Strategic Planning, Advocacy & New Campaign Tools for International Programs Practicum in International Affairs Client: Waterkeeper Alliance Cara Avery Rebecca Crane Jorge Davila Folashade Kornegay

Who is Waterkeeper Alliance? Waterkeeper Alliance is an NGO that provides a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the equitable use of water resources They employ strategies such as targeted advocacy, campaigns, media outreach, public education, and litigation to prosecute water polluters in a court of law

Our Role: The New International Platform Traditionally, Waterkeeper Alliance has been a national, US-based environmental NGO with satellite WKOs that have recently formed all around the globe As of January, the Waterkeeper Alliance headquarters in NYC hired their first ever International Director to transition their platform from a national to international one Waterkeeper Alliance contacted GPIA to carry out their new mission of supporting their international network of WKOs

Map of Existing Global Waterkeeper Organizations (WKOs) Source: Waterkeeper Alliance

What Was The Project? The Problem At the onset of their new international endeavor, Waterkeeper had no way of knowing how to assess and strategize their resources and capacity in the international arena This collaboration was born out of the international expertise of GPIA students and Waterkeepers desire to grow internationally The Solution After meeting with the new Waterkeeper International Team, we came up with a description of our final work product and the following timeline of deliverables – roughly broken up into 2 parts.

The Deliverables/Our Product PART 1: ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS BY REGION Latin America & Caribbean Africa & the Middle East Europe Asia & Australia PART 2: ADVOCACY/CAMPAIGN TOOLKITS

Timeline of Deliverables PART 1: REGIONAL NEEDS ASSESSMENTPART 2: ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN TOOLKITS A. Gaps & Weakness AnalysisA. Fact sheet of Legal Rights National International Agreements Case Law & Precedents B. Legal Frameworks National Regional International B. Talking Points for Letters to the Media C. Case StudiesC. Identification of Possible Partnerships D. Potential Funding Sources Country-Specific International

Part 1A of NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Gaps & Weakness Analysis Today, water resources are declining in quality and quantity in virtually every part of the world: More than a billion people are living without access to safe drinking water. Our regional assessments provided a detailed country-by-country profile of water needs and issues such as pollution, scarcity, over-exploitation, lack of access, the lack of water rights, and poor management. Source: UN Water

1A Example: Needs Assessment of Water Issues Europe Nitrogen fertilizers lead to agricultural run-off and seep into water sources. Nitrogen pollution negatively affects the environment and causes major health risks to both humans and animals. Asia Asia is home to 60% of the worlds population, but only 36% of the worlds freshwater resources. With a growing population, high levels of urbanization, and increasing levels of development, demand for water is on the rise in Asia: over the past 50 years, demand has increased by 300%.

Part 1B of NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Legal Frameworks There are a number of commitments in place to uphold water law on an international level, the general principles of international water law have emerged from customary international law and various water-related agreements. At the national and regional levels, some governments have undertaken commitments to protect their water resources and the rights of their citizens to have water. We provided a quick reference guide to the commitments governments in each region have undertaken at the international, regional and national levels.

Part 1B Example: National Water Law in the Czech Republic

Part 1B Example: Regional Framework - Indus Water Treaty A bilateral water treaty between India and Pakistan struck in 1960 Established the Permanent Indus Commission to adjudicate any disputes Strictly controls the amount of water India can extract from rivers upstream Ongoing disputes over the quantity of water being extracted led to the appointment of a neutral expert in 2005 to decide the case of the Baglihar Dam in Kashmir. In 2012, both countries agreed to form an independent Indus Water Commission, staffed by neutral experts.

Part 1B Example: International Legal Frameworks On an international level, water has been identified as an important factor in achieving development, and is strongly connected to poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and urban planning. Millennium Declaration (2000) Agenda 21 (2002) UN Convention on the Law of the Non- navigational Uses of International Watercourses (1997) UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (1994)

Part 1C of NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Case Studies Regional case studies were requested by the client to help get a clear picture of what has worked and what hasnt, so that they can better serve the communities they work with. Waterkeeper Alliance is focusing on both legal and grassroots examples so that they can discover multiple ways to engage all stakeholders equally. Source: FAO

Part 1C Example: Case Studies in Africa While the continent of Africa suffers from a number of issues tied to water access and quality, there have been a number of declarations made by African governments to combat the issues Africa Water Vision 2025 eThekwini Declaration (2008) Tunis Declaration (2008) Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration (2008) Lack of political will stalls progress in achieving goals and perpetuates the same issues, and the advocacy of the people has been instrumental in pushing the agenda forward

Timeline of Deliverables PART 1: REGIONAL NEEDS ASSESSMENTPART 2: ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN TOOLKITS A. Gaps & Weakness AnalysisA. Fact sheet of Legal Rights National International Agreements Case Law & Precedents B. Legal Frameworks National Regional International B. Talking Points for Letters to the Media C. Case StudiesC. Identification of Possible Partnerships D. Potential Funding Sources Country-Specific International

Part 2A of TOOLKIT: Fact Sheet A fact sheet is about alerting the community about their right to know laws and includes pertinent statistics about health and economics Constitutional Human Right to Water National/Federal Water Laws and Acts Judicial Court Decisions and Rulings International Agreements (Ratified)

Part 2A Example: Bolivia 1.The Law for Mother Earth / Law No. 300 Antecedent: Bolivian Constitution of 2009 includes in Article 16; that every person has the right to water- passed by Evo Morales government. In October 15, 2012 The Plurinational Legislative Assembly enacted The Law for Mother Earth. Law No. 300 declares: Mother Earth is consider sacred; it feeds and is home that contains, sustains and reproduce all living things, ecosystems, biodiversity and the individuals that compose them

Antecedents: In 1997, the World Bank conditioned aid for water projects upon the privatization of the water system of El Alto/La Paz and the city of Cochabamba. In 1999, the Bolivian Government turned over Cochabambas water system to the Bechtel Company. An increase of water rate by the Bechtel company sparked an aggressive citizen mobilizations in Cochabamba and around the country. Consequences: Bechtel was forced to leave Bolivia. Bechtel took the case to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes which is operated by the Word Bank In 2006, the Bechtel Company abandoned the case as a direct result of global public pressure 2. Legal Case: Bechtel v Bolivia (2001) World Trade Bank Court Part 2A Example: Bolivia

Part 2B OF TOOLKIT: Talking Points to the Media For example: What does access to safe water sources mean for the livelihood of people who live within WKO countries? How many children die of water related deaths each year? How much water is used for agricultural uses? What are the sources of pollution? The talking points highlight issues that should be presented in order to strengthen the case for water protection when writing a letter to a public official or any type of news media.

Part 2B Example: Sample Letters

Part 2C of TOOLKIT: Potential Partnerships To help Waterkeeper establish networks of WKOs, we identified organizations nationally, regionally, and internationally that participate in water advocacy on various levels

Part 2D of TOOLKIT: Potential Funding Sources To fund initiatives in various countries, we identified a number of organizations and government agencies that have previously provided support for environmental or water-related projects

In Conclusion: How Our Work Will Be Utilized As of December 3, 2012, we handed off our final product and received excellent feedback from the International Director, Sharon Khan: These toolkits are great! Thank you!! They are so full of information that I need to know to be strategic in going forward with our International Program. The sample letters are very useful as I prepare letters for individual international WKOs to declare its solidarity with WKA in the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation. Sharon Khan International Director Waterkeeper Alliance 17 Battery Place Suite 1329 New York, NY 10004