Water and Environment Seminar [Archives:2000/45/Health]
Yasser M. Ahmed
Yemen Times
Water and Environment Center in Sanaa University on October 28-29 organized the first seminar on Water and Environment in Yemen under the theme The Need for Capacity Building. The seminar discussed several important working papers presented by Yemeni and foreign specialists working in this field in Yemen. Due to shortages of water and serious environmental problems, locally and internationally, and because Yemen is one of the countries that faces problems in these two sectors specially in the water, the Yemeni government has inaugurated an institutional reform program. The government has adopted new policies and strategies aimed at improving the performance of the sector institutions and overcoming water crisis. One of these important policies is Building Capacities. In this respect, the government cooperated with donors in establishing Water and Environment Center at Sanaa University to build up the capacity of these two sectors.
For helping the government, donors and decision-makers working in these fields, the Center held this seminar that aimed at:
– giving an idea of the centers role in building capacities
– looking into water and environment issues in Yemen
-understanding opinions of the government and the donors.
Among the working papers presented at the seminar was one presented by Hans Van D. Hoven a water specialist in the Dutch Embassy. The paper centered on roles of the Dutch government, the UNDP and the Yemeni government in financing the Sustainable Water Resources Program. The paper included the role of the public participation in planning, executing and managing of water projects and the role of countries receiving donations in the complete conformity with the policies. The paper also included the necessity of maintaining aids offered by donating countries and that emphasizing they must be consolidated and organized. The paper included the 5th stage of supporting the Water and Sanitation Project in Rural Areas. The paper called on the Water & Environment Center, the Yemeni officials and the concerned people to take action corresponding to such an important issue.
Ms Elham Basahi, from the Water & Environment Association, presented a working paper titled The Need for Capacity Building of Stockholders for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Projects. The paper diagnosed challenges facing the Water and Sanitation Sector in Yemen. Among these challenges are:
– Limited and degrading water resources.
– Lack of involvement of stockholders, especially females in projects designs.
– Limited appropriate technology options.
– Unsustainable rural water projects.
– Low coverage of sanitation resources.
– Lack of the rural decentralization model.
The paper underscored the need for building the capacities of non-governmental associations in Yemen and indicated that:
– Long term partnerships with implementing agencies based on mutual confidence, respect for independence, accountability and transparency.
– Long term partnership should include joint implementation and exchanged capacity building opportunities.
The working paper presented by Dr. Mohammed Al-Hamdi Incentive System for Ground water Use in The Sanaa Plain indicated that the ground water stored in Sanaa Plain is decreasing by 2 to 6 meters every year. The paper also indicated that agriculture, the main activity in the rural areas in Sanaa Plain, has become non profitable and the farmers grow profitable crops that represent 40% Qat, 25% grapes and 35% vegetables and others. It also discussed the financial and economic aspects of ground water used for agricultural irrigation including:
1) Costs
2) Income (Sales)
3) Profits
4) Land & Water Profitability.
The paper dwelt upon the legal aspects concerning ownership and rights to using water.
The working paper titled Tackling Rural-Urban Water Transfers Issue was presented by Mr. Khalid Riaz, Mr. A. Al-Shami and Mr. Abdullah S. Saif. In the paper they discussed: Water Situation in Taiz and Rural-Urban Water Transfers Framework.
The paper presented by Fuad Ali Abdullah, titled Capacity Development for Environmental Management in Yemen discussed Status of Environment, Priority Environmental Areas among which were Water Depletion, Pollution, Land Degradation, Habitat Degradation, Waste Management, Institutional Set-up, Environmental Strategies and Policies, Environmental Legislation, Environmental Management Obstacles and Capacity Development.
Mr. Mattias Kiesler, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy, presented a working paper titled Capacity Building in the Water and Environment Sector The German Government Perspective. The paper defined the Capacity Building as a part of a bundle of measures to reach a specific objective, a development goal or an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. It explained that the Capacity Building improves existing capabilities and uses them effectively and efficiently in order to achieve sustainable development. It includes Human resources Development HRD, Organization Development and Institutional and Legal Framework Development.
The paper also discussed the Yemeni-German Development Cooperation in Capacity Building and Water and the Government Negotiations in April 2000, in which the following were agreed upon:
* Water Supply, Sanitation and Waste Management
* Health and Family Planning
* Human Development and Institutional Capacity Building.
In his working paper, Mr. Kiesler mentioned that the Yemeni German cooperation should contribute to change at three levels:
* A capacity-building amongst the broad mass of people.
* Enhancing the professionalism of governmental and non-governmental organizations, thus enabling them to provide the services required by the population in a more useful way.
* Strengthening state institutions so that..they may provide more effective support to the first two processes of changes mentioned. The paper also indicated the Experience of German Contribution to the Development of the Water Sector in Yemen until the mid 90s as well as the Water Sector Reform, its different steps and measures as for the German governments approach of capacity building, Some Elements of its process are Preparation and Implementation of the reforms. He also pointed to the conclusions of Germanys participation in the process of water sector reform.
Mr. Jean Francois Barres, World Bank Sanaa, in his paper titled Capacity Building in World Bank Financed Projects discussed: the Capacity Building in World Bank – Supported Projects in Yemen, Capacity Building being the Core of the Development Process, Spate Irrigation and Watershed Management, Ground water Irrigation, Rural Water Supply, Urban Water Supply, Water Resources Management and Environments and Key Issues facing Capacity Building.
In his working paper titled Capacity Building in Yemen: From Theory to Practice, Mr. Jan Luijendijk, IHE, Delft, discussed
1- The need for Capacity Building in the water Sector
2- The growing awareness for Capacity Building
3- Capacity Building for IWRM in practice
4- Capacity Building practices through SUS projects.
Mr. Luijendijk also discussed Development in the Water Sector in Indonesia, New law on Regional Autonomy: decentralization, Water Resources Sector Reformation Program objectives, Huge Capacity Building and investment agenda, Need for Capacity Building in China, Growing awareness for capacity building and Problems with Capacity Building in developing countries.
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