4th Asia Pacific Youth Parliament for Water
8-11 April 2015, World Water Forum Pavilion, Andong City, Republic of
Korea
Declaration
Preamble
We, the Parliamentarians of the 4th Asia-Pacific Youth Parliament for
Water (APYPW), are 89 participants from 22 Asian countries. We have gathered in
Andong city, Republic of Korea from 8th to 11th of April 2015, to discuss water
challenges as they relate to issues of capacity building, urbanization, a safe
and sufficient supply of water, and ecosystems and biodiversity. Each
parliamentarian brought their own knowledge and experiences on water to share
with youth from other countries in firm belief that the youth can be the driver
of changing the water status of Asia pacific region.
We have set a clear vision for the future, of what
the water sector will look like 15 years from now. By 2030, we aim to achieve
the targets identified in this Declaration.
We acknowledge that the water problems our
countries face, and even the 15-year targets we have set, can be difficult for
youth to solve and achieve. But, we can take initial action toward achieving
these solutions. We see the first step toward achieving these goals is to
increase awareness among youth and adults in our communities about these target
issues. Therefore, we have deemed the coming year a “Year of
Education.” The one-year action commitments adopted by the 4th APYPW are focused on educating and
raising awareness about water problems and their solutions under the purview of
the identified targets.
Vision
Poor management has caused our water resources to
be polluted and overused. According to UN Millennium Development Goals
Report 2012, 783 million people have no access to an improved source of
drinking water. The gap between urban and rural populations and between
developed and developing countries in terms of an access to water remains wide.
We envision a day when the availability of clean
and safe drinking water is no longer a challenge. When the basic human right of
access to water will be guaranteed to every person on the planet; when every
person will have access to a sufficient and affordable supply of water to meet
their needs; when women and children no longer have to spend their precious
time each day to collect water that may not even be clean; and where
sustainable consumption of water resources is a practice adopted by
governments, industries, and individuals alike.
We envision a future where society can develop and
co-exist sustainably with nature.Where the need for water from both people and
the planet can be met sustainably and efficiently; where decisions about human
development will strive to minimize their environmental impact; where cities
will no longer be main contributors to water pollution; and where natural
disasters can be managed effectively and securely.
Targets
1. Reach accumulated 5 million people by 2030 by the
means of raising awareness.
2. Ensure 2 million people get adequate knowledge
about rainwater harvesting and sustainable water management through education
and capacity building.
3. Decrease pollution and flood by improving
infrastructure.
4. Adopt one policy or agreement that is specifically
and intentionally targeted to improve the condition of water-ecosystems from
each of the 22 countries represented at the 4th APYPW.
Commitments
Publishing a paper about flooding and ecosystem in
our city or country;
[Target 1] We commit to write at least one article
that details the problem of flooding in our cities or countries and highlights
some solutions our governments can take to fix these problems. We will work to
advertise these articles through news media and social media, beginning from
APYPW website and affiliated partners.
Organizing a flood awareness event in our city;
[Target 1] We commit to organize one flood
awareness event in our cities that involves both community members and
government officials. These events will include discussions about the problems
caused by flooding and solutions including early warning systems, and will aim
to achieve general consensus of local community regarding flood issues. The
result of discussion shall be forwarded to local NGOs, local media, and local
government.
Organizing
campaigns on ecosystem and sustainable development through media
[Target 1] We commit to organize campaigns on
ecosystem and sustainable development by cooperating with conventional/social
media in each area of the country by organizing awareness speeches in along
with local NGOs. In addition, we commit to mobilize youth to different place to
promote ecosystem awareness by the means of volunteer activities
Formation of youth clubs in communities to educate
general people on sustainable water consumption and management
[Target 2] Youth clubs can be formed which will
carry out activities such conducting workshops and dialogue sessions with
community people especially women and youth to educate them about proper
utilization of water usage and aware them about the importance of water and the
upcoming water related issues such as water scarcity. The club will also
approach local schools to promote the idea of introducing education curriculum
which will enhance the knowledge of the school children about water issues and
sustainable water management.
Capacity building on rainwater harvesting to
increase access to water
[Target 2] Three key change making agents will be
approached (NGOs, Universities and youth Activists) who will aid us to spread
the concept of rain water harvesting where it’s needed.
Capacity development and installation methods will be shared with the NGOs and
youth activist groups so that they can take installation and training
initiatives in their project area and community. Department of environmental
science and management in universities can be proposed to conduct research on
rain water harvesting and also to implement the installation in university
infrastructure.
Creating an online platform to share information
about green infrastructure;
[Target 3] We are committed to create an online
platform where we will compile and share information and examples both from our
own cities and the wider world. As a first step towards improving water
management in our cities, we are committed to educate ourselves and other
people about emerging and available technologies. Specifically, we are going to
conduct research (though online surveys and talking to experts in the field) to
learn more about these technologies.
Organizing projects to increase awareness of
cooperation with communities;
[Target 3] We are committed to set up projects, in
cooperation with local governments, NGOs and civil societies, educating people
not to dump garbage into the streams. We could also gather people in areas and
clean the surroundings; in addition, by setting up monthly checkups and related
laws, we could maintain the continual functioning of the ecosystem in certain
areas. Furthermore, we should implement water reuse treatment and storing
system in household scale, especially focusing on grey water treatment. Related
law should be well implemented.
Educational events on improving water-ecosystems
[Target 4] We commit to organize an event(s) for
youth that educates them on topics related to improving the conditions of
water-ecosystems. The aim is to involve at least 30 participants. These events
will include the presentation and discussion of key issues in the topic and
hands-on exercises that encourage youth to put those ideas into practice.
Educational events should focus on one of the following three topics: (1)
transboundary water management, with a focus on the importance of joint (i.e.,
intergovernmental) and sustainable water management; (2) biodiversity,
endangered species, and the conditions that have caused them to become
endangered; (3) the respective country’s relevant
environmental policies.
Commission Statement of the 4nd Asia Pacific
Youth Parliament for Water (APYPW)
<Commission 1>
ENOUGH SAFE WATER FOR ALL
Statement of Afghanistan, China, India,
Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, South Korea,
Thailand & Vietnam
PREAMBLE
We, the representatives of the aforementioned
countries strongly believe that water is a human right that must be affordable
to everyone. Water is life’s matrix and matter. Water
access has been a complex problem from local to global scale. The numerous
social and economic impacts resulting from lack of sufficient and safe water
demand that we address the problem more systematically using different
approaches, prioritizing the most pressing concerns and encouraging various
stakeholders.
The commission statement of ‘Commission-1’
focuses more on the issues of water logging, salinity, drought and water
scarcity. Improper water storage facilities and less accessibility of clean
drinking water are leading to several water borne diseases which are the main
causes of death in several countries around the world. The Commission emphasizes the importance of youth participation in the
different thematic areas to strengthen engagement on water issues. In
particular, we want to give priority to addressing the issue of water shortage
through the use of education to increase awareness of the public and promote
public-private cooperation to encourage stakeholder participation.
The commission-1 discussed in details about
the problems originating because of the water scarcity at urban and rural
level. There are various issues which are causing the water scarcity problems. The
commission has divided the main issues as follows;
i)
Climate
change is leading to the unstable and irregular precipitation leading to scarcity
of water availability. Overextarction of ground water is the main cause of
lowering water table that ultimately causes the problems of salinity. Drought
is also one of the main causes of casualties in the world.
ii)
Most
of the people doesn’t have access to the clean and safe drinking water and are
the target of several water borne diseases. Water borne diseases are among the major
causes of death all over the world and especially in the developing countries.
iii)
Old
irrigation system and lack of proper infrastructure and maintenance are also among
the causes of insufficient water supply for agricultural farmers and ordinary
water users.
TARGETS:
The main targets and the recommended implementations
include the following;
1)
To
improve water supply and quality by proper maintenance of infrastructure
facilities as per global standard
2)
To
increase public awareness regarding water issues through education
3)
To
increase public-private cooperation:
Target Groups:
Farmers, Local people,
youth, Government, NGOs and stakeholders
COMMITMENTS:
Improve Water Supply and Quality:
Target Countries: Southeast Asian Countries
The commission
recommends the following recommendations to solve the water leakage, seepage and infiltration problems. It would be recommended to the government for
repairing watercourses and damaged water pipelines, linings of the irrigation water and normal water
courses with covering lids
that will prevent water evaporation and water seepage problem.
The commission would like
to recommend the government and stakeholder involvement in construction of new
water reservoirs and providing free water testing facilities at the union
council levels. It will help the local people to be aware about the quality of
the water.
Increase
Public Awareness:
Target
Countries:
The commission recommends holding voluntary
national and international water related events like learning lessons, seminars
and workshops. In this context, we can use APYPW and WYPW network alumni. They
can visit different cities and countries to educate the people, students and
the farmers in rural parts or countryside. In this case the youth
representatives may need some financial resources which can be requested to
different national and international organizations like ADB, UNESCO.
The commission would like to recommend the utilization
of the modern media like TV, internet, radio and other existing channels such
as social media. Water advertisement or water awareness programs can be broadcasted
that will be a good source for conveying the water messages to people. This can
be done with the involvement of different NGOs.
Commission recommends holding innovative water
competition programs such as painting contest, essay writing and advocacy
campaigns (mobile-school) etc. This can be achieved with the involvement of the
stakeholders and the government organizations.
For the rural areas, the advocacy campaigns
by distributing guideline booklets can help. The youth voluntary groups can be
a source to introduce water treatment programs in different communities.
Furthermore, commission would like to recommend the government to add water
education chapter in the school syllabus which will ultimately prove the best
way to educate the people about water.
Increase Public-Private
Cooperation:
Target Countries:
Commission recommends the creation of youth
and women groups/alliances to promote water security through government
engagement. It will help to strength the women empowerment and also to increase
the awareness within the community.
The
youth alumni can conduct workshops on ‘How to lodge a Right to Information’ in
schools and universities to ensure that the public and private sector
partnerships and agreements on water usage are transparent and accessible to
the public through the creation of online portal for public information,
consultation and interaction.
Commission Statement of the 4nd Asia Pacific
Youth Parliament for Water (APYPW)
<Commission 2>
Water and Cities
Preamble
We, the youth parliamentarians from the Asia-Pacific
region, have gathered in An-dong City, Republic of Korea from the 8th
to 11th April 2015, to discuss about the water challenges faced by
cities in our respective countries. As representatives of the Asia-Pacific
region, we have come to share our knowledge and experiences to reinforce water
management systems.
We, Commission 2, a group of 22 APYPW Parliamentarians, are
focused on water issues related to cities. Reducing vulnerability to water-related
problems in cities is our top priority and we are fully committed to taking
decisive actions to mitigate and prevent the problems.
There has been a lot of evidence of water-related problems
and an increase in natural disasters over time in our cities. So, as
responsible global citizens and proactive youths, we identified three targets
to create a better environmental and sustainable future and set four
commitments on what we can contribute to the cities.
Targets
Target 1: Increase public awareness about flooding
Target 2: Improve stormwater management by increasing
permeable surfaces in our cities, with emphasis on spaces that both increase
permeability and help reduce pollution.
Target 3: Improve solid waste management in cities, based
on best management practices
Commitments
Commitment 1 : we commit to publishing a paper about
flooding in our city or country
We
commit to write at least one article each that details the problem of flooding
in our cities or countries and highlights some solutions our governments can
take to fix these problems. We will work to advertise these articles through
news media and social media.
Commitment 2 : we commit to organizing a flood awareness
event in our city
We commit to
organize one flood awareness event in our cities that involves both community
members and government officials. These events will include discussions about
the problems caused by flooding, the solutions of early warning systems, and
the general consensus of the local community regarding these issues.
Commitment 3 : we commit to create an online platform to
share information we have gathered through research on green infrastructure.
As a first step
toward improving water management in our cities, we are committed to educating
ourselves and other people about emerging and available technologies.
Specifically, we are going to conduct research (though online surveys and
talking to experts in the field) to learn more about these technologies. In
conjunction with this commitment, we will create an online platform where we
will compile and share information and examples both from our own cities and
the wider world.
Commitment 4 : we commit to organize trash clean-up event
in our city
As
an initial step toward achieving this goal, we agree to undertake a community
organizing action. We will each organize one event in our city to remove
garbage from streets or nearby waterways. We will involve city residents –
youth and/or adults – in this action. In addition, we will use this opportunity
to talk to the participants about the proper way of dealing with their waste.
Commission Statement of the 4nd Asia Pacific
Youth Parliament for Water (APYPW)
<Commission 3>
Managing and Restoring Ecosystems for Water Services and
Biodiversity
Ø
Preamble
Ø
Targets
Ø
Commitment
Target 1. Improved Trans boundary
water resources management
Country governments should promote
negotiation, encouraging initiation of a united local organization of each
involved countries, so that a framework of action can be ensured and
international watershed management could be implemented. Regular summit meeting
should also be held, and make national, international and regional institutes
to get involved in it, in order to clarify the importance of trans boundary
water resources issues to all the residents living in those countries.
Target 2. Promote ecosystem
awareness
We should organize campaigns on
ecosystem and sustainable development by cooperating with social media in each
area of the country by organizing awareness speeches. In addition, immobilize
youth to different place to promote ecosystem awareness to the local
communities and to establish volunteer activities that center about teaching
ecosystem awareness.
Target 3. Prevent pollution in the
ecosystem
We could set up projects, educating
people for not to dump garbage into the streams in affected area in cooperation
with local government, NGOs and civil societies. We could also gather people in
areas and clean the surroundings; in addition, by setting up monthly checkups
and related laws, we could maintain the continual functioning of the ecosystem
in certain areas. Furthermore, we should implement water reuse treatment and
storing system in household scale, especially focusing on grey water treatment.
Related law should be well implemented.
Target 4. Rehabilitation for
endangered species
Government should cooperate with
experts, youth involvement and human activities in the field of ecology to
build up protected and/or reserved areas for endemic organisms and set up
regulation in these areas in order to limit human activities and industrial
development. In addition, government should establish places where people can
interact with endangered species in order to appreciate the importance of these
species.
Target 5. Promote ecosystem-related
water regulations
Government should set up water governance
planning that ensures equal water distribution to prevent the development
difference within each ecosystem, in order to reach balance between man-made
system and pristine ecosystem. Ecosystem policy must be framed out determinedly
with the guideline according to the suggestions from the elites to conduct the
regulations. Furthermore, influencing governments to make sure the
implementation of strict laws is also essential.
Commission Statement of the 4nd Asia Pacific
Youth Parliament for Water (APYPW)
<Commission 4>
Enhancing awareness and education on sustainable water
management
Preamble
Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Jordan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic,
Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, People’s Republic of China, Republic of
China(Taiwan), Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan
We, the youth from thirteen
respective countries, gather at Andong, Republic of Korea from 8th–
11th April 2015 in order to attend the 4th Asia Pacific
Youth Parliament for Water. All parliamentarians in commission 4 believes that
water education and other forms of capacity building play an important role in
achieving water security and sustainable development.
Background
An official agenda of fourth
commission in APYPW 2015 is “enhancing education and capacity building.” After
thorough discussions among parliamentarians, the commission has set a scope of
discussion into few keywords; sustainability, knowledge sharing with general
public in regards to securing access to water, and capacity building led by
youth. Among various water education forms and levels, we choose to focus on
non-formal and informal forms of water education as well as higher education
and community level of education.
Target
1: Educating community people about water management and promote sustainable
consumption.
Target 2: Educating general people about household level
rainwater harvesting system.
Target 3: Encourage water efficiency in service industries
by means of capacity building engagement by youth groups.
Commitments:
1)
The participants will engage in
need assessment survey to find out target communities where information about
water management and its sustainable consumption is needed by engaging the
influential people of the local community. Develop a youth club in the
community which can carry out the actions such monthly dialogue sessions with
the youth and the home makers of the community to provide education about
proper utilization of water for house hold activities such as cleaning and
cooking
2)
The participants will find out the
key agents of change makers which are more likely to be NGOs, Youth Activist
Groups and Universities who are willing to support the initiative. Capacity
development method will be shared with NGOs so that they can introduce and
promote it in their related project areas. Workshops on educating youth
activists on rain water harvesting and its installation process will be
conducted. Universities can be approached regarding installation of rain water
harvesting in their infrastructure and carry out research paper on the
feasibility and effectiveness. In one year the target is to approach one
university, one NGO and develop one active youth group per country regarding
our key change makers.
3) APYPW
parliamentarians will return their home country and make contact with
institution agents with technical knowledge on efficient usage of water.
Afterwards, target group to implement the training program will be selected
along with an initial curriculum for each target group. Within one year,
sustainable training program in at least 2 dining establishment, car-wash
business, laundry business each per country will be run.
No comments:
Post a Comment