COHRE The Forum Bellagio magazine 11th Edition 2004

M e m b e r s o f t h e B e l l a g i o Fo r u m

for Sustainable Development

THE FORUM

Magazine of the Bellagio Forum

for Sustainable Development 11th edition, July 2004

Sponsored by

Aachener Stiftung Kathy Beys Schmiedstrasse 3 52026 Aachen GERMANY www.aachener-stiftung.de

Foundation for Business and Society P.O. Box 301 1323 Hovik NORWAY www.foundation.no

Avina Foundation c/ Bruselas 2699 Asuncion PARAGUAY www.avina.net

German Marshall Fund of the United States 1744 R Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009 USA www.gmfus.org

BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH Carl-Wery-Strasse 34 81739 Munich GERMANY www.bshg-group.com Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation c/o Deutsche Bank AG Rossmarkt 18 60311 Frankfurt GERMANY www.db.com Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt An der Bornau 2 49090 Osnabrueck GERMANY www.dbu.de Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung Goettinger Chaussee 115 30459 Hannover GERMANY www.dsw-online.de ECOFUND ul Bracka 4 00-502 Warszaw POLAND www.ekofundusz.org.pl Ecologic – Institute for European Environmental Policy Pfalzburger Strasse 43- 44 10717 Berlin GERMANY www.ecologic.de Euronatur Bahnhofstrasse 35 71638 Ludwigsburg GERMANY www.euronatur.org

GTZ – Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GTZ-Haus Berlin Reichpietschufer 20 10785 Berlin GERMANY www.gtz.de I.DE.A.M - Integral Development Asset Management 166 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris FRANCE www.ideam.fr Institut Pasteur 25-28, Rue du Docteur Roux 75724 Paris Cedex 15 FRANCE www.pasteur.fr IUCN – The World Conservation Union 28, rue de Mauverney 1196 Gland SWITZERLAND www.iucn.org Lighthouse Foundation Palmallee 63 22767 Hamburg GERMANY www.lighthouse-foundation.org Luso-American Development Foundation Rua do Sacramento à Lapa, 21 1249-090 Lisbon PORTUGAL www.flad.pt

MISTRA Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research Gamla Brogatan 36 - 38 11120 Stockholm SWEDEN www.mistra.org Rabobank Foundation P.O. Box 17100 3500 HG Utrecht THE NETHERLANDS www.rabobankfoundation.com Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe Ady Endre út 9-11 2000 Szentendre HUNGARY www.rec.org Reuters Foundation 85 Fleet Street London EC4P 4AJ UK www.foundation.reuters.com

Stiftung Zukunftsfaehigkeit Kaiserstrasse 201 53113 Bonn GERMANY www.stiftungzukunft.de TVE International Prince Albert Road London NW1 4RZ UK www.tve.org Wallace Global Fund 1990 M Street, NW, Suite 250 Washington, D.C. 20036 USA www.wgf.org World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 USA www.worldbank.org

Linking Transboundary River Management to Water Security: the Example of Flooding in Europe

Rockefeller Brothers Fund 437 Madison Avenue, 37th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022-7001 USA www.rbf.org Rockefeller Foundation 420 Fifth Avenue New York, N.Y. 10018-2702 USA www.rockfound.org Schweisfurth Stiftung Suedliches Schlossrondell 1 80638 Muenchen GERMANY www.schweisfurth.de Shell Foundation Shell Centre London SE1 7NA UK www.shellfoundation.org Sony (International) Europe GmbH Stuttgart Technology Center Heinrich-Herr-Strasse 1 70327 Stuttgart GERMANY www.sony.de

Board Chairman Executive Director

Michael Hoelz Samuel Shiroff

BFSD Secretariat Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development c/o Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt Samuel Shiroff Jutta Richter, Assistant An der Bornau 2 49090 Osnabrueck GERMANY Phone (49) 541 9633 490 Fax (49) 541 9633 491 e-mail info@bfsd.org Internet www.bfsd.org Publisher Samuel Shiroff Jutta Richter

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The Right-Based Approach to Water Governance: Rhetoric or Real Contribution?

Content Page 2 ■

Editors’ Note

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Call for Articles: Energy

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CNN Reporter from China selected as Bellagio Fellow

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Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes – Restoration and Prevention

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Mohamed Metahri Joins BFSD Team

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Bellagio Forum Re-launches Website

Editors’ Note This is the first edition of “The Forum” in its new format. As announced in the last edition, we have dedicated this issue to the subject of “Water”. Future editions will concentrate topics of interest to the membership of the Bellagio Forum, our friends and partners and continue to be open to outside contributions. By doing so we hope to create a publication that provides an opportunity for its readers to submit and read about those sustainable development issues that they find most important and develop “The Forum” into a medium that reflects its name. In addition to the topic-related articles, “The Forum” will continue to contain members’ news. Detailed coverage of BFSD programs, activities and events is available on the Bellagio Forum website: www.bfsd.org.

The editorial staff would like to thank all those who have contributed to this edition. ■

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The Right-Based Approach to Water Governance: Rhetoric or Real Contribution?

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The Link Between Energy and Water

Call for Articles: Energy Since Prometheus stole fire from the gods, man has made use of various sources of energy in increasing amounts for heat, light, transportation, cooking, and countless other applications that make modern civilization possible.

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Linking Transboundary River Management to Water Security: the Example of Flooding in Europe

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Next Bellagio Forum Meeting in London

Information on how to submit an article is available at www.bfsd.org.

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The next issue of “The Forum” will be dedicated to the subject of Energy. We invite submissions that focus on specific issues within this broad subject. Articles may touch on ways that energy is harnessed, used and distributed, the consequences of these processes and innovative ways that challenges are being overcome.

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BFSD Breakfast in Athens MEAs and WTO Rules & EU Trade

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Members of the Bellagio Forum

Did you know...?

Of all the earth’s water, 97 % is salt water found in oceans and seas.

Only 1% of the earth’s water is available for drinking water.

2 % is currently frozen.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

CNN Reporter from China selected as Bellagio Fellow Xiaoni Chen has been selected as the latest journalist to participate in the Bellagio Fellowship Program at Green College at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Xiaoni is an experienced Chinese television reporter who has been working as producer/editor for CNN Beijing since 1999. She sees environment protection and sustainable development as “China’s single largest challenge in the 21st century”, and plans to use her Bellagio Fellowship to explore out what lessons can be learnt for China from the experience of industrialised and highly urbanised countries, in particular the impact on the environment of rapid and largescale migration to the cities. Xiaoni wants to use the resources of Oxford University to study whether China’s specific situation sets it apart from other countries in significant ways and also to explore the role of public awareness and participation in bringing about environmentally sustainable solutions. ■

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Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes – Restoration and Prevention By: Udo Gattenloehner, Global Nature Fund

around the lakes in order to reduce nutrients from sources such as agricultural run-off and sewage water entering the lakes.

Living Lakes is a partnership of public and voluntary organizations for the protection of lakes and wetlands introduced in 1998 by the Global Nature Fund, a non-profit NGO. Aim of the partnership is to further and promote sustain-able development objectives at international level.

Currently the network comprises 30 lakes and wetlands spread across five continents.

The overall intent of the international network is an ongoing international dialogue and co-operation between private and public stakeholders involved in water issues.

Objectives are to further the exchange of know-how, technologies and experiences between NGOs and other stakeholders like governments, scientists and businesses moving Agenda 21 objectives from paper to practice.

The establishment of partnerships between NGOs, business and local communities are all vital elements of the network. Supporters at international level are Unilever, Daimler Chrysler and the Deutsche Lufthansa.

La Nava, Spain The main problem of the Spanish wetland Boada de Campos is the poor quality of the inflowing water of some of the tributaries that are polluted with insufficiently treated sewage containing nutrients and other substances i.e. from small size tanneries in an adjacent community. Water analyses carried out within the project showed, that the poor water quality threatens indigenous animal and plant species in the wetland. The introduction of a Green Filter, a filter of floating macrophytes, was considered an effective way of purifying the contaminated water. The realisation of this measure was carried out by the Spanish Living Lakes Partner Organisation “Fundación Global Nature España”.

The Green Filter system uses autochthonous macrophytes which can be found naturally rooted in the ground, but which are here transformed to a floating system. This new method combines the advantages of floating and emergent systems. It effects the decomposition of organic substances by means of the micro-organisms attached to the plants’ root systems and decreases the amount of suspended solids. The system can perform a tertiary treatment of the secondary effluents from the conventional water-treatment plants, removing the elements that cause eutrophication, especially phosphorus and nitrogen. The Green Filter shows a high purification capacity concerning nutrients of up to 60%. Furthermore, the system has a high capacity of absorbing heavy metals or decomposing phenol, hence it can also be used for the treatment of industrial wastewaters under certain conditions.

The plantation should be established with a density of 2 plants per m2. This high density assures a fast vegetation cover of the whole surface. From the plant species, which have been tested successfully, bulrush (Typha latifolia) in comparison to other species (i.e. Scirpus and Sparganium) has given the best results regarding growth and purification. The Green Filter system produces constantly a great quantity of biomass (over 2 kg dry material per square metre and year) that must be removed with periodic cut

EU LIFE Project “Sustainable Management of Wetlands” A tangible example for activities within the Living Lakes framework is the project “Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes” launched in 2001. The project is co-funded by the European Commission under the LIFE Environment programme. Project areas are the lagoons La Nava and Boada in Spain and the Nestos Lakes in Northeastern Greece, both typical for a great number of wetlands and shallow lakes in Europe.

The majority of wetlands in Mediterranean countries are extremely degraded in ecological terms. Almost all problems of water management are present: pollution, drainage, improper water treatment systems, nutrient enrichment, lack of management and lack of integration in local and regional land-use planning.

The broad aim of the LIFE project is to demonstrate that it is possible to manage wetlands in ways which enhance their natural value while benefiting the social and economic needs of the local community. Management plans for the sustainable development of these wetlands have been created. These plans include agricultural extensification and the establishment of buffer zones and green filters

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Mohamed Metahri Joins BFSD Team

Volunteers working to install the Green Filters in La Nava, Spain

All measures are part of a detailed Management Plan that was developed in the course of the project in a close cooperation with the relevant stakeholder groups. A large number of workshops with a focus on wetland management, sustainable agriculture and sustainable tourism development were carried out. The aim of the workshops was to elaborate and agree on measures to foster a long-term improvement of the tourism and agricultural sectors in this area and at the same time ensure the environmental quality of the area. The involvement of local and regional administrations, organisations, tourism service providers, individuals and other stakeholders in an open and participatory approach was a core element of the strategy. The following institutions participated in the process: Development Agency of the Prefecture of Kavala (A.E.N.A.K.), Prefectural Tourism Committee, Local Authority of Hrysoupolis and Keramoti, Association of hotel owners of the Kavala district, Association of travel agents, Departments of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and the Environment of the Prefecture of Kavala, Forest Service of Kavala, Local Authority of the town of Hrysoupolis, State Fisheries Research Institute (INALE), Society for the Protection of Nature and Ecodevelopment (EPO).

tings. The dry material can be used as bio-fuel. The cutting of the biomass in the system is relatively easy to manage and to install and it has low maintenance costs, an important factor for municipalities with low budget and less labour available. The project was carried out in close cooperation with two local municipalities, Boada de Campos and Fuentes de Nava. The project team was assisted by a group of young environmentalist from Germany working voluntarily for the project in the framework of “Nature Summer Workcamps” organised in cooperation with the German DaimlerChrysler company.

Nestos Area, Greece In the project area in Greece a filter system with a surface area of about six hectares was created in winter 2003 at a brackish water lagoon (Vassova) in order to remove nutrient loads from concentrated effluents of inflowing drainage canals. The nutrients in the inflow had a massive eutrophication impact on the lagoon causing negative effects to the biodiversity as well as the composition of the fish fauna to less valuable species. Due to this facts the fishermen of the local cooperatives and the water management board (TOEV), responsible for the management of the lagoons in the western Nestos Delta, showed great interest in the buffer zone installation and were intensively involved in the realisation of this measure. The “Green Filter” at the Vassova Lagoon was planted with more than 50,000 water plants (Typha angustifolia, Typha latifolia and Phragmites sp.) in three adjacent basins. Between the last basin and the lagoon an overflow with an additional earth-gravel filter was constructed. The filter showed very quickly positive results and generated a high acceptance for the future installation of additional filter strips at other lagoons.

Author Udo Gattenloehner Global Nature Fund Fritz-Reichle-Ring 4, 78315 Radolfzell/Germany Telephone: +49-7732-9995-0 Telefax: +49-7732-9995-88 E-mail: gattenloehner@globalnature.org Website: http://www.globalnature.org Radolfzell, 13 May 2004 ■

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The Bellagio Forum has brought in Mohamed Metahri as a new member of the team. He has been employed as a part-time assistant since February 2004.

Before joining the BFSD, Metahri, a native of France, studied Economics and Sociology in Toulouse and then at the Institute of High European Studies in Strasbourg where he received a degree in European Studies (European Law, European History, European Economics and Politics). Metahri also obtained a Masters Degree in European Public Policies at the Institute of Political Studies in Strasbourg. There, he profited from this unique international city by establishing contacts with European policy-makers and international institutions. With a strong passion for both European and environmental issues, Metahri has focused on the European strategy to tackle the problem of Greenhouse gases as well as energy issues at the representation of

the French Ministry for Industry Research and Environment in Alsace. Metahri has resided in Germany for several years and currently divides his time between the BFSD, Vestas, the world largest supplier of wind turbines, and as a lecturer at the University of Osnabrueck.

“I was looking for an opportunity that would allow me to combine my international experience and passion for sustainable development issues,” commented Metahri, who joined the BFSD team with the purpose of expanding the awareness for the Forum in French speaking countries. “We are very pleased to have Mo on board”, said Samuel Shiroff, BFSD director. “He has good contacts on the European level and a wide range of knowledge – especially on renewable energy issues – that will be of benefit to the members and the overall impact and future of the Forum.”

You can e-mail Mohamed Metahri at mome@bfsd.org ■

New BFSD Team Member, Mohamed Metahri

Bellagio Forum Re-launches Website The Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development has re-launched its website. With the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Deutsche Bank, the BFSD unveils a sleek new look with many new features. The new site provides user-friendly navigation of the newly formed BFSD Working Groups as well as a private members’ section for specially designed for focused information exchange and communication.

“Our goal was to have an attractive and highly usable website that reflects the type of organization we are. Users should understand immediately what the BFSD is about; while at the same time be able to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible – and maybe even discover some things they did not know where there”, comments BFSD

The Bellagio Forum Website with its new Concept and Design

director, Sam Shiroff. “I really appreciate the support from Deutsche Bank and the GMF.

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The membership, our partners and all those who use our site will benefit.” ■

A

t the April 2004 session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, delegates considered rights-based approaches as a tool to expand access to water. Few State representatives spoke either for or against the rights-based approach, preferring to reserve their position until the next session of the Commission, where the policy decisions on water, sanitation and human settlements will be negotiated.

The CSD Chair, Borge Brende, raised a pertinent question: Do we need to spend time on new paradigms such as the rights-based approach, rather than simply getting on with the business of getting water to the poor? A preliminary response is that almost all States are already legally obligated by the treaties they have ratified to implement the right to water. However, the question deserves more analysis. Will the rights-based approach serve simply as window dressing for positions that have already been developed? Is it merely illusory in a world characterized by poverty and water scarcity?

The Right-Based Approach to Water Governance: Rhetoric or Real Contribution?

By: Ashfaq Khalfan, Center on Housing Rights and Evictions

The rights-based approach draws attention to a simple proposition – that all persons have the right to access water sufficient for their personal and domestic needs. From this proposition emerges a question – are current national and international programmes as focused and targeted as possible towards securing this basic right for the 1.1 billion people without access to clean water. The catalogue of inequitable and preventable mistakes suggests not. Water supply in most cities is under-priced, mainly to the benefit of the upper and middle-income groups. Under-resourced water utilities are unable or unwilling to connect the poor to piped water supplies. The poor then have to rely on expensive water supply provided by vendors. Governments often turn a blind eye to pollution of water supplies relied upon by communities, in particular indigenous peoples.

First, access to water is considered a legal entitlement, rather than a commodity or service provided on a charitable basis. This provides a solid basis for individuals to hold States and other actors to account. People are not necessarily entitled to free water, but they are entitled to a system that takes into account their capacity to pay in devising pricing and subsidy policies. The human rights element can change the terms of debate in negotiations between communities and government bodies. The experience of other human rights provides an illustration. Since the early 1990s, communities and non-governmental organisations such as COHRE have relied upon the fact that the right to housing is internationally recognised in order to convince a number of governments to cease planned forced evictions and to demand that housing services are provided.

These situations do not indicate lack of knowledge, but rather demonstrate lack of sufficient political will on the part of developed and developing countries, failure to acknowledge water as an element of human dignity and failure to establish systems to hold States accountable. They are by-products of the inability of marginalized groups and of future generations to assert themselves. It is for these reasons that human rights is relevant to water governance. In 2002, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights released a General Comment on the Right to Water, which indicates that each person is entitled to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses. Water is also required in order to realise other internationally recognised human rights such as the right to food, requiring water for agricultural purposes, particularly subsistence agriculture. This Committee is a body of experts authorised by UN member States since 1990 to provide interpretations of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a treaty ratified by 148 States. The Committee noted that the right to water is also an integral part of other human rights, such as the rights to life, health and housing, reflected in widely ratified international treaties.

The right to water as a legal obligation applies internationally. The General Comment on the Right to Water notes that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights obliges all States, in particular wealthy States, to engage in international cooperation for development to realise economic, social and cultural rights for all. This point can help respond to the challenge thrown to members of the Bellagio Forum by Mark Malloch Brown, the head of the UNDP – how can we build a political constituency in developed countries to support increased international assistance?

One part of an overall strategy is to emphasise to the public that access to clean water is a human right, one that cannot be realised without acting on the legal obligation to significantly increasing aid flows to the poor in least developed and fragile states.

Second, the right to water establishes minimum standards for national programmes to achieve the basic amount of water for all, thereby identifying priorities for expansion of access and the use of resources. As noted in the General Comment, States are obligated to realise the right to water progressively, using available resources in a targeted manner to ensure that the greatest number of people can have access to a sufficient supply of safe water in the shortest possible of time. Rather than making illusory promises, the rights-based approach recognises that the perfect can be the enemy of the

Boy using water pump, Caloocan City, Manila, Philippines.

There are five main contributions of a rights-based approach, each addressed below.

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The Link Between Energy and Water

good. The General Comment notes that in far too many situations, States construct expensive services that serve a small privileged fraction of the population rather than low-cost alternatives that would provide water for a greater number of people.

Third, the rights-based approach focuses on lack of access to water caused, or exacerbated, by discrimination and failure to address the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. This requires, for example, States to extend water and sanitation services to informal settlements. It also requires special attention to the needs of rural women, who in Africa spend on average 25% of their working time on carrying water.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Power Plant-Water R&D Program the percentage of total U.S. freshwater withdrawal by source category. It is estimated that each kWh of electricity requires an average of 25 gallons of water, used primarily for process cooling a. While thermoelectric generation is the second largest user of water on a withdrawal basis, it is important to note that it is only responsible for about 3% of the total of 100 BGD of freshwater consumed in 1995. In comparison, irrigation represented about 81% of freshwater consumption in 1995 as shown in Figure 2bc3.

By: Thomas J. Feeley, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory

Fourth, human rights address process issues, requiring genuine consultation and participation of relevant communities before water service programmes are put in place.

James Murphy, Science Applications International Corporation Lindsay Green, Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education

Fifth, human rights law and its institutions emphasise monitoring and accountability in the design and application of water programmes. This is an absolute necessity even in States with an impressive commitment to expanding access to water. In South Africa, for example, certain under-resourced local authorities facing pressure to ensure a favourable climate for investment chose to disconnect some of the poorest communities from water supply while ignoring defaults in payment by large businesses. Accountability is also relevant for the private sector. The General Comment on the Right to Water indicates that States must ensure independent monitoring of private sector water providers, ensure genuine participation of users and implement penalties for non-compliance.

Background

Women carrying water in peri-urban settlement, Accra, Ghana.

It is also necessary to mainstream human rights within State institutions and international organizations responsible for water, including water utilities and finance ministries.

Finally, those engaging in popular mobilization for access to water should be offered assistance in using the resources offered by a rights-based approach. COHRE is currently working with residents of informal settlements in Buenos Aires to build their capacity to lobby for the right to water and, as last resort, to engage in litigation to defend their rights.

National litigation relying on human rights provisions has already helped defend the right to water. Courts in Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa, among others, have reversed disconnections of water supply affecting people unable to pay.

They have also required governments to provide water to communities whose water sources were polluted and required that they address the sources of such water pollution.

At the international level, UN human rights committees also monitor State implementation of human rights treaties and make their conclusions public. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has previously held Canada to account for the poor state of drinking water quality on aboriginal reserves.

If used effectively, human rights can therefore serve as a tool to implement many best practices in water governance policy and generate political will. It also provides insights and new institutions to enhance current programmes to expand access to water.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that thermoelectric generating capacity will increase by approximately 110 gigawatts between 2002 and 20251. The availability of a sustainable supply of water is critical to meeting this projected growth in electric power. Thermoelectric power generation represents the largest segment of U.S. electricity production, with coal-based power plants generating more than half of the nation’s electricity.

According to U.S. Geological Survey, the thermoelectric generation sector accounted for 39%, or about 136 billion gallons per day (BGD), of all freshwater withdrawals in the nation in 2000, second only to irrigation2. Figure 1 presents

The need for freshwater for thermoelectric generation will increasingly compete with demands from other sectors of the economy such as agriculture, domestic, commercial, industrial, mining, and in-stream use. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) projects the potential for future constraints on thermoelectric power in 2025 due to water limitations for Arizona, Utah, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and all of the Pacific Coast states4. Other areas of the U.S. are also susceptible to freshwater shortages as a result of drought conditions, growing populations,

Irrigation 81% Commercial 1% Domestic 7% Thermoelectric 3% Mining 1% Industrial 3% Livestock 3%

Irrigation 40% Mining 1% Domestic 1% Thermoelectric 5% Aquaculture 1% Livestock 1% Thermoelectric 39% Public Supply 13%

■ Ashfaq Khalfan is Coordinator of the Right to Water Programme at the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), an international non-governmental organization.

Relevant publications, including a Guide to Legal Resources for the Right to Water and a consultation draft of the Manual on the Right to Water are available at www.cohre.org/water. ■

In order to ensure the right to water is actually used to enhance water governance, several challenges must be met.

There is little in the way of practical information on how to apply human rights to complex questions of water policy. In this regard, COHRE, the American Association on the Advancement of Science and the World Health Organization is developing a Manual on the Right to Water. The manual aims to shed light on issues such as means to raise finances and target subsidies in a way that best advances the right to water.

Did you know...?

66% of a human being is water. 75% of the human brain is water. 75% of a living tree is water.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

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Figure 1: US Freshwater Consumption by Sector

Figure 2: US Freshwater Withdrawal by Sector

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and increasing demand. Concern about water supply expressed by state regulators, local decision-makers, and the general public is already impacting power projects across the United States. For example, Arizona recently rejected permitting for a proposed power plant because of concerns about how much water it would withdraw from a local aquifer 5. Water availability has also been identified by several southern states as a key factor in the permitting process for new merchant power plants6. It is obvious that water availability will be a key factor in the continued operation of the current fleet of power plants as well as the design and permitting of new plants.

Water Extraction from Coal-Fired Power Plant Flue Gas – University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center UNDEERC, along with the Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation, will test and evaluate a desiccant-based dehumidification process that removes water from the exhaust gas of coal-fired power plants. This project will attempt to develop an economical and environmentally beneficial technology with the ability to substantially reduce the water consumption of fossil fuel-fired power plants by recovering a large fraction of the water present in the plant flue gas.

Use of Produced Water in Recirculated Cooling Systems at Power Generation Facilities – EPRI Produced waters are a by-product of natural gas and coalbed natural gas extraction and can often present a disposal issue. EPRI, in collaboration with Public Service of New Mexico, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Ceramem, and Water and Waste Water Consultants, Inc., will evaluate and develop the use of produced waters to meet up to 25% of the cooling water demand at the San Juan Generating Station.

Environmentally-Safe Control of Zebra Mussel Fouling – New York State Education Department Zebra mussel colonization on cooling water intake structures can cause significant plant outages. There is a need for economical and environmentally safe methods for zebra mussel control where this invasive species has become problematic.

Researchers with the New York State Education Department will conduct a three-year study to evaluate a particular strain of a naturally occurring bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens that has shown to be selectively lethal to zebra mussels but benign to non-target organisms.

DOE/NETL’s Power Plant-Water R&D Program Recognizing the intimate link between thermoelectric power generation and water, the U.S. Department of Energy/ National Energy Technology Laboratory initiated a power plantwater research and development (R&D) program in 2003. This effort is focused on developing technologies and approaches to better manage how existing and future coal-based power plants use the nation’s freshwater resources. The overall goal of this effort is to reduce the amount of freshwater needed for power plant operation and to minimize potential impacts on water quality.

Fate of As, Se, and Hg in a Passive Integrated System for Treatment of Fossil Plant Waste Water – Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) & EPRI TVA and EPRI will conduct a study of a passive treatment technology to remove trace levels of arsenic, selenium, and mercury as well as ammonia and nitrate from fossil power plant wastewater. An extraction trench containing zero-valent iron for removal of trace contaminants will be included in the work in order to evaluate an integrated passive treatment system for removal of these trace compounds.

The following is a brief summary of the projects being carried out in this area: Strategies for Cooling Electric Generating Facilities Utilizing Mine Water: Technical and Economic Feasibility – West Virginia Water Research Institute

Use of Coal Drying to Reduce Water Consumed in Pulverized Coal Power Plants – Lehigh University

The West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University will assess the feasibility of using underground mine water in the northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania region as a source of cooling water for power plants. The amount of mine water available, the quality of the water, and the types of water treatment needed are all factors that will be analyzed during this one-year effort.

This project will determine the feasibility of using lowgrade power plant waste heat to dry low-rank coals prior to introduction into the boiler. Heat from condenser cooling water will be extracted upstream of the cooling tower and used to dry the coal. Lowering the temperature of the return

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cooling water will reduce evaporative loss in the tower, thus reducing overall water consumption.

manage how power plants use and impact freshwater. This effort will help to maintain coal’s strategic role in providing the nation with secure, reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy.

Demonstrating a Market-Based Approach to the Reclamation of Mined Lands in West Virginia - EPRI EPRI will demonstrate a market-based approach to abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation by creating marketable water quality and carbon emission credits. The project will involve the reclamation of thirty acres of AML in West Virginia through 1 the installation of a passive system to treat acid mine drainage, 2 application of fly ash as a mine soil amendment, and 3 reforestation for the capture and sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Potential eco-credits include water quality credits due to decreased acid mine drainage and other benefits resulting from the soil amendment.

An Innovative Fresh Water Production Process for Fossil Fired Power Plants Using Energy Stored in Main Condenser Cooling Water - University of Florida

References

The University of Florida will investigate an innovative diffusion-driven desalination process that would allow a power plant that uses saline water for cooling to become a net producer of freshwater. Hot water from the condenser provides the thermal energy to drive the desalination process. Using a diffusion tower, saline water cools and condenses the low pressure steam and freshwater is then stripped from the humidified air exiting the tower.

a For example, operation of a 75 watt light bulb for 13 hours would result in the use of 25 gallons of water to support the equivalent electrical generation. b When discussing water and thermoelectric generation, it is important to distinguish between water use and water consumption. Water use represents the total water withdrawal from a source and water consumption represents the amount of that withdrawal that is not returned to the source.

Lignite Fuel Enhancement – Great River Energy c USGS 1995 water consumptive use data is presented for comparison here because the USGS did not include water consumption estimates in the 2000 survey. The source category sectors used for breakdown of water use are also slightly different for the 1995 and 2000 surveys.

Great River Energy will design, construct, and operate a prototype lignite drying system at its 546 MW Coal Creek Generating Station in Underwood, North Dakota. In addition to the primary goal of increased generation efficiency and reduced air emissions from the utilization of high-moisture coals, substantial reductions in cooling water requirements will also be recognized.

1 Energy Information Administration. Annual Energy Outlook 2004; DOE/EIA-0383; January 2004.

2 U.S. Geological Survey. Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1995; USGS Circular 1200; 1998.

Summary

3 U.S. Geological Survey. Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000; USGS Circular 1268; March 2004.

Freshwater resources and reliable and secure coal-based electricity are inextricably linked. Thermoelectric generation requires a sustainable, abundant, and predictable source of freshwater – a resource that is in short supply in many parts of the United States. As the demand for electricity increases, so will the need for water for power generation. However, thermoelectric power plants will increasingly compete with demands for freshwater by the public supply, domestic, commercial, aquaculture, hard-rock mining, irrigation, and industrial sectors. In addition, sufficient water will need to be left in rivers and streams to meet environmental and recreational goals. The U.S. Department of Energy has initiated an R&D effort to develop advanced concepts and technologies to better

4 Electric Power Research Institute. A Survey of Water Use and Sustainability in the United States With a Focus on Power Generation; EPRI Report No. 1005474; November 2003.

5 Land Letter. Western Power Plants Come Under Scrutiny as Demand and Drought Besiege Supplies; March 4, 2004; http://www.eenews.net/Landletter.htm 6 Clean Air Task Force. Wounded Waters – The Hidden Side of Power Plant Pollution; February 2004. ■

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Linking Transboundary River Management to Water Security: the Example of Flooding in Europe By: Thomas Dworak, Eduard Interwies1

Introduction

across Europe amounting to several billion euros. Under the impression of this event, the EU initiated a new strategy to tackle the issue of flooding. One of the basic principles of this strategy calls for taking into account the entire catchment area when addressing flooding risks 5.

With the growing deterioration of water quality, the changing patterns of climate and the resulting aggravation of droughts and floods, a sustainable management of transboundary surface waters is likely to play a crucial role in meeting these challenges.

On the international level the 2002 Johannesburg Summit emphasised the relevance of transboundary considerations in water management. A further agreement was reached on combating desertification and mitigating the effects of droughts and floods through various measures, such as better use of climate and weather information, improved land and natural resource management as well as more sustainable agricultural practices and a stronger emphasis on ecosystem conservation with the overarching goal of reversing current trends and minimizing degradation of land and water resources 2.

The Water Framework Directive: a framework for transboundary management The WFD entered into force in October 2000, marking the start of the new era in European water policy. As opposed to water protection policy of the 1990s, the area covered by the WFD extends to all aquatic systems, i.e. to surface waters, groundwater and coastal waters. Land eco-systems depending on groundwater are also included in this approach.

The main target of the Directive is to reach the “good status” for all water bodies in the Community by 2015 while a clear differentiation is made between a good ecological and a good chemical status. Furthermore, the WFD introduces the river basin principle, according to which water management should be carried on a river basin scale. As a consequence, national borders between Member States are likely to become less and less significant in this respect.

Taking a similar approach, the Ministerial Declaration of The Hague (World Water Forum, March 2000) on Water Security in the 21st century identified the management of international shared water resources, promoting peaceful cooperation and developing synergies between different users between adjacent states as a main challenge to achieve water security.

In this context, internationally shared waters represent a substantial and secure supply for many socio-economic uses that are critical for national and regional water security.

Transboundary aspects of the WFD and flooding

In Europe, the need to manage and protect transboundary waters in a sustainable way increasingly becomes a formal requirement, as many European Countries have to comply with the Water Framework Directive (WFD)3. In addition many countries also strive to comply with their commitments made in the framework of the relevant UN-ECE conventions and guidelines 4.

Article 1 of the WFD not only requires Member States to achieve specific ecological standards for water bodies, but also to mitigate the effects of floods and droughts. Still, precautionary flood protection is not explicitly addressed in the Directive, nor is there a stated goal to reduce the impact of floods. The issue is, however, addressed indirectly, with the Directive demanding that further deterioration of river systems should be prevented. Furthermore, the Directive stresses the role of wetlands, floodplains, and structural issues of water bodies 6. But as mentioned above flooding mostly affects entire river basins and a large number of river basins are international. Consequently, Member States are practically forced to cooperate and to use the opportunities offered by the WFD,

This article focuses on the elements of the WFD referring to transboundary water courses and analyses the current need for their improved throughout Europe in order to mitigate the effects of flooding. Flooding is a natural phenomenon that mostly affects a entire river basin. It only takes on catastrophic dimensions and becomes a security risk, when human lives or properties are endangered. The floods of August 2002 left thousands homeless and caused severe property damage

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The floods of August 2002 left thousands homeless and caused severe property damage across Europe amounting to several billion euros. (source: Österreichische Bundesbahnen www.ots.at)

which promotes river basins as the only management unit to protect environment and humans from the damaging effects of flooding.

Member States to manage river and lakes according to their natural river basin boundaries (Art. 3(3)) triggering a number of new tasks.

This approach is very crucial for Europe, as besides making water management more complex, it also offers many opportunities for efficiency gains. When water resources are shared between riparian countries, a number of issues have to be taken into account7:

Considering the existing differences in political and institutional structures among the Member States it becomes quite obvious that there is a strong need for clarifying and setting up rules for cooperation especially though not exclusively with respect to flooding. Solidarity, cooperation and a common approach are essential to mitigate flooding, as passing on water management problems from one region to another (e.g. upstream to downstream) is not an option. Sharing experiences between international river basins and all European countries is therefore necessary. This also implies that not only different authorities have to be considered, but also different levels. To reach successful implementation co-ordination on three levels is necessary8:

■ Differences in political, social and institutional structures ■ Different objectives ■ International relations, regulations and conflicts So far there have been several examples of international rivers that have been managed co-operatively by several States (Danube, Rhine). However, with respect to the requirements of the WFD, significant additional work has to be done.

1. River basin level: On this scale, general targets and the way of implementation need to be aligned. Such a holistic approach has to be based on multilateral and even multinational cooperation. The preparation of risk analyses and flood forecasts at trans-national level is one of the components of this anticipatory approach. This creates the need for solidarity between upstream and downstream users across national borders

Establishing Cooperation: setting the basis Historically, rivers and lakes have been used to define frontiers between countries. Thus in many cases river basin boundaries do not coincide with national borders. The WFD now requires

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national borders. It should be the goal of these joint bodies to draw up a long-term flood prevention and protection strategy covering the entire transboundary river and basin system rather than the transboundary watercourse as such. The strategy should include at least such major objectives as the reduction of risk to health and damage to property; reduction of the scale of flooding events; increasing flood awareness as well as settingup or improving flood notification and forecasting systems.

as for example in drawing up transboundary regional plans with designated flood zones. Also, standards and general rules for early warning should be developed on this level. This process might be very difficult because of diverging interest of the individual Member States.

2. Coordination between sub-catchment areas (mainly in the case of large rivers): on the second level, a coordinated approach is needed to avoid the doubling of work and coordinate the measures that will be taken. Results need to be discussed and potential effects evaluated.

Cooperation on transboundary waters must be seen as a chance for creating a system of effective interdependence: the pooling rather than the restriction of each nation’s sovereignty and a means by which to share the benefits of the river and enhance regional security. Basin-wide cooperation entails opportunities for all and provides the best chance for the protection of international water courses for the benefit of future generations. ■

3. Coordination within a sub-catchment area: In case a subcatchment area crosses borders, a coordination between the responsible authorities of the respective riparian states is necessary. In most cases it will be necessary to nominate a leading body to coordinate the work.

Conclusion For European water policy, national borders between Member States become less and less significant, while the bioregional approach is high on the agenda. This conflicts with traditional notions of national sovereignty and territoriality 9.

Flooding has been brought to the attention of political leaders in Europe with the devastating floods of 2002. In order to address such disasters in the future, the EU Water Directors recognised the urgent need for precautionary measures and started on intensive discussion on this issue. Following the general trend in EU water policy they chose a holistic approach taking into account various aspects of flooding (e.g. protection, preparation, mitigation, disaster management, public awareness) and focusing on bio-regions as well.

Consequently, the integrated management of transboundary river basins needs to be seen as a major challenge requiring the integration of different administrative, legal, cultural, institutional and economic traditions.

A viable approach to be followed by the countries affected would be to set up joint river management bodies, such as the international river basin commissions, where they do not yet exist. These joint bodies should be requested to more explicitly incorporate flood prevention and protection into their activities and be entrusted with the development of good management practices for flood prevention and protection across

The Bellagio Forum hosted a breakfast during the European Foundation Center Annual General Assembly in Athens on May 31st at the Hilton, Athens. In an insightful discussion chaired by Deutsche Bank’s Michael Hoelz, the panelists kept the early morning guests wide awake as they outlined the challenges faced for management of foundation endowments in the future.

Jan-Olaf Willums, BFSD Board Member and Chairman of the Sustainable Asset Management Task Force, provided a brief history about how the BFSD developed the concept for the Protocol for Responsible Management of Endowments (PRIME). He explained: “We intend to undertake the

necessary research to establish this Protocol and then create a prototype fund.”

If you are interested in learning more about the BFSD Asset Management Initiative please contact us at info@bfsd.org. ■

Xavier de Bayser of I.DE.A.M and Steve Falci of Calvert, panelists who are both asset managers with nearly 40 years of experience between them, agreed with Willums and proceeded to provide some of the technical information about the challenges faced and the manner in which they can be overcome.

Michael Brophy, former head of the Charities Aid Foundation, provided some important anecdotes from his long experience. He concluded with the clear statement that “This change is inevitable” and that the Bellagio Forum Task Force was on the right track to accelerate it.

Steve Falci (Calvert) elaborates a point during the BFSD Asset Management Task Force in Athens, Greece.

Next Bellagio Forum Meeting in London

MEAs and WTO Rules & EU Trade

The next official meeting of the Bellagio Forum members will take place in London on September 17and 18. The first day will be a full meeting of the membership and will take place in the Shell Building. On Saturday the 18th, The Reuters Foundation will host the Water, Energy, Finance and Awareness Working Group Meetings. Bellagio Forum meetings are invitation only affairs. If you are interested in receiving an invitation, please contact info@bfsd.org for more information about how to do so. ■

Raising awareness of trade issues in civil society groups in the new EU member states and creating a closer cooperation among civil society groups in Eastern and Central Europe were among the objectives of a seminar in Szentendre Hungary on 10 May 2004. The event was organised by the Ecologic – Institute for international and European Environmental Policy and the Regional Environmental Centre for Eastern and Central Europe. It was attended by about 30 representatives from civil society groups from across all of Europe.

Selected participants and R. Andreas Kraemer, Director of Ecologic, discussed how to ensure a more effective participation from Eastern and Central European civil society groups. On one hand the fundamental role of awareness and capacity building events in the new member states was stressed. On the other hand, a number of preconditions that have to be met were identified. Issues included a number of legal loopholes as well as red tape regarding civil society groups in the new EU Member states, or the disappearance of traditional funding sources.

One part of the seminar was specifically dedicated to the relationship between Multilateral Environmental Agreements and WTO Rules. David Wirth, Professor at Boston College Law School, and Richard G. Tarasofsky, Head of the Sustainable Development Programme at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, analysed the relation between trade and environmental policies and the ongoing negotiations between MEAs and WTO rules in the Doha Development Round.

For more information: www.ecologic-events.de/eu-trade-policy or contact Markus Knigge at knigge@ecologic.de ■

Did you know...?

There is the same amount of water on Earth today as there was 3 billion years ago.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Both Ecologic Institute for International and European Environmental Policy, Pfalzburger Strasse 43/44, D - 10717 Berlin, Germany Tel. +49 30 86880-123, Fax: +49 30 86880-100, interwies@ecologic.de, http://www.ecologic.de 2 United Nations (2002): Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August - 4 September 2002 3 The European Parliament and the Council (2000): Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy (2000/60/EC) 4 For the issue of flooding: United Nations and Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) (2000): Guidelines for sustainable flood prevention, The Hague, Netherlands, 23-25 March 2000 5 EU Water Directors (2003): Best practice on flood prevention, protection and mitigation 6 Dworak, T.; Hansen, W. (2003): The European approach on flooding, at the Conference “Towards natural flood reduction strategies, 6-13.9.2003 Warschau 7 Ganoulis, J.; Murphy, I.L.; Brilly, M. (2000): Transboundary water resources in the Balkans. Initiating a sustainable Co-Operative Network. Dordrecht 8 von Keitz, S.; Schmalholz, M. (2002): Handbuch der EU-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie, Inhalte: Neuerungen und Anregungen für die nationale Umsetzung, Berlin 9 Interwies, E.; Dworak, T. (2003): Management of transboundary river and lakes – The European Dimension, For the Colloquy on management of transborder river and lake basins, Ohrid, 13-15 October 2003, Ad hoc Sub-committee on International Year of Fresh Water 2003, Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs, Parliamentary Assembly o the Council of Europe

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BFSD Breakfast in Athens

As a second item it was effective participation of civil society groups in European trade policy. Tobias Reichert, European Trade Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office, explored the institutional structure of trade policy making in the EU and shared experiences in trade policy lobbying. Rupert Schlegelmilch, Head of Unit F3, DG Trade at the European Commission, pointed to the significance of civil society participation in trade policy making and suggested ways to better engage the EU commission.

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