Corruption risks to undermine adaptation to climate change

In the years ahead of us at least US $100 billion will be spend worldwide for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Transparency International (TI) warns us that efforts to combat climate change risk to be undermined by corruption and mismanagement. This year, TI’s annual Global Corruption Report, sheds its light on corruption risks in climate governance. The report gives a comprehensive overview of those areas where improved governance will be essential to render climate policies successful.

 One of the key areas at risk is adaptation to climate change in the most vulnerable countries. Twenty countries  are expected to be most affected by climate change, all of those countries rank low on TI’s Corruption Perception Index. As a lack of transparency and accountability is an endemic problem in those countries, new investments for adaptation programmes will pose enormous governance challenges.

 Special attention is drawn to the consequences for the water sector in a chapter contributed by the Water Integrity Network (WIN). Climate change adaptation programmes often concern flood control or measures to deal with water scarcity. As such, most of the adaptation money immediately flows into the water sector. For example inBangladesh, one of the most vulnerable countries, nine out of 15 National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) are directly related to water. The report states that “an important element of any adaptation effort should be the promotion of water integrity at all levels”.

Source: Global Corruption Report : Climate Change

Emergencies: water-related lessons from earthquakes

As aid agencies launch Haiti earthquake relief efforts, a blog post on the Overseas Development Institute web site, has showcased a report by learning and accountability network, ALNAP [Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action], outlining 28 lessons learned over 30 years of earthquake responses.

The report covers the 1976 Guatemala earthquake that killed 23,000 people and the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake that left 5,749 dead. Earthquakes are uniquely challenging, with high mortality rates, severe road and infrastructure destruction, debris delaying recovery efforts and the risk of aftershocks, stated ALNAP in the 2008 report.

“Every time there is a major evaluation, it states [that] emergency responses did not apply lessons from previous emergencies,” ALNAP head of research and development, Ben Ramalingam, told IRIN. “Decisions we make now in Haiti can influence the way operations go for quite some time.”

He has high hopes. Comparing Haiti now with the immediate aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, he says: “Now there is much more focus on what can be done better; there is a lot of debate about coordination and quality – this is potentially unique.”

The most important lesson aid agencies must apply is to address emergency relief and longer-term recovery efforts together, ALNAP says. “Recovery is the overriding challenge. Agency planning should not overstate the need for relief, and should quickly move into recovery activities.”

Physical recovery is likely to take three to five years in Haiti.

Recovery

“In Haiti recovery is also social, political and economic – not just physical – and there is a limit to what humanitarian assistance can do in this,” Ramalingam said. “The entire international community needs to rise to this challenge.”

Other immediate priorities for Haiti include identifying an institution – be it existing government bodies, the UN or the American administration – to lead the response, he pointed out.

And when planning their response all aid groups must not forget a simple lesson: “The majority of life-saving work in any disaster is done by populations themselves… the most important resource Haitians have is their own social capital. Agencies must give good information to communities so they can plan their own recovery from the start.”

Two water-related lessons from the ALNAP report:

• Do not overstate the risk of disease as this leads to misallocation of resources. Only three out of 600 geophysical disasters led to disease epidemics, according to research published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal. The real risk posed by dead bodies after natural disasters is mental illness caused by shock and grief. [The ALNAP report (p. 11) states that "outbreaks of communicable disease are rare after natural disasters unless large numbers are displaced from their homes and placed in camps". It warns against wasting money on "imaginary" problems, using an example from the 2004 Tsunami disaster: "Even though there was no confirmed case of cholera in Aceh, an immunisation campaign targeted 160,000 people with preparations for cholera using an expensive twodose oral vaccine"].
• Livelihoods are key to recovery; listen to affected populations about their priorities for livelihood recovery. [The ALNAP report (p. 18) cites the example of the earthquake disaster in Bam (Iran) where "interveners gave a low priority to irrigation for orchards, ranking such support lower than shelter, schools and drinking water. The affected population gave water for orchards their highest priority because of the risk of losing their orchard assets".]

Other lessons from the ALNAP report:

• Give cash and buy locally wherever possible. Ramalingam warns this must be applied carefully in Haiti given security concerns.
• Focusing on emergency shelter while neglecting permanent shelter is a mistake. The most sensible solution is “transitional shelter” that can be turned into permanent dwellings.
• Recovery operations are not neutral. They will reinforce or reduce existing inequalities and must be actively designed to do the latter.
• Listen to recipients and make sure the assistance is appropriate.
• Be prepared for land-ownership disputes.
• Try to build back better, for instance by improving building codes, but be realistic; disaster response is not a magic bullet.

Source: IRIN, 21 Jan 2010

Water evaporates from climate change negotiations – campaigners

Much of the talking at climate change negotiations ahead of a big gathering in Copenhagen [COP15] in December 2009 has been focusing on emissions, prompting campaigners at this week’s Barcelona meeting to point out that water is also critical to the success of any efforts to adapt to the impact of climate change.

The way that water is managed in and between countries is a vital component of future planning. Water is also crucial to many mitigation activities, including hydropower, agriculture and forestry projects.

“Let me be very clear, there is no development without water,” said Pasquale Steduto, chair of UN-Water and service chief at the Food and Agricultural Organisation.

“There is no food security without water. There is most likely also no energy security without water,” Steduto added in a statement. “Water is the primary medium through which climate change influences the earth’s ecosystems and therefore people’s livelihoods and well-being. If water is not further recognized in adaptation strategies and plans, we are making a big mistake.”

To a large extent, the global climate crisis is a global water crisis. The campaigners’ warning comes against a backdrop of drought and famine as many developing countries begin to experience the devastating impact of climate change on the water cycle.

Water experts have long warned that this may lead to an increase in conflicts related to water availability and distribution.

Extreme weather events leading to drought and floods, as recently witnessed in Kenya and the Philippines, are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity, possibly as a result of climate change.

“Even with the best mitigation strategies, water related effects of climate change will come,” said Anders Berntell, executive director of the Stockholm International Water Institute. “The challenge for many nations is how to adapt. Climate change is in effect water change, since it will be through water that the changes will be realised first and foremost.”

Yet the latest draft of the negotiating text on adaptation, the so-called Non-Paper No. 31, has deleted any clear references to water and its management as a vital consideration for climate change adaptation, the campaigners say. This is despite mounting pressure from the water community for a strong outcome on water from Copenhagen.

To make sure water is at the top of the agenda, governments, UN agencies, international NGOs and civil society advocates gathered at a “Water Day” event at UN climate talks in Barcelona on 3 November to urge negotiators to consider the critical role that water plays in climate change adaptation.

They highlighted five key points in the water and climate change debate:

Climate change impacts on water resources will affect livelihoods and development .
90 percent of the 3 billion people who are expected to be added to the population by 2050 will be in developing countries, many in regions already under water stress conditions. Integrated land and water management arrangements will be critical to manage water flexibly among competing users, prioritising human needs.

Climate change adaptation is not just a national issue
More than 75 percent of the world’s nations have shared river basins within their boundaries. Regional co-operation on climate change adaptation will be vital for addressing climate change impacts on shared water resources, even as a way to prevent potential conflicts.

Investing in ecosystems can help preserve water supplies
Ecosystems build resilience to climate change. Healthy ecosystems need water and in turn help maintain a healthy water cycle. Care must be taken that climate change mitigation activities do not damage and degrade ecosystems, and that adaptation efforts prioritise their preservation. This is critical not least to food security.

Data, information and governance are key
Understanding climate change impacts on water resources will require enhanced data collection and sharing, and increased capacity for gathering and using data. However, climate change impacts are being felt now and improving water governance arrangements to respond to uncertainty and variability will be the key to good adaptation.

Climate change mitigation efforts must take water into account
The projected increase in hydropower and bio-energy to meet low-carbon energy needs will depend heavily on sustained water flows and water availability. Projected changes in the water cycle as a result of climate change must therefore be taken into account. Building dams for water storage and energy needs must be done in the context of understanding and mitigating potentially negative impacts on human populations and the environment. Bio-energy must be balanced with food security and ecosystem protection.

See also: SEAL THE DEAL: Climate change illustrates need for better water management, UN News Centre, 03 Nov 2009 and the joint Water Day press release “Water evaporates from the climate change negotiating text” by SIWI, UN-Water and Stakeholder Forum, 03 Nov 2009

Source: Astrid Zweynert, Reuters Alertnet, 03 Nov 2009

Wastewater crops feeding millions

Thalif DEEN:  Vegetables, rice and other cereals in at least 53 cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America may someday come with warning labels that read “this is a byproduct of raw sewage”.

Against the backdrop of rising food prices and a shortage of drinking water worldwide, urban farmers are being forced to use either untreated wastewater or polluted river water both for their agricultural needs and for their economic survival.

A 53-city survey finds the practice most common in some of the world’s poorer nations where wastewater use is critical both to farmer’s incomes and urban food security while simultaneously raising critical health risks.  (…)

Link to full report [528kB]

Read more: Thalif Deen, IPS, 19 Aug 2008

Wasted Food Is Also Wasted Water

The world’s growing food crisis — which triggered riots and demonstrations in over 30 developing nations early this year — is being aggravated primarily by wastage and overconsumption.

“Obesity is a much bigger problem than undernourishment,” said Professor Jan Lundqvist of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

[...]

Speaking on the sidelines of the Stockholm International Water Conference, Lundqvist told reporters Thursday that “improving water productivity and reducing the quantity of food wasted can enable us to provide a better diet for the poor and enough food for growing populations.”

A study titled “Saving Water” released here argues that while the risk of under-nourishment is reduced with an increasing supply of food — provided access is ensured — the risk of over-eating and wastage is also likely to increase when food becomes more abundant in some societies {see also SIWI press release]

[...]

Meanwhile, a report released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says that while each person in Britain drinks, hoses, flushes and washes their way through around 150 litres of water a day, they consume about 30 times as much in “virtual water” embedded in food, clothes and other items — the equivalent of about 58 bathtubs full of water every day.

Titled “UK Water Footprint: The impact of the UK’s food and fibre consumption on global water resources”, the study released here points out that Britain is the world’s sixth largest importer of water [see also WWF-UK press release]

Read more: Thalif Deen, IPS, 21 Aug