Managing water is the real issue, says OECD
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 18, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The OECD, which has been working for the effective management of water resources for the past two years, releases a report called ’Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective in Pricing and Financing.’ It examines the costs of managing water resources, the need for an integrated approach and to establish development and implementation. The report focused also focuses on financial sources for investment in water
The private sector was the focus of the agenda yesterday at the World Water Forum.
Just as soon as the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation had called for more effective management of water resources, while sustaining human and economic development and maintaining ecosystems, IBM, a multinational computer technology and IT consulting company, announced their new environmental projects for the first time at the forum.
The OECD, which has been working for the effective management of water resources for the past two years, released a report called "Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective in Pricing and Financing." It examines the costs of managing water resources, the need for an integrated approach to address the challenges and to establish the need for development and implementation. The report focused on financial sources for investment in water.
Besides strengthening the efficiency of water use, the OECD also explores how to improve financing for water supplies and sanitation.
Billions lacking water
The report, which claims that poor governance and the lack of investment has resulted in billions lacking access to water and sanitation services, was presented by the representatives of several organizations. Arjun Thapan, the director general of the Asian Development Bank, or ADB, the OECD Environment Director Lorents Lorentsen, who was present as the moderator of the panel held in the morning, the Secretary General of the OECD Angel Gurria, the president of AquaFed, Gerard Payen, a global water practitioner, undersecretary of the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Professor Hasan Sarıkaya, and the president of the World Water Council, Loic Fauchon.
According to the speakers, agriculture needs special attention as it is responsible for a large majority of water used around the world and in underdeveloped countries the most. In Turkey as much as 74 percent of water is used for agriculture, while its only 40 percent in the OECD countries.
Water needs to be thought of more strategically, said Gurria. The OECD’s plan is to work on the financial planning of water when it comes to strategy, but the bigger goal is sustainable cost recovery in the water sector.
The public sector is the main financial resource but for there is to be an efficient management of water, the private sector needs invest more, Payen said.
In his speech, Fauchon underlined that money is needed for water everywhere and in every situation. While the President of the World Water Council called for financing investments and infrastructure, IBM a few hours later released its "smarter planet" projects.
IBM offers a new and cheap solution to problem of water scarcity. Many of its scientists worked on a highly technical system to filter salt and deadly toxins in the water such as arsenic.
Since 2004 IBM has presented an annual technology and business forecasting processes to the world with the first IBM Global Innovation Outlook (GIO).
The filtering technique has been launched by other companies but this technique, presented for the first time in Turkey, also prevents bacteria reproduction besides saving energy. The system named i-Phobe turns dirty water into fresh drinking water. According to the GIO report on water there are 2 trillion liters of fresh water for every man, woman and child on the planet but the problems starts with the shortage of fresh water. There is a management problem that requires knowledge of how to use the water used by individuals, governments and industry.
The report highlighted that some 60 percent of water used in agriculture went to waste. IBM aims to diminish the waste of water in Turkey in particular, since it signed the Kyoto Protocol.
Just as soon as the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation had called for more effective management of water resources, while sustaining human and economic development and maintaining ecosystems, IBM, a multinational computer technology and IT consulting company, announced their new environmental projects for the first time at the forum.
The OECD, which has been working for the effective management of water resources for the past two years, released a report called "Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective in Pricing and Financing." It examines the costs of managing water resources, the need for an integrated approach to address the challenges and to establish the need for development and implementation. The report focused on financial sources for investment in water.
Besides strengthening the efficiency of water use, the OECD also explores how to improve financing for water supplies and sanitation.
Billions lacking water
The report, which claims that poor governance and the lack of investment has resulted in billions lacking access to water and sanitation services, was presented by the representatives of several organizations. Arjun Thapan, the director general of the Asian Development Bank, or ADB, the OECD Environment Director Lorents Lorentsen, who was present as the moderator of the panel held in the morning, the Secretary General of the OECD Angel Gurria, the president of AquaFed, Gerard Payen, a global water practitioner, undersecretary of the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Professor Hasan Sarıkaya, and the president of the World Water Council, Loic Fauchon.
According to the speakers, agriculture needs special attention as it is responsible for a large majority of water used around the world and in underdeveloped countries the most. In Turkey as much as 74 percent of water is used for agriculture, while its only 40 percent in the OECD countries.
Water needs to be thought of more strategically, said Gurria. The OECD’s plan is to work on the financial planning of water when it comes to strategy, but the bigger goal is sustainable cost recovery in the water sector.
The public sector is the main financial resource but for there is to be an efficient management of water, the private sector needs invest more, Payen said.
In his speech, Fauchon underlined that money is needed for water everywhere and in every situation. While the President of the World Water Council called for financing investments and infrastructure, IBM a few hours later released its "smarter planet" projects.
IBM offers a new and cheap solution to problem of water scarcity. Many of its scientists worked on a highly technical system to filter salt and deadly toxins in the water such as arsenic.
Since 2004 IBM has presented an annual technology and business forecasting processes to the world with the first IBM Global Innovation Outlook (GIO).
The filtering technique has been launched by other companies but this technique, presented for the first time in Turkey, also prevents bacteria reproduction besides saving energy. The system named i-Phobe turns dirty water into fresh drinking water. According to the GIO report on water there are 2 trillion liters of fresh water for every man, woman and child on the planet but the problems starts with the shortage of fresh water. There is a management problem that requires knowledge of how to use the water used by individuals, governments and industry.
The report highlighted that some 60 percent of water used in agriculture went to waste. IBM aims to diminish the waste of water in Turkey in particular, since it signed the Kyoto Protocol.