Communication, education and public awareness raising

Forging Targets and Solutions for Rivers and Water Ecosystem Restoration,Workshop 3

Ljubljana, 16 -18 November 2011 Martina Zupan, GWP SlovenijaDanka Thalmeinerova, GWPO

13 Regional Water Partnerships

80 Country Water Partnerships

2,428 Partner Organizations in 158 countries (500 in 2004)

Working Towards A Water-Secure World

Vision and mission

• The Global Water Partnership's vision is for a water secure world

• Its mission is to support the sustainable development and integrated water resources management (IWRM) at all levels

IWRM concept is• an empirical concept which is built up from the on-the-ground

experience of practitioners,

• a flexible approach to water management that can adapt to diverse national and local contexts,

• it is not a scientific theory that needs to be proved or disproved.

• and (but)

• it requires policy-makers to make judgments about which set of suggestions, reform measures, management tools and institutional arrangements are most appropriate in a particular cultural, social, political, economic and environmental context.

IWRM definition

IWRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital

ecosystems.

GWP, TEC Background Paper No. 4: Integrated Water Resources

Management

CHANGE AREAS

Environmental Sustainability

Economic Efficiency

Social Equity

CHANGES ARE MADE TO SEEK

TO REACH SUSTAINABILITY

IWRM Principle: PARTICIPATORY APPROACH

• Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policymakers at all levels.

Case from EU Water Framework Directive Risks of participations

• the WFD does not specify who decide on the scope and extend of public participation

• the WFD does not specify who will ensure public participation at local, regional, national and European level

• the WFD is very complex to be understood by general public

• there is a risk, that involvement of the public will be “formal”

• public participation requires financial capacities

• the public does not have an interest to be involved or does not have sufficient information on water management issues

• the public is not well informed on rights to participate.

Four steps in participation

• Identify key stakeholders• Assess stakeholders interests

and potential impact of the IWRM plan on these interests

• Assess the influence and importance of the identified stakeholders

• Outline a stakeholder participation strategy

Stakeholder analysis

Typology of possible stakeholders

• Professionals – public and private sector organisations, professional voluntary groups and professional NGOs (social, economic and environmental). This also includes statutory agencies, conservation groups, business, industry, insurance groups and academia.

• Authorities, elected people - government departments, statutory agencies, municipalities, local authorities

• Local Groups- non-professional organised entities operating at a local level.

• Individual citizens, farmers and companies representing themselves.

Always remember: What do you want to achieve with public participation?

• ownership of problem by third parties;• commitment of other parties;• innovative solutions;• acceptance of measures to be taken;• raising awareness.

Consensus building

Active involvementConsultations

Basic forms of participation

Information supply

Shall be ensured Shall be encouraged

Dialogue for better decisions

When to involve stakeholders TIMING!• One may say that the stakeholders should be involved as early as

possible, before decisions are taken. Only then the authorities are able to benefit optimally from their insight, experience and knowledge and allow maximum involvement, influence and ultimate acceptance of eventual decisions.

• It is never too early. When involving stakeholders at a very early stage in the process it should be made clear to the stakeholder what his role is and how his contribution will be handled.

What you want to communicateSCALE!!

• Determine which issues should be addressed at which level.

• Determine what types of publics can make what types of contribution

• Communicate the (first) results as soon as possible across different scales and between relevant units at the same scale.

• Report on follow-up not only in the river basin management plan, but also at the level where public participation was organized.

Badly organized participation• Limited and un-representative response• Misleading of public opinion by specific interest

groups• Mistrust in future decisions• Unwillingness to implement measures adopted• Unaccomplished promises and expectations

Education of young generation

• Education of young generation is very important

• In Danube River Basin is runing the Danube Art Master Competition during last seven years (ICPDR). The value added is that kids go outside school near water and create something on their own.

• National project Water Detective run for 12 years; the children are preparing small research tasks in the water near their school an they report the results.

• GWP CEE project on education has shown that curiculla in primary and secundary schools in the region should be adapted to new realities in the field of water management and environment; so far the governments has not yet taken any action in this direction; content of teaching depends on teachers' knowledge.

Communication and ToolBox

• Publications, social media and extended web-based activities including GWP ToolBox

• The ToolBox is a free and open database with a library of IWRM case studies and references

Contact information

• GWP CEE www.gwpceeforum.org • Global Water Partnership www.gwpforum.org • GWP ToolBox www.gwptoolbox.org • How to become a partner?

www.gwp.org/en/Get-involved/Become-a-Partner/Apply-Now/

GWP CEE social media

• Flickr: foto database of GWP CEE www.flickr.com/gwpcee

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/GWPCEE

• Slideshare: slide and document sharing www.slideshare.net/gwpceewaterpartnership

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Water-Partnership-Central-and-Eastern-Europe/102043026503115

Thank you for your attention