INBO'S NEWSLETTER N° 4

INBO'S NEWSLETTER N° 4 - 1996

Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
Declaration of Morelia adopted by the General Assembly on March 29, 1996

Eighty representatives of governmental administrations in charge of water management in their country and of basin organizations that are established or are being set up, in 40 countries, together with interested bi- and multi-lateral cooperation agencies, gathered in Morelia (Mexico) from March 27 to 29, within the framework of the (INBO) International Network of Basin Organizations' first General Assembly, in order to reflect upon the most adapted means for attaining a rational, balanced and overall management of inland freshwater resources to ensure the quality of life on our planet and the sustainable socio-economic development of our societies.

OBJECTIVES OF A GLOBAL WATER MANAGEMENT

The delegates emphasized that the questions brought to light are complex and that the answers must at one and the same time make it possible :

to control natural catastrophes and the risk of erosion, floods or drought by taking into account the management of water and space,
to reliably meet the needs of urban and rural populations for water of good quality; in order to improve hygiene, health and to prevent important outbreaks of disease,
to ensure sufficient food by improving drainage of agricultural lands and irrigation,
to harmoniously develop industry, energy production, recreational activities and in certain sectors, tourism and waterway transport,
to prevent and control pollution of all kinds and origins in order to preserve aquatic ecosystems, especially with a view to protecting fauna and optimizing fish breeding for human consumption, to meet all the requirements of different uses and more generally, to preserve the biodiversity of aquatic media.

It is obvious that these problems can no longer be tackled on a sectoral or local basis, or indeed separately, in fact the search for solutions must transit by an integrated approach, respectful of the natural medium and aiming at a sustainable water resources utilization.

PRINCIPLES TO BE APPLIED

In accordance with the final resolutions of the constitutive meeting of INBO, May 1994 in Aix-les-Bains (France), the delegates recommended that, in order to reach these objectives, the following procedures regarding the management of inland water resources, which they are already applying or are willing to apply in due time, be implemented all over the World:

organization of an integrated water resources management at river basin level aimed at preventing dangerous natural risks and catastrophes, at rationally and equitably meeting the different uses for a sustainable economic development, and at protecting and restoring the aquatic media;
establishment of financial systems based on the "Polluter-User-Pays" principle and on the basin common cause concept for financing long-term development, equipment and protection programmes;
establishment of partnership procedures, associating National Authorities and possibly competent international institutions with local Authorities, water users and representative non-governmental organizations to the planning and management of basin organizations;
building information capacity of those partnersÕ representatives in order for them to fully assume their responsibilities and missions within the framework of the basin policy.

Moreover, they recommended that agreements and strategies, programmes, financial support and monitoring be designed at river basin level and that cooperation agreements be signed between the riparian countries of large transboundary rivers, lakes or seas.

THREE RECOMMENDATIONS

The delegates agreed that they would promote the above-mentioned principles in their own country and to international institutions in which they participate, to bi- and multi-lateral cooperation agencies and, generally speaking, to all interested parties.

During the General AssemblyÕs deliberations, particular attention was drawn to the following items :

The necessity to found the overall management of water resources on data systems that are complete, reliable, representative and easily accessible, and organized in basin observatories and standardized to allow for syntheses and comparisons to be made both at national level in each country and at international level.
The benefit of an organized exchange of all useful information to facilitate the creation or the development of basin organizations, with regard to institutional documentation (AQUADOC-INTER network), educational and awareness raising tools, the agenda of interesting events or the list of competent experts to be called upon, in particular.
The importance of training executives of administrations, basin organizations, of institutions in charge of water management and development and also, under appropriate forms, basin committee members, local elected officials, representatives of usersÕ associations or interested non-governmental organizations.

E. Mestre-Rodriguez
INBO Chairman
Fax : (52-42) 134142

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Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
Liaison Bureau

The fourth meeting of INBO's Liaison Bureau was held in Tulcea (Romania) on July 5, 1996 at the invitation of APELE ROMANE. It was chaired by Mr Eduardo MESTRE-ROGRIGUEZ (Mexico).

Messrs Raimundo GARRIDO (Brazil), Amani KOUADIO (Ivory Coast), Gheorghe LASCU (Romania), Enrique NOAIN (Spain), Alain DUCHEIN (France) and Andrzeij BADOWSKI (Poland) attended as well as Mr J.F. TALEC (IOW) as member of the Permanent Technical Secretariat. Messrs Mimai POPOVICI, Evgeiy SECARA and also Mrs Gentiana SERBU and Lavinia BERILA, representing the Romanian Authorities, also attended.

The main objective of this meeting was to prepare the works of the Liaison Bureau of November 1996 (Yamoussoukro - Ivory Coast), which has to prepare the meeting of the General Assembly in Spain in Spring 1997.

Projects to be developed

Moreover, the Bureau considered that some projects initiated as part of INBO had to be maintained :

the "network newsletter", the principle of which is excellent, has to be pursued,
the international training programme dedicated to the establishment of basin organizations which will be coorganized by France and Spain in 1997,
AQUADOC-INTER for which it is suggested to work with the INTERNET network,
the establishment of INBOÕs information base.
1998 General Assembly

Brazil is candidate for the organization of this event.

The issue of subscriptions was again discussed, an amount of US$ 1,000 was proposed.

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Sommaire	La lettre du Réseau - N°4 - 1996
AFRICAN REGIONAL NETWORK

On the occasion of the next Liaison Bureau of our network, on November 7-8, 1996, the Authorities of Ivory Coast invited the Water Ministers of all countries of West Africa, to study the means of involving Africa more in INBO's works.
Amani Kouadio
Ministry of Economic Infrastructures
Fax : (225) 34 72 59/34 72 55

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