"Water
Governance: Dr. Tropp on mission from SIWI"
From Left to right: Churchill Otieno (Nation Media
Group), Argwings Odera (EarthWire) and Hakan Tropp after the Environmental
journalists' briefing at the Stanley Hotel, Nairobi.
Dr. Hakan Tropp, project director of the Water and Governance Facility
at the Stockholm International Water Institute SIWI is in Kenya to establish
the relationship between good governance and water as a basic Human
Right. Kenya faces many unique environmental challenges. It is experiencing
the highest rate of forest loss anywhere on the continent. The effects
of the prolonged drought in 2005, extreme rainfall variability and vulnerability
to climate change all attest to this. Dr Tropp's visit is a prelude
to the forthcoming Water Week in Stockholm,Sweden where Mr. Kemal Dervis,
UNDP Administrator will publicly address the theme of the 2006 Human
Development Report which is - Water.
The World Water Week 2006 aims at promoting partnerships and alliances,
and review the implementation of actions commitments and decisions.
In Kenya issues of water have been linked to issues on corruption as
is common in most sub-Saharan countries.
Water Integrity Network will be launched at the water week.This initiative
aims at fighting corruption in water worldwide.Transparency International
secretariat in Berlin hosts this initiative. Dr. Hakan Tropp is the
chairperson of Water Integrity Network.
Institutions and communities through enhanced access to
environmental information in accordance with Chapter 40 of Agenda 21
and the Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration can make known to the
public the underlying issues on water governance in Kenya. Also on the
agenda of the Water Week is the Trans boundary groundwater-hidden asset
for riparian co-operation in Africa.
The empowerment component of UNDP Kenya programme is hosting
Dr. Hakan Tropp on his mission to Kenya between 17 and 21 July 2006.
Background information on Water Governance Facility
The UNDP Water Governance Facility at SIWI works with the governance
aspects of water challenges. It promotes improved water governance reform
and implementation. The Facility works with multiple thematic areas
that range from integrated water resources management, transboundary
water and water supply and sanitation to climate variability, gender
and capacity building. Click
here to access the water governance facility.
Media in Kenya: articles on Water 2006
On Sunday 20 August, the Water Week begins in Stockholm, Sweden with
a session on Environmental Conflicts and the role of the media. Knowledge
is power. For water, this means not only researching and documenting
the complex issues, but also bringing scientific information and decision-making
processes closer. The task is to make easy understandable and credible
information on water and governance issues widely and freely available.
16 March 2006 Standard Newspaper (daily newspaper): How
to close the worrying water divide
June 2006 Business In Africa (monthly magazine):Water
is everyone's business
Kenya
