Date: 17 January 2015
Location: Etopía. Avda. Ciudad de Soria, 8. 50010 Zaragoza

Financing, Technology, Capacity development and Governance tools are essential to implement the post-2015 Agenda. In the context of the preparation of the post-2015 agenda a Technology Facility and the Financing Framework has been discussed and considered. Some of these discussions are pertinent to the implementation of the water agenda.

To move forward on these actions and set the enabling environment for the effective implementation of the water Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), tools and good practices already exist in the water sector. There are a wide variety of guidelines, instruments, and publications that support improved implementation in the water sector. The final multi-stakeholder dialogue of the Zaragoza conference provides an opportunity to include more tools to be identified, raise awareness and commit a wide range of stakeholders to action while scaling up good practices and developing concrete guidance.

The sessions will provide an opportunity for reporting back from the parallel sessions on more tools, key examples of application and discuss possible commitments from stakeholders to action for scaling up good practices. In light of specific case experiences, reporters will be asked to highlight implementation challenges for the different themes and tools; obstacles and solutions to improve implementation and reflect on what are the conditions for success to replicate and effectively implement the tools in a different context (geographical, hydrological, institutional, etc.) and explain the role of their stakeholder group (i.e. business, government, academia, civil society) in addressing the challenges and scaling-up and/or trickling down good practices to foster better governance in support of the water-SDG.

More specifically the objectives of the multi-stakeholder and closing sessions are:

• To provide an opportunity for reporting on the results of the parallel stakeholder sessions, including recommendations for the improvement of the toolkit;
• To provide a forum for the exchange of views among different types of stakeholders on the most appropriate tools and lessons learnt on what works for dealing with main implementation challenges;
• To exchange views on the role of the different actors in the implementation of the different tools to address water related Sustainable Development Goals and targets and scaling-up and/or trickling down good practices in support of the water related SDGs;
• To provide feedback to conference participants on key conclusions, follow ups and ways forward on the outcomes of the conference and on the way forward in 2015.

The sessions are designed as a series of plenary dialogues and debates among coordinators of the different themes and among the reporters on the different tools from the parallel sessions. The dialogue/discussion sessions are facilitated by the tool coordinators who would wrap-up at the end of the session and will provide some feedback on the way forward in a final plenary closing panel.

From the point of view of your theme and drawing from the previous discussions during the conference:

• What implementation challenges need to be addressed for the different targets of the water related SDGs?
• What would be the best/key tools tool/s to be used to contribute to the effective implementation for each of the different targets of the water related SDGs?
• What are some of the obstacles that have been diagnosed when implementing the different tools for the different themes? What are the solutions which have been identified to overcome them?
• What are the conditions for success to replicate and effectively implement in a different context (geographical, hydrological, institutional, etc.)?
• How do you see the role of the different stakeholder groups (i.e. business, government, academia, civil society) in overcoming the obstacles and implementing the tools? And in scaling-up and/or trickling down good practices to foster better implementation in support of the different water related-SDGs?

From the point of view of your stakeholder group and drawing from the previous discussions during the conference:

• What implementation challenges need to be addressed by the different tools?
• What would be the best/key tool/s to be used to contribute to the effective implementation for each of the different targets of the water related SDGs?
• What are some of the obstacles you have diagnosed when implementing the tool for the different themes? What are the solutions you have identified to overcome them?
• What are the conditions for success to replicate and effectively implement your tool in a different context (geographical, hydrological, institutional, etc.)?
• How do you see the role of your stakeholder group (i.e. business, government, academia, civil society) in overcoming the obstacles and implementing the tools? And scaling-up and/or trickling down good practices to foster better implementation in support of the water related-SDGs?

09:00-10:00 Implementation challenges and lessons on the main themes of the water related SDGs

• Chair: Joakim Harlim, UNDP, Coordinator of UN-Water Working Group on SDGs

Panelists

• Jose Gesti, UNICEF
• Jean Marc Faures, FAO
• John Harding, UNISDR
• Thomas Chiramba, UNEP and David Coates, CBD
• Hongpeng Liu, ESCAP
• Caridad Canales, UNECLAC
• Natalia Nikiforova, UNECE
• Nathalie André/Didier Allély, WHO

>> Implementation challenges and lessons on the main themes of the water related SDGs

10:00-11:30 Technology: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

Technology development, transfer, adoption and/or dissemination plans need to consider carefully the integration of scientific with indigenous and local knowledge as an important element of policies and programmes to manage natural resources in an environmentally and economically sustainable and culturally appropriate manner. There are some challenges to technology development, transfer, adoption and/or dissemination including financial resources; cost competitiveness; institutional capacity; policy incentives; IPR enforcement; social legitimacy; knowledge and skills; cultural barriers; absorptive capacity - as technology projects may have failed due to the inability of host countries to absorb the technology into their infrastructure, culture and society. This can derive from the technology not being aligned with the host country’s political and social priorities, or from a lack of skills and supportive economic, market and technological infrastructure. There are many challenges that can inhibit the adoption of environmental technology in developing countries. Some of these are relevant to all countries (both developing and developed) – such as weak market demand, uncertain return on investment, and technological lock-in to current infrastructure. Others, however, are more specific to developing countries, such weak protection of intellectual property, and to technology adoption, such as the lack of technical skills and capacity.

The session will provide an opportunity for reporting back from the parallel sessions on more tools, key examples of application and discuss possible commitments from stakeholders to action for scaling up good practices.

Facilitator and Overview Presentation: Elisa Tonda, UNEP, and Christian Susan, UNIDO

Panelists/Reporters from the parallel stakeholder sessions

• Governments: Roger Falconer, President of IAHR
• Civil Society: Bart Devos, WYPW
• Business: Hans Goossens, Yara, Norway
• Academia: Luis Garrote, Technical University of Madrid, Spain

Questions and Answers

Wrap-up and final reflections on key tools and lessons learnt
Elisa Tonda, UNEP

>> Technology: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

11:30-13:00 Financing and economic instruments: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

Financing instruments and decisions can’t be analysed or applied in isolation. They are strongly affected by national institutions and by the international financial architecture. Their effectiveness depends on the existence of appropriate and effective financing institutions, and the effective implementation of any alternative chosen requires shaping the instrument chosen in order to facilitate and help overcome impediments to investment in sustainable development. Financial systems in many developing countries are still inappropriate to support economic development. They rely primarily on the banking sector. Though domestic credit has grown substantially over the past decade, in many countries, banking sector credit is primarily short-term. Domestic bond markets have also grown substantially, driven primarily by sovereign debt issues. Corporate bond markets, though growing, remain small. The presence of institutional investors in developing countries has, however, been growing, and could potentially increase resources available for long-term investment in sustainable development. There is also a growing emphasis on the environmental, social, and governance impacts of investments. An increasing number of companies are reporting on these factors (referred to as ESG reporting) and have signed on to initiatives such as the Principles for Responsible Investment and the UN Global Compact. The selection and design of any financial instrument must be an integral part of a comprehensive sustainable water development strategy.

Economic instruments are not substitutes for other modes of governmental action, but instruments that can complement and strengthen water governance as part of a broad mix of policy instruments. Economic instruments can only be successful if accompanied by a provision of the institutional changes required and a strategy to overcome the many barriers that putting a price to water might face. In other words, changing the payoffs in the economy is only part of the solution. Societies become dependent on institutions and technologies with which they are familiar. Social and economic inertia can be so strong that even quite large changes in payoffs will not change behaviour. In many countries, tax evasion and avoidance hinder domestic resource mobilization. In addition, illicit financial outflows, including tax evasion across borders, have undermined tax collection. Domestic public resources are also impacted by subsidies. These subsidies might have been pushing up non sustainable water uses.

The session will provide an opportunity for reporting back from the parallel sessions distinguishing between (i) combinations of instruments, as part of a strategy for “packaging incentives”, and (ii) mixing them with other types of policy instruments, including regulatory, awareness raising, information, etc. When screening potential financing mechanisms and EPIs, one should be aware of the existing policy mix, even if the selection should not be dictated by it. The key questions are: what types of regulatory, economic and voluntary instruments are already in place to tackle the water policy challenge at stake? How effective are they and why? Is it effective and efficient to keep and adapt existing economic instruments to make them perform better as EPIs? Would a new EPI (selected on the basis of water policy challenges and opportunities) (i) replace or (ii) complement other policy instruments?

Facilitator and Overview Presentation

• Hanna Leckie, OECD

Panellists/Reporters from Stakeholder Sessions

• Governments: Monica Scattasa, European Investment Bank; Niels Vlaanderen, Dutch Government
• Civil society: Tobias Schmidt, Waterlex
• Business:  Jack Moss, Aquafed
• Academia: Colin Green, University of Middlesex, UK

Questions and Answers

Wrap-up and final reflections on key tools and lessons learnt

• Hanna Leckie, OECD

>> Financing and economic instruments: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

13:00-14:00 Lunch Break

14:00-15:30 Governance: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

Overcoming governance gaps to the SDG implementation will require taking actions on several fronts: Capacity building will be critical at the individual, institutional and societal level. It will require providing the enabling environment (institutional and legal arrangements) to strengthening knowledge transfer and skill development, in particular to empower local actors and citizens. Developing more integrated approaches to water resources management will help address the needs of all actors, including the environment, at the appropriate scale. It can help reduce path dependency and encourage the formulation of innovative and forward-looking water strategies across policy fields and territorial and institutional levels. Fostering nexus approaches (e.g. between water and energy, water and food) can contribute to adopting a coherent mix of policy instruments across water-related policy fields, support discussion among different users (e.g. domestic, industrial, agricultural) and devise coordinated strategies in addressing pollution issues. Strengthening safety regulation dealing with water-related risks will be instrumental to better plan, development and monitor mitigation measures and ensure resilience of societies and the environment. This will imply sound enforcement and compliance mechanisms, accurate and consistent data and better disclosure of information to the public. A systemic approach is also needed to better cope with risks and ensure a water secure world. Water risks are often interlinked and spill over other policy sectors (drought in agriculture, flood in land planning, modified freshwater systems for hydropower, etc.). More holistic decision-making process regarding water security management can help in achieving win-win outcomes across various sectors. Stakeholder engagement and effective partnerships are powerful means to prevent conflict, manage trade-offs, raise awareness and build inter-sectoral complementarities at the right scale, reducing also the cost of water management. Stakeholder engagement can also help to address territorial and institutional fragmentation in the water sector, align divergent objectives and move away from path dependency. Participatory mechanisms can contribute to overcome disparities in service provision and help policy makers to focus on inequity. The implementation of the water goal will therefore require the coordination of actors across ministries and between the national, regional, local and basin levels to create multi-dimensional, multi-generational and trans-scalar approaches. Global knowledge and operational experience need to be better interconnected in order for good practices in the water sector to be scaled-up and replicated, and also to learn from experiences in other sectors facing similar challenges (e.g. other sectors exposed to risk like energy or agriculture.). Place-based approaches to the implementation of the water SDG will be critical to articulate a universally applicable goal with countries dealing with different water challenges (scarcity, floods, critical pollution, ageing or inexistent infrastructures). Diverse organisational and financial resources will be needed to match countries’ priorities and needs. Implementation strategies regarding the water SDG should therefore remain flexible and adaptive to changing circumstances, as well as resilient and forward-looking.

The session will provide an opportunity for reporting back from the parallel sessions on more tools, key examples of application and discuss possible commitments from stakeholders to action for scaling up good practices.

Facilitator and Overview Presentation

• Aziza Akhmouch, OECD

Panellists/Reporters from Stakeholder Sessions

• Governments: Victor Burguet and Denise Soares, Mexican Institute of Water Technology  (IMTA), Mexico
• Civil society: Rudolph Cleveringa, GWP
• Business: Michael Spencer, Alliance for Water Stewardship, Australia
• Academia: Joan Rose, University of Michigan, USA

Questions and Answers

Wrap-up and final reflections on key tools and lessons learnt

Aziza Akhmouch, OECD

>> Governance: key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

15:30-17:00 Capacity development – Key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

The session will provide an opportunity for reporting back from the parallel sessions on tools, key examples of application and discuss possible commitments from stakeholders to action for scaling up good practices. In light of specific case experience reporters will be asked to highlight capacity development challenges; obstacles and solutions to improve water governance and reflect on what are the conditions for success to replicate and effectively implement the tools in a different context (geographical, hydrological, institutional, etc.) and explain the role of their stakeholder group (i.e. business, government, academia, civil society) in addressing capacity development challenges in the water sector and scaling-up and/or trickling down good practices to foster better capacity development in support of the water-SDG.

Facilitator and Overview Presentation

• Kees Leendertse, CapNet UNDP

Panellists/Reporters from Stakeholder Sessions

• Governments: Seleshi Bekele Awulachew, UN-DESA
• Civil society: Alice Bouman-Dentener, WfWP
• Business: Ross Hamilton, ICMM
• Academia: Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO

Questions and Answers

Wrap-up and final reflections on key tools and lessons learnt

• Kees Leendertse, CapNet UNDP

>> Capacity development – Key tools and lessons learnt from implementation

17:00-18:00 Key Messages and Final Wrap-up

Facilitated by Joakim Harlim, UNDP

Panellists

Andre Dzikus (UN-Habitat), Kees Leendertse (CapNet UNDP), Aziza Akhmouh (OCDE), Diego Rodriguez (WB)/ Xavier Leflaive (OCDE), Elisa Tonda (UNEP), Christian Susan (UNIDO), Nathalie André and Didier Allély (WHO)/Jose Gesti (UNICEF), Jean Marc Faures (FAO), John Harding (UNISDR), Thomas Chiramba (UNEP), David Coates (CBD), Hongpeng Liu (ESCAP), Caridad Canales (UNECLAC), Natalia Nikiforova (UNECE), Barbara Anton (ICLEI), Anja von der Ropp (WIPO)

18:00-18:30 Farewell and closing – the Way Forward

• Josefina Maestu UNW-DPAC
• Daniella Bostrom, UN-Water, Lessons from Zaragoza for the World Water Day and the Way Forward
• Yoo Beom Sik, WWF Secretariat, Lessons from Zaragoza for the 7° Word Water Forum  and Roadmap
• Liana Ardiles, General Water Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Spain