CEE Oct-Dec 2012

• halving, "by 2015 the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation". Investment in sustainable water storage infrastructure in developing countries would help achieve this goal. Industrial water supply Every manufactured product uses water during its production process. Industrial water use includes purposes such as processing, washing, diluting, cooli ng, or transporting a product as well as for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. Industries that use large amounts of water produce food , paper, clothing, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals, all of which would aid developing countries to increase the value of their natural resources. However, sustainable and reliable water supply is a precondition to encourage establishment of such productive industries. • Navigation Inland navigation for goods transportation, compared with land and air freight, has many environmental and economic advantages. Inland navigation is also well suited for handling large quantities of cargo and items with large dimensions. For those reasons, nations have encouraged inland navigation on canals and natural river courses. The control of levels in water courses for navigation requires water storage, and this can be an important role for multipurpose reservoirs and infrastructure. • Environmental services Water storage infrastructure can keep the healthy life of rivers through ecological operation and serve wider environmental services. They can allow upkeep of minimum flows during dry seasons which enable the preservation of many aquatic animals and plants during droughts. Moreover, dams and reservoirs contribute to stabilizing ground water levels in adjacent land areas. Reservoirs can also be used to create new and biologically desirable habitats and to irrigate wetland biotopes or wetland forests. We, therefore, call for joint efforts to develop water storage infrastructure in a sustainable way. Today, water and energy schemes can be built in a safe, economic, and eco-friendly way. Water, food and energy services are intricately linked and need to be developed in an integrated approach. Based on the multi-faceted and cross-boundary nature of water issues in the present world , we call for: Continued cooperation among various stakeholders, government authorities, research institutions, businesses, civil societies. local communities and so on, to speed up the development and implementation of effective and sustainable water solutions. Development of sharing rivers with win-win cooperation to better serve regional requirements on water, food and energy Improved policies, guidelines and protocols to evaluate and mitigate environmental and social impact of various storage options and to address the concerns of affected communities. Funding agencies to effect action in countries which need water storage, promoting national and regional development, with innovative financing mechanisms. In conclusion • Water is life and water storage infrastructure is an indispensable tool for society. • Investment in water storage infrastructure is investment in the green economy. • The services they provide will be crucial in the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. • To meet growing demands for water, food and energy, it is time to develop solutions for better use of water resources, especially for developing countries, and to match political commitments with action. • A balanced approach , combining large, medium and small reservoirs, is required; one that takes into account sustainable development, with full commitment to minimize negative impact. • The organizations signing this declaration commit to collaborate with all partners and stakeholders that share this common vision. Approved on 5 1 h June 2012 in Kyoto, by: The International Commission on Large Dams (I COLD), The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), The International Hydropower Association (IHA), and the International Water Resources Association (IWRA). Courtesy: India Power, July- Sep. 2012, P27. 60 )