Session 19
From ICVWiki
Contents |
Roundtable: Managing Watersheds for Urban Resilience
Session Information
Date and Time: Thursday, 12th of May, 10:45 - 12:15.
Chair/Moderator/Faciliator: Ms. Siththy Marina Mohamed, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management, Sri Lanka (CHAIR)
Reporters: James McBrien, Katalin Timar, ICVolunteers.org
Editor: Poppy Willard, ICVolunteers.org
Speakers
- Ms. Shraddha Shridhar Jadhav, Mayor of Mumbai, India
- Mr. Mark Smith, Director, Water Programme, IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Mr. Jean-Claude Eude, Director General, Loire River Basin Authority, France
- Mr. Aisea Tuidraki, Special Administrator, Nadi, Sigatoka Town Councils, Fiji
- Ms. Marcelo Rivera Arancibia, Mayor of Hualpén, Region of Bío-Bío, Chile
Description
Urban expansion has resulted in watershed degradation through deforestation, wetland reclamation, river channel alterations, damming of waterways and urban pollution. Faced with increasing risks, urban policymakers and planners are called on to ensure that urban growth and investments are both sustainable and disaster resilient. Watershed management offers multiple benefits. This roundtable will examine the experiences of local authorities in this regard, and seek stronger commitments towards the application of good watershed management for risk reduction.
Summary
In the course of this session, an impressive panel of speakers explored the connections between sustainable watershed management and urban risk reduction. They found that in order to implement sustainable watershed management and to increase urban resilience, decision tools, capacity-building and legal frameworks are needed. Challenges identified were lack of sustained financing; knowledge, expertise and leadership; policies at national level to support urban planners and local authorities and long term commitment.
Underlying the importance of water resource management, Mr. Mark Smith started his presentation with some shocking data on the increase of water related disasters between 1980 and 2006: 2163 such events claimed the lives of 290,000 people and caused USD 422 billion in damages. He explained that apart from built water infrastructure, such as water storage, flood defense or sea walls, nature’s own infrastructures, i.e. the ecosystem should be relied on as well. With an example from Guatemala, he demonstrated that there are four key elements of resilient watersheds: diversity, sustainable infrastructure (natural or built), self-organization and learning. A new WRM implementation included: governance reforms; watershed restoration spring protection; diversified farming systems; enterprise development; disaster preparedness and early warning. A resilience shift was achieved from a status quo of deforested watersheds, degraded farming systems, social upheaval, downstream disaster and weak coordination. This was commuted to local coordination of priorities, landscape restoration, diversification, social entrepreneurship, municipal-provincial liaison and disaster planning. Mr. Smith recommended the integration of WRM in urban development, to combine engineered infrastructure with ecosystem services, such as reforestation, river or wetland restoration, and floodplain regulation. Resilient watersheds are as desirable as financing, which can be aided by trust funds or payment for environmental services. Institutions can coordinate disaster risk reduction, and empower people to act. Finally, he talked about the benefits of creating partnerships within cities and their basins.
Next, Mr. Aisea Tuidraki gave a thorough overview of the successes and challenges of watershed management and disaster risk reduction in the fast developing city of Nadi, Fiji, which lies in a flood area. He described the negative effect of the shift in agriculture in the area. A change to sugarcane production with accompanying deforestation of the river bank increased erosion, and as the drainage system was not maintained, an unusually large rainfall in 2009 resulted in devastating damages in livestock and infrastructure. Consequently, new integrated water resources management measures were introduced, which involved: • Key stakeholders; • Policy and capacity development; • Effective watershed management; • Preparedness; • Reforestation; • Raising community awareness; • Sustainable land use planning training; • Land use regulations; • National policy on sustainable management.
Mr. Jean-Claude Eude gave the audience an introduction to the challenges that his team has to face with regard to watershed management and flood risk reduction in the Loire basin. He found that better uses of technological potential and enhancing research efforts can help persuade business partners to cooperate in WSM. He said that the key to territorial cohesion is through sustainable development.
Mr. Arancibia, from Chile, talked about the difficulties of water management following the earthquake in his home town, Hualpén. The situation was particularly delicate due to the fact that water resources are privately owned in his country. In the light of global warming and the resulting local water shortage, he called for stronger legislation, and the involvement of small communities in watershed management.
Mr. Narvekar, spokesperson for Ms. Jadhav, the Mayor of Mumbai, India, illustrated the improvements made in disaster risk reduction in the flood area of the Miti river, following the 2005 deluge which submerged the entire city and killed over 400 people. The measures included the widening of the river bank, the introduction of an early warning system, relocation of people, creating pumping stations, and conserving wetlands. His recommendations included the identification of low lying areas, conservation of wetlands, and a preparation of a comprehensive disaster risk management master plan that include flood hazard risk assessments, records of construction details and provision of flood resistant shelters.
Topics that came up during the questions from the participants included involvement of stakeholders from private and public sectors, possible finance resources for DRR, and desirable actions in coastal area protection.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Mohamed highlighted the importance of integrating sustainable watershed management into urban planning and risk management as well as that of the legal framework, which enable institutionalizing sustainable WSM practices. She stressed the need to enhance sustainable urban WSM capacities, and the fact that promoting innovative ways to overcome capacity limitations, such as fostering public-private sectors partnerships, would be highly desirable. Finally, as a good means to build ownership and long-term support, she encouraged supporting community and civil society involvement in watershed planning processes.
Use of Key Words
Building Code – Policies have been put in place to ensure that developers meet building codes. (Mr. Tuidraki) Capacity Development – There is a need to emphasize capacity development and policy, flood risk reduction and sustainable development to improve disaster risk reduction. (Mr. Aisea Tuidraki)
Climate Change – Global warming and its consequences is undermining water resources. (Mr. Marcelo Riviera Aranciaba)
Disaster - Mr. Mark Smith, Director, Water Program, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) indicated that he was astonished by the increase in water related disasters in the last 30 years, and that there are many kinds of disasters related to water such as droughts, wind storms, cyclones, floods, droughts, among others. He also indicated, along with his presentation displays, that from “2000 – 2006, there had been 2,163 water-related disasters. Mr. Marcelo Rivera Arancibia, Mayor of Hualpen, Region of Bio-Bio, Chile, stated that “only through natural disasters do we realize the importance of water in our lives.”
Early Warning System – Mumbai has installed additional early warning systems that allow for real time information to be disseminated to disaster managers and the public so that the proper actions may be taken. (Mr. M. Navekar on behalf Ms. Shraddha Shridhar Jadhav, Mayor of Mumbai, India)
Ecosystem Services – Along with engineering capabilities, we need to use ecosystem approaches to lessen climate change and water based disasters. (Mr. Aisea Tuidraki)
Disaster Risk Management – Upstream and downstream partnership is needed to coordinate disaster risk management in order to empower the people to act as needed. (Mr. M. Smith)
Disaster Risk Reduction – Good governance, use of knowledge for early warning and taking action will reduce disaster risk (Mr. Mark Smith). Flood risk reduction would increase development. (Mr. Aisea Tuidraki)
Land Use Planning – Land use changes led to the increased vulnerability to flooding in Mumbai due to the choking of flood waters, so a retaining wall and new bridge were constructed. (Mr. M. Navekar)
Prevention – We need to recognize the importance of water storage, flood defenses, wetlands and mangroves to reap the infrastructure benefits. (Mr. Mark Smith)
Resilience – Better watershed policy and management along with the UNISDR global campaign are making cities more resilient (Ms. Mohammed). Watershed resource management can improve resilience by bringing about biodiversity, sustainable infrastructure, self-organization and increased knowledge. (Mr. Mark Smith)
Risk – Urban areas are expanding and “urban risk is expected to increase.” (Ms. Shiththy Marina Mohammed, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management, Sri Lanka - Chair). There is a great risk of flooding of the Loire River Basin. (Mr. Jean-Claude Eude.
Risk Assessment – Flood risk assessments continue in Mumbai. (Mr. M. Navekar)
Sustainable development – Sustainable watershed management and land use management is needed to build urban resilience. (Mr. Mark Smith)
Vulnerability - Fiji is very vulnerable to natural disasters. (Mr. Aisea Tuidraki, Special Administrator, Nadi, Sigatoka Town Councils, Fiji. The private sector is crucial for lessening territorial vulnerability (Mr. Jean-Claude Eude, Director General, Loire River Basin Authority, France). A central concern is reducing vulnerability to drought and flooding. (Mr. Jean-Claude Eude). Urbanization has increased vulnerability of Mumbai, India to flooding. (Mr. M. Navekar)
See the full list of main key words
