Colloquy on the Role of Parliamentarians in the Management of Water Resources

Madrid and Zaragoza, Spain, 8-9 September 2008

Speech by Ian Micallef, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Mr Chairman,

Distinguished members of the Parliamentary Assembly,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to say how honoured I am to be here in Madrid today, to address this colloquy on water management organised by fellow elected representatives, and I would like to welcome, on this occasion, the close cooperation between the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Parliamentary Assembly, the two elected bodies of the Council of Europe.

I see your invitation for me to participate in this colloquy as another sign of this cooperation but also as the acknowledgement of the important role played by local authorities in the management of water resources, and their contribution, based on their practical experience, to your work in national parliaments.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which I represent as President of its Chamber of Local Authorities, is not new to the issue, which has been on the agenda on our Committee on Sustainable Development for many years. Neither is our cooperation on the subject with you, the Parliamentary Assembly new – I recall in this context our joint preparation and very successful participation in the 4^th World Water Forum in Mexico City in March 2006, the Forum which gave worldwide recognition to the role of local authorities in the whole package called “water management” – the package which includes the provision of quality water services, public and private use of water resources, use for leisure and entertainment, and much more.

Indeed, local authorities are in the best position to assess local needs and resources required to meet them, decide on the most efficient manner in which water services should be delivered, and take into account the economic, social and environmental implications of their decisions for local communities. They are best placed, in other words, to offer best practices and propose innovative approaches for national policy-making – which is why we say that global challenges call for local solutions.

There is no denying that water management is a major global challenge of today. Water is indispensable to all forms of life; it is an ecological, economic and social asset which is a prerequisite for the sustainable development necessary to safeguard the needs of both present and future generations. But in the space of a few decades we have also seen how water has come to the forefront of our preoccupations as a social and political issue, becoming the most urgent environmental, political and social problem that the European continent and our world are facing.

Water resources and the system of water management are undergoing a worldwide crisis marked by worryingly degrading water ecosystems, ageing or lacking infrastructures and the impact of climate change causing disastrous floods in some places – such as the one we are currently witnessing in India – and devastating droughts in others. As a result, more than 1 billion people today do not have a guaranteed access to drinking water – which is a blatant offence to human dignity, decent living and even to the most fundamental human right, the right to life.

Much of this crisis is the result of human activities and the manner in which water is used, leading to deterioration of water resources. Coupled with the growing demand for water, which is becoming more and more complex, and increasing disparities along both East-West and North-South axes, as well as between regions and local communities, this crisis must stir us into immediate action. Our citizens can no longer accept inefficient management or uncontrolled use of water resources, such a precious asset which is increasingly lacking.

The Congress is convinced that the water crisis is also a crisis of governance, making it an imperative to ensure good governance at all levels, including local, as well as greater cooperation and sharing of responsibilities between different stakeholders, including the private and public sectors and civil society. Another important aspect is transfrontier cooperation, both interregional and intermunicipal, as river basins, of course, know no frontiers or levels of government – rivers flow through our cities and regions and across the national borders. This is why the process of European integration – at the national level but also at the level of regional and local authorities, particularly through the creation of Euroregions and transfrontier regions – is of paramount importance for better water management.

The novelty of today’s situation is the burning need to interlock our policies and practices to guarantee the sustainable development of water resources. Sustainability is the key word of the day, the only way forward, and to achieve it we need concerted action of all actors and at all levels – from the bottom up, on local, regional, national and international levels; and across the board, involving the public and private sector, civil society, and individual citizens.

Sustainability is not ecological romanticism: it is a matter of public health, safety and basic resources. These issues affect daily life in our towns, cities and regions. The future well-being of our planet depends upon us all working together to create a sustainable world where our finite natural resources are used wisely.

In this respect, I should stress the central role played by local and regional communities in carrying out sustainable development policies at the level closest to the citizen. Local and regional authorities are often faced with difficult choices with regard to what is best for their communities – bring in a big enterprise which creates jobs and boosts the local economy, or preserve the environment and avoid pollution. In this context, the mission of the Council of Europe Congress is to help them to make the right decisions and ensure good governance at local and regional level.

What we need today is a new water culture – a culture of sharing the responsibility for water, taking into account the need to strike the right balance between economic and environmental concerns, a culture which is ethically driven, with a participatory approach and pro-active co-operation with all stakeholders.

Integrated management of water resources calls for an increase in trust between those concerned, and a joint learning process. In such a context, local and regional authorities need to emphasise their ability to act as “benevolent intermediaries”. With political leaders carefully involving different stakeholders in issues related to water, its quality, quantity, management and engineering, local and regional authorities must be widely recognised as best-placed to develop infrastructures and strategies for reducing water wastage, improving recycling and raising awareness of the value of water and its scarcity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The experience of local authorities in water management will be of particular importance as we are increasing cooperation with countries south of the Mediterranean, especially in the light of the Union for the Mediterranean initiative, launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

You in the Parliamentary Assembly have long been in touch with your counterparts south of the Mediterranean in the Euromed Parliamentary Assembly, EMPA, and we in the Congress consider that a similar structure should be created to bring together local and regional representatives from both shores. But even without it, we have succeeded in establishing close cooperation with local authorities and their associations from Maghreb and Middle East countries, cooperation between municipalities in promoting Euro-Arab dialogue.

The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities and the Union of Local Authorities in Israel both have observer status with the Congress, we are developing relations with the National Association of Municipalities of Morocco, and increasing cooperation with the Arab Towns Organisation, with which we co-organised the 3^rd Euro-Arab Cities Forum in Dubai in February this year. 

Water management is of course a particular challenge for the Mediterranean Basin, which is the subject of a Parliamentary Assembly report prepared by Bernard Marquet. We in the Congress believe that this challenge should also be addressed through cooperation and exchange activities on water management at local level between Europe, Maghreb and the larger Arab world, the issue which was discussed at the Dubai Forum. No-one knows better than Arab people the value of water, who have over three millennia’s worth of experience of making the most of limited water resources. We have much to learn from each other, and, in my view, our experience-sharing should be institutionalised to ensure regular dialogue.

One aspect treated in Bernard Marquet’s report is sanitation. As part of preparations for our participation in the 5^th World Water Forum next year, we are also preparing a report    on public water and sewer services for sustainable development. The report will focus on the key role of local authorities, taking into account a variety of situations in our member states, and will present possible responses on how to adjust to challenges of water management. I am sure that you will find it to be a useful contribution to your work and to cooperation between the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress which, I am also sure, will only be increasing in the future.

Thank you.