Page 1

Issue 206

OORRSSAAMM WWAATTEERR BBUULLLLEETTIINN

10 November – 16 November 2014

Turkey's biggest dam projects victim of faltering peace talks

Bulgaria's Environment Ministry Warns Of Rising Water Levels In Rivers

Iraq army, Shia fighters retake NE dam from ISIL

New food aid enters Iraq as hunger becomes weapon in Islamic State battle

Iraq: UN agency warns of deteriorating agricultural sector, calls for increased funding

Iran Implementing Water, Electricity Projects in Asian, African Countries

ACT! Tell EU to act against demolition of Palestinian water structures

Kuwaiti investors threaten Egypt with lawsuit over land, accuse government of “lack of

seriousness”

Floods displace over 16,000 people in western Uganda

Kenyan Capital Considers Raising Water Tariffs 90%, Daily Says

After animals die, northern Kenyan pastoralists turn to farming

Algeria’s supersized 500,000 m3/day desalination plant open for business

Biggest Africa Seawater Reverse-Osmosis Desalination Plant Opens

UAE tops in world environment performance

FAO launches water use management project in Sana'a basin

Somalia Reaches River Water Sharing Agreement with Ethiopia, Kenya

Kyrgyzstan grappling with drinking water shortage

Page 2

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan break fuel for water stalemate, reach energy agreement

Portugal Approves UNECE Water Convention Amendment

Coke's Gujarat plant in troubled waters

Thai Mekong Communities Excluded from Don Sahong Dam Consultations in Thailand

Brazil to Approve $275 Million for River Water Diversion

Growing water use threatens to strain Jordan aquifer

Page 3

Turkey's biggest dam projects victim of faltering peace talks

KARA, Turkey — Construction work on two of Turkey's biggest dam projects has ground to a halt,

as the country pays a price for simmering tensions between Kurdish rebels and the government.

Since August, Kurdish rebels have set ablaze cement trucks, bombed power lines and kidnapped

workers, leading construction companies to suspend work on the $3 billion Ilisu Dam and

hydroelectric plant and a $3.5 billion irrigation project near the town of Silvan, according to

contractors working on the projects.

The violence erupted in response to faltering peace talks between Kurds and the Turkish government

to end a 30-year struggle for autonomy, escalating further in October over Turkey's perceived failure

to intervene to help Syrian Kurds in Kobani against Islamic State. The halted work on the dams —

part of a $35.5 billion development project — has led to hundreds of workers losing their jobs.

The two largest firms and sub-contractors involved in the construction of the Ilisu dam, Cengiz Insaat

and Nurol Insaat, have laid off 1,500 workers, one of the officials involved in the project said.

Mardin Cimento has stopped cement deliveries to the project since August, according to another

official. Nurol and Mardin Cimento declined to comment when contacted by phone while two calls to

Cengiz Holding's press department during normal office hours went unanswered.

"Many investors in the southeast would be content to sell their projects and exit the region but they're

stuck," Jonathan Friedman, a London-based analyst at risk management company Stroz Friedberg,

said by email. "If they are domestic firms, they will fear backlash from Ankara. If they are foreign

firms, there are no local buyers who have the capital to take on such large projects at the moment."

Since coming to power in 2002, Turkey's governing AK Party has reinvigorated development

projects in the largely Kurdish southeast that began in the 1970s. The Southeast Anatolia Project or

GAP includes 22 dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and is expected to generate about 12.5

percent of Turkey's current electricity needs upon completion.

Peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which Turkey, the European Union and the

U.S. list as a terrorist organization, began in 2011.

Page 4

While many Kurds have welcomed the investment, others are suspicious that the project will yoke

the region to the Turkish economy without a political settlement in place to ensure Kurdish self-

governance. The dam construction has coincided with the expansion of Turkish military outposts in

the region, further inflaming tensions.

A few days before the attacks on the dams in August, imprisoned Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah

Ocalan compared the projects to "atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki," and said they

must be stopped, according to Ocalan's lawyer Mazlum Dinc.

Faysal Sariyildiz, a Kurdish lawmaker, said by phone that Kurds are not against development work in

the region but want "a more sensitive approach."

The Turkish government accused the PKK of inciting the violence, and said it will increase the

powers of paramilitary and police forces in the region. The country's pro-Kurdish People's

Democracy Party Wednesday reiterated its commitment to the peace process, which was welcomed

by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as a "positive step."

"While it was possible to record serious progress on several issues, a security problem has risen,"

Davutoglu said late Wednesday in Ankara.

Turkey's $820 billion dollar economy has grown about 5 percent a year in the AK Party era. While

the largely Kurdish southeast has seen gains too, unemployment in some provinces in the region

hovers at more than double the national average of 9.8 percent.

In addition to layoffs at Cengiz Insaat and Nurol Insaat, another firm, Yersu, fired most of its staff. It

is struggling to make payments for leased equipment. "We can't stand more than two months," Adem

Esen, a partner at Yersu, said in Ankara on Nov. 10.

"No doubt the suspension of projects is harming companies involved," Ilci Holding AS, a project

undertaker at Silvan Dam, said Nov. 11. "More importantly, it is delaying the Silvan irrigation

project which is expected to lead to agriculture development that could generate an economic value

of $460 million and create jobs for 320,000 people."

Page 5

It is not clear for how long the delay on the construction will last. "The projects are a matter of

prestige for the government and the delay will increase the cost," Tugba Evrim Maden, a hydro-

politics researcher at the Ankara-based Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies, said in a Nov. 7

interview.

Although the GAP project has been under way for almost 40 years, people of the impoverished

southeast have yet to benefit from it, according to Burc Baysal, head of the Industrialists and

Businessmen Association in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the southeast.

"About 80 percent of GAP may have been completed in terms of energy supplies but only 12 percent

of the irrigation canals are completed," Baysal said by phone Nov. 10. "What is really needed is

irrigation to improve agriculture in arid lands and people's lives."

“Turkey's biggest dam projects victim of faltering peace talks”,13/11/2014, online at:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-turkey13-20141113-story.html

BACK TO TOP

Page 6

Bulgaria's Environment Ministry Warns Of Rising Water Levels In Rivers

Bulgaria's Environment Ministry warns of expected rise of water levels in the rivers, reports

Dnevnik.bg.

Due to expected heavy rains, starting on Tuesday evening in western Bulgaria and moving to eastern

Bulgaria on Wednesday, the ministry warns that water levels in the rivers of Danube, Black Sea and

western and eastern catchment areas are expected to rise.

According to data of the early warning system, the water in the Tundzha river at the town of Elhovo,

has already reached almost critical levels and is expected to rise further.

“Bulgaria's Environment Ministry Warns Of Rising Water Levels In Rivers”, 18/11/2014, online at:

http://www.novinite.com/articles/164827/Bulgaria's+Environment+Ministry+Warns+Of+Rising+Water+Levels+In+Rive

rs

BACK TO TOP

Page 7

Iraq army, Shia fighters retake NE dam from ISIL

Shia fighters joining forces with the Iraqi army have managed to seize back control of one of the

country’s largest dams from the Takfiri terrorist ISIL group.

Army commanders and Shia Badr fighters led the operation to retake the Adhaim dam in northeastern

Iraq.

"Thanks to the mujahedeen of the army and Badr, we have taken control of the site and have cleared

it completely," Badr commander, Kadhem Husseinawi, said.

The operation began with the capture of two of the four villages near the dam from the ISIL, with the

other two being seized afterwards.

It involved mortar fire and strikes by helicopters as well as jet fighters and saw pro-government

forces seizing at least 10 vehicles, including Humvees and armored personnel carriers, and destroying

four others.

Iraqi army forces have also broken the siege on the country’s main oil refinery in restive Salahuddin

Province where security forces are fighting the ISIL terrorists.

The refinery located near the city of Baiji in the country's north had been under the siege of the ISIL

militants for months. It produces some 300,000 barrels of oil per day, meeting a great portion of the

country’s demands.

The ISIL terrorists hold control of large areas across eastern Syria as well as northern and western

Iraq.

The militants have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations, against

Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians.

“Iraq army, Shia fighters retake NE dam from ISIL”, 14/11/2014, online at:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/11/15/386176/isil-loses-control-of-ne-iraq-dam/

BACK TO TOP

Page 8

New food aid enters Iraq as hunger becomes weapon in Islamic State battle

ROME, Nov 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new round of aid in the form of seeds, animal

feed and fertilizer has begun arriving in Iraq, a UN agency announced on Monday, as food becomes a

weapon in the battle against Islamic State militants.

The seeds and fertilizer will be distributed to 20,000 farmers in the northern provinces of Ninevah,

Dohuk, Arbil, and Diyala to support them during current winter planting season, the Food and

Agriculture Organization (FAO) said, while 7,500 herders will benefit from the animal feed.

An estimated 2.8 million Iraqis are currently in need of food assistance, the FAO said, and conditions

could worsen as families lose farm animals or equipment in fighting or are forced to flee and offload

livestock for low prices.

With its advance this year across a swathe of northern Iraq, Islamic State controls a large chunk of

the country's wheat supplies.

The United Nations estimates land under IS control accounts for as much as 40 percent of Iraq's

annual production of wheat, one of the country's most important food staples alongside barley and

rice.

"The area that the Islamic State controls to a great extent feeds other parts of Iraq. We have to assume

that connection is broken," Tom Keatinge, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute,

a London-based think-tank, said in an interview.

"Areas which previously relied on the wheat basket in northern Iraq will require food from other

sources."

The food relief effort is facing a shortfall of $38.5 million if Iraq is to prevent a "further collapse of

agriculture", said Fadel El Zubi, the FAO's Iraq representative.

Page 9

Islamic State has captured large areas of Iraq and Syria, declaring an Islamic caliphate that erases

borders between the two. Its fighters have killed or driven away Shi'ite Muslims, Christians and other

communities who do not share their ultra-radical brand of Sunni Islam.

Nearly all of Iraq's water, including its two great rivers the Tigris and Euphrates, flows through areas

under IS control, the FAO said, meaning the militant group can divert water away from communities

it is fighting.

As IS fighters swept through Iraq's north in June, they seized control of silos and grain stockpiles.

The offensive coincided with the wheat and barley harvests and the delivery of crops to government

silos and private traders.

“New food aid enters Iraq as hunger becomes weapon in Islamic State battle”, 10/11/2014, online at:

https://www.zawya.com/story/New_food_aid_enters_Iraq_as_hunger_becomes_weapon_in_Islamic_State_battle-

TR20141110nL6N0T034PX2/

BACK TO TOP

Page 10

Iraq: UN agency warns of deteriorating agricultural sector, calls for increased funding

10 November 2014 – An additional $38.5 million in support is urgently needed to prevent Iraq’s

agricultural sector from collapsing and the country’s food security situation from further

degenerating, the United Nations agriculture agency warned today.

In a news release underscoring the urgency facing efforts to reinforce food production in the country,

the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said thousands of Iraqi farmers have been forced

to flee their lands or have had their assets destroyed or seized as a result of hostilities. Others have

seen markets for their crops disappear, or have sold off livestock, supplies and equipment to make

ends meet.

As a result of these disruptions, June’s harvest was severely compromised, reducing food availability

across the country. An estimated 2.8 million people in Iraq are in need of food assistance, a situation

that could worsen as families continue to lose productive assets and income opportunities, or find

themselves forced to unload livestock for quick cash.

“If not addressed in time, this will translate into longer-term reliance on food aid and other forms of

aid,” said Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative

for the Near East and North Africa.

“Millions of vulnerable Iraqis are in dire need of help to restore their self-sufficiency and build

resilience,” he added.

FAO said that wheat seeds, fertilizer and animal feed are starting to roll out to nearly 28,000 farming

families in Iraq whose livelihoods have been devastated as a result of hostilities.

Today, FAO began delivery of seeds and fertilizer to 20,000 farmers in Ninevah, Dohuk, Erbil and

Diyala governorates to support them during the current winter planting season. The agriculture

agency is also supplying 7,500 herders with animal feed for the winter, with funding from Saudi

Arabia.

“This is an important step, but the needs are immense and we are facing a $38 million shortfall in

terms of what is needed to prevent a further collapse of agriculture,” stressed Fadel El Zubi, FAO’s

Representative in Iraq, in the news release.

Page 11

“Thousands more farmers still need assistance. Failure to provide that help in a timely manner will

have major and lasting repercussions on the agriculture sector and the food security of millions of

Iraqis,” he added.

FAO’s appeal is part of the 2014-2015 Strategic Response Plan for Iraq released by the UN last

week. FAO’s total funding requirements of $53.2 million are about 28 per cent met, leaving a

funding gap of $38.5 million.

Most of Iraq’s wheat production takes place in the north, which has been significantly destabilized by

the conflict. Nearly all of the country’s water resources flow through areas under the control of the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and affiliated armed groups, the FAO said.

“FAO’s call for funds is time-critical,” Mr. El Zubi stressed. The assistance will help families keep

their livestock alive, protect strategic crops, promote quick-impact food production such as poultry-

raising and small-scale gardening, and create vital income opportunities, he noted.

“Iraq: UN agency warns of deteriorating agricultural sector, calls for increased funding”, 10/11/2014, online at:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49293#.VHgryDGsVz8

BACK TO TOP

Page 12

Iran Implementing Water, Electricity Projects in Asian, African Countries

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Esmayeel Mahsouli said that the country's water

and electricity firms have several development projects underway in over 12 countries in Asia and

Africa.

Mahsouli said Iran is implementing technical and engineering projects in the field of water and

electricity in Ethiopia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, North Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, Pakistan,

Oman, Kenya, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraq and Syria.

Mahsouli further added that about $2.5bln worth of projects are under study and in the process of

contract signing and over $1.6bln worth of projects have been completed.

30 Iranian companies are active in the field of implementation of the water and electricity projects in

domestic and international markets.

“Iran Implementing Water, Electricity Projects in Asian, African Countries”, 10/10/2014, online at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930819001106

BACK TO TOP

Page 13

ACT! Tell EU to act against demolition of Palestinian water structures

European citizens are urged to write to members of the European Parliament to inquire why the EU

has so far failed to enforce its calls on the Government of Israel to immediately halt its demolition

and confiscation of Palestinian property such as water wells, cisterns and toilets, including those

funded by European aid.

Citizens from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland,

Sweden and the UK are invited to participate.

The campaign was initiated by Thirsting for Justice, a campaign for Palestinian water rights.

The EU has been investing in the OPT for years, yet it continues to stand idle when this aid is being

destroyed by Israel. It is time for the EU to match its aid with political action and hold Israel

accountable for denying Palestinians their right to access water.

The 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C, the 61% of the West Bank that remains under full Israeli

control, suffer from a severe water and sanitation crisis. The destruction of essential water, sanitation,

and hygiene facilities by the occupying Israeli authorities has increased at an alarming rate in recent

years. From 2011 to 2013 Israel demolished 204 Palestinian-owned water, sanitation and hygiene

structures affecting vulnerable communities.

Israel has also actively prevented the construction and maintenance of Palestinian water and

sanitation infrastructure in Area C. In the last three years, 97% of Palestinian attempts to apply for

construction permits in Area C were rejected.

To meet their basic needs, Palestinians therefore have no choice but to build such essential structures

without a permit, risking demolition. These demolitions continue to force Palestinians from their

homes and land, putting women and children at increased risk of illness, and preventing communities

from practicing their livelihoods.

“The bottom line of this process is forced transfer. They want us to leave. When there is no water and

there are no services, Palestinians will have no choice but to leave,” says Isma’el Sharhaan, a farmer

who lives in the Area C of the West Bank.

“ACT! Tell EU to act against demolition of Palestinian water structures”, 09/11/2014, online at:

http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/activism/act/156-act-eu-act-against-demolition-of-palestinian-water-

structures

BACK TO TOP

Page 14

Kuwaiti investors threaten Egypt with lawsuit over land, accuse government of “lack of

seriousness”

Kuwaiti investors who own 26,000 acres of land in Ayat, Giza, intend to prosecute Egypt in

international courts. In comments to Daily News Egypt, Hany Sarie-Eldin, head of Sarie-Eldin and

Partners Legal Advisors, said the move will thwart the government’s efforts to revive confidence in

the economy.

Sarie-Eldin said: “The state’s lawyer in international arbitration is very weak, evidenced by the

results of such cases against Egypt,” adding that Egypt needs to speed up settlements for all

commercial and investment disputes before the economic summit scheduled to be held in mid-March.

The total number of cases brought against Egypt after the 25 January Revolution have reached at

least seven involving demands totalling more than $20bn in compensation.

The Egyptian government requested nearly EGP 47bn from the Egyptian-Kuwaiti Company for

Development and Investment as a price difference for converting the purpose of the Ayat plot from

agricultural to residential, with a 25% down payment due and the remainder to be paid over five

years. This was rejected by the company, and no new settlement has been reached.

Tarek Eissa al-Sultan, Vice-President of the International Holding Projects Group that represent with

its subsidiaries companies the main contributor to the Kuwaiti side of the project, said in press

statements on Sunday that prosecuting Egypt internationally came after the investors found an

“unjustified disruption…and lack of seriousness” on the part of successive governments to resolve

the fate of the Ayat area.

The dispute dates back to 2002 when the Egyptian government at the time agreed through a decision

issued by former president Hosni Mubarak, to transfer ownership of the land to the Egyptian-Kuwaiti

Company for Development and Investment, which is 90%-owned by Kuwaiti investors. The land was

to be used for agricultural purposes at a price of EGP 200 per acre, but the company describes the

price as higher than that of similar contracts.

Page 15

The Kuwaiti company stated: “We cannot cultivate the land because the Egyptian government has

not provided us with water as agreed upon, and the National Center for Planning State Land Uses

recommended in 2007 that it be used for residential purposes. This was approved by the government

before the uprising of 2011, but a Presidential Decree was not issued.”

The Egyptian-Kuwaiti Company for Development and Investment requested that it be supplied with

water as agreed upon in order to cultivate the land, or that an agreement be made to convert the land

to serve urban purposes with the company paying a fair value for conversion fees.

Egypt has suffered from a range of serious economic issues since the 25 January Revolution,

including soaring unemployment, the exodus of foreign tourists and investors, and stalled growth

rates, and court rulings have invalidated the privatisation of nearly 11 government companies,

returning them to state-ownership. This has angered investors who have resorted to international

arbitration against Egypt, threatening huge fines that cannot be borne by the treasury.

“Amicable settlements that do not harm serious investors nor destroy public funds are a positive step

toward reassuring the international financial and business community and restoring confidence in

Egypt’s investment environment,” said Sarie El-Din.

Egypt was fined $300m during a land dispute tried at the International Centre for the Settlement of

Investment Disputes of the World Bank. This was followed by another centre ruling in Madrid that

imposed a $530m fine on the country for the Ministry of Civil Aviation/Ras Sidr Airport case.

Fakhry al-Faki, former Assistant to the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, said

that foreign investors’ confidence has waned due to the slowness of the Egyptian government in

settling investment disputes. He explained that the government must turn the page on investment

conflicts in order to reassure investors and attract new funds to push along the development process

in Egypt.

“Kuwaiti investors threaten Egypt with lawsuit over land, accuse government of “lack of seriousness”” ,09/11/2014,

online at: http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/09/egyptian-kuwaiti-development-company-moves-prosecute-egypt-

lawyer/?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=c572a46acc-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-c572a46acc-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 16

Floods displace over 16,000 people in western Uganda

KAMPALA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Over 16,000 people in the western Ugandan district of Ntoroko have

been displaced by floods after River Semliki burst its banks due to heavy rains.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said here in a statement on Thursday that most

affected communities are Bweramule sub county (7, 499), Butungama sub county (4, 765)

Rwebisengo sub country 3, 912), Rwebisengo town council (421).

"UNICEF has prepositioned emergency medical supplies including water purification tablets to

health centers within the affected areas and essential household items," the statement said.

According to UNICEF's situation analysis, there is need for additional support to ensure those

affected have access to basic relief items like medication, food, and shelter.

"Affected population still need more items like food, non-food items, mosquito nets, soap, tents and

emergency medicines," the statement said.

According to the UN agency, children and mothers, the most vulnerable groups among those affected

are in dire need of more help even after the waters have dried up.

Uganda's Vice President Edward Ssekandi and other government officials this week visited Ntoroko

and delivered three trucks of food items.

“Floods displace over 16,000 people in western Uganda”,07/11/2014, online at:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2014-

11/07/c_133773415.htm?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=c572a46acc-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-c572a46acc-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 17

Kenyan Capital Considers Raising Water Tariffs 90%, Daily Says

Kenya’s capital city is considering increasing water tariffs by as much as 90 percent to raise money

to help improve infrastructure, Business Daily reported.

The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Co. will hold a month-long public consultation on the proposal, the

Nairobi-based newspaper reported, citing Peter Njaggah, an official at the Water Services Regulatory

Board. Approval of the increase depends on the outcome of the talks, Njaggah said.

About 18 percent of Kenya’s urban population and 45 percent of rural residents lack access to

improved water sources, according to World Bank data for 2012.

“Kenyan Capital Considers Raising Water Tariffs 90%, Daily Says”,10/11/2014, online at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-10/kenyan-capital-considers-raising-water-

tariffs-90-daily-says.html?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=d8603c8793-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-d8603c8793-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 18

After animals die, northern Kenyan pastoralists turn to farming

ABAQDERA, Kenya, Nov 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The drought of 2011 that afflicted

the Horn of Africa was the last straw for Abdulahi Ali. The pastoralist from Abaqdera, a village in

Northern Kenya's Garissa County, lost almost his entire herd of cattle.

"I had 50 cows and only three remained, and out of 30 goats only six remained after the drought," he

said.

Lukia Muhamud, Ali's wife and a mother of seven, said even now droughts remain "more frequent

nowadays. Most of our animals have died while the ones that survive are too weak," she said.

Such pressures are what have driven the family to forsake pastoralism for agriculture - a radical move

in a community where livestock confer social status.

Ali's family is one among 20 that, despite strong disapproval from the rest of the community, have

embraced farming and registered the Tawakal farmers group in Garissa County.

Yusuf Abdi, chairman of group, says the nomadic community had little choice but to change its

ways.

"Our animals have died in huge numbers. We had to find an alternative," he said.

In 2011, more than 13 million people in parts of Ethiopia, Northern Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia

were affected by failed rains, and many have been hit since by worsening climate change-related dry

spells.

The region's erratic weather underscores how many pastoralists live on the edge of crisis, facing the

loss of livestock and ensuring hunger and malnutrition. Frequent droughts and flooding have left the

community dependent on food relief.

SWITCH TO IRRIGATED CROPS

Seeking an answer, African Development Solution, a Nairobi-based international nongovernmental

organisation, introduced "agro-pastoralism" in 2013 as an alternative means of livelihood for

communities such as Ali's.

Abshir Mohammed Abdi, senior programme officer for the project called Resilience and Economic

Growth in the Arid Lands - Improving Resilience (REGAL-IR), argues that dependence on livestock

is not sustainable as a result of increased population, climate change, over-exploitation of natural

resources and increased water demand.

Page 19

To start the farming project, each member of the farmers group contributed 1,500 Kenyan shillings

(about $17) towards the costs of clearing 7.5 acres (3 hectares) of bush, and toward buying a water

pump and registering the group. Each member is responsible for a half-acre plot.

Samal Lokuno of REGAL-IR said that the farming group identified business opportunities and

developed a business plan. Group members now contribute part of the costs for things like seed and

fuel for the irrigation pump, while REGAL-IR picks up the difference.

As well as receiving training in business skills, farmers are linked up with government agricultural

departments, Lokuno said.

The new farmers are growing watermelons, tomatoes, chilies, capsicums, maize, bananas and onions.

Irrigation comes from the Tana River, the only permanent river in the county, which rises in the

Aberdare and Mount Kenya ridges of central Kenya and runs through the arid and semi-arid lands in

Kenya's east to the Indian Ocean.

Lokuno argues that using Tana water for farming is sustainable as the river is not prone to dry up in

droughts and is not overused by the irrigation scheme or by several dams upstream.

Under an agreement with the county government and local water users association, which is

responsible for ensuring equitable access to water, irrigation is limited to 12 hours each day.

THE FARMING TABOO

Farming is considered a taboo among the pastoralist Kenyans of Somali descent who live in the north

of the country. It is traditionally considered the lowest possible economic venture one can undertake.

"I was seen as someone who had lost hope in life. But I had lost everything. What is a man with three

cows? What else was there to lose?" asked Ali. "All I needed was to feed my family."

His wife was initially opposed to her husband's proposal to give up pastoralism.

"I was disappointed when he said that he wanted to venture into farming. That was the lowest thing

he could do. It was a shameful thing at the moment," Muhamud recalled.

Now, however, he is in his third season of farming maize, watermelon and chillies on his half-acre of

land. His best harvest so far was in August, when he grossed $370 from sales of his produce.

Muhamud now works late on the farm and is always the last person to leave their plot.

Gedi Sambu, a member of the Tawakal oversight committee, says that profits from the project have

helped the community build residential quarters for teachers to encourage them to remain at the

school in the remote area. Plans are now underway to expand classes.

Page 20

The former pastoralist families, who moved to Abaqdera during the 2011 drought to access food

relief, are no longer dependent on aid and say that both their families and the few livestock they still

own have sustainable sources of food and water.

Malnutrition and anemia have both declined since the agriculture effort began, families and officials

said.

"We depended on milk, meat or relief maize. Now, my children eat fruits and vegetables, something

we never had before. Frequent hospital visits have reduced drastically too," Muhamud said.

“After animals die, northern Kenyan pastoralists turn to farming”, 11/11/2014, online at:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/11/climatechange-kenya-pastoralists-

idUSL6N0T129W20141111?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=fb58b75c65-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-fb58b75c65-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 21

Algeria’s supersized 500,000 m3/day desalination plant open for business

Africa’s largest seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant has been opened in Magtaa,

Algeria to provide 500,000 m3/day of drinking water.

Singapore firm Hyflux will operate and maintain the 500,000 m3/day project worth S$632 million

(US$494.6 million) to supply drinking water to Algeria’s second largest city, Oran and

neighbouring provinces.

Under a 25-year water purchase agreement, water will be supplied to state owned national public

water entity, L’Algerienne Des Eaux (ADE) and oil and gas company, Sonatrach.

The Singapore firm’s proprietary ultrafiltration membranes and RO technology will be used to treat

seawater.

It was in April 2008 when Hyflux won the bid for what was called the “world’s largest seawater

desalination plant”.

Hyflux subsidiary MenaSpring Utility was awarded the contract by Algeria Energy Company – the

government company handling power and water privatisation in Algeria.

The bid was won against stiff competition, including Spain’s Acciona Agua, Befesa, GE

Water/Orascom and Biwater/Tarco/Arcofina.

Since then, however, Israeli water company IDE Technologies opened its 624,000 m3/day Sorek

desalination project using RO membranes (read WWi story).

The original completion date for the Algerian project was August 2011 but a fire at the site

warehouse that year put the date back.

Earlier this year WWi reported how construction on the Magtaa project had been completed (see

WWi story).

Page 22

Together with its first desalination plant in Algeria - Souk Tleta (Tlemcen) 200,000 m3/day –

winning the Magtaa plant has meant that Hyflux now has a 30% market share of desalination

capacity in Algeria.

Group CEO Olivia Lum said: "(The plant) will be instrumental in meeting Algeria's water needs.”

The ceremony was attended by Abdelmalek Sellal, Algeria’s Prime Minister and Hocine Necib,

minister of Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s minister for the environment and

water resources (read WWi interview), Mohammad Alami Musa, Singapore’s ambassador to

Algeria, Hyflux executive chairman and group CEO, Olivia Lum, Hyflux’s partners Sonatrach,

L’Algérienne Des Eaux and Algerian Energy Company.

“Algeria’s supersized 500,000 m3/day desalination plant open for business”,11/11/2014, online at:

http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2014/11/algeria-s-supersized-500-000-m3-day-desalination-plant-open-for-

business.html?cmpid=EnlWaterWorldInternationalNovember142014

BACK TO TOP

Page 23

Biggest Africa Seawater Reverse-Osmosis Desalination Plant Opens

Africa’s largest seawater reverse-osmosis desalination plant has opened that uses ultra-filtration and

membrane technologies to supply water to Oran, the second-biggest city in Algeria.

The Magtaa plant on Algeria’s northwest Mediterranean coast can desalinate 500,000 cubic meters of

seawater a day, helping supply Oran-area residents and industries from 55 kilometers (34 miles) to

the east, the Singapore-based water-treatment company Hyflux Ltd. (HYF) said today in a

statement.

Last week, Hyflux reported profit in the third quarter fell 55 percent from a year earlier to S$11.3

million ($8.7 million) on weaker sales related to the completion of projects. Singapore’s largest

publicly traded water company also said it was “cautious” about its business outlook.

“Biggest Africa Seawater Reverse-Osmosis Desalination Plant Opens”,11/11/2014, online at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-11/biggest-africa-seawater-reverse-

osmosis-desalination-plant-opens.html?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=fb58b75c65-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-fb58b75c65-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 24

UAE tops in world environment performance

Gets 25th spot out of 178 countries pushing USA, Europe behind

The UAE has not only topped all the Middle East countries in terms of the world environmental

performance, but also exceeded the USA, France, and several European countries, and ranked 25

worldwide.

It was a tough journey of four-year stiff competition versus 178 countries when the UAE was ranked

152 in 2010, and then jumped to 77 in 2012, and finally reached the 25th spot this year.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Environment and Water Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd

as part of the ‘Partners Forum II' on Thursday which saw the presentation of the strategic plan of the

ministry for the year 2014-2016. "We did it, but that was not possible without effective transition

from the concept of coordination and cooperation to partnership and integration in line with the UAE

Vision 2021."

The first government innovation laboratory of the Ministry launched on October 15 in the presence of

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the

UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was also a big success.

The sessions of the first of its kind lab witnessed an active participation from 100 people of many

government agencies, private sector institutions and representatives of the local community, he

added.

"The discussion focused on three major issues spanning waste management, air quality and biological

diversity, resulting in eight promising partnership initiatives between the public and private sectors,

particularly in the field of waste management."

The UAE, though a rich oil country, has managed to decrease its carbon footprint by 25 per cent to as

low as (0,0003), he said, noting that the country is using the most purified diesel and benzene.

"This is basically due to tireless effort from all parties, let alone the launch of Masdar City for

producing clean energy, and the many laws recently enacted, to ensure a sustainable environment."

Page 25

The minister then announced that the ministry is working on a mega project to establish a

comprehensive administration for water resources across the UAE. "Our resources are terribly wasted

by over 90 per cent, and hence there must be a quick, yet integrated solution."

The ministry has recently enacted a new law to streamline fishing and prevent wasting the country

valuable resources, he added. "The UAE is also to run the biggest fish farming exhibition in the

world in March 2015 to support fishing industry and investment."

Fatima Tawakul, Director of Organisational Development Department, briefed the audience on the

vision, mission and strategic plan 2014-2016 of the ministry, as well as the organisational structure of

the ministry, its structural plan, strategic objectives and indicators.

"The ministry is keen to communicate with all partners and consider their opinions and suggestions

for the development of the next strategic plan in view of their needs."

The strategy is based on five objectives: to promote sustainable integrated management of water

resources; promote environmental sustainability; prevent agricultural pests and communicable animal

diseases; enhance food safety and sustainability of local production; and ensure that all administrative

services are provided in accordance with the highest standards, she elaborated.

“UAE tops in world environment performance”, 14/11/2014, online at: https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/uae-tops-

world-environment-performance-113031444.html

BACK TO TOP

Page 26

FAO launches water use management project in Sana'a basin

SANA'A, Nov. 11 (Saba) - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Yemen has launched

officially the Sana'a Basin Project on decentralized sustainable water use and rural livelihood.

The project was launched during a workshop held on Monday [November 10th] in collaboration with

the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Ministry of Water and Environment and the Embassy of

the Netherlands in Sana'a.

FAO also presented in the workshop the concept of a similar project in the Tehama Basin to start in

early 2015.

The Sana'a Basin Project is a three-year program aiming to raise awareness on water scarcity at local

community levels in order to motivate the farmers to decrease groundwater abstraction.

"This event will highlight the importance of integrated water resources management at Sana'a and

Tihama basins that will increase crop production and improve the revenue from agriculture sector in

the two sub basins," said Salah El-Hajj, the FAO representative in Yemen.

He said that all water laws prohibiting illegal groundwater abstraction did not prevent violations in

Sana'a basin groundwater through illegal and unpermitted drilling wells in the basin which its area is

about 3,250 km2.

Most of Yemen basins are facing excessive abstraction, which has been estimated by 138% from

Page 27

annual renewable water which is estimated by 2.1 billion m3, he added.

"The project's goal is to mitigate abstraction from groundwater from Sana'a basin and creation or/and

reactivating of water user associations, in addition to support of crop production systems with low

amount of water."

Dutch ambassador to Sana'a Aldrik Gierveld underlined the need to strengthen Yemeni capacity to

manage water resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

"Two projects are already underway through ALTERRA – the Dutch-Yemeni consortium and FAO.

The first one will provide stakeholders in sustainable water management with reliable information on

water use and available water resources," said Gierveld.

"Reliable information should be publicly available to enable all to make the right decisions. The

project we have signed with FAO in July is the second activity; this activity is focusing on the

vulnerable Sana'a Basin."

He added that empowering farmer groups to sustainably manage their precious water resources is the

main focus of FAO's work with water user associations in this basin.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Fareed Mujawar, who attended the project launch, thanked the

Dutch government for financing the project and their constant support for the water sector in Yemen.

Page 28

He underlined the need for official and popular cooperation in water resources management and

activating the role of basins committees to end random drilling and draw the right water plans.

According to the Minister, the key reasons of water depletion in the Sana'a basin are the population

growth rate in the capital [reached 7% per year] and the decrease of rainfall water level, which does

not meet agricultural activities.

He said that the annual withdrawal in Tihama basin increased to 810 million cubic meters compared

to annual recharging estimated at 550 million cubic meters which means that deficit is estimated at

47 percent in the Tihama Basin.

He cautioned against misuse of water, saying "the misuse of water by the human remains the key

factor for the decrease of water resources and the right approach must be taken in increasing

production in the agricultural land, installing modern irrigation systems, and improving agricultural

crops marketing and exporting to raise the revenue for farmers."

“FAO launches water use management project in Sana'a basin”,11/11/2014, online at:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news375054.htm

BACK TO TOP

Page 29

Somalia Reaches River Water Sharing Agreement with Ethiopia, Kenya

A conference that took days and held in Sanova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in which the

agenda was spearheaded by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an agreement

was struck between Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya to device mechanisms to share the waters of the

rivers that run through those countries. The agreement also includes building dams. However, the

final details of the agreement have not been released to the media.

Kenya’s Mandera district commissioner Ali Koba said the agreement notably pertains river water

sharing, especially draught seasons when the water flow of the rivers is low.

A technical committee consisting of the three countries has been set up to oversee the river water

sharing project and its implementation.

This is the first time the three countries reached an agreement of this kind.

“Somalia Reaches River Water Sharing Agreement with Ethiopia, Kenya”, 15/11/2014, online at:

http://www.raxanreeb.com/2014/11/somalia-reaches-river-water-sharing-agreement-with-ethiopia-kenya/

BACK TO TOP

Page 30

Kyrgyzstan grappling with drinking water shortage

Despite the abundance of water resources -- with over 2,000 rivers a total length of about 35,000

kilometers -- the drinking water supply problem is exacerbating day by day in Kyrgyzstan.

A mountainous country, bordering China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan is one of five

Central Asian countries distinguished from others in terms of its richness in water resources.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan faced a rapid deterioration in public

infrastructure. The rapid urbanization in the capital in recent years with an increase of water

consumption registered in the north and new settlements to be supplied in the south have put an

additional strain on the already stretched capacity of the water resources.

The Bishkek Water Company manages networks including a 1,277 kilometer-long water supply pipe

network and 605 km of wastewater. Only some parts of the infrastructure provide clean water and

sanitation services to over 1.5 million people living in Bishkek and its surroundings. The problem is

that the infrastructure is more than 30 years old.

Currently, Kyrgyzstan’s 396 villages have no water supply networks, and the residents are obliged to

meet their demand for drinking water from open reservoirs.

The population in 1,805 villages (about 2 million people) is deprived of direct and sustainable access

to clean drinking water. The main reason behind the situation is the deterioration of the water supply

infrastructure. The water supply system which was laid in the middle of the last century is inoperable.

Providing clean drinking water and rehabilitation of wastewater management are the biggest

priorities for Talas, a city in the north of Kyrgyzstan, close to the Kazakh border, with a population of

over 45,000.

Currently, the water losses are huge and supply intermittent. The wastewater system has collapsed

and untreated wastewater forms pools in the basement of apartment buildings, with endemic water

borne disease as a result.

Page 31

Shortage of drinking water is observed in the central cities of the country as well. For example, the

residents of the Amir Temur micro-district of the Osh city systematically face with this problem. In

autumn- winter season the water is supplied for two hours per week while in spring and summer,

people have to fetch water from the irrigation ditches and canals. Delivery of drinking water in a

special transport is too expensive for consumers.

A similar situation exists in the micro-districts of capital Bishkek as well. The reason is the same -

worn water supply networks, as well as a sharp increase of the population of the capital.

Provision of clean drinking water in the Naryn region is 61 percent, Talas region 60 percent, Issyk-

Kul region 38 percent, Batken region 30.9 percent, Osh region 25 percent, and Chui region 21

percent.

Annually about 45,000 people suffer from parasitic diseases as a result of the use of untreated water

from wells and irrigation ditches. The government annually spends about 5 billion soms for their

treatment.

Local experts believe that the full maintenance of the Kyrgyz population with clean drinking water

needs around $600 million.

One way out of the crisis is receiving international grants and credits. Since 2001, the Kyrgyz

government has been receiving funds from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank for the

implementation of the ‘Taza Suu’ (Clean Water) project. As part of the project new water supply

networks were constructed in 545 villages of the country.

Currently, the project is underway in the Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas regions which will be

completed in late 2014.

The modernization of water and wastewater services in Kyrgyz cities is a priority for the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which has developed a dedicated financing facility for

the purpose.

Page 32

Currently, the bank provide financing to six cities in the country to support critical investments in the

water supply and waste water networks and is considering further expansion throughout the country

to smaller cities.

“Kyrgyzstan grappling with drinking water shortage”,14/11/2014, online at: http://www.azernews.az/analysis/73159.html

BACK TO TOP

Page 33

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan break fuel for water stalemate, reach energy agreement

President Nursultan Nazarbayev has met his counterpart from Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev at

the IV session of the Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in Astana. The results of the

talks were announced at a media briefing on November 7, 2014.

Atambayev’s speech was full of gratitude. He noted that Kazakhstan’s $100 million financial

assistance to Kyrgyzstan entering the Eurasian Economic Union signified a “brotherly” deed.

Kyrgyzstan’s leader also thanked Nazarbayev for helping the country overcome its energy crisis.

Kazakhstan will supply 400 million kilowatt-hours of electricity this year and 1.4 billion kilowatt-

hours in the following year.

"I will not hide that one of the main problems for Kyrgyzstan today is the power industry. We have

had a very serious shortage of water and it happens once every five years. And I will not hide, our

former Energy Minister and other members of the government proposed introducing rolling

blackouts in Kyrgyzstan. (…) We had it in 2008, 2009 and 2010; the light was turned off and people

sat to without light, in the cold, without all sorts of amenities, with no TVs or Internet,” Amanbayev

said.

“We have just signed one of the agreements on electricity supply and, thank God, there will be no

blackouts in Kyrgyzstan,” Atambayev declared noting that his country needed at most another year

and a half to achieve energy independence.

On his part President Nazarbayev declared: "We have always supported and will support our

brotherly Kyrgyz people. So, at the request of the President of Kyrgyzstan we are helping by

delivering 400 million kilowatts of electricity [this year] and 1.4 billion kilowatt-hours of energy next

year. Despite the technical costs for us, we are solving this issue."

"In turn, our Kyrgyz friends have assured us of their firm intention to fulfil the obligations to supply

Kazakhstan with irrigation water during the crop season, which is of fundamental importance to us,"

President of Kazakhstan said.

It became known that as part of the agreements settled, Nursultan Nazarbayev allowed passage of the

fuel destined for Kyrgyzstan stuck on Kazakhstan’s territory since April 2014.

Page 34

Kyrgyz oil traders asked Kazakhstan to resolve the situation with hundreds of fuel tanks that had

been held off on their way from Russian oil refineries on the basis of the government decree №1402

of December 26, 2013 banning export of petroleum products on the territory of Kazakhstan. It came

into effect on 1 January 2014 and was first introduced for six months but then extended for an

additional six months. This created serious shortages in Kyrgyzstan and pushed the fuel prices

upwards.

The agreements settled show that the two Central Asian countries finally agreed on the fuel-for-water

courtesy.

The other topic of the briefing was internal stability of the two countries. President Atambayev

praised the stability of Kazakhstan and called onto Kazakhstanis to value their country and their

president.

"Appreciate, value your President. Because we, in Kyrgyzstan, have gone through two revolutions

and thank God we somehow solved the situation. But if you look at the Arab countries: in about 10

countries there were revolutions and only one is trying to pull through. Some, like Libya, are already

falling apart. Appreciate stability, appreciate prosperity that has been achieved in Kazakhstan,"

Atambayev said.

Nazarbayev stressed that Kazakhstan was interested in stability and sustainable development of

Kyrgyzstan as well.

"I think the people (of Kyrgyzstan) are tired of all the vicissitudes of instability, and I am happy to

observe how peacefully your country has been developing in the recent years," Nazarbayev told

Atambayev.

“Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan break fuel for water stalemate, reach energy agreement”,17/11/2014, online at:

http://en.tengrinews.kz/politics_sub/Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-break-fuel-for-water-stalemate-reach-energy-agreement-

257336/

BACK TO TOP

Page 35

Portugal Approves UNECE Water Convention Amendment

12 November 2012: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has reported that the

Government of Portugal has accepted an amendment to the UNECE Convention on the Protection

and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). Portugal's

accession brings to 25 the number of countries that have approved it, with two acceptances remaining

for the amendment to enter into force.

The amendment will open the Convention to signatories outside of the UNECE region, making it the

first global water treaty. The globalization of the Convention is expected to be discussed at the

upcoming sixth Meeting of the Parties (MOP 6) to the Convention, taking place in Rome, Italy, from

28-30 November 2012. Over 20 non-UNECE countries are expected to attend MOP 6, and UNECE

notes that is anticipated that some may announce their intention to accede to the Water Convention at

the meeting. [UNECE Press Release]

read more: http://water-l.iisd.org/news/portugal-approves-unece-water-convention-amendment/

“Portugal Approves UNECE Water Convention Amendment”, 12/12/2014, online at: http://water-

l.iisd.org/news/portugal-approves-unece-water-convention-amendment/

BACK TO TOP

Page 36

Coke's Gujarat plant in troubled waters

Congress' Ahmed Patel questions Narmada dam water for plant; MNC steers clear of row

Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola is finding itself in troubled waters, again. After rows over water usage at

its plants in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, it is now the turn of its Gujarat factory.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel has questioned the Gujarat government's decision to allot to a Coca-

Cola plant over three million litres of water a day from the Sardar Sarovar Dam, even as many

villages in Sanand go without water.

In a letter to Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on October 10, Patel expressed concern over her

government's September decision and noted that the dam had been built to provide water to drought-

prone parts of North Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch.

Patel highlighted concerns raised by non-government organisations and citizens' groups over the

alleged daily effluent discharge of 450 kilolitres by the plant, which executives of the multinational

beverage company said were baseless because the unit was located in a no-effluent industrial cluster.

Coca-Cola India executives did not want to get drawn into the controversy. They said the company

had taken all approvals for the plant and any response to Patel's letter should come from the Gujarat

chief minister, to whom it was addressed.

The plant, being set up by Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the largest bottling partner of Coca-Cola

India, will be the company's second unit in Gujarat. Coca-Cola has a plant in Goblej in Kheda

district, its second-largest in the country after the Dasna unit in Uttar Pradesh.

The Gujarat government has allotted 185,000 square metres to the company to make sweetened

aerated drinks like Coke, Sprite, Fanta and Thums Up.

In 2003, the multinational firm had faced resistance from residents in Kerala's Plachimada, who

Page 37

alleged groundwater was receding because of extraction by a Coca-Cola plant set up in 2000 and that

it was discharging toxic waste and sludge. The Kerala plant was shut temporarily after the protests.

Coca-Cola in August shelved expansion of its Mehdiganj unit near Varanasi after it failed to get

regulatory clearance. Villagers had last February told the government to reject Coca-Cola's

application for the $25-million expansion, saying it would lower the area's groundwater. The plant

has been in operation since 1999.

The National Green Tribunal allowed Coca-Cola to resume operations at Mehdiganj in June, staying

an order of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board that directed the company to close the factory

for violations, including groundwater extraction. The tribunal said the stay would be effective only if

the plant limited production to 600 bottles a minute.

The Mehdiganj plant is a single-line facility and the only glass bottle unit of Hindustan Coca-Cola

Beverages. According to media reports, groundwater levels in Mehdiganj have dropped 7.9 metres

(26 feet) in the 11 years since the start of Coca-Cola's bottling operations there.

Coca-Cola and rival PepsiCo had also been in the news for pesticide residue in their bottles - first in

2003 and then in 2006. The Centre for Science and Environment in 2003 alleged Coke and Pepsi

were among a dozen drinks that contained dangerously high levels of pesticides and insecticides.

Coca-Cola suffered an 11 per cent decline in sales that year.

In 2006, the controversy resurfaced, with the environmental group alleging Coke still had high

pesticide levels. The Kerala government, by this time, had completely banned the sale of soft drinks,

including Coke, in the state. Other states, such as Gujarat, also considered a partial ban on colas.

“Coke's Gujarat plant in troubled waters”,12/11/2014, online at: http://www.business-

standard.com/article/companies/coke-s-gujarat-plant-in-troubled-waters-

114111200004_1.html?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=a920a6521e-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-a920a6521e-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 38

Thai Mekong Communities Excluded from Don Sahong Dam Consultations in Thailand

The Thai National Mekong Committee (TNMC) held their first consultation on the Don Sahong

Dam today in Ubon Ratchathani. Officially called “project information sharing” those invited to the

meeting were mostly government officials and leaders from the district and sub-district from North-

eastern provinces of Thailand, not directly from the areas along the Mekong River.

Most notably Mekong communities were not invited to take part, nor were they informed that the

meeting would be taking place.

Communities along the Mekong River first heard about the meeting from an article published in The

Nation newspaper on October 27. No news of the consultation schedule for Thailand has even been

placed on the Mekong River Commission’s Don Sahong roadmap. Chaiporn Siripornpibul a

representative of the TNMC and inspector for Thailand's Natural Resources and Environment

Ministry is quoted in the article as saying “we will listen to local opinions.” However the TNMC has

systematically failed to listen to local opinions. They did not respond to multiple letters from the Thai

Network in Eight Mekong Provinces requesting information about plans for consultations on the Don

Sahong Dam and ignored the Network's call for consultations to be conducted in eight provinces by

the Mekong River, with at least one meeting within each district of the province.

Despite not receiving notice or invitations to attend the meeting, around 70 people from communities

along the Mekong River, and the Pak Mun Dam area arrived at the meeting venue this morning. They

stood outside holding signs which read “No more dam” and “We disagree with the Don Sahong

Dam.”

In front of the building, there were a number of soldiers and security staff. Mekong villagers, many

of whom had left their homes early in the morning, as it took them a couple of hours to travel from

the Mekong to the meeting venue, asked to enter the room and participate in the consultation. They

were refused entry and so decided to enter on their own. Inside the meeting room, the group

continued their protests of the consultation, with signs raised.

One dam-affected person asked “Will information and concerns from this consultation be the

baseline for the decision-making of the Don Sahong Dam?” The answer was “no.” A speaker said

that Laos has already decided to build the dam; and that [TNMC] do not have any authority to reject

it.

Page 39

Pak Mun Dam affected people also spoke at the meeting, relating how their lives have already been

ruined enough by the Pak Mun Dam which was built on the Mun River, the largest tributary of the

Mekong two decades ago. “Enough is enough. How will our next generation feed themselves?

Without fish, how do we live?” they said.

In the end, affected people demanded a proper consultation process to be held in all sub-districts

along the Mekong River in Eight provinces in the North and the Northeast. As stated in a statement

released by the Thai Network of Eight Mekong Provinces in October, such a process requires

thorough information about the project and its impacts, including transboundary impacts, for the Don

Sahong Dam, which means that a Transboundary Impact Assessment must be first carried out. All

documents and relevant information pertaining to the project must be translated into Thai and

disseminated well in advance of the consultations

The consultation process must be based on community rights and public participation. Above all,

communities living along the Mekong River who would be most affected by dams planned on the

Mekong mainstream, including the Don Sahong Dam, must have a voice in the decision-making

process.

“Thai Mekong Communities Excluded from Don Sahong Dam Consultations in Thailand”,10/11/2014, online at:

http://www.internationalrivers.org/blogs/259-2

BACK TO TOP

Page 40

Brazil to Approve $275 Million for River Water Diversion

Brazil’s government is close to approving 700 million reais ($275 million) in aid for a project that

would divert river water from Rio de Janeiro to help refill Sao Paulo’s biggest reservoir.

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo, which provides water to the city, will use the

money to send it from the Paraiba do Sul River to the Cantareira reservoir, a project that will take

about 15 months to complete, Water Resources Secretary Mauro Arce said today in interview in Sao

Paulo.

Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin met this week with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to

seek aid to help tackle the water crisis in the state, facing the worst drought in eight decades. The

diversion from the Jaguari dam is one of eight projects Alckmin said that Sao Paulo needs, at a cost

of 3.5 billion reais.

“We are going to have a meeting to finish technical details and we are going to ask for financing

from the Planning Ministry,” Arce told reporters. “Taking off five cubic meters per second from

Paraiba do Sul won’t disturb Rio de Janeiro’s population.”

Rio’s authorities have said diverting Paraiba do Sul water could affect more than 180 Brazil cities.

Water levels fell to 11 percent of capacity at Cantareira, according to the utility’s website. The

company known as Sabesp is Latin America’s largest publicly traded water utility.

“Brazil to Approve $275 Million for River Water Diversion”,12/11/2014, online at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-12/brazil-to-approve-275-million-for-river-water-

diversion.html?utm_source=Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts&utm_campaign=14ac6b635e-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c1265b6ed7-14ac6b635e-250657169

BACK TO TOP

Page 41

Growing water use threatens to strain Jordan aquifer

Rapidly growing industrial and residential use of the Jordan aquifer is prompting Iowa environmental

leaders to consider new restrictions to better protect the massive underground water source.

The Jordan aquifer provides drinking water to about a half-million Iowans, as well as water that is

critical to industries that range from data centers to food processing and ethanol production.

The recommendations are designed to warn users that Iowa's now-rich water levels could decline

enough in the years ahead that they could hinder job creation and economic development efforts if

not managed carefully.

"We know at some point we can't keep pumping it down and pumping it down," said Todd

Steigerwaldt, manager of the Marion Water Department and leader of the task force looking at the

issue. "We know there is additional cost — it's more energy, which is money; and at some point, the

lower we pump that water, the poorer the water quality would become."

The Jordan aquifer runs underneath most of the state, ranging from 2,500 feet underground in

southwest Iowa to near the surface in northeast Iowa. But Iowans also rely on other, shallower

aquifers, rivers and lakes for water.

The aquifer also provides water to parts of six other states, including big metro areas such as

Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Chicago.

Some major metro areas outside of Iowa that use the Jordan aquifer are already running into trouble.

In the Minneapolis area, for example, signs of shrinking groundwater already have appeared, from

declining lake levels to wells running dry and damaged trout streams.

"Here it's like we've gotten a note that we need to change our oil. In other states, the red check-engine

light is flashing," said Michael Anderson, a senior environmental engineer at the Iowa Department of

Natural Resources. "We want to deal with this before it becomes a big problem."

Page 42

Group to consider new protections

The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission is expected to consider recommendations

Wednesday that could require conservation and alternative water sources for cities, businesses,

universities and other aquifer users that exceed certain limits.

The state natural resources agency is expected to determine levels that could trigger local and state

action. The first tier would require no action and is where most users would fall, the second tier

warns that high demand could require conservation and other action to prevent levels from getting

too low in years ahead, and a third tier would stop further drawdown, based on documents outlining

the recommendations and interviews with task force and state officials.

At this point, no aquifer users would fall into the third, most dire, tier, experts say.

Page 43

Aquifer users that could land in the second tier of heavy-demand areas — potentially in the Cedar

Rapids, Iowa City and Fort Dodge areas — will likely be placed on alert that restrictions are possible

in the years ahead, state experts say. Cities such as Marion and Fort Dodge already tap other aquifers

to meet growing water demands.

"There are urban areas where we've seen rapid declines in water elevation, and they've accelerated a

little bit faster in the past 10 years," said Mike Gannon, a hydrologist for the Iowa Geological Survey.

He also points to the Mason City area as one that has seen increasing water demand, especially since

the recession's end.

"It's not everywhere across the state, but there are places where we see groundwater mining — where

we're removing a lot of water more rapidly than is being recharged," Gannon said. "Iowa is a water-

rich state, but it has limits."

That mining concerns Jerry Schnoor, an engineering professor at the University of Iowa.

"The Jordan aquifer is threatened by current water uses," and conservation is needed, said Schnoor,

also co-director of the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the university.

"The recharge is slow, because the aquifer is deep, and pumping rates have increased, due both to

industry, including biofuels, and residential growth in municipalities."

Water use climbs 72% since 1970s

Last year, Iowa families, businesses and other users pulled nearly 26 billion gallons of water from the aquifer,

a 72 percent increase from the 1970s. Use has climbed, in part, because of the ethanol industry, which came

online in Iowa in the 1990s.

Biofuels make up about 15 percent of the aquifer demand in Iowa; other industrial use, about 12 percent; and

the rest comes from municipal water utilities, which can also include industrial users, a state report on the

aquifer shows.

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said the industry's water use has

"fallen pretty dramatically" in recent years, both to cut production costs and to address concerns about

conserving the aquifer's reserves.

Page 44

"We're very concerned about the sustainability of the Jordan aquifer," Shaw said. "You don't want a

situation where it's not sustainable. It would put you out of business."

Bob Libra, the state's geologist, said the recommendation should clarify when users are drawing too

much water from the aquifer. In 1977, state leaders set a rule that users couldn't draw down the

aquifer more than 200 feet from where well levels were then.

In some spots, that's not a problem, Libra said, but in other areas, it's too much. "We want reasonable

but sustainable use of the aquifer," Libra said. "This takes out some ambiguity" from the 1977 rule.

New technology and modeling, for example, show cities such as Fort Dodge, Iowa City and Cedar

Rapids could be on paths that lead to required conservation and reduced use.

"We can say, 'It looks like you'll hit that tier two level in 15 years,' " Libra said. " 'Do you want to

start knocking back on your use of the aquifer now? Is there conservation you can use? Are there

other sources of water you can use?' "

Page 45

In Linn County, for example, businesses and cities using the Jordan could look to other sources.

Cedar Rapids uses aquifers that run along the Cedar River and not the Jordan.

Page 46

Fort Dodge's plans hinge on water

Dennis Plautz, CEO of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, said the city has been investing in

improving its access to water. The city has seen about $600 million in investment from Cargill and

CJ Bio America and hopes to build on that. Cargill produces ethanol and livestock feed; CJ Bio

American uses a byproduct from Cargill to make a protein used in feed.

It's the beginning of a bioscience campus, which, if it replicates a Cargill complex in Blair, Neb.,

could bring a $7.2 billion economic boost to the region over four years, a study shows.

Page 47

Fort Dodge is working closely with the state natural resources agency, because water is key to such

an expansion.

Cargill, CJ and Valero, an ethanol plant, more than doubled the city's use to a total of about 8 million

gallons per day. The city pulls from the Jordan and the Mississippian aquifers.

The recommendations should help cities and businesses avoid water crunches — and spikes in cost

— that could dampen economic development efforts, said Libra, the state geologist. "Cities need

jobs, industries need cities, and they all need water," Libra said. "This is a work-together moment."

Aquifer 101

200: About how many businesses, cities, universities, ethanol plants and other users in Iowa tap the

Jordan aquifer for water.

345: How many wells in Iowa are connected to the aquifer, with some users having multiple wells.

26 billion: How many gallons of water Iowa used from the aquifer last year.

300,000 to 500,000 years old: Age of the water.

2,500 feet: Depth of the aquifer in some places. The water can take centuries to work its way down

through rocks and dirt. The aquifer is mostly contained underground in Iowa, but in some of the six

other states it covers, it lies closer to the ground surface.

Aquifer recommendations

The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission is expected to consider 33 recommendations from a

task force that Gov. Terry Branstad appointed. Among the recommendations is a call for three tiers of

wells:

• Tier One: Existing Jordan wells that are not yet to a level of concern based on current and proposed

annual water use and drawdown reports. Most wells are expected to fall in this tier.

• Tier Two: "Source water protected areas," where experts are concerned that the aquifer is being

"over-pumped," said Todd Steigerwaldt, manager of the Marion Water Department and leader of the

task force looking at the issue. The concern is based on modeling, usage and other data.

Page 48

Based on water consumption and growth, Fort Dodge, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City could fall into

this tier in the years ahead. The state could eventually require water users to seek alternative water

sources and look at conservation practices, both for businesses and residential users. Failure to take

action could result in loss of permission to use water.

• Tier Three: Wells have reached "drop dead" or critical levels at which no further drawdown would

be allowed. Requirements would include reduced use and aggressive water conservation.

Why it matters

• The Jordan aquifer provides water to about a half-million users in Iowa, and it's being drawn down

in some areas of the state faster than it can recharge.

• Cities, businesses and other users could be required to find alternative sources of water that could

increase costs for consumers.

• Cities could impose conservation requirements for homeowners, for example, to limit watering

lawns, gardens or flowers during summers — or pay more for the privilege.

• Worst-case scenario: Economic development and job growth could be restricted if water access is

reduced.

“Growing water use threatens to strain Jordan aquifer”,15/11/2014, online at: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/agriculture/2014/11/15/water-use-jordan-aquifer-

restrictions/19040407/?utm_campaign=%5B%274f0dc5eb11-

RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN%27%5D&utm_term=%5B%270_c1265b6ed7-4f0dc5eb11-

250657169%27%5D&utm_source=%5B%27Circle+of+Blue+WaterNews+%26+Alerts%27%5D&utm_medium=%5B%

27email%27%5D

BACK TO TOP