Water

Comprehensive Review of ADB's Water Policy Implementation

Open letter to
Water Policy Implementation Review Panel
For ADB’s Water Policy Implementation in India

September 28, 2005

To
Kathryn E Nelson, Lead Facilitator
And Panel members

Dear Panel Members,

Some of us who have been invited for the ADB’s Water Policy Implementation Review’s In-country consultation for India have some basic objections to the way this review is conducted.

1. The review is for the ADB’s water policy 2001. However, there has not been credible, widespread consultation for that policy. There are many indefensible propositions, is incomplete in many respects and where it is putting good intentions in words (Water as a fundamental Right), it has not shown the will to put those intentions in practice.

2. Some of us who have been interacting with ADB have raised that people from affected regions must be invited to such consultations. Without that you cannot hope to get any real feedback on the performance of ADB projects. However, having seen the list of invited participants, we are disappointed that once again we do not find anybody who can be called affected persons.

3. If indeed the panel wants to get a correct picture about the performance of ADB projects then it will have to conduct public hearings in the states, project sites where ADB water projects have been taken up. Such public hearings by definition would have to be open to all, and with adequate notice so that all concerned can come forward to share their experiences.

4. To achieve a credible review, it is imperative that the persons on the review panel are known to be independent enough, ready to be critical of the ADB’s performance and raise necessary fundamental issues. Without wanting to cast any aspersion on any of the individuals on the panel, we would like to say that the current panel does not fulfill that imperative.

5. This emanates from the fact that ADB does not seem to have had any credible independent process of selection of the panel members and ADB management seems to have themselves selected the panel members. Clearly such a panel will not have a credibility.

6. From the consultation agenda it is clear that there is little time left for detailed discussion about the impacts of specific projects in any detail. From the feedback we have got from some participants of some of the earlier consultations in this series, we learn that the process seems to be geared towards asking leading questions to get desired feedback. This is unfortunate and does not help getting proper feedback.

7. Our experience with functioning of the ADB projects in India has not been particularly encouraging in terms of participation of the people in planning, decision making, implementation or monitoring and evaluation. That experience seems to be further substantiated with the experience of the current consultation.

8. Some of the groups working among the people in the project areas, feel that there is no need for IFI intervention in the water sector. This fundamental and basic issue need to be acknowledged and included in the TOR of the Review.

These are our initial general comments. We would love to get your response on these. We would of course get back to you if we have further feedback.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,