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U.S. Leadership on Water: Only the Sum of Its Parts

2012-01-26T13:25:44Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

In his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night, President Obama spoke about economic equity and fairness. There may be no greater inequity among people than the disparity regarding access to clean and safe drinking water. Nearly 900 million people lack access to clean water and almost 2.5 billion don’t have a safe place to go to the bathroom. U.S. leadership on water is progressing, but has a long way to go.

In Obama’s inaugural address he promised,

to the people of poor nations we pledge to work alongside you to let your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

Two months before World Water Day (March 22) NRDC in partnership with CARE and WaterAid in America is releasing our annual report on U.S. progress toward letting clean waters flow. The analysis shows that while the U.S. has demonstrated increasing leadership on clean water, sanitation and hygiene services around the world we are failing to fully meet the challenge. A critical element for leadership on this issue is a formal water strategy as called for in the 2005 Water for the Poor Act. However now nearly seven years after the passage of the law, the strategy has yet to be produced.

USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) implements most of the U.S. efforts to provide clean water and sanitation services for the world’s poor. In addition USAID advances projects related to hydropower, water for agriculture, environmental conservation, integrated water resources management, and water provision in disasters. President Obama established a new leadership position at USAID and Chris Holmes took the role of “Global Water Coordinator” – heading up all water related activities. The Global Water Coordinator is well positioned to produce the long-overdue fully integrated comprehensive water strategy.

Training is another critical element to empower staff at USAID missions around the world to implement successful water and sanitation programs. To their credit, USAID has conducted more water, sanitation, and hygiene technical trainings in recent years, but expertise and capacity at the mission level remains lackluster and inconsistent. USAID must step up efforts to train staff because water and sanitation are so basic and easily understood they are often taken for granted. Yet, these programs are neither simple nor a given; training experts helps ensure someone is paying attention to what is needed and how best to meet those needs.

Without the water strategy the U.S. is likely to miss opportunities to leverage partnerships within the U.S. government and with international partners. And the absent strategy leaves USAID without the tools it needs to measure its own success and continually improve on its work. As long as USAID has no strategy and limited staff capacity, water and sanitation provision will remain a collection of projects, not a concerted program with the ability to generate wide-scale change.

Funding

Clean water and safe sanitation is fundamental for health and development. Diseases caused by water-borne illnesses kill more children each year than AIDS, Malaria and TB combined. Investments in clean water help children to stay healthy, to go to school and to lead productive lives. The World Health Organization estimates that for every dollar we invest in clean water eight dollars are returned in increased productivity and decreased health care costs.

While foreign aid makes up a small percentage of the overall budget; programs directed at provision of basic water and sanitation account for only about $300 million dollars - of a budget that approaches $50 billion every year yet is still only around 1% of the total federal budget. Nevertheless those funds are critical to provide life-saving clean water. The U.S. could demonstrate leadership on this critical issue by improving funding for clean water and sanitation while ensuring that the budget for all international aid is protected.

Next Steps

U.S. leadership on water is progressing, but has a long way to go. Opportunities abound in funding, training and prioritizing water, moreover the strength in USAID’s effort to integrate all water investments will be reinforced if a water strategy is formalized. As we prepare for World Water Day, a global day of awareness and action, we are reminded that the United States has committed to let clean waters flow. Let us redouble our efforts to protect clean water for those who need it most so that we all have something to celebrate on World Water Day.

What did you do for World Water Day? NRDC workshop explored the links between environmental conservation and clean water for the poor

2011-03-24T19:17:34Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

On World Water Day, March 22 2011 people around the world celebrated clean water and explored solutions for the world’s biggest environmental health crisis – the lack of safe water and sanitation. Killing more children each year than AIDS, Malaria and TB combined, the water and sanitation crisis remains a major challenge. Fortunately momentum is building and people are increasingly recognizing the tremendous value of water. Check out these people marking the day with a combination of humor and serious action in London, Washington, Hollywood, and South Africa. As part of a broad coalition based in Washington D.C. NRDC participated in a series events throughout the week bringing together a variety of conversations about water and sanitation.

WASH and Healthy Ecosystems Workshop

Joining together with Catholic Relief Services, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, The World Wildlife Fund and more, NRDC sat down with the experts to explore how integrated planning and programming can provide more access to clean water while improving the health of freshwater ecosystems.

We conducted our workshop concurrent with other workshops on health and water, and education and water. Our many groups are working to improve water access because of its important linkages to human health, food security, environmental sustainability, education and security. As Hillary Clinton put it at her speech on World Water Day:

the water crisis is a health crisis, it's a farming crisis, it's an economic crisis, it's a climate crisis, and increasingly, it is a political crisis. And therefore, we must have an equally comprehensive response.

Participants explored an intriguing model in Ranon’ala Project in Madagascar where Conservation International and Catholic Relief Services are working on a USAID funded project to bring together improved access to clean water and sanitation with integrated water resources management (IWRM) to protect resources for the long-term. We also learned about the WaterFunds program in Colombia and Ecuador where The Nature Conservancy is protecting watersheds to provide cost-effective improvements in water security.

Integration activities like these are serving as a model. Experts from USAID attending the event, chief among them the newly appointed Global Water Coordinator Chris Holmes noted that despite challenges - many of USAIDs departments strive to achieve integration. We also learned that the American Red Cross has made integration a requirement of all water and sanitation service delivery programs. In Haiti after the earthquake and in Sri Lanka after the Tsunami – the Red Cross explored new ways to make sure the water remains clean and drinkable long after the disaster is over and the project is complete.

Now that World Water Day is complete, we will be working to compile more stories like this and build a body of knowledge about integration between these two fields. If you would like to share your project or ideas with us please send me an email hallen@nrdc.org.

We hope that in the coming months and years the advantages of integrating water programs will prove that critical cost savings can be achieved and lives saved. Happy World Water Day!

Clinton and Zoellick sign an agreement on World Water Day which could advance technical work and focus on water

2011-03-23T00:40:57Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

Today on World Water Day as people around the world celebrated, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Robert Zoellick President of the World Bank signed a broad agreement on water. The room was packed as Clinton presented the case for water and sanitation.

Thank you to WaterAID America for the photos!

The Atrium of the World Bank was crowded with people standing for over an hour eager to hear how the new agreement could advance access to clean water. Representatives from the World Bank U.S. Government, Coca Cola, many non-profit organizations and humanitarian organizations spoke about their on-going projects and the need for greater investment in water and sanitation.

Having briefly seen a copy of the MOU (I will post it here as soon as it becomes available on-line), it appears the agreement could provide a framework to connect technical expertise from U.S. agencies to the people who need it most. Today’s agreement identifies a suite of potential areas of cooperation between the United States and the Bank - many of which are already on-going (for example: weather and climate prediction and hydrologic modeling, and installation of water and sanitation systems). There are no new funds associated with the agreement so the question is: what is new here?

From my experience having worked in the Federal Government, there are two critical things that this MOU is likely to facilitate on the U.S. side:

Fast-tracking water projects for a wider range of U.S. agencies:

While many agencies are engaged in water related programming around the world, USAID is the agency primarily tasked with addressing water and sanitation, freshwater ecosystems, and water for food and agriculture through community based development programs. Congress appropriates the bulk of its funds for international water to USAID, on the order of 300 million in recent years. Yet other key technical agencies have valuable expertise in water; like the United States Geological Survey which monitors water levels around the country, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which predicts rain and collects data on melting glaciers, and Centers for Disease Control which respond to outbreaks of waterborne illness. These agencies and so many more are poised to work alongside communities around the world that struggle with some of these same challenges. A quick example is the work that the National Weather Service is doing in partnership with Mexico to improve river and flash flood forecasting and studies related to sustainable development. The agreement should make it easier for these agencies to work together within government and partner with organizations in other countries and the World Bank to do water-related projects.

Prioritization of water

Last year Hillary Clinton’s speech on World Water Day catapulted water to the top of the mind among the diplomatic and humanitarian communities. Previously water had done well in Congress (regularly receiving signficant appropriations and passing the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act), however focus from the White House or Administration had been lacking.

In Clinton’s 2010 speech she called water the ‘wellspring of all life’, and characterized it as central to international development. From that speech and other actions over the last year we have seen significant progress toward prioritizing water. Just last month the Rajiv Shah the Administrator of USAID appointed Chris Holmes to be the new Global Water Coordinator – a position designed to help build a water strategy across government agencies. In addition President Obama requested just over 300 million for water appropriations for 2012 – the largest amount ever, indicating an increasing focus on water.

This MOU will help to ground these advances and build support at all levels throughout government agencies for cooperation on water. Agreements like these can be powerful tools to support innovative projects on water, because they make it clear that the highest levels of government intend to see progress here.

Today’s agreement on water helps people in the World Bank and the U.S. Government focus attention where we need it most – to bring water and sanitation to the billions who lack it, a great reason to celebrate on World Water Day.

United States and World Bank will recognize the importance of water on World Water Day, March 22 2011

2011-03-17T21:43:11Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President of World Bank Robert Zoellick are poised to make new committments on water. Next week on World Water Day, March 22 the World Bank will host a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Government and the World Bank. This aggreement could usher in a critical focus on water and sanitation programs and offer new hope to the nearly one billion people who lack clean water.

If you are in Washington, please consider attending the events on World Water Day.

Monday, March 21 – Center for Strategic and International Studies “Making Progress” Learning Forum

Tuesday, March 22 – World Bank US and World Bank Agreement on Global Water and Sanitation Cross-Sectoral Working Groups

WASH and Healthy Ecosystems: Advancing Freshwater Management Through Integrated WASH Programming

Breaking the Silos: Aligning the WASH and Education Agendas

Integrating Advocacy to Improve Access to Nutrition, Safe Water, and Health

Wednesday, March 23 – Capitol Hill

Advocacy Day

To find out more or rsvp for an event go to www.waterday.org

And if you are outside of the District you can help by donating your voice on facebook or twitter.

Support NRDC on World Water Day by donating your Facebook status and Tweets for a week.

In the lead up to World Water Day cuts to U.S. foreign assistance put clean water programs at risk.

2011-03-07T19:07:51Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

The Senate stands poised to take votes on the Congressional budget which include cuts to key programs that endanger health in America and abroad. My colleagues have blogged on the budget cuts that threaten our clean air and efforts to combat the impacts of climate change and more here.

Included in the proposed budget cuts are significant cuts to foreign aid and humanitarian assistance including funding for clean water and sanitation programs. While foreign aid makes up a small percentage of the overall budget - Obama proposed $47 billion for Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development - programs directed at provision of basic water and sanitation account for only about $300 million dollars. Nevertheless those funds are critical to provide life-saving clean water for communities with little or no access.

Clean water and safe sanitation is fundamental for health and development. Diseases caused by water-related diseases kill more children each year than AIDS, Malaria and TB combined. However investments in clean water help children to stay healthy, to go to school and to lead productive lives. The WHO estimates that for every dollar we invest in clean water eight dollars are returned in increased productivity and decreased health care costs. These are investments that make up a small but vital part of our budget and must be protected.

This month, World Water Day will be celebrated around the globe on March 22nd. You can join in the celebrations and take action to make sure that programs to provide clean water are protected. To find out more about World Water Day check out www.waterday.com or send a message to Congress to tell them you support wise investments in clean water.

The 'Green Economy' and Earth Summit 2012: Why fast-growing mega-cities with challenges of poverty and hunger may hold the key to a sustainable future

2011-01-12T16:31:22Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

Preparations for Earth Summit 2012 are heating up. The international Summit to be held in May of 2012 in Rio de Janeiro is anticipated to draw leaders from around the world for a meeting on the future of sustainable development, and the emerging concept of the ‘Green Economy’. The Summit builds on a rich history of global gatherings in 1992 and 2002 of Presidents and Prime Ministers which shaped the way the world has sought to address the world’s most challenging environmental and social issues.

Today, at the United Nations in New York in a meeting to prepare for the Summit, countries are eagerly debating the ‘Green Economy’. They want to know how countries can use the concept to generate action to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, protect plants, animals and natural systems while elevating people from abject poverty and improving lives.

Its all encompassing really, which leads to the seemingly limitless debate on what the ‘Green Economy’ means. Nevertheless it has tremendous support:

The goal of a green economy has powerful backing, witness the declarations of the most powerful policymakers in the world. … the leaders of the G20 – the world’s twenty largest developed and emerging economies, accounting for almost 80% of the world’s population and 90% of its GDP – restated their commitment to a “green recovery and to sustainable global growth,” following up on their statement in 2009: “We will make the transition towards clean, innovative, resource efficient, low carbon technologies and infrastructure.”

Excerpt from UNEP’s Green Economy Brief for Policy Makers

In a presentation yesterday Jeffrey McNeely Chief Scientist at IUCN explained that the green economy means separating growth, job creation, and economic activity from resource use and pollution.

So what would that look like?

For an under-employed or unemployed former manufacturing plant worker in the United States it might mean training to retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient. Retrofitting buildings is perfect example of creating jobs, raising the standard of living and improving lives through employment and opportunities (while reducing pollution, energy costs and waste). Job creation, growth, and pollution reduction at the same time – green is sexy.

But what does it mean for the billions of people in the developing world who live on less than two dollars a day, in cities with major problems delivering clean water, adequate food and basic electricity and transportation services?

50% of the world lives in cities and 80% of all global carbon dioxide emissions a year come from cities. Billions of the world’s poor live in slums in these metropolises ‘by some estimates 27 of the 33 mega-cities expected to exist by 2015 will be in developing countries’. And while much of Europe and North America have existing concrete infrastructure which needs to be retrofitted to become more efficient, the buildings going up in the developing world have tremendous potential to be built to be the most efficient, the healthiest and the most advanced technologically.

During this period of rapid growth in the developing world we have the opportunity to avoid lock-in of outdated technologies. Recently– the U.S. Green Building Council with NRDC and over 40 partners from 18 countries partners launched GLOBE ALLIANCE to

bring to scale the low cost, often profitable, benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable design, construction and operation of our built environment.

The GLOBE Alliance calls on the international community to:

Invest in the built environment as a leading strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Increase capacity, knowledge sharing and technology cooperation between developed and developing nations
Commit to equitable, inclusive approaches to resilient, low-carbon infrastructure and development
Develop and adopt consistent metrics that facilitate monitoring verifying and reporting emissions reductions

The GLOBE Alliance and similar efforts to advance green buildings and sound energy policy demonstrate that the green economy is real, its critical and its more important than ever to save lives, protect livelihoods and improve the standard of living.

Despite the many definitions of the green economy – the principle of decoupling growth from pollution and resource use holds promise for fast growing cities and the most disadvantaged people.

Learn more about GLOBE Alliance here.

Final Results at the Cancun Climate Talks: Clear Progress on Climate Finance

2010-12-11T20:16:15Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

The climate agreement struck in Cancun at 3:30 in the morning today was a significant step forward to reduce global warming emissions and prepare countries to lessen the impacts of climate change. As the Mexican President of COP 16 Patricia Espinosa reiterated throughout the negotiations; agreement on finance was central to the success of the night. The finance package was a deft compromise on short and long-term finance, transparency of financial contributions, and the establishment of the Climate Fund.

The overall package will create a solid foundation to build progress to address climate change. As my colleague Jake Schmidt, International Climate Policy Director for NRDC put it:

Here in Cancun, 193 countries came together and demonstrated a renewed commitment to the fight against global warming. The Cancun Agreements are a detailed set of visionary, yet pragmatic principles that make important strides to begin implementing the agreement reached in Copenhagen last year. The countries gathered in Cancun made progress on emissions reductions, greater transparency, forest preservation and the creation of the green fund to help mobilize much needed investments throughout the world.

The elements of the finance deal struck a balance between the need to quickly establish a major fund to move multi-lateral resources efficiently to the developing world, and the need to provide a robust structure that would ensure funds are governed properly. The commitments from Copenhagen to deliver 30 billion in fast start funds through 2012 and to reach a scale of 100 billion a year by 2020 also needed to be fleshed out in this agreement. Here is how the elements were finally agreed (you can find full text here).

Green Climate Fund

The UNFCCC Conference of the Parties established the Green Climate Fund. There has been waffling on the name of the fund – on Wednesday it was being termed the Global Climate Fund and in Copenhagen it had been called the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund – but nevertheless it was established. The fund will serve a critical role as a mechanism to deliver support for urgent climate actions like reducing emissions through protecting forests, and shifting to greener energy technologies. The fund will also deliver resources to the newly established technology centers which will over research, scientific exchange and technical support for countries looking to improve efficiency and reduce emissions from sectors like energy production, transportation, and buildings.

Many countries highlighted the value of the fund to deliver needed resources on scaled up level for vital adaptation activities. Developing countries are rightly concerned that they have to act fast to adopt new approaches to agricultural, land and water management, education and training, communications, and health systems (to name a few of the sectors that will be impacted by climate change).

In Kenya for example, a country where many people live in rural areas, changing precipitation patterns are already having a damaging effect on crop production and food supplies. Kenya needs support for better precipitation observation systems, improved water efficiency for agriculture and tools to shift to new crops or new areas if necessary. In their remarks on the agreement struck Kenya noted that though the deal was not perfect – the new fund was critical to their ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change and therefore they supported the package. More details on the Fund can be found in my earlier posts here and here.

Transparency of Finance

Trust remained a challenge up until the final hours. But President Patricia Espinosa demonstrated the value in openness and transparency in every element in the climate talks. The text on finance further helped shore up confidence. Developing countries had advocated throughout the year leading up to this meeting of the Cancun Climate Talks for a process to ensure that the delivery of climate finance would be transparent and there would be a system to monitor and verify the promised funds. The final agreement included a new registry to record developing country efforts to reduce emissions and to match those actions finance and technical support. The agreement provides for tracking finance in a common reporting format – something that will enable civil society and recipients of funds to better hold developed nations to account for their commitments.

Short and Long-Term Finance

The COP formalized the Copenhagen commitments to deliver 30 billion through 2012. Currently the United States and European efforts in 2010 to deliver the needed funds along with efforts by Japan, Australia and others demonstrate progress toward meeting the goal. However resources will need to be scaled up in 2011 and 2012 to meet the 30 billion.

On Long-Term Finance there has been work throughout the year since the Copenhagen Climate Talks to identify sources for the needed of increased funding for climate change efforts. The United Nations Secretary General established a High-Level Advisory Group on Climate-Change Financing to look at this issue. They issued their report this November which identifies potential new sources of funds and lays out portfolios which may ultimately serve as the inputs for the Climate Fund. They considered sources ranging from carbon markets, to international transport, a tax on financial transactions and private finance. One of the elements seen to be making the most progress in the talks here is the effort to raise revenues from international transport (shipping and aviation).

The Cancun Agreements as the texts from this morning are coming to be known, noted the report and it will be interesting to see how the meetings in South Africa next year build on the offerings in that report toward progress on meeting the 100 billion commitment.

Progress in Cancun to flight Climate Change

As we just now begin to comprehend the value of the work done in the year leading up to this meeting and the intense two weeks of negotiations here in Cancun – it is clear from the arrangements on finance that we have indeed made progress. It was a tremendous night and though no party was completely satisfied, the progress here will allow critical actions to reduce emissions, and protect people from the catastrophic impacts of climate change. Financing for climate activities will indeed save lives and protect our children from the mounting impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, it seems that this agreement may have done even more to rebuild the spirit of compromise needed for countries to work together on all global challenges. Its great it happened here though – as Espinosa said.

Climate change is the challenge of our century.

With no time to lose: new text at climate talks reveals possible compromise on Global Climate Fund

2010-12-11T01:09:22Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

The Climate negotiators seem to have demonstrated real compromise on the elements of a Green Climate Fund tonight. The new text has just been issued (5:30 pm Friday December 12th) and it lays out a process to bring forward the Green Climate Fund (previously known as the Global Climate Fund). The new fund will be a critical part of the agreement countries are hoping to reach tonight in Cancun. My colleague Jake Schmidt explains the package in the new text here. I laid out some of the elements of the fund in an earlier post here and below I will highlight the areas of compromise in the latest text.

COP President Patricia Espinosa made it clear in her remarks just now that parties are still negotiating – so its not clear how this will shake out. But the spirit of compromise is once again in the air. After she announced this text she received about 5 minutes of applause and even a standing ovation.

With tears in her eyes, perhaps explained as gratitude for the overwhelming demonstration of support from countries, she closed the plenary and explained we must continue our work. We are waiting for the next formal plenary at 8pm. (Sorry for the blurry photo - but I thought it was worth it to see her expression).

Getting Started

Early arrangements for the fund are to be designed by a ‘transitional committee’ and the draft terms of reference are included in an annex. The committee would be comprised of 40 members (15 from the developed world and 25 from developing country parties). The fund would be established as part of the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It would be arranged through agreements between the Conference of the Parties and the Green Climate Fund to ensure that it is accountable to and under the guidance of the COP.

Fund Management

Governance of the fund would be conducted by a board of 24 members; 50% from developed and developing nations each. The agreement invites the World Bank to serve as the trustee for the fund for three years before a review. While support for operations will be provided by the UNFCCC secretariat.

So it looks like many of the elements of concern have been balanced – the Board will be split half and half with equal representation between the developed and the developing world but the transitional committee to establish the fund will be made up of primarily developing country parties, which reflects interests of vulnerable countries like small island states, African states and Least Developed Countries. The question of the World Bank as a trustee remains to be resolved, but it may be one of the final details to refine.

The hallways are abuzz with conversation about the balance of this compromise – hopefully we will see negotiators maintain the positive spirit and move this newest proposal forward along with the other key elements tonight. As Espinosa said again this evening – we are running out of time.

______________________________________________________________________

Update Saturday December 11, 2011.

The countries agreed on the proposed text and the UNFCCC has established the Fund. The decision to establish the fund as part of the whole package of elements laid out in the text was critical to helping many countries to support the agreement. After a highly emotional late night, its a relief that the UNFCCC has demonstrated signifcant progress and a path forward on climate finance to facilitate critical actions on adaptation, reducing emissions and transfering clean techonolgy. For a complete summary of the package deal my colleauge Alvin Lin's analysis is available here.

Cancun Climate Talks on last day of negotiations: establishing the Global Climate Fund

2010-12-10T18:15:24Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

Negotiators at the COP 16 Climate Talks in Cancun have been working furiously to refine the final package. Now, as of noon on the final day of the two week meeting we are waiting for the newest version of the text to be released. Last night country delegates hovered over the text discussing the fine points of the potential outcome throughout the night. The lucky people like me made it home around 1 am. But the country delegates were too busy to sleep at all. They were working on all of the elements: clean technology, building resilience to climate impacts, and recording emissions reductions pledges to encourage further ambition. Emissions reductions and monitoring those actions remain central to the discussions but another crucial element is the Global Climate Fund which will be essential for the balanced package.

Last year in the final moments of the COP-15 Climate Talks negotiation, countries agreed to establish the Climate Fund in the Copenhagen Accord saying:

We decide that the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund shall be established as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention to support projects, programs, policies and other activities in developing countries related to mitigation including REDD-plus, adaptation, capacity-building, technology development and transfer.

Here in Cancun it’s time to build on that commitment and fill in more details to allow the fund to deliver critical climate activities. The Fund will be essential to reduce global warming emissions from the developing world in the near term, serving as a source of funding for the transition to clean energy and reducing emissions from deforestation. Funding will also be directed to help countries to lessen the devastating impacts of climate change.

So what are the key elements of the Global Climate Fund structure under consideration here in Cancun?

Getting Started

Details about the timing of the creation of the fund are still in play. There is an urgency to establish the structure as soon as possible to advance action to reduce global warming emissions. Some are hoping that there will be a deadline to make sure the fund is operating or begins to operate by the next COP to be held in Durban South Africa.

Fund Management

The United States is strongly advocating for the World Bank to serve as an trustee for the fund. Some countries are opposed to the Bank serving in this role because of its history questionable energy investments and other concerns. There is an option to have them serve in the interim which may serve to address those concerns, and just last night China offered a new proposal for the Global Environmental Facility to serve as the trustee.

Environment and humanitarian organizations are concerned about the managment of the fund. They point to worries about governance, access to the funds, equity, indigenous rights and the rights of vulnerable people like women to have full participation in the delivery of the Climate Fund monies and activities. And negotiators will have to work carefully to ensure equitable access, transparency and safeguards are in place for the fund. Nevertheless negotiators here understand the imperative of the fund to begin to deliver. As Dr. Robert Glasser, Secretary General of CARE International said:

We are at a historic crossroads. There is an urgent need for the global community to tackle the climate change challenge. Lack of timely action in our generation will cause human suffering in future generations – and is already impacting the lives of poor people. Political leaders need to recognize that weak action at the negotiations will exasperate poverty.

Rumors abound that some of these details have been agreed but there is no way to know until we see the newest text in a few minutes. As President Patricia Espinosa said last night – finance is a central element of this package. If compromise has been reached the countries working here in Cancun may have made progress toward establishing a Global Climate Fund. Allowing the new fund to begin to work quickly will help the world implement actions to reduce emissions and lessen the impacts of climate change.

Stay tuned!

Early Morning Wake-up Call for Ministers from the Mexican Presidency at COP 16 Climate Talks

2010-12-08T23:19:12Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

This morning I fought the desire to hit snooze because I needed to rush to catch not one but two buses to make it to this morning’s meeting at the COP-16 Climate Talks in Cancun. And apparently everyone else woke-up early too – the building was bustling when I arrived. It’s quite rare that things get going early at any UN meeting and certainly not a COP where most official events start at 10am and beyond. So there was a great deal of excitement in the air as we squeezed into the packed room around 8:00 am.

New texts (available here and here) had been issued moments before the meeting. The documents covered the range of topics under negotiation and countries were eager to hear each other’s positions on the new papers. It was very surprising then when Patricia Espinosa the President of the COP, only allowed the working group chairs to make brief remarks. They introduced the papers and explained the remaining decisions must be made by political leaders (Ministers). And then she promptly closed the meeting allowing no countries to speak.

What?

The people sitting next to me looked over with bleary eyes; sleepy and surprised. We had expected hours of statements from almost every country (and group of countries). Instead what happened may have been a highly effective approach to sometimes unwieldy negotiations. It might have been genius.

Espinosa knows that there are only 48 hours left to get Ministers to come to an agreed outcome here in Cancun. She needed to get everyone to focus on the new text and to avoid repeating their own long-standing national positions. By gathering everyone together first thing, sharing the new text and then explaining that the majority of the remaining major decisions are political - she made it clear that the Ministers must buckle down and negotiate in the spirit of compromise to reach a balanced package by the end of the meeting on Friday night.

There is no more time for delay. The damages resulting from climate change continue to mount and the costs of adaptation continue to rise. As my colleague Jake Schmidt documented here countries have to decide if they can accept what is on the table.

This is a decision about whether countries want to “lock in” the emissions reduction commitments that countries made before and after Copenhagen and take tangible actions to improve the transparency of the actions all countries take to reduce their pollution.

Its clear the Mexican Presidency is absolutely committed to reaching a positive outcome here in Cancun and is working around the clock in an open and transparent fashion to foster dialogue and resolve the remaining issues. Now is the time for the negotiators to finalize agreements in the key areas so that we can begin to see real action to reduce global warming emissions and to help countries lessen the impacts of climate change.

Call Congress Now: Action needed for Clean Water

2010-12-06T17:11:19Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

In the final weeks of the 2010 Congress there is hope for a new law that would significantly improve U.S. efforts to bring clean water to the World. See our newest analysis of the steps we need to take here and here. But Congress won’t act without clear public support. Please call today to encourage your representative in Congress to support the passage of the Water for the World Act. All House offices can be called through 202-225-3121. Individual House members' telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are available from www.house.gov

As I mentioned in a blog last month the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act may well be brought to the House floor for a vote in the coming days. The bill is a critical step forward to bring clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene to the most vulnerable and poorest people in the world. Unsafe water remains the greatest threat to children – killing more than AIDS, TB and Malaria combined. Despite its critical importance to health, nutrition, gender equality, educational attainment, social stability and the environment; safe water remains elusive for millions of children.

Please help Congress to do the right thing – they need to hear from you. The short window of time means phone calls are more important than emails so call the Congress main line at 202-223-3121 and let them know that you want them to support Water for the World.

Further information on the bill can be found at www.wateradvocates.org

Want more info? Check out this new video by the Chronicles Group explaining how the bill presents an opportunity to bring water and sanitation to 100 million people:

Europe Demonstrates Commitment to Fast Start Climate Funds for Developing Countries

2010-12-02T01:41:46Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

In the first few days here in Cancun at the Climate Talks, European nations announced a series of projects and funding streams designated to fulfill their Copenhagen Accord commitments to ‘fast start climate finance’ to aid developing countries in reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Yesterday the European Union released a new report on their progress delivering the promised funds.

These monies are a critical element of the finance package countries are hoping to realize here in Cancun. Along with the demonstrated delivery of the fast start monies, countries are eager to establish the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund or the Green Fund and to make headway on long-term financing options to deliver the goal of larger predictable sources of funding for climate in the future.

Transparency around how countries are turning their pledges into cash and what those funds are being used for is a key element of building trust here in Cancun. With this report the EU is making a significant effort to be transparent about their funding contributions. Other countries are also trying to provide more detail on their contributions. The US reported details on its current assistance towards prompt start funding, with details on how the money is being used in each country. And other countries are compiling details on their funding in a Danish website www.fasttrackfinance.org.

Of the 30 billion (USD) committed by donor nations for the 2010-2012 period the European Union is providing a significant share. Their total pledge is 7.2 billion Euros (approx $9.35 billion) and represents nearly 1/3 of the total global commitment. The United States has not made an official total pledge for funds over the 2010-2012 period but puts their own contribution at $1.7 billion in 2010. 1.3 billion are Congressional appropriated funds detailed in my earlier posts here and here.*

Europe’s contribution for 2010 alone already makes them the global leader in climate finance having mobilized fast start funding on the order of 2.2 billion Euros by their own estimates. Recent analysis by the World Resources Institute takes a closer look at those investments here. The pattern of investment includes bilateral and multi-lateral mechanisms with just over half allocated to loans and the remaining amount being spent on grants. The European countries are generally supporting the same international institutions for clean technology, adaptation and reducing emissions through deforestation including the UNFCCC, the World Bank climate and forest funds, the Global Environmental Facility programs and REDD partnerships. Here are a few highlights of Europe’s efforts at bilateral climate investment.

Finland: 110 million Euros

Focusing on the most vulnerable to climate change – Finland is a champion of women – investing in capacity building to allow women full participation in climate change negotiations and planning. As part of the Global Gender and Climate Alliance Finland provides financial support for women from the Least Developed Countries in the world to participate in the negotiating sessions on climate like the one here in Cancun. They are also working to enable wider participation of women in implementation of climate activities at the national level. In the developing world women provide food, water and energy for their families – and Finland along with its partners has determined that engaging women in the work of reducing emissions and preparing for climate impacts is critical to solving the climate crisis.

France: 1.26 billion Euros

French President Sarkozy remains fully committed to meeting the Copenhagen Accord fast start climate finance pledge, and while the French Development Agency has steadily ramped up climate adaptation and climate mitigation investment (at 2.4 b Euros in 2009), France will focus especially on forests. France is working on an initial sustainable forest management project in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the are managing 14 million hectares and hoping to expand to 10 million more hectares of commercially managed forests to protect biodiversity, carbon socks and promote economic development.

Germany: 1.26 billion Euros

Germany has committed to provide a total of 1.26 billion Euros over the 2010-2012 period with 300 million already distributed this year. Approximately a third of their projects will focus on adaptation projects such as a partnership with Kenya on climate risk management and micro-insurance for small scale farmers at risk of crop loss from climate change. They are also working to build institutional capacity through a program called FACET – an effort to train financial experts to provide credit access for clean energy technologies in South and South East Asia. On forests, they will be working with Peru on building a national REDD+ system.

United Kingdom: 1.5 billion Pounds or 1.8 billion Euros

Despite drastic budget cuts this year, education cuts causing recent civil unrest in London, the UK plans to keep the foreign assistance budget intact and has approved 568 million Pounds this year. A significant portion of funds will go through the major multilateral arms but the UK is also launching a new Climate Development Knowledge Network to support decision makers in designing and delivering climate compatible development. Eventually the network should reach 60 countries building capacity for clean energy and climate resilient agriculture, water and infrastructure investments.

EU countries are making a positive step in providing more transparency around its prompt start contribution. This will help rebuild some trust as developing countries are looking at whether developed countries live up to the commitment that they made last year in Copenhagen. Let’s hope all countries take this opportunity to provide more clarity on their contributions to assist developing countries in reducing their deforestation emissions, deploying clean energy, and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

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* Recently the U.S. announced that clean energy funding on the order of $400 million through the export credit agencies is included in their climate finance package for the developing world. While we welcome all efforts to move every bit of funding possible in a manner that is helping us address global warming, we question why the fossil fuel funding of export credit agencies wasn’t separately accounted as a debit towards the clean energy contribution that they included. Given the spotty history of energy investment at these institutions, the U.S. needs to take a hard look at the comprehensive energy investment portfolio and demonstrate a comprehensive shift toward clean energy investment, rather than counting only the positive side of the ledger (the clean energy investments) and not taking a debit for the investments that are taking us in the wrong direction.

On World Toilet Day: New NRDC Report Calls for U.S. Action to Solve the Global Sanitation Crisis

2010-11-19T15:11:39Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

Today on World Toilet Day NRDC, along with CARE and WaterAid released a report calling for the U.S. Government to take the needed steps to solve the global water and sanitation crisis. The impact of this crisis is far reaching. Disease caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation kill more children than AIDS, Malaria and TB combined. But thankfully, we have the tools we need to solve the crisis and if implemented the recommendations in the report released today will go a long way toward bringing clean water and safe sanitation to the people and especially the children who need it the most.

The report, authored by NRDC, CARE and WaterAID has supprt from Action Against Hunger, AMREF, Catholic Relief Services, Global Water Challenge, H20 for Life, International Housing Coalition, Millennium Water Alliance, PATH, PSI (Population Services International), Water for People and Water.org. The release of the report was one of many events recognizing World Toilet Day.

There are four key recommendations for the U.S. in our report:

Develop a water strategy
Shift to a more comprehensive view of water and sanitation
Establish senior water leadership
Direct water and sanitation projects to those most in need

1) The Administration must deliver a multi-year water, sanitation and hygiene strategy, couched in a broader water strategy – which incorporates indicators of progress, benchmarks for success and a timetable for implementation. The strategy is a key element of the Water for the Poor Act – and long overdue. Its vital also that the strategy be developed in meaningful consultation with relevant stakeholders.

2) The Administration should take a more comprehensive view of water, sanitation and hygiene. Planning and budgeting for projects to bring clean water and sanitation services to people should be integrated within the wider water strategy and take into account projects for water productivity and water resources management. Moreover it is critical to raise the profile of water and sanitation from an isolated development or environmental health issue into the bedrock of foreign assistance. Water and sanitation must be fully integrated into the broader development agenda and high level initiatives on food security, health and climate change. As I mentioned lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene is a leading cause of malnutrition, and death in children, and it should be treated as such.

3) State Department and USAID should establish senior water advisors within their highest offices in order to increase coordination across the agencies, and provide critical leadership to advance water and sanitation as a priority within the US and internationally. Perhaps even more critically USAID must continue to train personnel in water and sanitation.

4) Finally – as called for by the Water for the Poor Act, the Administration must prioritize funding for water and sanitation based on level of need. The international community has recommended that 70% of all investment for water and sanitation go to low-income countries. Right now much of the funding for water and sanitation go to geo-politically strategic regions in the Middle East which have more access to clean water and safe sanitation that people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Funding for clean water and safe sanitation should be targeted toward the people who need it most.

Fortunately, the importance of water is broadly accepted as fundamental to human well-being by the health and development communities, and is clear priority for Americans with broad bipartisan support – we just need the Administration to capitalize on the wealth of support for this issue and make water a priority for foreign assistance.

NRDC recognizes that the threats to safe sanitation and water for people around the world are mounting and yet water underpins all health, development and prosperity. Along with the co-authors and groups supporting the report NRDC stands ready to work with the Administration to take the concrete steps improve global water and sanitation.

World Toilet Day is Pretty Funny: Except for People Dying from Lack of Access to Toilets

2010-11-17T16:57:12Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

This Friday November 19th is World Toilet Day, a time to celebrate the Toilet! People around my office love that I get so excited about World Toilet Day, they smile or make an excellent toilet joke whenever I bring it up. Toilets really can be fun, this summer one of my favorite comedians Niecy Nash celebrated toilets at the NY Flushing subway station, handing out subway tickets with her fabulous weave and large flower. And last March Mandy Moore joined children at our nation’s capitol to demonstrate the value of toilets.

Yet, despite all the fun we have been having the reality is much less cheery, 2.6 billion people lack access to a toilet or a safe place to urinate and defecate and the resulting illnesses kill more children than AIDS, Malaria and TB combined. It seems so simple and fundamental, yet the world has not yet managed to address this crisis – we need to do more.

Special thanks to photographer Tony Powell for his photos.

There will be a lot happening around the United States on Friday World Toilet Day to raise awareness and generate action to solve the global sanitation and water crisis. NRDC along with CARE, and WaterAID and other leading health and development organizations will be releasing a report demonstrating that the U.S. Government has not done enough to respond to this crisis because it has failed to implement key components of the 2005 Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. Check our website on Friday for the full report which details the missing pieces of the implementation of the Water for the Poor Act and what the White House, USAID and the State Department need to do to fully implement the law.

And there is potential for significant new legislation in the next few weeks if Congress moves to address this crisis. The U.S. House of Representatives has a chance to vote on H.R. 2030/S. 624, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act, during its current "lame duck" session. This new video by the Chronicles Group explains why the bill presents an opportunity to bring water and sanitation to 100 million people.

So don’t let World Toilet Day pass you by. Check out the reports, follow us on twitter, join an event, tell some good jokes, and take a stand for those who lack the most basic necessities.

World Water Week brings together the scientists, activists, creative thinkers and policy makers to save lives and improve water stewardship

2010-10-15T15:38:44Z

Heather Allen, International Advocate, Washington, DC

Water has captured our imagination for centuries, but in recent decades it’s been taken for granted by people that have it and it has required too much from people who don’t. The good news is that if we manage water properly and prioritize water where it can have the most benefit we can save millions of lives each year (mostly children). Bringing clean water to the world raises education levels, protects precious natural resources and empowers women. To paraphrase Hillary Clinton on World Water Day – there aren’t many diplomatic efforts that can do that.

The folks at the Stockholm International Water Institute which hosts World Water Week each year recognize how essential water is to all life. And the focus of their meeting this September was the challenge of water quality. The meeting brought together some of the most exciting new ideas about water and water management.

Highlights of the Meeting

Dr. Rita Colwell received the Stockholm Water Prize for her work identifying the disease pathways of cholera, and the correlation between water temperature, presence of zooplankton and the presence of cholera in the water. Her work utilizes sophisticated satellite technology which can measure water temperature and zooplankton to predict outbreaks of cholera. Dr. Colwell also discovered that one of the best readily available filters to fight the cholera is a well-worn sari folded several times and use of the sari filter has reduced the incidence of cholera in India.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize went to students from Canada Alexandre Allaard and Danny Luong who developed a new method to breakdown polystyrene using microorganisms and enzymes. Several contestants for the Junior Water Prize worked along the same theme, identifying systems to remove contaminants like nitrogen and phosphorous from greywater, using constructed wetlands to make water safe for use in household gardens. And students from Ghana implemented an end-to-end community water system training a community to use proper hygiene practices at sanitation and design a primary water treatment system.

Reinventing our approach to water

Rethinking approaches to wastewater and sanitation was a prevalent theme which couldn’t be more critical to the 2.6 billion people who lack have a sanitary toilet. Half of the world’s malnutrition is caused by water and sanitation-related diseases. Malnutrition and repeated episodes of diarrhea during childhood can impair physical growth and cognitive function throughout life. Children that live long enough to attend school often start off at a disadvantage. The good news is that efforts to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene in schools significantly reduces diseases and increases student attendance and academic success.

At World Water Week, water managers sought to find new solutions the water and sanitation challenge. With an eye to ‘shortcuting historical pollution trends’ they hope to improve water quality by leapfrogging outdated water treatment methods. Given the pressures on growing communities, the old models of water and sanitation services often result in significant water quality impairment. Water quality degradation delays development, impacts people's quality of life and often irreversibly damages ecosystems.

Sunita Narain, of the Center for Science and the Environment in New Delhi explained that all countries are forced to deal with water pollution, but face different pollutants depending on levels of development. The developing world faces the challenges of providing basic sanitation to reduce waterborne illness and treat human waste. Parasitic intestinal worms caused by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene infect two billion people (one-third of the world’s population) annually. Worms affect an estimated 400 million school-aged children in the developing world, causing developmental and behavioral disturbances that can diminish their ability to learn. In the the developed world, which has largely addressed bacterial threats, pesticides, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals pose new threats to safe water.

Dr. Narain challenged participants to think outside the box – about economical solutions, that would help developing countries break the cycle of increasing economic growth and resulting pollution. A new engineering approach was required she claimed. She recommended decentralized sewage treatment and increased dependence on local water sources; recharging local water aquifers; protecting tanks, ponds, and rainwater harvesting.

Achim Steiner (the head of UNEP) emphasized the opportunity to view water quality through the ‘Green Economy’ lens encouraging participants to reflect on a systems perspective (social, ecological and economic). UNEP has found that for everyone dollar of investment in water, there are between 5 and 46 dollars in economic gains.

Integration of water tools

Integration of locally available natural water storage and transportation solutions, rather than traditional centralized treatment and long pipes was another approach echoed throughout the conference. Climate change threats to water supply and sanitation systems was a primary reason the International Water Management Institute argued for integrated water management rather than reliance on large dams. They recommended small farmers use water from wetlands, water stored in the soil, groundwater and water collected in ponds, tanks and reservoirs to ‘diversify and reduce risk in their water accounts to provide a buffer against climate impacts’.

Get Involved

And now, as the global water and sanitation crisis continues to loom over the billions of people affected, it is up to us to bring the lessons of World Water Week to our policy makers and to development agencies to make sure that they prioritize water and sanitation. Take action now, to protect life by bringing water to the world.