Non-Governmental Organizations And Their Relation to Transboundary Water Resources
Download 37.49 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Types of NGOs
- Conflict Mediation
- Questions for Discussion
- Safe Drinking Water Supply NGOs
- Transboundary Water Resource NGOs
- Other Water Resource NGOs
| Non-Governmental Organizations
And Their Relation to Transboundary Water Resources CE397 Transboundary Water Resources – Fall, 2005 Tyler Jantzen 10-20-05 Introduction The term Non Governmental Organization (NGO) describes a large and broadly focused group of national and international organizations. These organizations are unique in that they are not affiliated directly with any particular government, which gives them certain advantages and disadvantages over governmental organizations In 2002, some lists of international NGOs were more than 6000 names long. Some NGO’s are very large, with such recognizable names as the Red Cross, GreenPeace and Amnesty international. But for each large international NGO there exist dozens of smaller more specific organizations. NGOs target all sorts of problems and issues for a variety of reasons. Some popular targeted issues are the environment, poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness and gender issues. In general NGOs are organizations that target specific issues and problems to advocate or attempt to solve. Many of these issues are closely tied to international and transboundary water resources. Common themes that have been addressed in each of the case studies presented in class have been: agriculture’s disproportionate use of water; environmental, ecological and sociological effects of dams; water scarcity; water quality; infrastructure issues; desalinization; water related conflict; and poverty related to water resource scarcity. Internationally, there are multiple NGOs targeting each of these issues. AdvantagesNGOs have certain advantages over similar governmental organizations and programs. NGOs are not as susceptible to political pressures as governmental organizations. On the national level, when the federal administration changes, so do many of the national and international services provided. Likewise, foreign aid and U.S. administered national programs change significantly with events in Washington. Because NGOs are not directly connected to national governments, they are more stable than many governmental organizations. However, many NGOs depend on governmental funding for substantial portions of their budgets, making them accountable to national governments and politics in general. Another advantage of NGOs is that they can work on a much smaller and more personal level than large bureaucratic governmental organizations. While large projects or issues do need the advocacy of large institutional organizations, it has been realized over the past few decades that any successful development project needs also to be accompanied by small scale and personalized education and attention. NGOs typically are better equipped to address these “software” issues. Many small-scale local water projects are sponsored and actually implemented by NGOs. They often involve decentralized development programs and cooperation with local communities and result in capacity building within the community. Finally, NGOs have the ability to address a very narrow or a very broad scope. Some focus on the survival of a specific species within a specific watershed, while others look at general environmental well being. DisadvantagesA main disadvantage NGOs have in relation to government organizations is funding. Most NGO’s spend a large amount of time and energy to obtain sufficient and sustainable funding for their operations and projects. NGOs receive funding from a variety of sources, including private foundations, government grants, individual contributions and fees for services delivered. Most NGOs do not have nearly the level of spending power of governmental organizations or of projects funded by the international financial organizations. However, NGOs often have a say in how those large monies are spent though lobbying and other political measures. Types of NGOsThe water resource related NGOs perform a variety of functions and come with a variety of motivations. Some, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Natural Resources Defense Council International, and the River Network look at the issue of international water resources from a primarily environmental point of view. Others, such as Global Water, Water for People and WaterAid look at water resources as an essential human right. Others, such as Green Cross and the International Network of Basin Organizations look at water resources as transboundary bodies and attempt to alleviate potential conflict. Still others look at water resources from a research, technical, or professional point of view. Within these more narrow subdivisions of water resource NGOs, each organization can be characterized by what kind of services and programs it provides. Some NGOs are networking agencies that facilitate the communication and collaboration of other NGOs. The International Network of Basin Organizations, International Water Association and World Conservation Union are examples of such organizations. Other NGOs provide local services such as drilling wells, building and distributing water filtration systems, educational seminars in a local language and more. Others choose to work at the policy level and assist governments in writing legislation. As you might be able to tell, the subject “NGOs” is too broad to cover in a single session, or even a single semester course. Most NGOs fall under multiple of the above categories, and work on multiple levels. The remainder of this topic paper will discuss NGOs specifically in their relationship to transboundary water issues, and even more specifically their role in conflict prevention. To get a taste for the extent of the various water resource NGOs, browse through their various websites. I have included a list linked under Supplemental Readings. This list is by no means exhaustive, but gives a small taste of some of the organizations that exist.
Because many of the water resources NGOs overlap, they often unite to complete a specific project or achieve a specific goal. One reason the transboundary water resource NGOs unite is to lobby a specific government on a specific issue. An example of such an effort can been seen in a collaborative letter to the leaders of the G8 countries. Questions for DiscussionHow does the overlap of the many international water resources NGOs hinder or help their ultimate goals? How can these organizations collaborate and better share information and resources beyond creating just another NGO networking website and organization? How does the involvement of NGOs in transboundary water negotiations and agreements complement the work of the various governments involved? Considering the UN Millennium Development goals and the limited international development funds available, is it better to spend these funds through NGOs or Governmental Organizations and International Financial Institutions? Required Readings: International Network of Basin Organizations, “International organizations urge G8 world leaders to allocate funds to promote cooperation over transboundary waters for development, security and peace.” May 30, 2003 (available online) Green Cross International homepage www.gci.ch (available online) Supplemental Readings: List of Water Resources NGOs. This is a list of some of the water resources related NGOs. This list is by no means exhaustive, but gives a good look at the NGO community. Browse around for yourself. (see next page) Chitale, Madhav A. “The Narmada Project.” Water Resources Development. 13.2 pp 167-179. 1997. (See section at end about NGO involvement) Water Resources NGO List Safe Drinking Water Supply NGOsThese organizations operate primarily to improve the access to and supply of safe drinking water around the world. Most relate their mission to reaching the UN Millennium Development Goal #7, halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water.
Transboundary Water Resource NGOsThese organizations primarily focus on the issues surrounding the transboundary nature of many water resources.
Other Water Resource NGOsThese organizations focus on one or more related issues related to water resources. Some may overlap with the above two categories.
Directory: prof prof -> Language Education Policy Profile prof -> Title: Associate Professor prof -> Name & Designation : Dr. Hemraj Saini Faculty prof -> Population: 5,097 Government Type prof -> Missions Atlas Project Latin America Barbados Snapshots Section Country Name: Barbados Country Founded in prof -> R institute of technology school of foreign languages prof -> Jackson State University Marching Band The Sonic Boom of the South prof -> The global aftershock zone prof -> Changsun Moon prof -> Michael Oudshoorn Contact Information Download 37.49 Kb. Share with your friends:
|