the paper on <a href="http://www.water-energy-food.org/documents/hottopicsessions/14_hot_topic_issue_paper_corporate_water_stewardship.pdf">Corporate Water Stewardship</a>, and perhaps no mentions anywhere else.) If you can find "ethics" in the conference, please let us know!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>The 6th World Water Forum</b> (<a href="http://www.worldwaterforum6.org/en/">WWF-6</a>) will be held in Marseille, France from 12-17 March 2012. Water ethics will be a theme within a session on an “Ethical and Cultural Initiative for Water” being organized by the Grassroots and Citizenship Process Commission of the Forum Secretariat. In addition to participating in this theme, the Water Ethics Network is also working with Indigenous Peoples' groups to help bring stronger representation of indigenous voices to the Water Forum. To learn more about the planning, or to offer help or suggestions, contact David Groenfeldt, Water Ethics Network Coordinator at: network@waterculture.org.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rio+20</b>. The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (<a href="http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=40">Rio+20</a>) will be held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil from 20-22 June 2012. Water will be an important part of the agenda, along with ethics. We are looking for opportunities to bring ethics into the water discussions at the Conference. If you have any ideas, or would like to be involved in some way, please contact David Groenfeldt at network@waterculture.org</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>Indigenous World Forum on Water and Peace</b>. ‘Culture is the root of the tree of sustainable development,’ observed the late Te Tika Mataiapo (Cook Islands). The Indigenous World Forum, planned for late 2012 or early 2013, will give voice to the Indigenous perspective of guardianship of all sources of water. In this view our relationship to water is expressed as a sacred responsibility through the practice of cultural traditions. The Forum will seek to establish mechanisms for active and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in all water policy decisions. Click <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Indigenous_World_Forum.pdf">here</a> for more details about the Forum concept.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><b>Are You Working on Water Ethics Issues?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Please share your news with interested colleagues. Submit a brief description to network@waterculture.org. Submit before 12 December for the next Newsletter to be issued on 15 December.</span></div>
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David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-6333574435626306002011-10-23T19:45:00.001-04:002011-10-23T21:33:03.192-04:00Water Ethics Newsletter - October 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Network has a new Twitter account (<a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=4fff4ab712&e=1fd5fc01b7">@H2OWater</a>) as well as a <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=ad265170df&e=1fd5fc01b7">Facebook page on Water Ethics</a>, and Linked-In group (<a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=7b06e82024&e=1fd5fc01b7">Water Ethics Network</a>). Please "follow" us on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook, and simply express yourself on Linked-In! We will also be launching a new water ethics website which you are welcome to visit (www.waterethics.org), though the site is still under development. The next newsletter (November) will give a detailed description of the website's features, which we expect will be up and running by then. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social media will be a major part of the Network's strategy, and is made possible through the volunteer work of our two Interns, Katey Blumenthal and Nadia Ahmad. Katey joined the Network as it was just getting started this past August. She has done research in Nepal for her MA in Anthropology from the University of Virginia, and now finds time to help the Network while taking graduate classes and deciding on a PhD topic. Katey manages the Facebook page and has now taken on the added job of website development. Nadia joined the Network in response to the announcement in last month's Newsletter. After practicing law in Florida for the past few years, she is now pursuing her LLM at the University of Denver, in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy. Nadia manages the Twitter account. In addition to these tech-support roles, both Katey and Nadia will serve as "roving ambassadors" for water ethics, visiting blogs and other media sties dealing with water issues, making comments from an ethics perspective, and sharing intersting bits of information through tweets and postings. Please join them in offering your own abassadorial services to the Network through actively engaging in on-line discussions about water ethics. We'll see you in cyberspace!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Value of Water: Sustaining a Green Planet is an art exhibit at The Cathedral of St John the Divine, in New York, through March 25, 2012. The <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=a264487301&e=1fd5fc01b7">website</a> offers samples of the art and info about the artists. For an interesting overview of the show, see the <a href="http://www.ecocentricblog.org/2011/09/27/through-art-the-value-of-water-expressed/">Ecocentric blog post</a>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)</b> has released guidance for companies to begin formally measuring and reporting their impact & dependence on ecosystem services. The report (called “Approach for Reporting on Ecosystem Services”) paves the way for ecosystem services metrics to be included as part of the standard package of measures used to report on an organization’s sustainability performance. For details, click here for the blog post by WEN Advisor, Eric Landen, explaining what the GRI is and why this report could be important. The full report, from the GRI website (www.globalreporting.org), can be downloaded <a href="http://www.globalreporting.org/NR/rdonlyres/13865428-9EAC-4EB0-A8E3-A31AA2F5C38C/6692/ECOSYSTEMSFINAL2992011.pdf">here</a> (6.7MB)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Alliance for Water Stewardship,</b> established in 2010, aims to establish a voluntary certification program for water managers and users based on (1) international standards developed through a multi-stakeholder process (2) verification to determine whether these standards have been met, (3) a global label that allows businesses to demonstrate compliance, and (4) Training and education on water stewardship. Alliance partners include The Nature Conservancy, Water Stewardship Australia, Pacific Institute, WWF, Water Witness International, Water Environment Federation, European Water Partnership, IWMI, The CEO Water Mandate, and the Carbon Disclosure Project. The program is divided regionally into Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America (Asia is not yet represented). For details, see www.allianceforwaterstewardship.org. For their latest (July/Aug) newsletter, click <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=278556729e&e=1fd5fc01b7">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Getches, who passed away in July 2011, was professor of law at the University of Colorado, and a strong advocate for indigenous water rights in the American West and internationally. His work exemplified the connections of water rights with cultural rights. Last month the National Congress of American Indians posthumously awarded him their Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many services. Click <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=3ecc436ba5&e=1fd5fc01b7">here</a> for the announcement.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The EU's Committee of the Region has called for a multi-level, cross-border approach to the management of river basins and proposes targets for water efficiency and extending the Covenant of Mayors to include sustainable water use. The Committee proposes setting targets for 2020 similar to those on energy consumption: a 20% increase in water-saving in all sectors; a 20% increase in the number of water courses being re-naturalised to reduce flood risk and a 20% increase in the volume of water re-used and/or recycled in farming and industry. Click <a href="http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/news/Documents/Water/Water%20Survey%20Full%20Report%20Final.pdf">here</a> for the report of a survey about “The role of regional and local authorities in promoting a sustainable water policy." (Source: www.emwis.net).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Water in the Green Economy in Practice: Towards Rio+20" was the title of a UN-Water conference held in Zaragoza, Spain from 3-5 October, 2011. There is a rich set of papers available on the <a href="http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/green_economy_2011/">conference website</a>. Presentations from many of the speakers can be downloaded here. There is also a series of “<a href="http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/green_economy_2011/info_briefs_issues.shtml">Issues Information Briefs</a>” covering water and (a) agriculture, (b) cities, (c) industry) and (d) ecosystems. Of direct relevance to water ethics is the paper by Rafael Romero et al. “<a href="http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/green_economy_2011/pdf/session_8_water_planning.pdf">Water Planning in the Transition to a Green Economy</a>.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Building a Global Awareness and Education Campaign about Water” was the theme of an International Water Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York, Sept 16, 2011. More than 500 people attended the event aimed at enlisting support and partnerships from US-based organizations working on water. For details and links to presentations, see the <a href="http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/tag/water-matters/">Water Matters blog</a> from the Columbia University Water Center.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Environmental Ethics in River Water Management" by Ravichandran Moorthy and Ganesan Jeyabala, American Journal of Environmental Sciences (7)4:370-376; [Click <a href="http://thescipub.com/html/10.3844/ajessp.2011.370.376">here</a> to go to the journal site, then click on “View Fulltext PDF” in the left margin].</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=7069adab99&e=1fd5fc01b7">The Fight to Save the Gila River</a>" by Sandra Postel, appears in the National Geographic's Daily News Blog for Sept 27. The article describes efforts by local conservation groups to make the case for river conservation by appealing to cultural values. The immediate threat is a dam to impound water on the New Mexico side of the state border with Arizona. This is an interesting case of conservation values (the dam would be the first on this still free-flowing river) at odds with land developers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=eba0f39bf5&e=1fd5fc01b7">Ethical Water: Learning to Value What Matters Most</a>, by Robert Sandford and Merrell-Ann Phare, is a new book just released on October 17. From the publisher's description: "This ground-breaking and approachable work, by two of Canada’s most authoritative experts on water issues, redefines our relationship with fresh water and outlines the steps we as a society will have to take if we wish to ensure the sustainability of our water supply for future generations." We will include a review of this book in the next (November) newsletter.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.earthethicsinstitute.org/">Earth Ethics Institute</a> (EEI) was established in 1993 at Miami Dade College in Florida, USA to foster a new literacy about the Earth’s natural systems. These understandings serve as a foundation for sustainable environmental practice. The Institute offers hands-on service learning opportunities for students and sponsors workshops and programs about sustainable living and business practices. This month the Institute is hosting a workshop featuring Cynthia Barnett, an advisor to the Water Ethics Network and author of Blue Revolution: Unmaking Americas Water Crisis, and Mirabel Balbin, Program Manager for the Miami-Dade County Office of Sustainability responsible for green economy initiatives and water resources. For more information, contact the Director, Colleen Ahern-Hettich, cahemhe@mdc.edu.</div>
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<b>NEW Wilderness Alliance. </b> NorthEast Wisconsin (NEW) Wilderness Alliance is an emerging initiative to restore the water ecosystems of the Fox River Basin and the region surrounding the city of Green Bay. Making the beaches of Green Bay swimmable and fishable serves as the overall goal of the Alliance. But while the central focus is water, the Alliance is taking a broad approach and addressing six themes: Green Infrastructure, Ecological Planning and Design, Restoring the Health of Local Nature, Leave no Child Inside, Cultural/Artistic Perspective, and Climate Change. Members of the Alliance will include local governments, businesses, Indian tribes, civic and enviornmental organizaitons, and local schools and colleges. Click here for a background paper. Click <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=216e3632ea&e=1fd5fc01b7">here</a> for a background paper. For further info, contact Paul Linzmeyer at isointernationalllc@gmail.com.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Are You Working on Water Ethics Issues?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please share your news with interested colleagues. Submit a brief description to network@waterculture.org. Submit before 12 November for the next Newsletter to be issued on 15 November.</span></div>
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</div>David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-19298968152385951882011-09-15T21:49:00.001-04:002011-09-15T21:50:00.033-04:00Upcoming Events<span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-size:100%;" ><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:18px"></span></strong><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: arial;"><span><a href="http://conferenceservices.ou.edu/Waterconference_2011/" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">WaTER Conference</a></span><span><strong>, </strong>24-25 October, University of Oklahoma (USA). The Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) conference on “Synergy at the Interface: Integrating Technology, Social Entrepreneurship and Behavior Change.” Highlights include the presentation of the OU International Water Prize to Ben Fawcett, Professor and Environmental Health Engineer at the University of Queensland, Australia and co-author of The Last Taboo: Opening the Door on the Global Sanitation Crisis. Other speakers include Ned Breslin (Water for People, Annette Johnson (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Dennis Lettenmaier (University of Washington), John Oldfield (WASH Advocacy Initiative), Kurt Soderlund (Safe Water Network), and Peter Winch (Johns Hopkins School of Public Health).</span></span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-46581408373684821232011-09-15T21:47:00.001-04:002011-09-15T21:49:18.195-04:00Featured Program: Wine to Water<span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style=" color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-family:arial;" ><a href="http://www.2water.org/" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">2Water</a> organizes wine tasting events globally to 'metaphorically transform wine to water'. Their focus is on using campaigns and social media tools to support initiatives in developing countries (currently focusing on Nepal and Malawi) to provideclean, drinking water to communities. 2Water uses a two tiered business model by which fund-raising to meet administrative costs is kept separate from its project-oriented fund-raising at the wine tasting events, so that all event donations go directly towards water projects. The organization started in 2010 when two London based professionals visited Bordeaux for the release of the greatly anticipated 2009 En Primeur wine campaign, and saw the opportunity to apply the art of wine for a social cause. Learning that it takes 120 litres of water to make just one glass of wine led to the idea of trying to give back some of that water through community water projects. Click <a href="http://2water.org/blog/2-water-vimeo" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> for a 3 min. video of 2Water CEO, Diana Isac, explaining the philosophy behind this innovative organization. Contact: <a href="mailto:diana.isac@2water.org" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">diana.isac@2water.org</a></span><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 128)"><span style=" color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-family:arial;" > </span><br /></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-85291672649264312172011-09-15T21:15:00.008-04:002011-09-20T09:44:54.344-04:00Water Ethics Newsletter - September 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: silver; font-size: 180%; font-style: italic;"><strong>Letter from the Editor</strong></span><br /><br />Welcome to the second monthly issue of the Water Ethics Network Newsletter! The Network's purpose is to raise awareness about ethical dimensions of water, promote collaboration among the members, enhance understanding, and promote the practical application of ethical concepts and perspectives. The Network is an initiative of the <a href="http://www.waterculture.org/" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Water-Culture Institute</a> in partnership with the individuals and organizations listed in the sidebar below. The content of this Newsletter, as well as past issues, is permanently posted on this Blog. To subscribe to the "home edition" of the Newsletter, (delivered by email) fill out the subscription form <a href="http://waterculture.us1.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712&id=c96e71399d">here</a>. It's free! To submit news to include in upcoming newsletters, contact me at network[at]waterculture[dot]org. Your news should have some connection to water values/ethics, but other that that we have no strict filter. One of the purposes of the Network is to expand our understanding of how and where ethics play a role in water behaviors. And don't worry about sending in polished prose; it's my job to edit! Thanks in advance for your contributions.</span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 130%;">- </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">David Groenfeldt, Editor</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="color: silver; font-size: 180%;">Water Ethics News</span></span> </strong></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br />The biggest water ethics news coming out of North America during the past month was the Tar Sands Action in front of the White House in Washington, DC. </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;">Environmental celebrities (Bill McKibben, Gus Speth, Jim Hansen) joined rank and file demonstrators to urge President Obama to not allow construction of a pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico, carrying oil extracted from Canada’s tar sands. The central reason given in most of the statements focused on climate change and the extra CO2 contained in tar sands oil, but there is an equally compelling water story. Strip mining of vast areas of tar sands is contaminating the interconnected lakes and rivers which are home to both wildlife and people: First Nations tribes who have co-evolved with this land and water-scape over thousands of years. The environmental justice issues are well documented in <a href="http://www.ienearth.org/docs/IENFactsheet_2.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">a report from the Indigenous Environmental Network</a>. Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj6gN8u5flM&feature=youtu.be%20" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> for a video report on the White House demonstration. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial;"> </span><b><strong><br /><span style="color: #cccccc;">Rivers and Wildli</span>fe in South Africa</strong></b><br />The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Healthy Rivers Programme was initiated as a response to the poor protection of and intensifying pressures on South Africa’s our freshwater resources. The programme is focusing on the North West Province of South Africa, in the Crocodile (West)-Marico Catchment (the upper reaches of the international Limpopo River basin). The perception of rivers as boundaries, rather than the focus of protected areas, has meant that freshwater resources are often overlooked in national conservation planning initiatives. Only 16 of the 112 main river ecosystems are moderately to well represented within protected areas. We need to start appreciating the value of rivers and wetlands, as immensely biodiverse ecosystems in their own right and this may involve adopting a new approach to the way in which we perceive water. The ecological value of functional springs, watersheds, riverine corridors, wetlands, etc. cannot really be measured. It is only when they have been traded in for short-term economic gain will we begin to understand their true value. For more info visit: <a href="http://www.ewt.org.za/" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.ewt.org.za</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Can Religion Save India’s Yamuna River?</strong><br />A workshop held in January 2011, co-organized by Yale University (Forum on Religion and Ecology) and Teri University in New Delhi, explored how religious values might motivate environmental action along the Yamuna River. Click <a href="http://fore.research.yale.edu/information/Yamuna_River_Conference.html" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a></span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> for the papers and news clippings from that workshop</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><b>Donate to the Water Ethics Network!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;">Please consider making a donation to the Water Ethics Network and help us become financially sustainable. The Network is currently run entirely through pro-bono contributions of staff time. We are working to change that through grand proposals to various foundations, but we need bridge funds in the meantime. To make an on-line donation, click the "Donate Now" button on the Water-Culture Institute's <a href="http://www.waterculture.org/">homepage</a> and type "Water Ethics Network" in the "Designation" box. On-line donations are processed through Network for Good, which adds a 5% processing fee, but they are also a worthy NGO providing financial services to groups like ours.<br />
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><strong><br /><span style="color: silver; font-size: 180%;">Ethics of Water Planning</span></strong></span></span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 180%; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br /><b><br />T</b>his month we feature several reports dealing with the complex issues of planning water infrastructure, and how values and ethical perspectives makes a difference in how planning is done.<br /><br /><strong>1. Ethics and Unintended Consequences </strong><br />We routinely hear development horror stories about well-intentioned projects making things worse, but rarely do we get the details. Senior scholar, Prachanda Pradhan has documented how a municipal water and sanitation program in Bhaktapur, Nepal had unintended environmental and health consequences. The local river became an open sewer when the centralized sewage treatment system fell into disrepair, and farmers tapped into drain pipes for irrigation, resulting in further health risks. If we think of ethics as a way of enlarging our arena of concern, e.g., to include neglected rivers and marginalized people, what are the implications for planning? Focusing on a narrow set of intended outcomes (smoothly functioning water and sanitation services) without accounting for the natural environment (pollution from the treatment plant) or local culture (farmers viewing sewer drains as an irrigation source) leads to unintended consequences. You can read Dr. Pradhan’s account <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Prachanda_Pradhan_Newsletter2.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span>(PDF, 500KB).<br /><br /><strong>2. Who Should Be Involved in Planning? </strong><br />A new report from UNESCO’s Ethics and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific (ECCAP) Project, addresses the issue of <em>Representation and Decision-Making in Environment Planning. </em>While the main focus is energy infrastructure, water is usually a central issue (e.g., hydroelectric dams and mining-related water pollution). <a href="http://www.unescobkk.org/rushsap/ethics-and-climate-change/energyethics/wg4/" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Click here</a> to go to the download page.<br /><br /><strong>3. Stakeholders in Urban Water Governance </strong><br />Who should be involved in water planning and governance? How can the diverse views of stakeholders be effectively incorporated into water decisions? A synthesis from the experience of urban water programs is available from the <a href="http://www.switchtraining.eu/home/" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">SWITCH program</a>, a just-completed EU initiative to enhance the environmental and social benefits of urban water supply in a dozen cities around the world. This <a href="http://www.switchtraining.eu/modules/module-2/#c66" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">newly released report </a>focuses on stakeholder issues.<br /></span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span> <br />
<hr style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-family: arial; height: 4px;" />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br /><span style="color: silver; font-size: 180%;"><strong><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">New Journal on Water and Gender</span></strong></span><br /><br />wH2O is a new special-issue academic journal on women and water and sanitation from the University of Pennsylvania. Women face disproportionate impacts from a lack of sanitation and clean water, yet in many areas are systematically excluded from water/sanitation decisions. We are aiming to be an academic hub for information, research and thought, to augment work already being done, and to help facilitate more work on the issue across the globe. We are soliciting papers, case studies, opinion pieces, photo journalism, interviews and other research on women/gender dimensions of water or sanitation. Topics can be international or domestic, but must address the nexus of women and water. The first issue will be published online in the spring of 2012. A one-page abstract should be submitted by September 30th, 2011 to <a color="#1E5790" href="mailto:wh2ojournal@gmail.com" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">wh2ojournal@gmail.com</a>.</span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span> <br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br /><span style="font-size: 180%; font-style: italic;"><strong><br /><span style="color: silver;">New Books and Reports</span></strong></span><br /><b> </b><br /><a href="http://cynthiabarnett.net/book.html" style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis</a> by Cynthia Barnett exposes the extent to which the nation’s green craze missed water — the No. 1 environmental concern of most Americans, according to Gallup. As a journalist (“I’m not an academic!”) Barnett offer lots of inspiring stories, and presents solutions from across the nation and around the globe. Reporting from San Antonio to Singapore, Barnett shows how local communities and entire nations have come together in a shared ethic to dramatically reduce consumption and live within their water means. Barnett credits the late hydrologist Luna Leopold, son of Aldo Leopold, with having articulated an ideal water ethic for the United States – a set of guiding beliefs for government, large water users and citizens. Barnett says that, having written for many years about the efforts of government and large water users to solve water problems, she wrote this book for citizens. [Cynthia Barnett is a member of the Water Ethics Network advisory committee.]<b> </b><br /><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span><a href="http://www.chance2sustain.eu/fileadmin/Website/Dokumente/Dokumente/Publications/Chance2Sustain_-_Literature_Review_No.4_-_Water_Governance_Key_Approaches_An_Analytical_Framework.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Water Governance Key Approaches: An Analytical Framework</span>.</a> By L. Miranda, M. Hordijk, and R. K. Torres Molina. Literature Review No 4 – September 2011<br />Different actors have different approaches to water, governance, and water governance. In this document we present working definitions of water, as well as some insights regarding water conflicts and how different actors value water. We also present the four main approaches to water governance in an attempt to contribute to a greater understanding of the perspectives, interests and main concerns of the various actors in the water sector. An increased understanding of underlying values and approaches can foster consensus building for the reconfiguration of water governance to equip it to tackle the expected effects of climate change. Download the report <a href="http://www.chance2sustain.eu/fileadmin/Website/Dokumente/Dokumente/Publications/Chance2Sustain_-_Literature_Review_No.4_-_Water_Governance_Key_Approaches_An_Analytical_Framework.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a>.<a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Ostrom_et_al_Flyer_1_.1.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><br /><br /><b> </b><span style="color: #cccccc;">Improving Irrigation in Asia: Sustainable Performance of an Innovative Intervention in Nepal</span></a>, by Elinor Ostrom, Wai Fung Lam, Prachanda Pradhan, and Ganesh P. Shivakoti. The 2009 Nobel Prize laureate joins forces with long-standing colleagues to explore Nepal’s experience in applying institutional reforms to the irrigation sector. Click <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Ostrom_et_al_Flyer_1_.1.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> for the book announcement and summary.<br /><br />Looking for a New Ethic? A UNESCO report,<em> <strong>Universalism and Ethical Values for the Environment</strong> </em>discusses how different world views deal with human relationships with the environment. This was the first report from the Ethics and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific (ECCAP) Project, released in 2010. The report discusses the extent to which universal values can be agreed upon, exemplified by an empirical analysis of values contained implicitly and explicitly in UN treaties and international statements on the environment. Click <a href="http://www.unescobkk.org/rushsap/ethics-and-climate-change/energyethics/eetwg1/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> to go to the download page.<br /><br /><strong>Sustainability Multiplier Effects from Cotton Production in the Aral Sea Basin.</strong> The environmental implications of cotton production in the Aral Sea Basin go far beyond the “front line” tragedy of the Sea itself. An ecosystem services Case Study provides an overview of the social, economic, and environmental costs linked to the cotton economy. Click <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Aral_Sea_cotton_impacts.pdf" style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> for the 4-page report. For more information, contact <a href="http://www.landenconsulting.com/">Landen Consulting</a>.<br /><b> </b></span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><br /><strong style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: silver; font-size: 130%;">Are You Working on Water Ethics Issues?</span><br /></strong> Please share your news with interested colleagues. Submit a brief description with a link to the details to network[at]waterculture[dot]org. Submit before 12 October for the next Newsletter to be issued on 15 October.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-44614465092320895442011-08-15T21:37:00.006-04:002014-06-17T14:49:43.993-04:00Water Ethics News<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family: Arial; line-height: 21px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family: Arial; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Letter from the Editor</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family: Arial; line-height: 21px;">Welcome to the first monthly issue of the Water Ethics Network Newsletter. Here we present updates from Network members as well as news about current issues dealing with ethical dimensions of water policies and practices. The Network's purpose is to raise awareness about ethical dimensions of water, promote collaboration among the members, enhance understanding, and promote the practical application of ethical concepts and perspectives. The Network is an initiative of the Water-Culture Institute (<a href="http://www.waterculture.org/">www.waterculture.org</a>) in partnership with the individuals and organizations listed in the sidebar below. Anyone is welcome to subscribe to the Newsletter, and to submit news for upcoming newsletters to dgroenfeldt[at]waterculture.org.</span></div>
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<b>Ethics Session at World Water Week
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">A Side Event on "History, Ethics, Religious Values: Contributions to Water and Food Security" will be held on 22 August at World Water Week in Stockholm. Jointly sponsored by the Global Water System Project (GWSP), UNESCO-IHP, and Fundacion Botin, the session has the distinction of being the only hit for the word, "ethics" or "ethic" in the entire Water Week program! If you are one of the lucky ones to be in Stockholm for this event, please attend and encourage others to join you. We have a big task to popularize ethics as an essential perspective for understanding and improving water policies. Click to download the <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Programme_HistoryEthicReligion.pdf">announcement of the Side Event</a> (PDF, 420 KB). A GWSP background report on <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Think_piece_final.pdf">Water Secutiry: Challenges for Science and Policy</a>, (PDF, 1.1 MB) is also available.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>A Water Ethic for Florida</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.collinscenter.org/page/water_report">A Water Ethic for Florida</a> (click for details and free download) by journalist Cynthia Barnett, is the first in a series of reports for the Collins Center’s <a href="http://www.ourfloridaourfuture.org/">Our Florida Our Future initiative</a>. Barnett is the author of <a href="http://press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=187043">Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S</a>. (University of Michigan Press, 2007) and <a href="http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2224">Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis</a> (Beacon Press, coming in September 2011).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Sustainable Water Management in a Globalized World</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">The Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Research and the Institute for Social and Development Studies at the University of Munich are undertaking a project entitled, <a href="http://www.pik-potsdam.de/research/research-domains/earth-system-analysis/projects/price-of-land/nawama?set_language=en">Sustainable Water Management in a Globalized World</a>, with an emphais on ethical frameworks. The project sponsored a conference on water management options in June 2011, and the proceedings, edited by Martin Kowarsch, were released in July (click to <a href="http://www.hfph.de/igp/proceedings2011">download the conference proceedings</a>, PDF, 9MB). As part of this project, a case study on water ethics in South Sudan will be pursued by a PhD student, Julia Ismar (click for <a href="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/31982f6e4937945bfaddf6712/files/Case_study_South_Sudan_mk.docx">research outline</a>).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>New UNESCO Report on Water Ethics</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Water Ethics and Water Resource Management, is a report of Ethics and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific (ECCAP) Project Working Group 14 and is available on for free at: <a href="http://www.unescobkk.org/rushsap">www.unescobkk.org/rushsap</a>. The report systematically discusses how water ethics can make a difference to water related practices and provides a cross-cultural review of the issues. The report reveals gaps in existing knowledge to researchers, policy makers and funders of research, which could be used to examine linkages between research and policy making, and presents areas of policy options to governments. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Mega-Dairies and Water Ethics in Illinois</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Eric Landen of <a href="http://www.landenconsulting.com/">Landen Consulting</a> is finlizing a report on the economic, social, and environmental costs of CAFOs (Concentrated Agrcultural Feed Operations in northern Illionois. Along with the economic and social implications are environmental impacts in the form of surface and groundwater pollution. See his blogpost on <a href="http://www.landenconsulting.com/notebook/2011/07/environmental-identity-unsustainable-agriculture-and-natures-bottom-line/">Environmental Identity, Unsustainable Agriculture, and Nature's Botton-Line</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">A new book, Religion and Dangerous Environmental Change: Transdisciplinary Perspectives, edited by Sigurd Bergmann and Dieter Gerten explores religious as well as ethical perspectives on climate change. The book is <a href="http://www.lit-verlag.de/isbn/3-643-10093-1">available from the publisher</a>, and can also be browsed through Google Books at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=xu3w1OW9AQkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false">this link</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Are You Working on Water Ethics Issues?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Please share your news with interested colleagues. Submit a brief description with a link to the details to info[at]waterculture.org. Submit before 12 September for the September Newsletter. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Featured Programs on Water Ethics</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Sweden Textile Water Initiative</b> started in 2010 as a joint project between 23 textile and leather retail companies in Sweden together with Stockholm International Water Institute.
It is a learning process around water issues in the supply chains of textile and leather retailers with the aim of producing guidelines for sustainable water management, from thread and leather to product. During an initial two year process, the STWI companies will form working groups on topics such as production technique, choice of raw material, water treatment, sludge management, and policy engagement, which will serve as platforms for a learning process and the development of guidelines for sustainable water use.
More Info: <a href="http://www.stwi.se/">www.stwi.se</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Ecumenical Water Network (EWN)</b> strives to promote the preservation, responsible management and the equitable distribution of water for all, based on the understanding that water is a gift of God and a fundamental human right. Click for their <a href="http://www.oikoumene.org/en/activities/ewn-home/ewn-direct-mail/ewn-newsletter-22011.html#c37239">latest newsletter</a>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>River Life Program, University of Minnesota.</b> Our programs are grounded in a fundamental belief that future river leaders must have knowledge and awareness in three broad areas—river science, river policy and planning, and expressions of river significance—in order to meet the challenges of the future. Beginning in September program coordinator Pat Nunnally will teach an Honors Seminar “Living With the Mississippi,” which will ask students to consider the myriad policy, scientific, and cultural threads involved in living “with” a river rather than “on” it. The River Life web site is at <a href="http://www.riverlife.umn.edu/">www.riverlife.umn.edu</a>. We are also on Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/RiverLifeUMN">www.facebook.com/RiverLifeUMN</a>) and Twitter (@RiverLifeUMN).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">What is a water ethic? How can we know when ethics are motivating water policies and how can we identify what those ethics are? Or evaluate whether the ethics are desirable or not or something in-between? What can we do to promote consideration of alternatives?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">The Water Ethics Network is intended to promote the study of ethics in relation to water, and water in relation to ethics, and to expand the frame of analysis. The “right to water” is an ethical issue, but so are the rights of water (rights of nature) as well as the rights of communities to ecologically healthy lakes and rivers. And it is not just about the environment. Social justice and economic opportunity are also valued as aspects of human rights and need to be factored into any sustainable water equation.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">The central premise of the Water Ethics Network is that ethical values and assumptions play powerful roles in motivating particular water policies and practices. The more we can learn about those dynamics, the better for arriving at sustainable and equitable solutions to the never-ending challenges of water management. We can all benefit from a diversity of considered views, and from learning about who is doing what. Please add your voice to the chorus, and we look forward to some beautiful if complex music as the Water Ethics Network evolves.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">Special thanks to all who contributed news and ideas to this first issue of the Newsletter, and to Katey Blumenthal, our dedicated volunteer Intern, for her indispensible help in setting up this blog. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">- David Groenfeldt, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 85%;">Editor and Network Coordinator</span></span></div>
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David Groenfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990566555262547850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487940746838762426.post-26860064559447162602011-07-15T08:36:00.006-04:002011-08-02T20:57:46.812-04:00About WEN<span style="font-size:130%;">The Water Ethics Network facilitates sharing of experience, ideas, and information about events and activities relating to water ethics. The Network will connect academic researchers with water policy makers and business and civil society organizations. The aim is to bring the study of water ethics into the everyday discourse of water policies and management decisions, so that choices about water use and water ecosystem management are consciously informed by values.<br /><br />Why a Network?<br /><br />There is a growing list of studies, initiatives, conferences, and books dealing with the ethical dimensions and dilemmas of water, yet consideration of ethical values, whether the “soft path” of stewardship or more dogmatic notions of deep ecology and rights of nature, is rarely a serious component in water negotiations whether at local or global levels. When push comes to shove, ethics tends to fall off the table. Discussions about climate-induced water scarcity, for example, focuses on meeting human demands with little questioning about the ethics underlying that demand (responsible use) or in allocating scarce supplies to meet that demand. What about the needs of rivers and lakes (and fish) to adjust to climate-induced stress? What about the rights of future generations to enjoy the rivers and lakes that we are depleting?<br /><br />Part of the reason that the ethical dimension is so often ignored in decision-making is<br />lack of awareness about the role that values already play in setting water policies, and what practical methods could be used to deal with ethics even if we wanted to. There is a growing body of knowledge and experience about both these issues, but that information has not been internalized by the policy-makers. A network linking the good ideas and emerging best practices about water ethics can provide greater exposure to individual studies, stimulate new ideas and approaches, and facilitate alliances and partnerships. The net result would be a higher profile of water ethics-awareness among water professionals, academics, environmental groups, businesses, political leaders, and the public at large.<br /><br /><br />What Kind of Network?<br /><br />Given the information overload that we all face, the network will take a minimalistic form. The Network will function at two levels: (1) Information sharing and (2) Sponsored events. A third level to be inspired by the network would be (3) the development of partnerships and alliances among network members.<br /><br />1. Information-sharing. The basic information strategy would consist of a monthly e-newsletter and a web-page or blog to serve as a central reference point. The e-newsletter could consist of a brief news section on general (not member-specific) events, and a listing of the network members giving 1 or 2 sentence updates and links for more info.<br /><br />2. Organized Events. The Network would organize an annual event, either a stand-alone conference or a session at a larger conference, e.g., at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France (March 2012).<br /><br />3. Partnerships. One aim of the network would be to stimulate partnerships and alliances among individual network members. These partnerships could develop into activities inspired by, but not officially linked to, the Water Ethics Network.<br /><br />Who Will Join the Network?<br /><br />Individuals and organizations working on water ethics will be invited to join the network as members. Membership implies an interest in being listed as such in the e-newsletter and web-page/blog, and a commitment to participate in the network through providing regular updates. Members who fail to update their activities (for the e-newsletter) for some period of time (3 months?) would be dropped from the active membership list, although they would remain on the email list. Anyone would be welcome to receive the e-newsletter regardless of whether they are members or not, but the membership category would be selective. Members have access to the membership email list and will be able to contact the other members at will (subject to a shared ethic about using the email list sparingly). Members would have the option to be removed from members’ emails but continue to receive the monthly e-newsletter.<br /><br />Who Will Run the Network?<br /><br />Initially the Network will be coordinated by the Water-Culture Institute (WCI), and the Acting Coordinator will be David Groenfeldt, the WCI Director. Four other Network members will be recruited to create a 5-person Advisory Committee to set policy, decide on membership conditions, and help with fundraising. The logistical work of networking (sending emails, writing the e-newsletter, maintaining the web-page or blog) will be carried out initially by WCI, with the intention of handing over most of the logistical work to one or more Network volunteers, or (depending on funding) to a part-time paid coordinator.<br /><br />Who will Fund the Network?<br /><br />WCI will absorb the initial very modest costs of launching the network with an e-newsletter and web page or blog. If the network proves as popular as we anticipate, however, costs will escalate rapidly in terms of staff time and travel. Early formation of the Advisory Committee will be a priority to recruit in-kind staff support and solicit funds.<br /><br />Building the Network<br /><br />The viability of the Network depends on the interest of its members. There are many individuals and organizations involved in water ethics and it is anticipated that many of them will be interested in participating in the network. An incomplete list of potential members is attached. Please suggest additional names to DGroenfeldt[at]waterculture.org.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0