Three participants were invited to share their personal impressions and messages gleaned from participating in Water Week. The key points made were:
Water is more than just a matter of providing drinking water. What is needed is a comprehensive approach - 'from mountain to sea' - which aims to develop and apply an integrated water resource management approach throughout a basin or country
Greater emphasis should be placed on knowledge sharing and fostering information sharing networks. In particular, by communicating success stories, others are given the insights and confidence to drive change in water resources and water services
ADB should capitalise upon the experiences of others in the water sector and consider setting up a high powered board to assist it in framing roadmaps [perhaps waterways] that guide the efforts to reach the water MDGs
Attention should be given to Camdessus Report which has acknowledged the need to substantially increase in funds, possibly even double them. They should then be focused on both high risk areas which suffer water problems due to climate change and on poor communities
Poverty mapping could be an effective tool to assist in targeting and in monitoring progress
Women can play a decisive role in improving water management and services. Every effort should be made to encourage gender leadership and ensure women hold decision making powers, particularly where managing a water resource or supply is concerned
There are many stories of inefficient and ineffective providers. This situation should not be tolerated. Media and NGOs should be enlisted in the task of putting pressure on providers through monitoring their performance, making it public knowledge and doing something about it when performance falls short of acceptable standards
In India and elsewhere, a lot of scarce funds are directed into subsidies that benefit the rich. This practice should cease. The saved funds can be better used helping the poor directly. If there are to be subsidies, they should be targeted effectively
Life should be made difficult for bureaucrats, politicians and financiers when water service standards fall short of the desirable, for such continuous pressure does get results. This has been clearly demonstrated in Bangalore where a political change to support substantial improvements was achieved through advocacy and publicity
Financiers have got to start taking risks - currently there is safety in lending under sovereign guarantees and concessional funds do not get to the poor and providers who need them - this presents a leadership opportunity for the ADB
There is a continuing need for effective targeting of the poor. This should be backed up by public affairs campaigns to ensure that all stakeholders, especially politicians, understand that meeting water needs is linked to greater income security, better health and education and gender equity
Achieve a balance between long term and immediate needs. In seeking to be comprehensive, we may encounter unwanted complexity. In solving structural issues we need to consider non structural factors
Pursue decentralization but recognise this means assisting local governments and NGOs gain the capacity to address water services and irrigation issues. Again, this requires non-structural interventions to support the structural ones
Simplify and streamline processes - bring procedure into line with policy - to make it easier to move ahead with the 'water for all' agenda
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