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A “IWRM PROJECT FOR WATER” – A SAMOAN PERSPECTIVE by Moefauuo Taputoa Titimaea Introduction – Water plays an important role in achieving Millennium Development Goals and combating world poverty. It is important to involve the following in PPP water management: • The Government • Non government organizations • Private sector and local communities – With regards to Stakeholder Participation it is important to include major players such as Samoan culture and Matai System – It is also important to implement sustainable IWRM policies and put them into practice and identify immediate tasks that would have a major impact on poverty in Samoa such as the following: • Integrate local experience, culture and good governance • Promoting water saving methods • New technology adaptation to local conditions • Increase customer data collection – We should implement sustainable IWRM policies while avoiding any harm to the Samoan economy and to ensure long term water availability and greater efficiency of water usage • Issues such as resentment to Samoa Water Authority strategy to have users pay water per cubic meter rather than flat rate charge for poor water quality still remain • In the last few years the SWA has revamped its Act 2003 and operational policies • However legal and policy changes will not affect water user’s attitudes and behavior. IWRM and the Matai System – – – – – – – – – The Matai system is part of Samoan Culture It is based on village life and ways of controlling the following • Groups of women’s committee • Village council who consist of family heads • Young men and women Water resource and supply can sometimes rely on the village council decision to excavate and use land. There is now strong willingness of village councils in general to cooperate and be active in the involvement of all stakeholders and recognition of their land rights and water Their local skills and knowledge must be considered as they have survived the worst weather conditions and been protectorate of the village environment over years The government has always depended on village protectorate for support and have asked that costs of projects whether through overseas aid or local government funds include compensation for this. There will be a continual rise in cost expectations of the land owners of the land if they are not properly informed right from the start of the project. Project teams should not assume some water project parameters such as cost, benefits and compensation are not the realms of understanding of the village people. Village people participation in project planning is vital for the success of water projects IWRM Village Awareness Programs – – – – SWA have been engaged in community awareness programs with villages on both Savaii and Upolu islands promoting measures of water efficiency through savings methodologies Because of water scarcity expected in the future water productivity and reliability will be closely monitored relative to village population growth. The SWA Public Relations Unit (PRU) have community awareness programs on • Water Leakage • Metering • Water Resource management • Introduction of good practice – Such as increasing stakeholder participation – Managing water resources in the villages • Other issues include – Water prices in Rural Areas – Motivating water saving activities Recently the village councils have taken over the administration of Primary Schools, which inherently allow them to take care of water supplies in schools. As a result the following has happened • Still problems of high debts due to leakages and low willingness to pay • A lot of school committees are now aware of continuing operation and maintenance to the water networks to reduce water rates. IWRM Water Investments – economy, price and valuation (a) – – – – To reverse the declining trend in finance for suitable water investment, private investors should include cost savings by improvements in water efficiency, recycling and waste. This should alleviate social pressures on communities allocated as key areas of water conservation such as Falealupo on Savaii Island. Water investments should be directed to • Develop economic incentives such as water pricing mechanisms achieving various tariff options • Promotion of water saving approaches during dry season • Economize water usage as a scarce commodity to make people aware of limitations in water so it could be shared wise It is important to manage water in ways to directly reflect its value and price. • The flat water rate have gone past years when water quality was not so important. • These days communities in Samoa require sustainable and good quality water. • This means the process put the issue if water scarcity either – Scarcity of water resources or – Scarcity of the process of getting water from the water resources to the communities • Tariff schedules for SWA is based on domestic and commercial services • The metered and unmetered option is based on whether the water is treated or untreated • The objective of SWA is to make sure metered customers receive clean and reliable 24hr supply of water IWRM Water Investments – economy, price and valuation (b) – Continuous water supply is vital for good sanitation and hygienic communities however there are still rural communities that do not have continuous supply but they should have a storage option for this. • The Water Sector Support Program (WASSP) is looking to provide continuous supply through the use of water storage tanks when the borehole pumps are turned off – It is hopeful that the existing tariff schedules will be reviewed taking into account the following: • Increased electricity bills affecting the boreholes operational times • General increase in SWA overheads due to inflation and increase in wages • Trying to recover non asset expenses such as depreciation – There is a need to address the following in any future water valuation and pricing; • Allocation of the water rights to the extended families or village councils but involvement from the pre-feasibility project studies; • Calculation of water prices to reflect the usage and pro-poor mechanism to help the needy; • The need to include infrastructure, maintenance and administrative costs. – SWA have to focus on ways to assess the value of water and incorporate these values into water management practices. • One of the problems in Samoa is access to water during dry season where there is difficulty in collecting water rates – Affected customers refuse to pay due to inconsistent supply of water. – Hence some of these customers have valid reasons to reduce their water rates including their water valuation. IWRM Water Investments – economy, price and valuation (c) – Gerardo van Halsema, FAO, presented the results of the E-forum that took place in December 2004. • Van Halsema stated “ the object of the E forum is to provide informed recommendations on the advancement of sustainable water management…and how to incorporate such values to include safe yield assessments of water productivity and payment of environment services.” • He also suggested that “ stakeholder-oriented and adaptive approaches should be carried out with market instruments should only be used under certain conditions.” • However, water valuation should highlights the following; – Developing local utilities to safeguard the local interests at district and village level; – Providing technical support for efficient use of drinking water from surface water sources; – Facilitating dialogue among all water stakeholders; IWRM Water Investments – economy, price and valuation (d) – • It is very important to value water as a commodity to promote credit for investments by indigenous entrepreneurs in water product markets. • Water market in Samoa is concentrated in the supply of the spring-water drinking water with a couple of companies on water products. Hence water valuation is a one of the vital aspects of water management issues for which SWA and the spring-water suppliers need to discuss on the future of this interesting market – IWRM Effect of Environmental Services Cost (a) Over the past years, the environmental cost of projects in Samoa was insignificant when compared to the overall cost of projects. • For example, the environmental cost of the Samasoni Hydro Project would be so inhibitive that if converted to current prices would not have been given the go ahead as it did 35 years ago. • The compensation for the loss of water rights and the infrastructures such as penstocks affecting downstream local farmers and community would be four times higher in today’s costs. • There is still current issues regarding compensation of land in exchange for water usage which is still to be soughted out between Government and villages. • Hence, water projects such as SWA Rural Water Supply Project have Preliminary Environment Assessment Report (PEAR) or a basic Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) which is required by the PUMA legislation. – The construction of new submains require less impact as the soil is excavated, backfilled with sand, bedding and fill material, pipes laid and finally soil reinstated. – The only compensation is for plants and inroad areas affected by the backhoe digging the soil. Hence it was decided to do a PEAR instead of a comprehensive EIA. • The role of the EIAs is to understand the environmental effects of water usage and how to finance these assessments. The PEAR, EIA and Environment Management Plan (EMP) each contribute to IWRM Effect of Environmental Services Cost (b) – – Also to be considered is the environment costs such as: • • • • Cost of damage when pipeline leak due to normal wear and tear or accident Water damage to nearby houses due flooding; Possibility to cause personal injury due to unfilled trenches; Affect other utility services such telecom and electricity. Other environment costs to enable adequate water access for the poor such as • • • • Improve sanitation and hygiene for villages in rural areas; Equitable use of water; More community awareness program focusing on water efficiency and saving; Building knowledge and know how on water as a commodity to be conserved and never treat it as a right to use. Samoa Changing Weather Patterns and Integrated Water Resurce Management IWRM (a) – – – – – – – – – – It has been envisage by water experts recently that water scarcity will become more intense in the future due to global warming, unpredictability of weather patterns and seasonal becoming un-seasonal. Year 2005 for Samoa is almost a wet season all year round and 2003-2004 almost a dry season all round. The usual dry season of April-August and wet season September-March is now almost doing an overlap with weather unpredictability. In order to mitigate these weather problems, water management processes and networking will need to move from sectoral approach to an integrated one. Therefore the water sector must be integrated with other sectors such as SVC, Agriculture Dept , MNRE, etc. The Project Design Assistance Report mentions sectoral approach Sectoral approach could slow progress Control the financing of each sector It will be Difficult to target a single water project focus with many sectors Integrated approach duly require investment in • Infrastructure • Governance • Technology • Capacity building Samoa Simple Road Map For IWRM – SWA Perspective • Infrastructure – EU and Government of Samoa through SWA have invested in upgrading pipeline in populated areas of both Upolu and Savaii islands – Continuous installation of meters to reduce wastage – Communities affected now enjoy 24hr continuous clean treated water supply • Governance – SWA in 2003 reviewed its act – There has been a move to strengthen the private sector • Technology – Chlorinated and metered water are the major technology changes recently – In Tanzania, Africa there was a water filter built by Dorsch requiring little or no power at all with auto scouring methods – SWA have been working with a new software PIPES++ program for designing and networks which will likely be the software used in the future • Capacity Building – Recent Government reforms with Public Works have been quite successful • Private sector slowly getting use to the way government outsource work • PWD staff reduced from 400 to 50 remaining to supervise work • There are some issues remaining to be resolved such as SWEL • The quality of the works needs to be closely monitored (Engineering Standards) – Any SWA reform needs to be done whilst maintaining existing staff levels IWRM As An Economic Good – – – – – – – – – – The standard macroeconomic model involves only two goods – consumption goods and capital equipment There is a feeling among water experts that water scarcity will dominate the consumption goods part of the equation Water metering will have an immediate impact in reducing water consumption and overall aggregate water demand SWA have to control the amount of unaccounted for water and bigger customer base for it’s billing purposes Focus is for every SWA customer in Samoa to have access to clean water 24hrs daily Other independent suppliers should pursue the same goal Each Samoan family have a disposable income for which it is to pay for prioritize consumption of goods such as • Food • Electricity • Water • Telecom At the moment less priority is given to the payment of water Water is a commodity for which we cannot go without and it only takes 3 days without water for a person to die Hence prioritization of goods should make water the most important good to save and pay for. Other Independent Water Suppliers (IWS) – – – – – – – – The EU has allowed independent suppliers in the rural areas to also benefit from the projects funds through the SWA canvassing assistance in the Phase IV if the RWSCP project. These will include Laulii, Lotofaga Safata, etc. The independent schemes have more than 5% of Samoa water customers Such suppliers are not up to international standards in terms of material and technical know how with regards to operation and maintenance of water schemes There is a vast need for capacity building and community awareness required for saving water Meetings and continuous advise from SWA staff should be encouraged There is also data about these independent schemes required to get the overall information about the water in Samoa Most of these independent schemes had input from SWA or government in the design of their head works and networks to distribute water in their villages Proper use of materials are to be taught to technical village staff by SWA engineers in the future The Way Forward For SWA of an IWRM Project in Service Delivery – – – – The way forward for this country is not to take water for granted as a human right or God – given but to save water through metering and efficient water usage. One has to treat water so availability of clean water is 24 hours and hygienic requirements for sanitation will always be continuous Treating water as an economic commodity will reduce water usage and save water for future generations. A recent meeting with a renowned Samoan diplomat said that there will be a time when the world will not go to war due to land, political issues or fuel but for “water”. Hope these times will not come soon if we implement some of the water management strategies mentioned in this Faafetai