WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CTE/W/246 
12 May 2009 
 
 (09-2320) 
Committee on Trade and Environment Original:   English/ 
 French/  Spanish 
 
  
5
TH WORLD WATER FORUM  
 ISTANBUL, TURKEY, MARCH 2009  
 
Submission by Turkey  
   The delegation of Turkey has requested that the following declarations and statements be 
circulated to Members of the Committee on Trad e and Environment for information.  These 
declarations and statements were made by Heads of State, Ministers and local governments at the 5th 
World Water Forum held in Istanbul, Turkey in March 2009.  
 
 
_______________ 
 
  WT/CTE/W/246 
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  5
th World Water Forum 
 
Istanbul Declaration of Heads of States on Water 
 
16 March 2009 
 
We, the Heads of States, Governments and Inte rnational Organizations, gathered in Istanbul 
on 16 March 2009 on the occasion of the 5th World Water Forum, under the theme "Bridging Divides 
for Water", appeal to all national governments, inte rnational organizations a nd other stakeholders to 
generate a common vision and framework to develo p and manage water resources in a sustainable 
manner and to guarantee access to safe water and sanitation for all. 
 Water sustains human life and the environmen t; it connects people, cultures and economies. 
Water is indispensable for all economic and soci al development, food security, and ending poverty 
and hunger. It is also essential to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and other 
internationally agreed development goals.  
 The world is facing major global changes, such as rapid population growth, migration, 
uncontrolled and unhealthy urbanization, land-use ch anges, economic expansion, changes in trade 
patterns, climate change, which have a direct  negative impact on water resources. These global 
changes are seriously threatening water availability  and quality and encourage over-extraction.  The 
recent economic and financial crisis also must be acknowledged and its c onsequences on integrated 
water resources management and services urgently need to be evaluated. 
 Water also has a power to destroy lives a nd livelihoods as has been experienced through 
floods, hurricanes and droughts, and climate change is expected to exacerbate these already disastrous 
events. 
 Water resources cannot be managed without appr opriate capacity and properly designed and 
maintained infrastructure. Thus, investment in these areas should be given the highest priority.  
 Many decisions taken at all levels of govern ment both influence and depend significantly on 
water. Yet this connection is rarely  recognized and much less acted upon. 
 Therefore, we urgently need new policies, adap tation strategies, institutional reforms with the 
effective contribution of local elected administra tions and water users, international commitments, 
financial mechanisms, technology and innovation in order to addr ess global water issues and adapt 
water management strategies to the global changes.  
 We affirm our political will to take rapid ac tion bearing in mind the key elements of success: 
solidarity, security, adaptability and useful di alogue and cooperation on transboundary waters 
between neighbours.  Working together with a pa rticipatory, inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary 
approach to manage water resources, the world can  and will attain greater prosperity and increased 
stability through the sharing of the many benefits of water. 
 To achieve this, we call on all nations to join efforts in order to develop a global framework 
for addressing the world’s water issues and to implemen t tools that will help us accomplish solidarity, 
security and adaptability. 
 
We, the Heads of State, Governments and Intern ational Organizations gathered in Istanbul, 
pledge to create a more sustainable and water safe world in the 21
st Century and, in this context, 
appeal to everyone to join us in meeting this challenge.   WT/CTE/W/246 
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  5th World Water Forum 
Ministerial Process 
 
Istanbul, 22 March 2009  
 
Ministerial Statement 
 
We the Ministers and Heads of Delegations assembled in Istanbul, Turkey, on 20-22 March 
2009 on the occasion of the 5th World Water Forum, ‘Bridging Divides for Water’, are determined to 
address the global challenges related to water within  the context of sustainable development. We, 
therefore:  
Reaffirm the prior commitments made by national g overnments to achieve the internationally 
agreed upon goals on water and sanitation, including those in Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan 
of Implementation, acknowledge the decisions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable 
Development (UNCSD) and the multilateral agreements  relevant to water, water use, sanitation and 
health.  
 
Recognize  the need to achieve water security. To this  end, it is vital to increase adaptation of 
water management to all global changes and improve cooperati on at all levels.  
 
Recognize  that the world is facing rapid and unprecedented global changes, including 
population growth, migration, urbanization, climate change, desertification, drought, degradation in 
land use, economic and diet changes.  
 
Recognize , in particular, the specific challenges facing  different parts of the world, especially 
in Africa, in meeting the MDGs and attaining an acceptable level of water security for socio-economic development.  
Therefore, we the Ministers and Heads of Delegations, present at the Ministerial Conference 
of the 5
th World Water Forum, share the view on the following: 
 1. We will intensify our efforts to reach intern ationally agreed upon goals such as the MDGs and 
to improve access to safe and clean water, sanitation,  hygiene and healthy ecosystems in the shortest 
possible time through appropriate  policies and adequate financ ial resources at all levels.  
 2. We will further support the implementation of integrated water resources management 
(IWRM) at the level of river basin, watershed a nd groundwater systems, within each country, and, 
where appropriate, through intern ational cooperation to meet econom ic, social and environmental 
demands equitably, inter alia to address the impact of global changes, taking into account the interests 
of all stakeholders, using a participatory pro cess in decision making and planning while creating 
better links between relevant sectors to achie ve solutions that benefit all parties.  
 3. We endeavour to improve water demand mana gement, productivity and efficiency of water 
use for agriculture including, where appropriate, bu ilding irrigation networks and also improving rain-
fed agriculture to increase crop productivity and cons erve water with a view to achieving sustainable 
production of sufficient food for rapidly increasing populations, and changing consumption patterns, 
ameliorating living standards, especially in rural areas, and ending poverty and hunger consistent and 
in harmony with internationally agreed devel opment goals and other re levant international 
obligations/agreements.  
4. We support country-led development projects in  different sectors related to water, especially 
with regard to energy and food security and pove rty eradication. We will work to build new and WT/CTE/W/246 
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  maintain, strengthen, improve existing infrastruct ure for multiple purposes including water storage, 
irrigation, energy production, navigation and disaster prevention and preparedness that are economically sound, environmentally su stainable and socially equitable. 
 5. We will strengthen our unders tanding of the impacts of global changes on water resources, 
natural hydrological processes and ecosystems.  We  will work to preserve environmental flows, 
increase the resilience of and restore degraded eco systems, taking advantage of new mechanisms as 
well as partnerships with foresters to enhance water-related forest services. 
 6. We will strengthen the prevention of pollu tion from all sectors in surface and groundwater, 
appropriately applying the polluter pays princi ple, while further developing and implementing 
wastewater collection, treatment and reuse.    7. We will consider the need of water-short ar eas to invest in desalination and wastewater 
treatment for reuse and provide technological suppor t and know-how to make them sustainable and 
affordable. 
 8. We will respect international law provi ding protection for water resources, water 
infrastructure and the environment in times of  armed conflict and coope rate in its further 
development, as necessary.  
9. We resolve to develop, implement and furthe r strengthen transnational, national and/or sub-
national plans and programmes to anticipate and address the possible impacts of global changes. Assessments of varying hydrological conditions, extr eme water events and the shape and functionality 
of existing infrastructure are essential in this co ntext. Investment efforts to establish necessary 
infrastructure, to increase storage and drainage capac ity in particular, needs to be scaled up, taking 
into account water efficiency.  
 10. We resolve to work to prevent and respond to natural and human-induced disasters, including 
floods and droughts. We resolve to proceed, where possible, from  crisis management to disaster 
preparedness, prevention of human-induced disaster s and risk management by developing early 
warning systems, implementing structural and non- structural measures, both for water resources and 
access to water and sanitation, and building capacity at  all levels. We resolve to also take necessary 
post-disaster mitigation and rehabilitation measures fo r affected people and hydrological systems.  
 11. We will strive to improve  water-related monitoring systems and ensure that useful 
information is made freely available to all con cerned populations, including neighbouring countries.  
 
12. We will clarify at all levels, as appropriate, the roles, rights and responsibilities of all actors 
and promote cross-cutting coordination and policies, in particular to provide people with access to water and sanitation as a key to achieve sustainabl e development while maintaining responsibility in 
line with social considerations, with national gove rnments and local authorities, and support various 
forms of partnerships. 
 
13. To improve at the national level the governance of the water sector, we  will, as appropriate, 
aim to:   (a) Promote institutional water management reform, 
(b) Strengthen water sector laws and regulatory frameworks, increase political and administrative 
accountability for their implementation, and ensure their effective enforcement, 
(c) Prevent corruption and increase integrity in implementing water-related policies, plans and 
practices, 
(d) Ensure transparency in decision making processes,   WT/CTE/W/246 
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  (e) Strengthen public participation from all water stakeholders.   
 14. We will support scientific research, education,  development and adoption of new technologies 
and broadening of technological choices in the fiel d of water and promote their utilization towards 
sustainable use and management of water resources  to increase the adaptive capacities and resiliency 
of societies. We will make efforts to promot e international cooperati on in the development, 
application and diffusion, including dissemination of  technologies, practices and processes in water 
issues, as well as in scientific, technological, socio-economic and other research, towards improving 
universal access to water and sanitation.  
15. We acknowledge the discussions within the UN system regarding human rights and access to 
safe drinking water and sanitation. We recognize that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a 
basic human need.  16. We will take, as appropriate, concrete and tangible steps to improve and promote cooperation 
on sustainable use and protection of transboundary  water resources through coordinated action of 
riparian states, in conformity with existing agreemen ts and/or other relevant arrangements, taking into 
account the interests of all riparian states concerne d.  We will work to strengthen existing institutions 
and develop new ones, as appropriate and if ne eded, and implement instruments for improved 
management of transboundary waters.  
17. We invite international or ganizations and institutions to support international efforts to 
enhance the dissemination of experiences and sharing of best practices on sustainable water resources 
rehabilitation, protection, conserva tion, management and utilization. 
 18. We strive to prioritize water and sanitati on in national development plans and strategies; 
develop local and national/regional water management plans; allocate  adequate budgetary resources to 
water management and sanitation service provision; to lead donor coordination processes, and create 
an enabling environment for water and sanitation investments.  We strive to mobilize resources from all sources, including public and private.  19. We will promote effective use of financial r esources from all sources, including international 
financial institutions, development partners and beneficiary countries to increase support for water 
management, water supply and sanitation.  We al so will resolve to suppor t more effective and 
diversified support, credit and fina ncial management systems that ar e easily accessible and affordable. 
 20. Acknowledging that new and ad equate resources are needed to achieve the MDGs, we call 
upon the international community, development partne rs and private sources of financing to invest 
resources to complement the efforts made by de veloping countries and countries with economies in 
transition, to develop sustainable water resources ma nagement and to build the infrastructure base for 
a sustained socio-economic growth, especially in Africa and least developed countries.  21. We acknowledge the need for fair, equitable a nd sustainable cost recovery strategies and we 
will therefore promote and implement realistic and sustainable financing strategies for the water 
sector, especially water supply, good water quality  and sanitation sectors.  We acknowledge that 
exclusively economic approaches and tools cannot capture  all social and environmental aspects in cost 
recovery.  Financing strategies should be based on a best possible use and mix of tariffs for all forms 
of water services, taxes and transfers to cover needs related to infrastructure development and 
extension, operation and maintenance. 
 22. We finally acknowledge that water is a cross-cutting issue.  Thus, we will communicate our 
message to those outside of the water sector includi ng the highest political levels.  We will make our 
best efforts to follow this issue in order to de velop innovative governance, integrated water policy WT/CTE/W/246 
Page 6  
 
  management, legal frameworks, cr oss-sectoral policies, financing mechanisms and technologies in 
combination with capacity development.   Therefore, we the Ministers and Heads of Delegations present at the 5
th World Water Forum 
Ministerial Conference share the view to: 
 
(a) Convey the results of the 5th World Water Forum Ministerial Process to relevant international 
and regional processes,    (b)  Challenge ourselves and call upon a ll stakeholders to take into account  this Ministerial 
Statement and its recommendations to be incorpor ated, as appropriate, in to our national policies 
related to water resources management and services and link these results to the 6
th World Water 
Forum, and take note of the Istanbul Water Guide and its recommendations. 
 (c)  Continue to work together with Parliaments and Local Authorities, to address water and 
sanitation issues in a mutual fashion, 
 Finally, the Ministers and Heads of Delegations present at the 5
th World Water Forum Ministerial 
Conference would like to:  (d)  Thank the Government of Turkey, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the World Water 
Council for their organization of the 5
th World Water Forum and the Ministerial Conference. 
 (e)  Note with appreciation  the participation of National Gove rnments, Regional and International 
Organizations and stakeholder groups in the Mini sterial, Regional and Thematic Processes of the 5
th 
World Water Forum.  
 
Agreed to in Istanbul on March 22nd, 2009. 
  WT/CTE/W/246 
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  5th World Water Forum 
 
Istanbul Water Consensus 
For Local and Regional Authorities 
 
  As Mayors and local/regional elected represen tatives from different parts of the world, 
meeting in Istanbul in March 2009, we participate in this ISTANBUL WATER CONSENSUS to 
develop water management strategies in the face of global changes.  
 On the occasion of the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico, the Local Government 
Declaration on Water of 21 March 2006 expressed the awareness and responsibility of local and 
regional leaders concerning water and sanitation and called on national governments for a more 
effective partnership.  
 We build on previous commitments and express our readiness to take leadership in advancing 
integrated water management approaches to ‘bridge divides for water’ and strengthen the resilience of 
our cities and regions to cope with rising external  pressures and contribute to our overall sustainable 
development.  
PART I – Local and Regional Governments’ Declaration and Call for Action 
 
With this Consensus, we acknowledge that: 
 
− Access to good quality water and sanitation is a b asic right for all human beings and plays an 
essential role in life and livelihoods, the preserva tion of the health of the population and the 
fight against poverty
1; 
− Water is a public good and should therefore be under strict public control, independently of 
whether the services are delegated to the private sector or not;  
− Sanitation is equally important as water supply a nd needs to be given due consideration on the 
political agenda of local, regiona l and national governments;  
− The local level plays an increasingly important role in the provision of water and sanitation 
services; 
− Rapid global changes such as population grow th, economic development, migration and 
urbanisation, with over half of the world population now living in cities, are placing new 
strains on water resources and infrastructure and on the systems that supply water and 
sanitation services to our citizens, businesses, industries, and institutions. These rapid global 
changes are adding difficulties for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on water supply and sanitation
2; 
− Slums and informal settlements in and around c ities are growing and poverty is increasingly 
an urban issue, requiring the linkage between ac cess to water and sanitation and land tenure to 
be urgently addressed; 
− Climate change will impact every aspect of th e water cycle affecting our citizens: water 
scarcity will become more exacerbated, extreme events, such as floods and droughts, will increase, the sea level will rise, temperatures w ill increase, groundwater recharge, rainfall 
patterns and stream flow regimes will change;  
                                                     
 
1 We strongly support the initiative of the UN Human Rights Commission with regard to the right to 
water. 
2 The United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which propose to reduce by half the proportion 
of people without sustainable access to  safe drinking water and improved sanitation by 2015, are of direct 
concern to local governments. WT/CTE/W/246 
Page 8  
 
  − Water resources management, at the local and region al levels, can be a tool to adapt to global 
changes; 
− The nature, extent and dynamics of water problems show commonalities and differences 
when comparing the situations in developing a nd developed countries.  While insufficient or 
aging infrastructure is a challenge for both, financing, strengthening capacity and improving 
legal frameworks are core concerns particularly in developing countries;  
− A new and consistent approach is needed to cope with the demand for water at local and 
regional levels and to assure mitigation and adaptation measure s to face these global changes. 
Equitable, optimal and sustainable management  of water resources and services demands an 
integrated approach, coordinated action and the sharing of responsibilities by the various tiers 
of government; 
− Sanitation needs to be embedded in overall local  and regional planning, linked to other sectors 
such as drainage, potable water supply, wastewat er and solid waste management, carried out - 
where applicable - through decen tralized approaches, and supported by public education and 
awareness-raising campaigns to improve domestic hygiene.  
− Local and regional planning and design needs to be more water-sensitive;   
− The public utility/service operator plays a central role in the provision of water and sanitation 
services and the existing support mechanisms to improve their capacity and strengthen their operation are not sufficient;  
− There are costs associated with the provision of quality water and sanitation services. 
However, access to water and sanitation in suffici ent quantity, quality and continuity must be 
assured affordably and equitably in particular  by adapting cost recovery for the poorest 
people;  
− Water use in urban and rural areas is highly interdependent and local sustainable water 
management plays a crucial role in securing agricultural food production and the prevention 
of rural depopulation; local authorities must be  aware of the importance of rural agriculture, 
which plays an important role in the provision of food to urban centres. 
 Further, in support of our pledge of action as Mayors and local/regional elected representatives, 
we call on our national governments a nd on international institutions to: 
 
− Shift water security higher in national and in ternational policy priorities, based on the 
principle that water resources must be allocated in a reasonable and equitable manner among all users to support inter alia , social and health objectives, employment, economic activity, 
cultural and leisure development and healthy and pleasant environments;  
− Speed up the implementation of commitments made on access to water and sanitation and the 
fight against poverty, particularly in developing countries, in order to achieve the objectives set out in the Johannesburg Plan of Implem entation (JPOI) and the Millennium Development 
Goals (MDGs); 
− Establish a dialogue to ensure that Local a nd Regional Authorities, through an effective 
transfer of competencies and means, have the le gal authority, financial resources, institutional 
capacity and adequate human and technical skills to manage water supply and sanitation 
locally and regionally. Respecting the princi ple of subsidiarity, local governments, in 
consultation with all stake holders, should have the option to choose between various 
management models;  
− Involve Local and Regional Authorities in th e definition and implementation of political 
strategies taken at the national and supra-nati onal level for sustainable water management to 
improve access to water and sanitation and to prepare for climate change and other global 
changes, particularly in insular and co astal countries. These changes require new 
infrastructure projects to anticipate climate cha nge-related effects into the design of water, 
sanitation, storm-water and other urban infrastructure;  
− Develop innovative financing me chanisms and regulatory frameworks to facilitate access for  WT/CTE/W/246 
 Page 9 
 
 
  local and regional governments to direct financing and increase financing for local water and 
sanitation infrastructure to address the needs of all people and especially the poor and for adaptation to global changes; 
− Include investment in the water sector in thei r debt reduction operations, such as exchange of 
debt against water and sanitation investment; 
− Put highest attention to the understanding and fo recasting of future climate, demographic and 
other developments affecting the water cycl e and management systems at national and 
regional levels, share the knowledge gained w ith local governments and help interpret these 
developments for their relevance at local level; 
− Establish effective mechanisms to involve Lo cal and Regional Authorities in the watershed 
management process;  
− Take into more coordinated consideration the impacts of sectoral policy choices on the 
hydrological cycle that affects rural and urban areas as well as ecosystems; 
− Support the international cooperation of Local and Regional Authorities for working towards 
the MDG targets on water and sanitation, especi ally through funded partnerships between 
local and regional governments of developed and developing countries and by allowing – 
where possible - the allocation of part of the revenues raised from users of water and 
sanitation services for this purpose. 
 
PART II – Local and Regional Authorities’ Commitments 
  Recognising the urgent need to develop eff ective strategies, cities and regions depend on 
appropriate legal, institutional a nd financial frameworks and availability of capacities, both technical 
and human. However, climate cha nge, population growth, intensiv e urbanisation, rapid economic 
development and other pressures impact local water resources and systems faster than current political 
and social systems can respond to them.  
  Therefore, we, as Mayors and local/regional elected representatives, signing this ISTANBUL 
WATER CONSENSUS  on behalf of our local/regional govern ments, express our clear political will 
to prepare for these challenges by undertaking now what ever is in our current scope of authority and 
capacities and pledge to do our utmost to contribu te to improved water governance and steer our local 
policies and approaches towards increased sustainability in water management and hydraulic 
infrastructure development.   This commitment is taken with the expecta tion that national governme nts and international 
institutions will indeed recognise the indispensable  role of local and regional governments in 
improving access and successful adaptation measures in th e water sector and will initiate – in the near 
future - the political reforms that are required to make local and regional governments’ efforts 
technically and legally feasible, fundable and effective.   In order to fulfil our commitment, we will use our political mandate to apply an integrated 
and participatory approach to sustainable water and sanitation management and initiate the following 
actions in our city or region b ased on the Guidelines in the Annex
3: 
 
− An assessment of the internal and external pressur es on the local water resources and their 
aquatic biodiversity in order to identify the main challenges on their conservation; 
− An inventory of local and regional government policies, strategies and plans that need to be 
adapted to cope with global challenges threatening local water resources and systems in the 
medium- and long-term; 
                                                      
3 See options for Diagnosis, Targets and Measures in the “Guidelines” section. 
 WT/CTE/W/246 
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  − The development of a dialogue with all stakeholders at the local/regional level in order to 
create a shared vision between principal actors, to  define local priorities and plans of action in 
the water sector; 
− The definition of objectives and measurable targets specific to our jurisdiction and reflecting 
the commitment made to Istanbul Water Consensus  and the establishment of a monitoring 
and reporting framework to increase accountability of our strategies and actions;  
− The implementation of our action plans to ach ieve tangible improvements in our water and 
sanitation services and to increase local and regiona l resilience in the face of global changes. 
  We also pledge to report back and share the challenges and the progress of our cities in achieving the above actions at the occasion of  the next World Water Forum in 2012.  WT/CTE/W/246 
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  ANNEX: Guidelines for a Plan of Local and Regional Action 
 
(To be tailored to the local context) 
 
 
Diagnosis  
 Local and Regional Authorities should develop an  assessment of those challenges, which are 
most likely to impact their water resources and water and sanitation services, including the following, 
as applicable: 
 
− Undertake an assessment, in cooperation with stakeholders, of like ly demographic landuse 
changes and economic trends and the resulti ng demands on water resources and compare 
them with the predicted availability of water resources;  
− Determine the population lacking access to  safe drinking water and sanitation;  
− Determine the population most vulnerabl e to water-related health impacts; 
− Carry out a study on water and sanitation infrast ructural needs, including rehabilitation, and 
their appropriate financing;  
− Identify barriers to integrated mana gement including sectoral pressures; 
− Assemble the best ava ilable climate forecasts applicable to the hydrological factors that 
impact the city/local authority – from water source to sea; 
− Assess the city’s capacity to deliver wate r and sanitation services under major scenarios of 
climate and global changes. 
− Determine other climate-related risks, potential benefits and uncertainties with respect to 
water management;  
− Conduct a vulnerability assessment for pollution and water-related disasters; 
− Assess, strengthen and implement regulatory frameworks and enhance institutional capacity; 
− Determine the needs for water to support social , economic (both agricultural and industrial), 
institutional and environmental needs. 
 
Targets  
 Local and Regional Authorities should develop concrete and measurable targets that are 
tailored to their local circumstances, pursuant to their jurisdiction and on a fully voluntary basis. 
 Such targets could be, for example: 
 
− Reduce the amount of physical water loss x % by year x.  
− Increase water supply for human needs x % by year x. 
− Increase water supply per capita to x litre per day by year x. 
− Save x % of per capita domestic water consumption by year x
. 
− Achieve internationally recognized water quality standards by year x. 
− Achieve x % collection and x % treatment of sewage by year x. 
− Inspect x % of industrial wastewater outfalls every year. 
− Ensure appropriate amount of water for ecosystems needs by year x. 
− Reduce damages due to water-relate d disasters as % of national (and/or regional) GDP to less 
than 5% of GDP. 
 WT/CTE/W/246 
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  Measures 
 
 To realize targets such as the ones listed a bove, the following measures might be considered: 
 
− State-of-the-art water, sanitation and stor m water management techniques to respond to 
urbanization and to the uncertainty and variab ility associated with global changes, taking 
water supply in rural areas also into account;  
− Adoption of measures regarding spatial planning in  order to prevent and combat the impact of 
global changes on the flood risk at the river basin level and on sea rise level; 
− Diversification of sources of water supply to provide more flexibility for an indeterminate 
future, for example, via new storage faciliti es, sustainable groundwater extraction, water 
conservation and recycled water or desalination;
4   
− Introduction of regulatory measures for public pa rticipation in the decision-making regarding 
water management and financing at local/b asin/regional levels t hus improving water 
governance; 
− Investment in sustainable infrastructure;  
− Reduction of negative water-related health impacts to the urban population;  
− Protection of the natural environment, especi ally important aquatic  habitats, against 
cumulative impacts of urban development and climate change; 
− Restriction of land-use to protect wate r resources and depende nt biodiversity; 
− Cooperation with industry and the business sector s to optimize water efficiency and reuse in 
processes and products and to limit, manage and control pollution; 
− Preference to water management solutions that  are economical and efficient such as rainwater 
harvesting and the recycling of purified wastewater;  
− Development and implementation of structur al and non-structural risk management 
plans/measures to reduce damage by water-related disasters;  
− Development and implementation of plans for flood control, drainage improvements, drought, 
disaster response and preparation for sea level rise;  
− Development and implementation of plans for the redesign and re-engineering of 
infrastructure, as necessary, to withstand ex treme events or to perform under changed 
circumstances;  
− Involvement of women and young people in th e supply, management and maintenance of 
water resources and in risk reduction;  
− Utilization of innovative and locally-adapted  technologies for increased efficiency and 
coverage of water and sanitation systems;   
− Provision of incentives for the transfer of education, training and technology in order to 
assure sustainable water management and economic development. 
 
__________ 
 
                                                      
4 The following local and regional governments requ ested to keep the reference to inter-basin water 
transfers: Generalitat Valenciana, Comunidad Autónoma de  la Región de Murcia (Spain), Inter Mediterranean 
Committee of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions(CIM-CPMR).