Water Policy Updates
OVERVIEW |
POLICY HIGHLIGHTS & NGO CONCERNS |
ADB'S WATER LENDING
WATER CONFERENCE
|
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Water is a basic need and a
natural resources available for all living things. Man has created diverse
structures to bring water to the water scarce areas. Delivery of clean
affordable water is one of the major services of the governments. This is
the tradition established thousands of years. However, with the intervention
of corporate sector and the global funding mechanisms governments are trying
to escape from this responsibility. As water is becoming scarce every day
and water supply is becoming expensive, the governments trying to tap
financial resources from the donors and the corporations .Asian Development
Bank is one donor agency which involve in financing diverse water sector
projects from water and sanitation to dams construction.
ADB water policy was discussed since 1995 and approved in 2001. Since then
amendment of the existing policies and regulations or bringing new policies
is one of the major condition to many loan agreements with the DMCs. ADB
policy includes policy provisions to make tradable water rights, bringing
private sector and recovering full cost of the water services. This became
very controversial in countries such as Sri Lanka, Philippine and Indonesia.
Although the ADB policy has good policy provisions for water conservation
and governance they are not in the main agenda of the ADB.
ADB is currently going through an Implementation Review of it's Water Policy
approved in October 2001. ADB appointed a panel of experts to conduct this
review. They hold multistakeholder dialogues in Indonesia, India, Fiji,
Kazakhstan, Cambodia, and China. They will hold it's Regional Civil Society
Consultation in Manila on the 18th November 2005.
Sign on Letter- Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem
As part of simultaneous actions on March 22, World Water Day, European trade
unions together with European NGOs will be going to the European Commission
to present their position on water privatization. To complement this action
and other simultaneous activities worldwide, 11.11.11 partners in the
Philippines initiated the drafting of a statement that summarizes the
situation in Asia and puts down the demands addressed to the European
Commission and Parliament. We would appreciate it if you could signify your
agreement to the statement on or before March 20. Send your endorsement to
11.11.11 Asia Desk |
Full statement
Updates
Regional Civil Society Consultation- 18th November 2005, Manila
Regional Private Sector Consultation- 18th October 2005, Manila ADB Water
Policy Implementation Review- 2005
Regional Consultation Workshop on Water in Asian Cities
Second Meeting of the World Panel on Water Infrastructure Financing - 18
April 2002, ADB Headquarters, Mandaluyong City