About the Istanbul Water Consensus
Increasing pollution, enduring poverty and climate hazards put pressure on water resources threatening human, economic and environmental security. The Istanbul Water Consensus is building an international network of Local and Regional Authorities (LRAs) joining forces to promote sustainable practices in water management. The Consensus was initiated in 2009 by Istanbul’s Mayor Kadir Topbaş and endorsed during the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. The Consensus is signed on a voluntary basis with LRAs committing to the preparation of action plans including targets and commitments to monitor progress.
As the main providers of water and sanitation services, the full involvement of local authorities is key to implementing practical solutions to meet the challenges of water management, security and development as well as ensuring adequate sanitation and hygiene. Local solutions are vital in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and pave the way to improved practices in support of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
Local authorities construct, operate and maintain economic, social and environmental infrastructure, establish local environmental policies, and assist in implementing national and subnational policies. As the level of governance closest to citizens, they play a vital role in educating, mobilizing and responding to the public in order to promote sustainable development.
Objectives
The Istanbul Water Consensus signatories are Local and Regional Authorities committed to improve their water management and services.
By becoming IWC signatories, Local and Regional Authorities can:
- Advocate and promote their practices for sustainable water management and service provision;
- Share their experiences and benefit from the feedback and support of other signatories;
- Strengthen global solidarity among Local and Regional Authorities;
- Participate in the World Water Forum and present their achievements.
The major challenge of the Consensus is to enable Local and Regional Authorities to become key actors for sustainable water management and services.
Developing commitments
To fulfill the objectives of the Istanbul Water Consensus, signatories are required to develop commitments. The Istanbul Water Consensus provides a framework which can be easily adapted to suit the needs of the signatory (see IWC annex for more details).
Diagnosis: Signatories develop a diagnosis of the water resource issue they would like to tackle then identify what is needed in order to tackle the issue. Signatories must provide an assessment of the challenges they face. Depending on the local context, the diagnosis may identify the population as lacking access to water and sanitation, vulnerable to climate-related risks or highlight institutional and environmental issues to overcome.
Targets: Signatories develop concrete and measurable targets that are tailored to their local circumstances.
Commitments: Signatories outline clear measures to implement in order to attain their targets.
Progress: Signatories are committed to monitoring their own progress against the targets and commitments they have developed.
Examples of Commitments from IWC Champion Cities
Bordeaux, France
Since the appointment of Bordeaux as a Champion city specialized on water and international solidarity, the city has focused its activities in four areas to:
- Remediation of the Donghu lake in China;
- Collection of storm water in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso;
- Improving access to water and sanitation in Casablanca, Morocco;
- Needs assessment for improving sanitation and waste management in Ramallah, Palestine.
Bordeaux has also organized seminars on international cooperation led by local authorities in Palestine and Burkina-Faso and the French Agency for Development.
Osaka, Japan
The city of Osaka plays a leading role in providing integrated solutions management on water and environmental issues. The city calls for “ensuring a better city environment where citizens can lead safe, healthy and comfortable lives”.
Osaka has committed to:
- A 100% combined sewer overflow control plan;
- Rehabilitation and renewal of 150 km of pipelines and 500 facilities;
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by over 25% by 2020 compared to 1990.
The city of Osaka is the first public water service provider in the world to be awarded the ISO 22000 certification – an international standard for food safety management which encompasses water safety and quality .
Sorocaba, Brazil
By revitalizing the Sorocaba River and improving several urban streams, the city of Sorocaba has renovated its urban landscape. Prior to becoming signatories in 2011, the Sorocaba River received sewage from the city without prior treatment. As a result of Sorocaba's commitments under the Istanbul Water Consensus, sewage in the city is now being treated adequately. In addition, the development of a Recovery Program for Riparian Forests and Springs as resulted in over 110,000 trees being planted.
