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## Nachricht vom 11 Jun 03 weitergeleitet
## Ursprung : S.ELLERSICK@SABINE.org
## Betreff : European Water Management News, 11 june 2003
## Ersteller: ewmn@nwp.nl (EWMN editor)
## Msg-ID : 414-22003631113456569@hscr58-350
EUROPEAN WATER MANAGEMENT NEWS, WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE 2003
This news is brought to you by the NETHERLANDS WATER PARTNERSHIP under
the aegis of RIZA for the EUROPEAN WATER ASSOCIATION (EWA).
The European Water Association (EWA) is a non-profit association of
European water management scientists and experts. If you like to know
more or to participate in the activities, visit the website of the
European Water Association <http://www.ewaonline.de/>.
The Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) <http://www.nwp.nl/> is an
independent body set up jointly by the Dutch private and public water
sector to act a.o. as an international focal point for the exchange of
information related to water and water activities.
Contents:
FROM THE EU
- European Commission adopts Annual Programme for Croatia
- Poland: EIB finances landslide protection measures
- Bathing Water Report 2002: Continuing good standards despite bad
weather conditions
IN BRIEF
4. Pollution control: public-private partnerships in Romania
5. Switzerland: Zürich wins Swiss water Oscar
6. UK - Severn Trent caution pays off
7. Ministerial Conference on the Protection of the Baltic and North-
East Atlantic from 25 to 26 June 2003, Bremen
8. Water issues on tap at G8 summit
9. PSI: Water and Evian
10. UNEP Urges Action to Better Manage the Globe's Groundwaters
11. UN: Two billion dying from water, sanitation problems
12. The World Economic Forum's Water Initiative
13. Video series 'A journey in the history of water'
MEETINGS
14. CIWEM Conference: "Water Framework Directive - Ecological
Implications", 12 November 2003, London - UK
15. CIWEM Conference "Mitigation - Does it Measure Up?", 20 November
2003, London - UK
16. 8th European Biosolids and Organic Residuals Workshop, Conference
and Exhibition, 23 - 26 November 2003, Wakefield - UK
As you know your colleagues can get a free subscription to this e-mail
newsletter too. All they have to do is sending an e-mail to
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You may read earlier issues at the website of the Netherlands Water
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Best regards,
Renee Vergouwe
Editor European Water Management News
NETHERLANDS WATER PARTNERSHIP
E: ewmn@nwp.nl <mailto:ewmn@nwp.nl> I: www.nwp.nl <http://
www.nwp.nl/>
FROM THE EU
- EUROPEAN COMMISSION ADOPTS ANNUAL PROGRAMME FOR CROATIA
The European Commission has adopted its Annual Programme for Croatia.
In 2003, within the Community Assistance for Reconstruction,
Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) Programme, a total of 62
million will be spent in assisting Croatia in its reform and
modernisation efforts.(1) Since 1991, the European Union has been the
largest assistance donor to the Western Balkans.
Croatia - Priorities within the Annual Programme 2003 ( 62 million),
a.o. Environment and natural resources ( 3.7 million):
To ensure the efficient implementation of EU water management
standards. To implement Environmental Impact Assessment guidelines and
training to increase the sustainability of development projects in
Croatia. To assist the ratification and implementation of the Aarhus
Convention by promoting and enabling access to environmental
information and public participation in decision making. To support
civil society in the field of environment.
Read more at <http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/816|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display>
2. POLAND: EIB FINANCES LANDSLIDE PROTECTION MEASURES
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union's long-term
financing institution, is lending EUR 50 million for landslide
protection measures in Poland. Promoter of the project is the Office
for Flood Damage Recovery, through Central Government, Regional and
Local Authorities.
Flooding has been a recurring event in the region, with widespread
damages as late as in last summer particularly in Austria and in
Germany. Poland was severely hit by heavy rainfall, high flood waters
and rapid snow melting during the period 1997-2001, provoking both
direct flood damages (Odra River in 1997 and in the Vistula River in
2001) and major landslides across the whole territory of Poland. The
National Authorities responded immediately to the flood events with
major reconstruction programmes, to which the Bank contributed with
loans of EUR 300 m (1997) and EUR 250 m (2001), and with a major flood
risk mapping and early warning plan. In August 2002, recognizing the
specific risks posed by landslides, the Polish Government adopted a
strategy to address the landslide issue. The loan signed today will
help progress with the implementation of the necessary measures, to
protect existing infrastructure and provide a basis for sustainable
management of risks associated with natural disasters.
Read more at <http://www.eib.org/news/press/press.asp?Press&49>
3. BATHING WATER REPORT 2002: CONTINUING GOOD STANDARDS DESPITE BAD
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Today the Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström presented the
annual report on bathing water quality for 20023. The report confirms
the results seen in previous years with a high percentage of bathing
sites being in compliance with the compulsory standards in the
directive (the compliance rate for coastal sites being 95.8% - and for
freshwater sites 91.1%.) The encouraging results for 2002 were
achieved despite the torrential rainfall and floods, which occurred in
central Europe in August and September 2002. One worrying aspect of
the 2002 results was the tendency of some Member States to ban bathing
at sites which showed poor compliance or to de-identify such sites
rather than addressing the causes of pollution leading to poor bathing
water quality.
Speaking at the press conference to launch the report on the 2002
bathing season, Commissioner Wallström said: "The impact of water
quality on bathers is a clear demonstration of the linkages between
environmental quality and human health. The susceptibility of children
to gastric infections and respiratory illnesses associated with
swimming in polluted waters underlined why we need to maintain our
vigilance."
Read more at <http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/805|0|RAPID&lg=EN>
IN BRIEF
4. POLLUTION CONTROL: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN ROMANIA
After a serious cyanide spill in Romania that resulted in severe water
contamination, the need for improved performance in pollution
reduction became an urgent issue for water utilities in Romania. Avrom
Bendavid-Val describes a partnership approach between water utilities
and enterprises creating pollution that has had a real impact on
improving water quality. Avrom Bendavid-Val is Vice President for
Environment and Development at Chemonics International Inc. Through
Chemonics, he has helped implement environmental management systems
and pollution prevention programs and delivered training to industrial
and utility managers and to environmental service providers in the
U.S., Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
The Government of Romania, with assistance from the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and Chemonics International,
responded to this crisis by demonstrating to Romanian enterprises how
they could improve their competitiveness and sustainability while
greatly reducing their polluting discharges, and at the same time,
prevent occurrence of and be prepared for accidental spills. The keys
were to foster public-private partnerships that would promote and
support efforts by enterprises to undertake pollution prevention (P2)
activities and set up environmental management systems (EMSs).
Further information at <http://www.ip3.org/publication2003_004.htm>
Source: Source Weekly, No. 21-22, 5 June 2003, <http://www.irc.nl/
source/>
5. SWITZERLAND: ZÜRICH WINS SWISS WATER OSCAR
In this Year of Water, the city of Zürich has won the Swiss Water
Prize 2003. Zürich's "open stream" concept has roused interest on an
international scale, said the organisers at the award ceremony. The
idea was launched in 1988, with the aim of stopping the disposal of
clean water into sewers, and instead letting it flow into open
streams. Today, about fifty streams have been freed up and
revitalised. Spread through almost all parts of the city, they flow
over a total distance of about 15 km. The city was also honoured for
its water-conserving methods of producing electricity at the Wettingen
power station. According to the jury this is an outstanding example of
the use of renewable energy sources in an environmentally friendly
way. (Umwelt Focus, Switzerland)
Source: EEP Newsletter - June 3, 2003, www.eep.org <http://www.eep.org>
6. UK - SEVERN TRENT CAUTION PAYS OFF
When other water companies invested in electricity and telecoms,
Severn Trent was sceptical of the multi-utility model and focused on
its water business. But it still felt the need for some complementary
non-regulated operations and began building up a waste business,
Biffa, and an environmental testing business.
Fifteen years on from privatisation the returns from water are looking
more and more difficult to grasp. So it is no coincidence that Severn
Trent's management has started talking up its smaller waste and labs
operations. It is also considering acquisitions in the non-regulated
side.
Read more at <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,748-709778,00.html>
Source: Times Online
7. MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE PROTECTION OF THE BALTIC AND NORTH-
EAST ATLANTIC FROM 25 TO 26 JUNE 2003, BREMEN
On the invitation of the German Federal Environment Ministry, the
Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) and the
Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the NorthEast
Atlantic (OSPAR) will meet in Bremen from 25 to 26 June 2003.
This is the first time that the two Commissions will hold a joint
meeting. In the ministers' segment on 25 and 26 June, the riparian
states of the North-East Atlantic and the Baltic and the European
Community will discuss issues of marine environmental protection. This
will include the consequences fishing has for biological diversity and
the impacts shipping has on the marine environment. Furthermore,
contributions to a European marine protection strategy will be
elaborated.
Further information at <http://www.ospar.org/eng/html/welcome.html>
8. WATER ISSUES ON TAP AT G8 SUMMIT
The Group of Eight (G8) wealthy nations vowed during its summit to
improve its delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly to Africa, to
combat the millions of people at risk of drinking water contamination,
according to a Reuters article published by Forbes. The G8 called for
efforts to secure more safe drinking water but promised no fresh funds
and ran into criticism for encouraging private sector participation,
according to the article.
The G8's "Water Action Plan" offered to support countries that
prioritized safe drinking water. The G8 added they would promote
public-private partnerships (PPPs), where appropriate, the article
stated. "We are committed to assisting...countries that make a
political commitment to prioritize safe drinking water and basic
sanitation," the G8 said in a three-page communique.
But environmental lobby Friends of the Earth (FoE) criticized the lack
of financial commitments, telling Reuters that the plan merely
advocated a central role for multinational corporations. "The G8's
good intentions are hard to believe when they can't put a figure in
it," Helen Ballande of FoE France said in the article.
Source: WaterTech.
Online <http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?mode=4&N_ID@820>
9. PSI: WATER AND EVIAN
When the G8 met in Evian, France, on 1-3 June, they were presented
with a statement from civil society urging the European heads of state
to immediately withdraw the EU water requests of other WTO members
from the GATS negotiations. The statement also called for the
withdrawal of the EU proposal to reclassify the GATS category of
environmental services, by which it intends to bring 'water for human
use' into the current negotiations. Some 120 groups, including PSI
(Public Services International), signed on to the statement, which is
available from www.gatswatch.org/evianstatement.html
<http://www.gatswatch.org/evianstatement.html> in English.
Source: PSI
10. UNEP URGES ACTION TO BETTER MANAGE THE GLOBE'S GROUNDWATERS - THE
FALLING (AND IN SOME CURIOUS CASES RISING) FORTUNES OF THE WORLD'S
HIDDEN WATER STORES
Many of the world's "natural underground reservoirs" upon which two
billion people depend for drinking water and irrigation are under
increasing stress and strain, a new report launched on World
Environment Day (WED) shows.
The report, by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), paints
a worrying picture of this critical, hidden, natural resource as
growing and thirsty cities, industries and agriculture take their
toll. It cites cases from across the world to highlight the global
threat while also outlining a range of options to help secure and
conserve supplies.
Read more at <http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID21&ArticleID@26>
11. UN: TWO BILLION DYING FROM WATER, SANITATION PROBLEMS
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for innovative
ideas and redoubled financing to help "2 billion of our fellow human
beings, who are dying for want of water and sanitation," according to
a UN news release on World Environment Day yesterday.
"What is needed, along with fresh water, is fresh thinking. We need to
learn how to value water," Annan said in a message marking World
Environment Day, which this year highlights the centrality of water to
human survival and sustainable development under the theme "Water: Two
Billion People Are Dying for It!".
Read more at <http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?mode=4&N_ID@935>
Source: WaterTech.Online
12. THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM'S WATER INITIATIVE
On June 5, the World Economic Forum, in association with the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), launched a Water Initiative to
create public-private partnerships to improve the management of
watersheds "from the summit to the sea".
Members of the initiative include, among others, top businesses, NGOs,
international organizations and governments. Their aim is to improve
the quality and quantity of water for both business and communities by
sharing best practices and partnering in the maintenance and
management of water and watersheds around the world.
On the occasion of World Environment Day which fell last week, José
María Figueres, Senior Managing Director at the World Economic Forum,
said: "Shared responsibility for the management of watersheds from
mountain ranges to coastal areas will improve the quality and quantity
of water for business, populations and the environment." Additionally,
Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Executive Director, stated: "We must not only
increase public awareness about the challenges the world is facing in
relation to water, but we must also change the way the water issue is
perceived: from being a driver of conflict to being a catalyst for
collaboration."
Read more at <http://allafrica.com/stories/200306090917.html>
Source: allAfrica.com
13. VIDEO SERIES 'A JOURNEY IN THE HISTORY OF WATER'.
The Centre for Development Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway
has made a video series entitled 'A journey in the history of water'.
The series describe the role and importance of freshwater on a global
scale, and with cases from more than 20 countries it seeks to explore
the importance of freshwater for different societies and contexts.
Based on a critically acclaimed television series, the series is made
for educational purposes and to broaden general information about
water.
Read more at <http://www.watervideo.com/>
MEETINGS
14. CIWEM CONFERENCE: "WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE - ECOLOGICAL
IMPLICATIONS", 12 NOVEMBER 2003, LONDON - UK
This meeting will highlight the ecological aspects of the Water
Framework Directive, including:
Water Framework Directive Update and CIWEM's approach; what is good
ecological status and what are the costs and benefits?; industry
concerns; case studies; key issues to be resolved.
This event is being held at SOAS, London, with a delegate fee in the
region of £125-150. For further details please contact Bob Earll of
CMS, at <mailto:bob.earll@coastms.co.uk>
15. CIWEM CONFERENCE "MITIGATION - DOES IT MEASURE UP?", 20 NOVEMBER
2003, LONDON - UK
This meeting will focus on key issues in environmental mitigation,
including: overview of environmental mitigation policy and
legislation; measuring mitigation; new techniques and approaches;
delivery of mitigation measures within environmental statements.
This event is being held at SOAS, London, with a delegate fee in the
region of £125-150. For further details please contact Bob Earll of
CMS, at <mailto:bob.earll@coastms.co.uk>
16. 8TH EUROPEAN BIOSOLIDS AND ORGANIC RESIDUALS WORKSHOP, CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION, 23 - 26 NOVEMBER 2003, WAKEFIELD - UK
CALL FOR PAPERS, Deadline 27 June 2003
This conference is endorsed by the EWA and organised under the banner
of the UK Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management,
a member body of EWA. This is the 8th year of this annual event and
over the years the conference has become one of the major events in
the calendar for those with interests in biosolids, sewage sludge and
organic residuals. In 2002 over 100 technical papers were presented
with authors drawn from the European countries and beyond. Abstracts
are now invited for the upcoming event. Those interested in presenting
a paper to the conference should submit their abstracts as soon as
possible, preferably by e-mail to CIWEM@aquaenviro.co.uk
<mailto:CIWEM@aquaenviro.co.uk>, for FAX +44 1 132 44 21 66. Abstracts
should be no more than 300 words, should include Title of Paper, Name
of Author(s), Corresponding address and e-mail. Further details can be
found on www.European-Biosolids.com <http://www.European-
Biosolids.com>. Companies interested in exhibiting at the conference
should also register their interest as above.
Renee Vergouwe, editor European Water Management News
NETHERLANDS WATER PARTNERSHIP
E: ewmn@nwp.nl <mailto:ewmn@nwp.nl> I: www.nwp.nl <http://www.nwp.nl/>
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