| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
By Dineke Romeijn
The FAO’s Water Resources, Development and Management Service provides a wealth of materials such as databases, training material, software tools, documents and news. http://www.fao.org/landandwater/aglw/index.stm
Interesting resources at FAO can also be found at: http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/aglw/wdeci.stm
Land-Water Linkages In Rural Watersheds
is FAO’s programme on hydrological services
in watershed management. http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/watershed/watershed/en/mainen/index.stm It contains reports and
background information on forums and
workshops, such as the FAO E-workshop “Land-Water Linkages in Rural Watersheds”(held in 2000).
For the synthesis report of this workshop see:
http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/watershed/watershed/papers/paperewk/pewrken/synthesis.pdf
And for the case studies: http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/watershed/watershed/en/caseten/indcaten.stm
“Land Use and Water Resources Research” is a free online journal on the water resource,
ecological, economic, climate change, socioeconomic,
policy and sustainable
development issues related to land use.
http://www.luwrr.com/
Forest Trends, the Katoomba Group and the
World Resources Institute have published
two papers on innovative financial
mechanisms for water services. The first, “Case Studies of Markets and Innovative
Financial Mechanisms for Water Services
from Forests” (2001) describes nine cases
from around the world selected to represent
various types of financial mechanisms in
various settings.
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/publications/casesWSofF.pdf
The second, “Developing markets for water
services from forests” (2001), examines the
cases presented in the first paper and distills
common issues and lessons.
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/publications/Developing_Markets_for_Water_Services.pdf
Both articles have been
summarized in a technical forestry brief:
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/publications/tech_briefs/1watershed.pdf
The UNESCO water portal offers information on UNESCO water programmes as well a searchable database of water events, links and news. http://www.unesco.org/water/
The Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has a website with much information on past seminars and workshops complete with documents, as well as many other downloadable publications. http://www.unece.org/env/water/welcome.html
An interesting seminar e.g. is “The role of ecosystems as water suppliers”. http://www.unece.org/env/water/meetings/ecosystem/seminar.htm
“Developing markets for watershed protection services and improved livelihoods” is a project of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Forestry and Land Use Programme. The site features project information and downloadable publications. http://www.iied.org/NR/forestry/projects/water.html
The International Rainwater Harvesting
Alliance (IRHA) was created during the World
Summit for Sustainable Development
(WSSD) in Johannesburg. Rain is often
overlooked as water supply option and it’s
IRHA’s mission to raise awareness on- and
stimulate the use of this resource. Their
website offers information on activities as
well as a full text newsletter.
http://www.irha-h2o.org/
The site of Asian Development Bank has many interesting reviews covering issues such as: water conflicts, water rights, river basin organizations, intregrated water resources management, participation in water management, and water and poverty. http://www.adb.org/Water/Policy/default.asp
The US Environmental Protection Agency provides free online training modules in watershed management at: http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/
The World Resources Institute (WRI) Earth Trends provides access to databases and maps on different subjects such as climate, marine ecosystems, biodiversity, forests and grasslands and water resources. http://earthtrends.wri.org/
The Development Gateway offers a topic page on water resources management with news, events, publications, projects etc. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/water
The International Program of Trees, Water& People focusses on community reforestation, forest conservation, watershed protection and appropriate technologies in Central America. http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/
“Public-Private Partnerships for Water Supply and Sanitation” is a Swiss initiative to support the Millennium Development Goals. On the website you will find background information on the initiative, electronic versions of the instruments and references to other supportive materials. http://www.partnershipsforwater.net
Other sites of interest: