Water User Rights
Securing Water for People and Future
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In a world with many waters and few users, sharing isn’t an issue. Unfortunately, that world has long been replaced by one with scarce water resources and escalating number of water users. Competition is stiff, and physical and legal battles regularly arise from the conflicting demands each user imposes on the resources. Water rights—and a legal system to allocate them—is logical and essential for managing the integrity of water resources and their ability to deliver to growing economies and populations. A water user right is a formal or informal entitlement that allows the holder to withdraw water from rivers, streams, ponds or any source of groundwater. This issue will focus on how such rights are applied in Asia, and the challenges faced by any country or institution introducing a new system of water rights and allocation.
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Imam Anshori on Authorizing Water Use and Assuring
Water Rights
“Water user rights should be used as an instrument to protect the people,” says Imam Anshori, Director of Water Resources Management for Indonesia’s Directorate General of Water Resources. “Global climate change is also a factor as it can reduce water availability, creating more conflicts among water users and making water allocation guarantees more difficult to meet,” he added. |
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Water Rights—Who
Needs Them?
Despite Asia and the Pacific's growing population, industrialization,
urbanization, and overall wealth, some governments still ask the fundamental
question, "Do we really need a water rights system?" Experts across
7 Asian countries agreed on a resounding yes, but cautioned that when
it comes to water rights, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
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Philippines: Securing Water Rights for All
“We need to strictly regulate the use of our water resources, or it’s the environment that suffers,” says Dondi Alikpala, head of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) that implements water use rights in the country. NWRB is tracking permit applications and leading a crackdown on illegal water users, but will these do the job? |
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Michitaro Nakai on Reconciling Customary Water Uses with New Demands for Water
Water demand in Japan radically increased in the 1960s due to modernization,
economic progress, and population growth. Japan's response to this
threat on its water rights and allocation system? Water rights expert
Michitaro Nakai says, “We adopted the “one river, one administrator”
principle to reconcile customary agricultural water rights with
modern demands.”
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| News |
 ADB,
UN Body made joint statement to collaborate on water and sanitation key
actions
In a joint statement signed by ADB's Vice President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss
and HRH the Crown Prince of Orange, ADB and the United Nations'
Secretary-General Advisory Board [on Water and Sanitation] agreed to
collaborate on various activities to increase investments and results in
water supply and sanitation, disaster management, and integrated water
resources management. Read the full text. |
 Japan aids efforts to help improve water services in Asia
The Japanese Government extended a $2 million grant to support the
Water Operators Partnership program, which works to establish and operate
water utility networks, and promote good practices on specific areas of
water utility operations. The grant has a 2-year timeframe and will form
part of a longer-term assistance that is expected to run for 5 years. |
 MOA to be signed on 1st twinning arrangement under Asian Water Operators Partnership (WOP) Program
Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) and Viet Nam’s
Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage Environment Company Ltd. (BIWASE) will
sign on 31 July a Memorandum of Agreement marking the 1st twinning arrangement
under the WOP program. The partnership includes a review of BIWASE’s business
processes and capacity development for its staff. |
 SAWUN Steering Committee to discuss business plan
The Steering Committee of the South Asian Water Utilities Network (SAWUN) will meet for the 2nd time on 30 July in Bangkok, Thailand. On the agenda are SAWUN’s 2007-2008 business plan, policy discussions on membership fees, privileges and responsibilities, and discussions on SAWUN’s 3 themes—nonrevenue water, tariff setting, and urban poor. |
 ADB
to participate in the 2007 Stockholm water week
ADB will participate in the event to build new alliances in support
of its Water Financing Program,
share knowledge derived from its work in the field, and generate inputs
for ADB to assist its developing member countries boost investments in sanitation. The highlight
of ADB's participation is a side event on sanitation, focusing on the theme
"Dignity, Disease, Dollars: Asia's Urgent Sanitation Challenge." |
 Governing
Council of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) discusses Asian Water and
Develoment Outlook
APWF’s Governing Council met in Singapore last 12-13 July to discuss the draft summary report on the key messages of the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO). Comments were positive and focused on the Index of Drinking Water Adequacy introduced in the report. The council also discussed APWF’s proposed media strategy and networking activities. |
 Dutch water knowledge to help solve Asia's water problems
Another 2 million people in Asia will soon have water from their taps and toilets in their homes as the Netherlands Water Partnership and ADB team up to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in the region. In addition to water supply and sanitation, the partnership will focus on integrated water resources management, and implementation of innovative pilot projects. |
 Tri-agency
alliance to boost Water knowledge sharing in Asia
Knowledge exchange and experiences sharing among Asia's foremost water institutions and professionals will be made faster and more efficient. ADB, Singapore's Public Utilities Board, and the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education are teaming up to establish knowledge hubs in the region, and assess the progress of capacity development interventions in the region. |
 Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR): Nam Theun 2 maintains momentum
The 1,070 megawatt Nam Theun 2 (NT2) Hydroelectric Project continues to make progress, according to a report by ADB and the World Bank. NT2 aims to generate revenues to reduce poverty in Lao PDR while ensuring that the project’s effects on people are mitigated and that the largest biodiversity area in mainland Southeast Asia is better protected and preserved. |
 India: ADB backs urban infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir State with $300M facility
Urban services in Jammu and Kashmir states will expand following a US$300M investment program requested by the Government of India from ADB. Water supply, sanitation, waste management, and urban transport are the top priorities. ADB’s Alex Jorgensen said, “The proposed investment program will improve public health, the living environment, and employment opportunities for 2.4 million people.” |
 Solomon Islands: ADB approved emergency assistance project in tsunami affected areas
ADB will coordinate Solomon Island’s overall reconstruction and rehabilitation process to address the damages wrought by the massive April 2007 earthquake and tsunami. Restoring roads, wharves, bridges, and more will be supported by ADB’s $4.95 million grant from its Asian Development Fund, the European Commission’s $4 million cofinancing grant, and the Solomon Islands Government’s own $0.80 million. |
| Water Actions |
 Viet Nam: Research on Water Rights and Allocation as Key to Sound Usage
Growing urban centers and a dynamic agricultural sector compete for the Dong Nai River Basin’s waters. Viet Nam’s new water law, which should ease the pressure on the water resource, needs to be put into practice. Will water management strategies developed by a multi-agency research team set up effective water rights and allocation system for the basin? |
 Pakistan: Farmers Manage and Police Irrigation Systems
Water theft in irrigation systems has been a decades-long problem faced by Pakistan with little or no success. New farmers’ organizations, prompted by the Punjab Irrigation and Development Authority, have come up with an effective solution: managing, policing, and owning their irrigation systems. Will this move help farmers in Pakistan understand what fair share of water really means? |
 Legal Identity for Inclusive Development
“Legal identity” refers to a human being's legal (as opposed to physical) personality. It allows people to enjoy the legal system’s protection, enforce their rights, or demand redress for violations. This publication examines the link between legal identity documents and access to benefits and opportunities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Nepal. |
 Photo Essay: Establishing Strong Links with Small Pipes
Where a utility is willing to provide service, and the community pays for it, piped water connections would be a breeze even in risky slum areas. ADB proved this with small piped water networks—simple, inexpensive, and adaptable interim solutions to the water woes of Manila’s slums. |
| We need your feedback |
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- Our next issue will focus on sanitation. Can you suggest ongoing water reforms that we can feature?
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(ADB) to provide current information
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in the donor community who are interested in water sector
issues that affect the pace of development.
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