Kelli Vanover Africa Regional WKOs

Identif ication, Growth, and Sustainabil ity of African Regional

Waterkeeper Organizations

Kelli Vanover Waterkeeper Alliance Spring 2013

Identif icat ion, Growth, and Sustainabil i ty of African Regional Waterkeeper

Organizations

Table of Contents

Gaps Analysis and Recommendations for International Waterkeeper Quality Standards and Special Circumstance Exceptions for African Regional Waterkeeper Organizations…………………..……...1 Identifying Priority Areas for African Regional Waterkeeper Organizations……………………………………………………………..7 International and Regional Partnership Proposals for African Regional Waterkeeper Organizations…………………………………….........13

Gaps Analysis and Recommendations for International Waterkeeper Quality Standards and Special Circumstance Exceptions for African Regional Waterkeeper

Organizations

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Waterkeeper Alliance Quality Standards:

1. Employ a full-time, non-governmental public advocate for the identified water body, who identifies him or herself with the Waterkeeper Alliance mark, and who serves at the primary spokesperson for the waterbody. a. It is highly recommended that all Waterkeeper organizations be required to

have at least one full-time, paid employee. It is not recommended that this be an exception at any point in time, but a stringent requirement. A solely volunteer-run WKO, that is not able to adequately communicate with the headquarters, is not conducive to sustainability, and therefore the need for income would interfere with the time commitment required of successful individual waterkeepers, or could lead to financial influence from sources who are not conducive to the nature of the work individual WKOs are expected to perform.

2. Maintain a vessel clearly identified as the “Waterbody Name Waterkeeper”

vessel that is readily available and actively used for patrols of User’s watershed (unless the Waterkeeper Alliance Board grants permission for use of an alternative means for patrol and public awareness). a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance amend the standard

requiring a water vessel in order to become a WKO. It is not within the means of some individual WKOs to provide an adequate vessel. Lack of water vessel does not mean that the monitoring and evaluation, political lobbying, and community education and engagement portion of a WKO would not substantially improve the local waterway, should therefore be allotted an exception requiring a water vessel.

b. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance amend the requirement for a vessel that be clearly labeled with the Waterkeeper Alliance brand, due to safety issues that could arise from brand recognition, especially in cases where the local WKO could be negatively identified, and his/her safety could be jeopardized. In many cases, anonymity is crucial to being able to successfully investigate a complaint without drawing unwanted attention the Waterkeeper on an individual level.

3. Be a 501(c) (3) or 501(c) (4) organization or international equivalent; or be

sponsored by a 501(c) (3) or 501(c) (4) organization or international equivalent. a. While this is an important quality standard, it is not a crucial requirement for

the individual WKO to be able to actively make a difference in the waterway within its community. It is highly recommended that this be something that can be pursued in guidance of the Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters, but should not be a priority to becoming a WKO. In cases where nonprofit organizations are not recognized formally through national means, the requirement should be adjusted.


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4. Develop a grassroots constituency. a. This is an extremely important standard, and it is highly recommended that

Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters provide adequate assistance and guidelines in the form of country specific toolkits advising the individual WKO how to proceed in this manner. By using the information resources available to the headquarters, Waterkeeper Alliance should work in partnership with individual WKOs to successfully develop an outreach strategy tailored to the individual WKO community.

b. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance take advantage of the information provided in the country-specific toolkits prepared by the previous semester’s GPIA students for an outline of how to develop these advocacy toolkits for each country individual WKOs are located.

c. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance develop an online communications platform in order to facilitate the resource provision and increased communication between the headquarters and other local WKOs, in order to share successes amongst the international WKO community, and build relationships between individual WKOs and the Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters.

5. Use best efforts to maintain representational standing.

a. Please see Special Exceptions #4.a. for further guidance. No further recommendations are available.

6. Establish an easily located, identifiable telephone number to which citizens

can report pollution incidents or concerns. a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance amend the requirement

for a telephone number, as in many instances internationally, telephone service is unreliable, and not every person within the community would be able to utilize the telephone to report an incident. It is instead recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance reword the requirement to allow for alternate, community appropriate/relevant means of reporting issues. An idea that immediately comes to mind is proving a designated e-mail address, encouraging community members to take a picture if possible and e-mail. An e-mail address is mobile, easily accessed from any location, and not easily traced to a particular individual, and is less easily tampered with, providing a secure space for community members to leave tips.

7. Identify and respond to citizen complaints.

a. No further recommendations are available.

8. Advocate and enforce compliance with environmental laws, including the use of litigation and administrative challenges against polluters in appropriate circumstances.


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a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance headquarter use the online communications platform (see recommendation under QS 4.C.) to provide guidance on how to successfully pursue litigation routes via national court system. A lawyer representing Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters should be available to answer legal questions and support the needs of the local WKOs in order to assist them in successfully fighting their case in court.

9. Participate actively in Waterkeeper Alliance, including, but not limited to:

a. Inclusion of Waterkeeper Alliance (17 Battery Place, Suite 1329, New York, NY 10004) on mailing lists of User’s publications, newsletters and mailings; b. Notification to Waterkeeper Alliance of filing of lawsuits; c. Regular attendance at annual Waterkeeper Alliance conference; d. Subscription to Waterkeeper Alliance listserv; and e. Inclusion of the Waterkeeper Alliance collective mark and the “______ Waterkeeper” name in promotional materials, including newsletters, brochures, website, and letterhead. (On letterhead, User may substitute the words “Waterkeeper Alliance member” or similar in lieu of the Waterkeeper Alliance collective mark.)

a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance require that the full-time staff member be able to speak English, and have an internet connection in order to utilize the resources it is recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance supply to the WKO via the online communications platform (see recommendation QS 4.C.), as well as facilitating the ability of the WKO to communicate monthly with Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters. In order for the WKO to be considered a viable part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the ability to communicate effortlessly between the two organizations is imperative.

b. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters have a designated design and layout for the official materials required of the local WKO. This should be easily updated to be WKO specific, and available for download from the online communications platform by local WKOs. It is imperative that branding and image not be left up to the individual WKO, but uniform across all WKOs to ensure legitimacy and consistency of the organization as a whole.

c. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance provide the financial resources for the waterkeeper to travel to the annual conference, as budgetary options are often an obstacle. If they are not able to come, the information from the conference should be provided in Powerpoint presentation and thorough notes/guidelines so that any absence from the conference does not negatively impact the lessons that are taken from the conference. It is highly recommended the information be available on the online communications


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platform, and guidelines on how to present the information to the staff and local community be provided.

10. Establish a physical office space within User’s watershed.

a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance amend the requirement that the WKO have a physical office space, as it could pose a financial burden or compromise the safety of the individual waterkeeper. While an office space would be ideal, it is not imperative for the individual waterkeeper to successfully serve their function within the community. It should be up to the individual waterkeeper to find a solution within their means to successfully conduct waterkeeper business.

11. Adhere to generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) and IRS rules or international equivalent.

a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters provide guidelines for fulfilling this requirement on the online communications platform to ensure viable and lawful practices are fulfilled by all WKOs to prevent corruption, misunderstanding, or misuse of financial endeavors. By using the revised Fundraising Bootcamp survey provided by our team, Waterkeeper Alliance can easily assess what the needs of current WKOs are, while preparing for those needs should the arise after future WKOs are initiated.

12. Develop strategic and fundraising plans to guide User’s organization.

a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters provide basic guidelines for organizational management, strategic growth, fundraising initiatives, and advocacy campaigns to its WKOs. While each WKO should be allotted room for tailoring these guidelines to fit individual community needs and cultural expectations, it is not inline with brand representation to leave such a broad standard up to the individual WKO staff. Ultimately, each individual WKO represents the Waterkeeper Alliance brand, and should therefore be expected to follow quality standards, but it is leaving too much up to chance to expect an individual WKO to have the knowledge to successfully implement organizational management, strategic growth, fundraising initiatives, and advocacy campaigns without the expert guidance that a well-known and well financed organization like Waterkeeper Alliance would bring to the table. If there are quality standards requiring the individual WKOs be beholden to the headquarters, they in return, must receive support from the parent organization as well. It is my opinion that these areas would pose the greatest challenge to any new WKO, and where Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters would be able to serve most beneficially. In return for the time and resource investment, the individual WKOs would have a higher chance of success, and the turnover rate of WKOs would decrease drastically.

b. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters provide sample budgets, as the proposals provided for the African Regional WKOs are


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vastly different. The budget for Ankobra Basin in Ghana proposes an unrealistic budget at $500K over a 2-year time frame. While this budget is ideal for a larger organization, the chances of success are slim of Ankobra Basin WKO is unable to adapt its budget when financial resources are scarce. The proposal is also missing the element of sustainability that the Hann Baykeeper in Senegal has successfully implemented. It is highly recommended that Hann Baykeeper act as a mentor to the Ghanaian WKO to assist with initial implementation strategies.

13. Maintain a high level of integrity and avoid conduct (financial or otherwise) that is improper or creates the appearance of impropriety (financial or otherwise) or injures the reputation of the User, mark holder and/or Waterkeeper Alliance. Examples include receiving financial benefit or employing staff who receive financial benefit for advocacy or conduct that conflict with the mission of User or Waterkeeper Alliance.

a. This is an extremely important quality standard, and should be addressed in the financial guidelines provided through the online communications platform when addressing GAAP and IRS or equivalent regulations. Hann Baykeeper has given an answer of “no” when asked if they had met the QS, and it is highly recommended that this be investigated immediately.

Waterkeeper Alliance Special Circumstance Exceptions: 1. Unstable Political Situations and/or Dangerously Polluted Waterways (in accordance with QS #2)

a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance chose to not partner with potential WKOs that are in the midst of ongoing political instability, conflicts resulting in mass displacement, food and water crises, economic collapse, severe natural disasters, and any other situation making the climate unstable, and ultimately posing potential danger to any individual associated with an international organization. Any country/region in the midst of crisis would not be able to successfully serve the function WKOs are expected within their communities. It is not recommended Waterkeeper Alliance grant approval to potential WKOs that are in the midst of such turmoil. If an existing WKO is thrown unexpectedly into a crisis situation, it should be allotted that the WKO suspend its mission without negative consequences from the headquarters until a peaceful resolution is in place.

2. Distinct Cultural and Legal Differences (in accordance with QS #1 and #4)

a. It is highly recommended that all quality standards be allotted space for cultural and legal differences, although that should not impact the legality of conduct of each individual WKO.

3. Economic Hardship (in accordance with QS #1 and #4)


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a. It should be assumed that each individual WKO is under economic hardship in relation to the established Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters. While this should not imply the headquarters in responsible for supplying financial aid to the WKOs, it should address the upfront costs the WKO is expected to face by providing substantial and through resources to best aid the WKO with the difficult process of beginning their organization. It is highly recommended that these financial guidelines should be provided through the online communication platform, as well as time resources dedicated to effectively supporting the organization in any questions it may have. It does not fall upon the individual WKO to provide all resources on its own, but instead, the success of the individual WKO is ultimately on the shoulders of the Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters. A failure of an individual WKO is a direct failure of the parent organization.

4. Weak or non-existent Environmental Laws (in accordance with QS #8)

a. It is highly recommended that Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters be well aware of the lack of (or weakness of) legal means potentially facing each individual WKO. It is up to the headquarters to use the legal resources it has at its disposal to best advise the individual WKO (via the online communications platform or personal communications) how they should proceed in regards to legal battles. This is an area that should be addressed after the necessary initial set-up in regards to organizational management, strategic growth, fundraising initiatives, and advocacy campaigns have been successfully implemented.

Organization Year Established Local Staff Contact Method of Contact Year of Last QSR QS1 QS2 QS3 QS4 QS5 QS6 QS7 QS8 QS9 QS10 QS11 QS12 QS13 Date of Next QSR Review

Hann Baykeeper-‐Senegal Mar-‐06 Mbacke Seck Email, Local Phone #, and Facebook Page 2007 Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y, N, Y, Y, N,

N/A, Y Y N N/A

Ecological Restorations, Ankobra River Basin-‐

GhanaNot yet appoved, Approx. 2013 Emmanuel Odjam-‐

Akumatey Email, Local Phone # N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Gaps Analysis Waterkeeper Alliance African Regional WKOs

Local basin-‐wide planning approach, involving stakeholder participation, awareness raising, capacity building and training, and environmental engineering. Improve land use practices, and waste disposal, protecting threatened river environment, and mining sector support program. IWRM has already been implemented, and

Water Resource Commission is weak. Local communities are not organized. Full action plan outlined in proposal, quite extensive. 1) Plans to provide 5 full-‐time paid employees; Main Waterkeeper, Assistant Waterkeeper, Adminstrative Officer, Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator, and an Accountant. How will they afford all

of these employees? 2) Will purchase transportable raft. 3) plans to become established nonprofit within national context. 4) Office will be within Tarkwa township, ideally located at center of basin. 5) is currently searching for lawyer to represent them. 6) See answer to 4. 7) Office hours and dedicated phone line to respond to citizens. 8) Will focus on enforcement of laws already in place. Will also take environemntal review of companies on the basin. 9) Plans to inlcude WKA and attend conferences, although does not specify how. 10) see 4. 11) Agrees to this, although no specifics. 12) See action plan provided in proposal. 13) Will not except support from integrity compromising sources. Ankobra River Basinkeeper provides an extensive 2-‐year budget, which is extremely high and it leaves me

questionning where they got this budget from? It is not even remotely sustainable.

1) Mbacke is a full-‐time paid employee. 2) A boat is being lieased from local fisherman. Does the fisherman have another boat? 3) Local recognition was provided, crediting WKA letter of support to Senegalese embassy. Still awaiting approval from National level? (2007) 4) Large population of youth, 60% under 25 years of age. Heavy involvement in schools surrounding community engagement. 5) There is not a full-‐time lawyer, have been lobbying for lawyer to support their cause.

Law students at University of Dakar have expressed interest. Have they become involved since 2007? 6) Have local phone #. What is the cost? Is it reliable? Would an alternate means serve them equally as well for less cost (FB/e-‐mail)? 7) Allocation of water is a huge problem, complaints recieved in office, issues of local

mayor not recieving citizens, Mbacke acts on their behalf. 8) Most effective methods are education and administrative pressure. It had been impossible in past to convince villagers to not pollute without offering other options. Hann Baykeeper working with local Admin to provide waste bins and recycling tools. Has this

improved the waste? Industrial polluters have been curbed by forcing renewal of license on annual basis, which "works for now". 9) Expressed issues with distance and budget limitations. Filing lawsuits are a major issue, and no lawyer has been found. Is this still an issue? What are the main reasons? Communications

processes inlcuding newsletter are an issue, it is believed the internet cafe will help with this. Has the internet cafe been effective in community communication and engagement? Has it made the process of communication between Hann Baykeeper and WKA easier? How has this ease of communication helped the

Baykeeper? 11) Accounting issues handled by sister organization ASC Yarakh. Is this a problem, or result in any unforseen complications? Is this still done? 12) extensive fundraising plan, mostly involving government, who is a major polluter. Is there an issue with ethics here? Have the government funds been provided?

Has their support helped cease their pollution? Has used angle to solicit funds from prominent North American Waterkeepers "help raise the first African Waterkeeper". Has this strategy been effective? 13) "No" Does this mean that funds have created ethical dilemmas compromising the integrity of Hann

Baykeeper? Is this being investigated and issue been remidied by headquarters?

Unanswered Questions/Notes Ecological Restorations, Ankobra River Basin-‐ Ghana:

Unanswered Questions/Notes Hann Baykeeper-‐Senegal:

Identifying Priority Areas for African Regional Waterkeeper Organizations

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An assessment of the major water-related issues facing local communities in the four case-study countries --Morocco, Tanzania, Uganda, and Cameroon-- revealed three main priority areas within the Africa continent that potential African regional WKOs should focus their efforts: Health, Sanitation and Community Education; Water Equity and Access; and Industry, Sustainability and Development.


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1. Health, Sanitation, and Community Education 1.1 Engage Community Through Education, Outreach, and Activism Surrounding Health,

Sanitation, and Environmental Sustainability a. It is imperative that potential WKOs facilitate community programs that aim to educate

and promote safe and healthy interactions with the local watershed. It would be highly effective for the local WKO to partner with schools, local community organizations, environmentally focused NGOs, and religious institutions to hold weekly/monthly seminars to educate and engage community members.

b. Case studies in Morocco, Tanzania, Uganda and Cameroon determined that the impact of local communities on their surrounding environment stems not only from socioeconomic factors, but also from a lack of awareness how the practices impact the long-term viability of their environment.

In Morocco, continuous population increase and rapid urbanization in the major cities along the Rabat-Casablanca coast have exacerbated the issue of water scarcity. The Moroccan government, in partnership with the local community, took steps to provide educational programs aimed at raising awareness of methods of efficient water use, sanitation, and reuse. The Moroccan government have since taken measures to thoroughly understand the how water-related issues directly impact human development1, aiming to develop realistic policy solutions through monitoring and evaluation over the next decade.2

In Uganda, poor agricultural methods put the water resources at risk for contamination, potentially destabilizing the ecosystem. Lack of awareness plays a huge role in how the community interacts with the watershed.3 Environmental degradation is occurring at an alarming rate; depletion of wetlands, forests, water sources, and fields severely threaten the population as he environmental degradation directly correlates with sources of food, water, energy, and revenue the entire country is dependent upon. 4

1.2 Strengthen Legal Capacity Through Partnerships Between Local Community, WKO,

and Politicians

1 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012: 36-37 2 The Moroccan Government has instituted several programs designed to measure reasons behind poverty, including; National Initiative for Human Development in 2005, a community development program that targets the needs of the poorest rural communities, bringing governmental and NGOs together to combat poverty; Green Morocco Strategy, aims to balance regional and local inequality, and advance the agricultural sector (2008-2020); and 50 Years of Human Development and Perspectives (2025) will publicize the reality of Morocco’s social climate. 3 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:41 4 The water level in Lake Victoria has been receded substantially in recent years, which has dire consequences, as the river directly supplies the cities of Kampala and Jinja. The livelihoods of most Ugandans depend on natural resources from their environment.


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a. It is highly recommended that a WKO encourage the local community to hold politicians and other powerful stakeholders accountable to the people who put them in those positions. By engaging the local community through education and media outreach, and drawing upon laws already in place (or proposing new laws that strive for improved environmental protection), the WKO can facilitate rallies around community rights/needs, forcing politicians and other elite stakeholders to respond to their constituents. An engaged constituency asserts their rights and makes their needs known, holding politicians and elite stakeholder accountable for their actions.

b. In Cameroon, legislation regarding environmental protection and resource management is inadequately enforced because the management of the resources was centralized, disenfranchising the local community from the decision-making process. 5In response to the government’s disenfranchisement of the local community, Watershed Task Group (WTG), a local NGO, began providing educational and awareness-raising campaigns, incorporating the needs of the local population into the solutions. By initiating dialogue across socio-economic levels, through educational campaigns and media advocacy, the community has become a more collaborative environment; local community members were able to gain further control over their resources through participation in the government branches: Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), Fisheries and Livestock (MINEPIA), Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), and Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP).6 The catalyst to counteracting inequality within the water resource debate was WTG bringing the community to the table-- through education and awareness campaigns, media activism, and creating dialogue between socio-economic boundaries—where the popularity of the issues at hand, shaped the political will of the government.

2. Water Equity and Access 2.1 Prioritize Fairness and Equal Access within Water Allocation and Management Policy

a. It is imperative that local WKOs have a seat at the decision-making table to ensure any policies/laws do not prioritize the desires of the elite—whether that falls along the lines of wealth, social status, commercial interests, gender, age, religion, ethnicity/race, etc.—it is crucial the WKO enforce fairness and equality whenever possible. It is the responsibility of the local WKO to monitor these policies/laws to ensure not caveats exist that would discriminate against any group, and it is crucial that the WKO advocate against any laws already in place that prevent fair and equal access to clean water for everyone within the local community.

b. In Morocco, the privatization of the water distribution created barriers to water access along economic lines.7 Recent protests from local communities within the Rabat-Casablanca coastal region led to the removal of the French company Veolia-- responsible

5 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:43-45 6 Ibid 7 Privatization of water distribution sector since 1998 throughout the Rabat-Casablanca coastal region


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for water, electric, and waste management in the cities of Rabat, Tangier, and Tetuan—surrounding allegations the company 8“unscrupulously violated all of its obligations and agreements”, and it’s exorbitant prices do not fit the poor services the people of these cities received.9

In Tanzania, a recent decrease in water flow from the Ruaha River has impacts the region’s ability to produce hydroelectric power and diminishes the effectiveness of crop irrigation during the dry season. The Sustainable Management of the Usangu Wetland and its Catchment (SMUWC) and Ministry of Water and Livestock developed a monitoring program that suggested multiple causes to the lessened water flow from the Ruaha, although the results divided the community, pitting the hydroelectric company, poorer farmers, and powerful stakeholder against each other. Local governments interpret water rights legislation and water allocation standards along socio-economic lines, disregarding poorer, vulnerable groups unaware of their rights.10 The Tanzanian government put forth a policy requiring electricity be supplied to townships and rural areas regardless of economic benefit, TANESCO was provided a subsidy by the government, although privatization of public corporations removed TANESCO’s monopoly as the sole power generating and distributing company, the Tanzanian government remains the sole shareholder in TANESCO.11

In Uganda, the search for more arable land dedicated to agriculture has pushed the farming communities further out, forcefully displacing fishing communities and pastoralists who rely on the wetlands for survival.12 Dwindling water resources will lead to greater competition for resources in the future, and a number of communities are already struggling for access to clean water.13

3. Industry, Sustainability and Development 3.1 Support Local Industrial and Agricultural Production Through Sustainable Development Initiatives a. It is imperative that the local WKO support local industrial and agricultural producers by

providing on-site training and seminars outlining environmentally safe and sustainable development initiatives that would improve the longevity of the ecosystem.

8 El Kaidi, Youssef. "French Company Veolia to Pull out of Morocco." Morocco World News 10 Feb. 2013 9 Arbaoui, Larbi. "Veolia Sells Morocco Water, Waste Services to Actis." Morocco World News. N.p., 8 Mar. 2013. 10 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:47 11 History. Tanzania Electrical Supply Company, 2010. <http://www.tanesco.co.tz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38&Itemid=126>. 12 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:41 13 Water is abundant in Uganda; estimates of 200,000 fresh water springs, and an annual rainfall of 600mm-2,500mm and a water withdrawal from aquifers of less than 1 percent of the total renewable rate; despite this abundance, Uganda will face water stress in the future as the environment changes, and the development of wetlands would alter the groundwater recharge, and impede flood control.


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b. In Uganda, drastic population increases means higher demand for water and food, hastening the conversion of wetlands into agricultural land, and the steady development of the country will create new demands for water usage. Despite significant reforms and modernization of the National Water and Sewage Corporation (NWSC), 40-50 percent of the population has no access to clean water sources and sanitation services.14 The lack of political will and weak enforcement of the environmental protection laws that are already in place significantly impact how the community interacts with the watershed.

In Cameroon, the Lake Ossa Complex, designated as a faunal reserve in 1968, serves as a major means of survival for over 80 percent of the local population who fish the lake. Economic exploitation, unsustainable hunting and fishing methods, manipulation of the downstream water flow, and pesticide discharge from the local palm industry have negatively affected the water quality, disrupting the complex’s fragile ecosystem.15

Morocco's economic growth is largely dependent on agriculture and fishing, which employs 44 percent of the working population, but produces only 13 percent of the annual GDP.16 Competition for resources and unreliable rainfall further exacerbate the divide between wealthy and poor.17

3.2 Work in Partnership with Local Industry and Agricultural Producers to Monitor and Evaluate Practices to Ensure Sustainability and Safety Measures are in Place a. It is highly recommended that the local WKO work with the local community’s agro-

industrial producers to monitor and evaluate the sustainable development initiatives. It is highly recommended that the local WKO work in partnership with agro-industrial producers to develop extensive monitoring and evaluation plans specifically tailored to each community. The local WKO should provide some incentive the agro-industrial producers would have to complying with the WKO, and example may be specialized training one-on-one with employees, guest speakers from professionals in their field, seminars on the latest technology, etc.

b. In Tanzania, the tensions between industry and agriculture are prevalent; the success of the Tanzanian water allocation program is dependent on every member taking no more than their allotted amount, but existing water allocations based on a fixed payment are difficult to monitor, therefore excessive consumption without recourse is problematic, creating shortages for all members of the community.18

14 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:41 15 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:43 16 "Morocco's Development." 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Dec. 2011. <http://www.aideffectiveness.org/>. 17 "Morocco." CIA World Factbook. 5 Feb. 2013. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html>. 18 Kadigi, Reuben MJ, Japhet J. Kashaigili, and Ntengua S. Mdoe. RIPARWIN Project: Soil and Water Management Research Group. Rep. Morogoro, Tanzania: Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2003.


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Despite several policies designed to protect the environment, the application of the environmental protection laws has been minimal in Uganda19; recent estimates have agricultural and developmental encroachment upon wetlands and fresh water sources are roughly 90 percent, leaving only 10 percent of the water resources untouched by humanity.20 Encroachment has also been blamed for the decreasing water levels during the dry season, directly affecting the increase in soil erosion.21

In Cameroon, the livelihoods of the ecosystems and the community are at stake if the pesticide from the palm company cannot be curtailed. The quality of water will diminish, destroying the ecosystem. Similarly, the overfishing and hunting on the land will destabilize the ecosystem, if not effectively limited and monitored.22

19 In response to the development of the country, the Ugandan government has put forth several policies aimed at regulating land usage to counteract the negative environmental impact:

• The National Wetlands Policy (1995) • The Environmental Assessment Resolutions (1998) • Poverty Eradication Action Plan (2000) • Sector-Wide Approach to Planning for Water and Sanitation (2002)

20 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:41 21 Ibid 22 Kornegay, Folashade, Cara Avery, Jorge Davila, and Rebecca Crane. Building an International Movement: Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs. Rep. Waterkeeper Alliance, Dec. 2012:43

International and Regional Partnership Proposals for African Regional Waterkeeper Organizations

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Regional Priority Areas • Health, Sanitation and Community Education • Water Equity and Access • Industry, Sustainability and Development

Health, Sanitation and Community Education

1. African Water Association Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | 225 21 24 14 43 | www.afwa-hq.org/

a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with African Water Association

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency • Industry Innovation

The AWA is a membership-based organization that works within the education and development field of water production, supply, and waste management. It has a general congressional meeting every two years, bringing together members, experts within the field, and other relevant international organizations. It also hosts/attends several other events and workshops relating to water issues, acting as a wealth of information and potential partnerships, including an extensive online resource center accessible for members. An African Regional WKO would benefit immensely from the scientific resources and many organizations contacts and event opportunities within the association. On an international level, the AWA is a great platform for publicizing the Waterkeeper Alliance brand within the African region. This partnership would be a great way to build upon partnerships and grow the WKA brand regionally. b. Why African Water Association Should Partner with Waterkeeper

Alliance • Legal Expertise • Online Communications Platform

The AWA would benefit immensely from Waterkeeper Alliance’s ability to pursue legal matters in regards to water rights within the African region, as equitable access and privatization of water resources are a major issue impacting societies throughout the region. AWA would also greatly benefit from the online communications platform that was recommended previously which provides resources in regards to fundraising, organizational management, international advocacy, and communications expertise.

2. Network for Water and Sanitation International (NETWAS

International) Nairobi, Kenya | 254 2 89 05 55 | http://www.netwas.org/


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a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with Network for Water and

Sanitation International • Networking/Grassroots Constituency

NETWAS is a leader in water sanitation education, capacity building, and management services within the African region. The organization provides an extensive list of services to partners, including; Capacity building and training, engineering project management, research, consultancies, and networking opportunities. NETWAS has partnered with other organizations on actual construction of projects, and advocacy campaign involving sanitation and hygiene within schools. African regional WKOs would benefit greatly by partnering with NETWAS on many of their construction projects, generally involving schools, and provide the community advocacy and educational programs that are not inherently present within NETWAS’ initiatives when acting alone.

b. Why Network for Water and Sanitation International Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance

• International Advocacy Expertise • Online Communications Platform

The partnership between African regional WKOs and NETWAS would be beneficial to NETWAS because its projects would continually have the educational and advocacy expertise provided by the online communications platform to the individual WKOs to draw upon. NETWAS has also built strong connections with countries including Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya surrounding it’s advocacy initiatives, and Waterkeeper Alliances legal assistance would be crucial to informing policy proposals or amendments to the courts.

3. African Network of Civil Society Network on Water and

Sanitation (ANEW) Nairobi, Kenya | 256 772 520 718 | http://www.anewafrica.org/

a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with African Network of Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency ANEW is a regional networking body of African civil society organizations that focus on water sustainability and sanitation. They represent the community through development of plans and policies that are in line with community objectives. ANEW works from two angles, one aimed to boost the capacity of civil society to advocate for water rights, and the other is aimed at improving government transparency and accountability to its population. ANEW has four regional offices (Eastern, Western, Southern, and Central Africa), and many partners within the region. It is a membership-based organization, and African regional WKOs would be eligible to join. ANEW’s


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expertise on the ground and within the communities would be a strong role model for African regional WKOs.

b. Why Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance

• Legal Expertise • Online Communications Platform

ANEW would benefit from a partnership with Waterkeeper Alliance because it can offer resources pertaining to legal means of pushing water rights cases and equitable water policy forward. The online communications platform would also allow for an exchange of services in regards to fundraising and organizational management in which many smaller civil society organizations of ANEW would no doubt benefit greatly.

4. International Water Management Institute-Africa Pretoria, South Africa | 27 12 845 9100 | http://africa.iwmi.org/ a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with International Water

Management Institute-Africa • Research Opportunities • Networking/Grassroots Constituency

WMI works toward ending food and water scarcity al over the world, and hosts four main offices within the African region. IWMI in Africa works on the issues of policy reform, waste management, agricultural sustainability, and climate change, including research and technological advancement. It hosts a number of workshops, and boasts a myriad of development projects. IWMI has many online resources, including data and interactive maps that would prove invaluable resources to African regional WKOs. The organization is open to partnerships win the areas of research, and Waterkeeper Alliance would benefit greatly from the attention that successful research results would provide.

b. Why International Water Management Institute-Africa Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency IWMI would benefit greatly from Waterkeeper Alliance’s ability to formulate policy from research findings. IWMI would also benefit from the grassroots advocacy capabilities the African regional WKOs would have within their local communities.

Water Equity and Access

1. Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WASH) Geneva, Switzerland | 41(0) 22 560 81 81 | http://www.wsscc.org/ a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with WASH


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• Networking/Grassroots Constituency WASH is a membership-based organization that works specifically on education and advocacy for a myriad of topics related to water. This is the organization that African regional WKOs would find extremely beneficial as far as expertise on community advocacy and engagement. WASH focuses mostly on sanitation and hygiene, but allows projects for “hot topics” including climate change, and most importantly to African regional WKOs, water as a human right. Since equal access to water is a major issue within all of the recommended WKO countries, WKA would have the potential to play a major role within WASH on this front.

b. Why WASH Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance • Capacity Growth

By working with WASH to advocate for water as a human right, and exploring cross-cutting themes including gender and water rights, poverty and water rights, economic development and human rights, etc., African regional WKOs can provide vast amounts of insight to issues on inequality in regards to water.

2. Global Water Partnership

Stockholm, Sweden | +46 8 1213 86 00 | http://www.gwp.org/

a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with Global Water Partnership

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency • Financial Resources

The Global Water Partnership mission is to secure water resources for all through sustainable development and water resource management. GWP has formed partnerships throughout the African region, and works in the countries recommended for WKA growth. The unique feature of GWP is the annual strategies that are put forward by the regional networks, and the ability of multiple actors within the region to coordinate their actions in line with the agreed upon areas of focus for the region. Partnering with GWP would benefit the African regional WKOs tremendously as it would allow a collaborative effort between all relevant regional actors, as well as taking advantage of the use of GWP’s wealth of resources, including financial support from EU actors that could provide the initial funding until the regional WKOs are able to become sustainable. GWP does a fantastic job outlining what services the partners would get from GWP, including: Action (plan), Technical/Intellectual Leadership, Networking and Communications, Strategy/Policy Setting, Legitimacy, and Funding. It would benefit Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters greatly to adopt GWP’s model of providing explicit benefits from partnership with the organization. b. Why Global Water Partnership Should Partner with Waterkeeper

Alliance


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• Legal Expertise Waterkeeper Alliance would be able to bring the aspect of legal expertise to this organization. There is a lack of legal capabilities mentioned on the website.

3. Actionaid International

Johannesburg, South Africa | 27 11 731 4500 | www.actionaid.org a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with Actionaid International

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency • Capacity Growth

Actionaid international has a grassroots centric approach, and tackles many issues facing the African region, including food rights, land rights, and climate change through sustainable initiatives and advocacy. While it does not specifically focus on water rights, it’s driving belief that people have a right to have these things, it what makes Actionaid a viable partnership with African regional WKOs. The issue of food insecurity, and the root causes of that threat are directly in line with the traditional forces that WKOs would be up against when fighting for equitable access to water resources.

b. Why Actionaid International Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance • Capacity Growth

With Actionaid international, Waterkeeper Alliance will bring an entirely different division--water rights—to the partnership, and will be establishing its own connections, not relying on the connections previously made by the organization. A partnership with Actionaid allows for more equal footing between the two organizations, each with similar goals yet retaining their own special area of focus, which are complementary to the others’ own work.

4. Food and Water Watch

Washington, DC | 202-683-2500 | www.foodandwaterwatch.org a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with Food and Water Watch

• Legal Expertise • Capacity Growth

Food and Water Watch works globally, including regionally in Africa (Tanzania and Namibia), on the issues of water privatization and water rights, specifically in the legal arena, challenging cases of corporate and governmental abuse of water. Food and Water Watch has an impressive list of legal wins, most domestically, but has a few interesting cases internationally in which they were successful. Food and Water Watch’s areas of focus are focused on sustainability and farming, but complement the work WKA does, as well as their legal expertise would be extremely beneficial for WKA. From a communications standpoint, their website is comprehensive and easy to


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navigate, and would be a great resource to use for developing the online communications platform.

b. Why Food and Water Watch Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance • Networking/Grassroots Constituency • Best Practices Exchange

Food and Water Watch would benefit from partnering with WKA as they are relatively new to the international arena of water and food rights, and would be receptive to the information WKA has gathered in regards to expanding internationally as their work has been domestically focused as well. Food and Water Watch is also lacking for grassroots connections, especially in Africa, and the community connections the African regional WKOs would have would be invaluable to the organization’s desire to grow internationally.

Industry, Sustainability and Development

1. Eastern Africa Water Association Njoro, Kenya | 254 722 518900 | www.eawanet.org/

a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with Eastern Africa Water Association

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency EAWA works specifically within East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) on the areas of water resource management and cooperation with all strategic water and environmental resource actors. EAWA has strong connections with Universities within its member states, and could be a vital resource for legal and scientific expertise within the university setting. It hosts several networking events and workshops, and is an influential member of water-related issues within the sub-region. On the ground connections are especially important as WKA has no known connections within Eastern Africa presently.

b. Why Eastern Africa Water Association Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance

• International Advocacy Expertise EAWA would benefit tremendously from Waterkeeper Alliance’s strong connections internationally, as they are not participating in any larger-scale events including UN conferences, etc. I would also benefit from WKA’s training and advocacy resources, as it has done little in the arena of public outreach.

2. Pan African Institute for Development Geneva, Switzerland | 4122 733 60 16 | www.paidafrica.org/en a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with Pan African Institute for

Development


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• Networking/Grassroots Constituency • Industry Innovation

PAID works in five regions of Africa on issues including training, project management, research and innovation. It works in partnership with communities to design and implement projects in relation to water sustainability. It would be extremely beneficial to African regional WKOs to have access to an organization working directly within the communities toward solutions on water issues to follow up on the success of the project, and investigate any areas that were not solved. b. Why Pan African Institute for Development Should Partner with

Waterkeeper Alliance • Networking/Grassroots Constituency • International Advocacy Expertise

PAID is a development organization, and does little in the realm of advocacy, pollution, and rights work. They would benefit from Waterkeeper Alliances’ expertise in the areas of grassroots advocacy and educational campaigning, as there are complex problem within many communities, and most often problems are not easily solvable by simply implementing the newest technology, and could require work from multiple angles, including political and legal means, which WKA could be of assistance to PAID.

3. African Water Facility

Tunis, Tunisia | 216 71 10 39 71 | www.africanwaterfacility.org/ a. Why Waterkeeper Alliance Should Partner with African Water Facility

• Networking/Grassroots Constituency AWF works in the areas of water governance, water project investment, financing resources, and water-related education throughout the African region. AWF is essentially a member-based organization that reviews proposals for water-related projects, and provides funding for those communities. AWF would be an invaluable resource for communities already struggling with water issues, and would benefit African regional WKOs greatly as providing an introduction into communities who have water-related issues, that, as previously mentioned, may be more complex and require more information than simply providing project funding.

b. Why African Water Facilty Should Partner with Waterkeeper Alliance • Legal Expertise • International Advocacy Expertise • Online Communications Platform

AWF would benefit from a partnership with WKA who specializes in the advocacy and legal arena for water rights. A partnership with African regional WKOs would provide another avenue to combat multifaceted water rights


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issues that have necessary political, legal, and grassroots community organizing means that would better serve the issue at hand.

Documents

Kelli Vanover Africa Regional WKOs