WaterWired

Sunday Seattle Workshop - Aaron Wolf and Todd Jarvis: 'Water Conflict Management and Transformation'

Friends and colleagues Aaron Wolf and Todd Jarvis are delighted to offer a half-day workshop on 'Water Conflict Management and Transformation in advance of the American Water Resources Association’s annual conference in Seattle on the afternoon of November 6 from 1:30 to 5 PM. You can attend even if you are not attending the conference - just pay the $199 fee onsite. The workshop will be held at the conference venue: Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd. N, Renton, WA 98056. 

Overview:

"Water Conflict Management & Transformation” offers an opportunity for water resources professionals regardless of background to learn about current and leading-edge ways to work effectively in contentious water situations. It explores conflict tolerance, prevention, management, and transformation through collaborative structures as well as through models of negotiation and dialogue. Water management is conflict management. Regardless of the scale, ensuring that the needs of the people and ecosystems that rely on this critical resource are met effectively requires comprehensive understanding of both water science and water conflict management, including dispute mitigation, transformation, and resolution. To address these needs, the instructors have designed a highly interactive approach to capacity-building, including theoretical approaches, case studies, role plays, and serious gaming. The goal of this course is to broaden the scope of approach to the conflicts inevitable in the water world, and to provide a more theoretical dimension to conflict, engage multi-level scales of conflict dimensions and strengthen skills through highly experiential learning opportunities.

Learning Objectives

• Increase participants’ understanding of the issue of shared waters from various perspectives and scales.
• Develop the ability of participants to reframe interpersonal differences and apply this within the context of shared waters.
• Increase skills of participants to analyze stakeholders, issues and conditions for negotiations within a shared waters context.
• Introduce the participants to a wide range of negotiation tools, models and frameworks.
• Provide a space for participants to practice and demonstrate their negotiation/mediation skills.

Aaron and Todd are two of the world's best experts on water conflict management and transformation. They are often found in the far reaches of the globe. We are fortunate to have them here with us for a day. Take advantage of their skills.

See you then!

"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." - Unknown

My Ten Cents: 'Dr. Thomas Meixner: The Day The Earth Stood Still - Gone, But Never Forgotten'

When I started on my daily 100-minute walk at 4:30 this morning it looked like a great day in the making: huge harvest moon and beautiful clear sky. But as I finished my walk around 6:15, all had changed. The fog settled in, obliterating the stars and the orange orb.

I knew what these changes meant.

I was still feigning disbelief at the unbelievable news that Dr. Thomas (Tom) Meixner, professor and head of the University of Arizona's Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences (HAS), had been murdered by a disgruntled former student on 5 October 2022 (here are Washington Post and NBC News stories). According to KOLD-TV the former student, Murad Dervish, has a history of violence, including a domestic violence case in San Diego 11 years ago, Sounds like Dervish was an accident waiting to happen. Doesn't seem like much was being done to thwart him.    

I did not know Tom well; our time at the U of A had been separated by a few decades. I received my PhD (1975) about twenty-five years before he did. Our ages were over 20 years apart. Yet I knew enough about him to know that he was a true scholar, a kind person and well-liked by his students. He was making the world a better place. 

I got to meet him a number of years ago and had a most enjoyable visit. He gave freely of his time - I'm sure he had work to do but he made me feel like he had no more important things to do than meet with an old alum.

I am puzzled as to why a person who was banned from the HAS building and had other law-enforcement difficulties could obtain a handgun. My naiveté is showing. But we've got to get this 'gun stuff' under control! 

I thought it would be nice to choose some tunes to convey my feelings about his untimely death.    

Here is Elton John's tribute to John Lennon - 'Empty Garden - Hey, Hey, Johnny':

https://youtu.be/Zjse0b-ZPVQ         

And I thought Dion's 'Abraham, Martin and John' would be a good choice:

https://youtu.be/eN4ZlST1tGc

My heart is with his family: spouse Kathleen and sons Sean and Brendan.

I'm sure that we will soon see a memorial scholarship fund for students established in Tom's memory. I'm all in!

NOTE: The following were sent to me by the UA Alumni Society on 11 October 2022:

SUPPORT THE MEIXNER FAMILY
The extended family of Dr. Meixner has created a GoFundMe effort to support Tom’s wife, Kathleen, and their sons, Sean and Brendan. Funds will support immediate costs related to the funeral and will help create a foundation for moving forward with living and educational expenses.

DR. THOMAS MEIXNER MEMORIAL FUND
To honor his memory, the university has established the Dr. Thomas Meixner Memorial Fund and has created a crowdfunding page where donors can also share words of condolence. This fund was established to honor his legacy, and the family will direct it to a University of Arizona cause meaningful to them.

"Grief is the price we pay for love” – Queen Elizabeth II

WaterWired: 'Hydrophilantrophy - I Can't Define It But I Know It When I See It!'

My introduction to the Water Resources IMPACT issue:

I had a dream about this third 'Hydrophilanthropy' issue of Water

Resources IMPACT  - a bad one! Why? Because we've had two previous issues on Hydrophilanthropy (HP for short) - January 2010 and 2016. Had we lost our mojo? NO! I got a few old authors with new ideas. Dave Kreamer on HP and sustainability; Peter Wampler (with Roderick Morgan) on potable water; and yours truly. I may have little new to say but I am looking back to see how I got here. Stuart Smith and Laurra Olmsted both discuss Africa - with different but complementary approaches. John Cherry, one of the world's great hydrogeologists has a new program that is especially attractive to the developing world (Stuart and Laurra). Kabir Thatte of DigDeep has a very novel concept to consider. Maria Daugherty-Gibson has a 501(c)(3) approach to groundwater. She might find synergy with Brown et al. working on Oregon Water Futures! Jim F. Chamberlain and Becky Svatos have something to say about important elements in development work. So why have we not lost our mojo? SYNERGY! That is what I want to see! I'm talking about 2028!

Here is the July-August 2022 issue as a PDF:

Download AWRA JulyAug 2022_IMPACT

and a flipping-book version: click here.

The first two paragraphs of my article:

This issue of Water Resources IMPACT is the third to feature the topic of hydrophilanthropy.. I have edited all three of these issues—in 2010, 2016, and 2022—and this will likely be my last. The cover of the 2010 issue introduced me to the concept of “poverty porn,” as some call it. (Notice that the current issue's cover avoids that type of imagery.) So the title of this article is my tongue-in-cheek definition of hydrophilanthrop taken from former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart. In the early 1960s, the Supreme Court was dealing with cases related to pornography and protected speech. Stewart wrote that even though he could not define hard-core pornography pornography “I know it when I see it.”

Despite the title of my article, here is my definition of hydrophilanthopy. You may have your own.

1. Altruistic concern for the water, sanitation, and related needs of humankind, as manifested by donations of work, money, or resources.
2. Use of water to express kindness or benevolence, such as the healing of psychological, spiritual, and other wounds.

It was not until 2005 that I heard the term “hydrophilanthropy” in a phone conversation with Dave Kreamer, who did not define it at the time but has written articles for all three hydrophilanthropy issues of Water Resources IMPACT. But my interest in hydrophilanthropy started long before that conversation. 

Here is the PDF if my article:

Download MEC_Water Resources IMPACT July-August 2022

Enjoy!

Laurra Olmsted's UniWater Education: 'An Africa-Centric Approach to Water Education'

Here is another article from the July-August Water Resources IMPACT issue on Hydrophilanthropy:

An Africa-Centric Approach to Water Education
What if you went to Africa to provide locals with clean water. Fine. But what if you helped them create groundwater programs in their own universities? Wow!
Laurra Olmsted

You might see a correspondence between Stuart Smith's work and Laurra's:
Training the locals to do the hydrogeology.

Here is a PDF of the entire magazine:

Download AWRA JulyAug 2022_IMPACT

For a flipping-book version click here.

Here is Laurra's article as a four-page PDF:

Download L Olmsted_Water Resources IMPACT July-August 2022 

The first three paragraphs:

Sub-Sahara Africa face an accelerating crisis of water poverty. The population of the region continues to grow, even as climate change spells more frequent and intense droughts. The water infrastructure in many areas is woefully underdeveloped, and the shortage of water professionals in the region makes addressing these challenges a tall order.

Many people continue to lack access to clean water, especially in rural areas. A 2019 report by the World Health Organization indicates that most recent improvements to the African water supply have been concentrated in urban centers, where many more people have benefited from services than in rural areas where the population density is much lower. Indeed, because of the steep costs and difficult hydrogeological terrain in the center part of the continent, many funders have stopped programs to develop rural water supplies altogether. As droughts become more frequent and intense, rural populations migrate to the cities, which puts more strain on existing supplies and infrastructure. On the coast, where most African cities are located, seawater intrusion is an ever increasing to risk to groundwater sources.

Taken together, these problems constitute a growing threat to the people and economies of Sub-Saharan countries. If new ideas are not explored for rural water users of Sub-Saharan Africa, this situation will only worsen. UniWater Education, a small Canadian charity, is partnering with African universities to address these challenges by supporting water education for Africans, in Africa.

Consider a donation: click here.

Enjoy!

"For the cost of sending one person to university overseas, an entire classroom could be educated in Africa" - Laurra Olmsted

CRS InFocus Report: 'Pakistan’s 2022 Floods and Implications for U.S. Interests'

K. Alan Kronstadt and Rhoda Margesson authored this CRS InFocus report (12 September 2022): 'Pakistan’s 2022 Floods and Implications for U.S. Interests'

Download CRS_InFocus_Rpt_Pakistan’s_2022_Floods_and_US_Interests_12Sept2022

I have also pasted the entire report below.

Overview
In mid-June 2022, at the beginning of monsoon season, heavy rains began flooding areas of Pakistan. Estimates range from double to several times the normal monsoon rainfall. By late August, flooding had worsened to historic and catastrophic levels, reportedly affecting more than 33 million people, injuring at least 13,000 and killing more than 1,300. With more than one-third of the country reportedly submerged, agricultural losses appear to be extensive, affecting housing, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Pakistan’s government has estimated the cost of flood damage at $30 billion and cut its projected annual economic growth for this fiscal year from 5% to 3%.

Successive U.S. Administrations have described a stable, democratic, and prosperous Pakistan as critical to U.S. interests. This crisis may have U.S. security implications. Responding to this disaster is taxing a Pakistani government already struggling with political upheaval, worsening economic and debt crises, unsettled civil-military relations, and rising public discontent. Regional stability and efforts to counter militancy and terrorism are U.S. concerns; both may face negative impacts from the current crises. For example, following 2010 flooding, some banned Pakistani terrorist groups apparently were at the forefront of rural relief efforts and could gain popular support through such activities; Pakistan’s government denies that any banned groups are involved in flood relief in 2022. Congress may wish to consider whether or not U.S. assistance in response to the catastrophic floods would serve U.S. interests, including economic and security objectives.

Flood Damage—Initial Assessments
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the lead federal agency for disaster relief coordination, including relief operations supported by Pakistan’s army, navy, and air force. So far, the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan appear most affected (see Figure 1). As of September 9, 2022, the NDMA is reporting the following damage due to flooding since June 14, 2022:

•   1,396 persons killed (39% Sindh, 20% Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or KP, 21% Balochistan, 14% Punjab) and 12,728 injured;

•   Affected population: more than 33 million (44% Sindh, 28% Balochistan, 13% KP, 15% Punjab);

•   Rescued population: 177,265 (43% Punjab, 39% KP);

•   Population in official government of Pakistan

  displacement sites: 663,869 (87% Sindh);

•   Livestock deaths: more than 750,000 (67% Balochistan, 27% Punjab);

 Damaged roads: more than 4,100 miles (39% Sindh, 24% KP, 23% Balochistan); damaged bridges: 269 (40% KP, 26% Gilgit-Baltistan, 23% Sindh).

Figure 1. Homes Damaged in Pakistan’s 2022 Flooding (as of September 1, 2022)

Humanitarian Needs
Pakistan’s affected populations reportedly are in dire need of relief supplies, including shelter, food, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Experts say that floods are likely to exacerbate food availability across the country, particularly for those already experiencing food insecurity. More than 600,000 people have taken refuge in official Government of Pakistan displacement sites, but the number of people displaced without shelter is likely much higher. The United Nations (U.N.) reports that, of those displaced, many are staying as close to their homes and the affected areas as possible due to concerns that lack of land ownership documentation could prevent future returns. In many affected areas the humanitarian response has been hampered by damaged roads and bridges. Humanitarian organizations assert that maternal health and protection from gender-based violence are also of concern, as well as an increased risk of vector-borne disease (such as malaria) and water-borne disease (including diarrhea and cholera) along with threats from venomous wildlife such as poisonous snakes. The floods also may exacerbate preexisting outbreaks of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and other medical conditions, particularly as vaccine campaigns are suspended and access to care is limited.

National and International Responses
Government of Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he intends to set up a National Flood Response and Coordination Center to facilitate a multiagency response in coordination with the NDMA. So far, the government has established 147 camps for populations displaced by the floods. Pakistan is planning to provide cash assistance to those affected, while provincial governments may redirect development funds to flood relief. It also has verified several fund-raising agencies on the GoFundMe website.

International Responses. On August 30, 2022, the United Nations issued a Flash Humanitarian Appeal for $160 million to support an Islamabad-led “Pakistan 2022 Floods Response.” The appeal identifies 5.2 million people particularly in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including “food, water, sanitation, emergency education, protection and health support.” On a recent visit to Pakistan, the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for “massive” international support. International relief agencies have launched separate funding appeals. International financial institutions reportedly have pledged $500 million toward Pakistan disaster relief and development, with the vast majority coming from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

U.S. Response
On August 12, 2022, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome issued a disaster declaration and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) released $100,000 in immediate humanitarian assistance. USAID also activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team in Pakistan to assess the impact of the floods and a Response Management Team (based in Washington, DC) to coordinate U.S. government flood response efforts. On August 30, USAID announced an additional $30 million in humanitarian assistance, stating that U.S. assistance would “prioritize urgently needed food support, safe water, sanitation and hygiene improvements, financial help, and shelter assistance.” From Islamabad on September 9, USAID Administrator Power announced a further $20 million in humanitarian assistance. Previously in FY2022, USAID also provided $3 million in Early Recovery, Risk Reduction, and Resilience funding. On September 8, the Department of Defense U.S. Central Command began air operations to transport USAID relief supplies from USAID’s Dubai warehouse to Pakistan to support USAID-led humanitarian response operations.

Bilateral U.S. development assistance to Pakistan— estimated at $71 million for FY2022, with $84 million requested for FY2023—is expected to continue, including over $1 million in grants and project support provided earlier in August, and with programs adapting, in part, to address the long-term impact of the 2022 floods.

Environmental and Governance Issues Pakistan suffers from multiple environmental and governance challenges that potentially worsen natural disasters, including flooding. A World Bank Vulnerability Assessment found that “Pakistan faces some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world, ranked 18 out of 191 countries by the 2019 Inform Risk Index.” The study estimates Pakistan’s average annual losses to flooding have been around $1 billion.

In the summer of 2010, the country experienced the most catastrophic flooding in its history until then, a disaster that officially killed more than 1,700 persons, affected more than 20% of the land area and 20 million people, and caused billions of dollars in damage. According to a Scientific American assessment later that year, the scale of Pakistan’s flooding that year was “made worse by a history of deforestation and land-use changes in the affected areas.” Analysts estimate that Pakistan’s tree cover has decreased by at least 80% since its 1947 independence. A 2022 studyon “recent global warming as a proximate cause of deforestation” found that Pakistan has the second-highest deforestation rate in Asia.

Poor governance and planning, and lack of political will, also might contribute to Pakistan’s vulnerability to floods. Inadequate water management likely played a role. Following the 2010 floods, the government reportedly failed to implement plans that would have reduced the consequences of future floods by preventing rebuilding in and repopulating of flood-prone areas. Laws barring construction too close to river banks apparently were widely violated.

Pakistan’s climate minister is among those positing a causal link between climate change and recent flooding. Some analyses see Pakistan as especially vulnerable to climate- related extreme weather events. A 2021 report by the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank identified as a major concern the uncertainty of a warming climate’s changes to glacial melt and extreme precipitation. A 2022 U.N. report on “Pathways to Adaptation and Resilience” projects that, in a “worst-case climate change scenario,” Pakistan could realize average annual economic losses equal to more than 9% of its GDP. Yale University’s 2022 Environmental Performance Index gave Pakistan an overall ranking of 176th of 180 countries, including 175th in “climate change mitigation” (mainly regarding reduction of greenhouse gas emissions).

Issues for Congress
For more than a decade, Congress has annually enacted security- and human rights-related conditions on bilateral aid to Pakistan, and security assistance was suspended in 2018. Congress may consider whether and if so, how to address the crisis in Pakistan through humanitarian or more strategic long-term assistance amid unprecedented global humanitarian need and competing priorities. Congress could consider whether the United States should provide humanitarian assistance through multilateral channels such as the United Nations or nongovernmental implementing partners, and also monitor how the executive branch allocates such assistance. Bilateral development activities could be aligned more closely with U.S. objectives in Pakistan and also channeled through the government. For all U.S. support, Congress could conduct oversight of the delivery challenges encountered, including access and security conditions in Pakistan, which could undermine the effectiveness of humanitarian operations and development aid; and/or assess the flood disaster responses of the Islamabad government and international donors so as to improve ongoing and future disaster preparedness and prevention activities, and to reduce the harm caused by future flood events.

Enjoy - and contribute to a humanitarian fund: International Rescue Committee and World Central Kitchen are two of my favorites.  

"The future is here, it's just unevenly distributed." - Unknown