Green Cross National
Organisations Activities
Almost all GCNOs now have water projects of different types and
on different scales. These include:
GC Argentina
has long been an active participant in the water programme, and is now even
more so as coordinators of the Yacyreta Dam Environmental and Social Impact
of Dams: Assessment & Mediation project. This is a new area of activity
for Green Cross, and will begin with a project to assess the environmental and
social impacts of the Yacyreta Dam in Argentina and Paraguay and mediate between
the government, investors and the affected communities. This project will begin
with a three-month phase, starting in mid-2000, during which a Strategic Action
Plan for four years will be elaborated and proposed to the appropriate authorities.
Green Cross will contribute to the resolution of the conflicts between the government,
stakeholders and investors in the project through mediation and the search for
mutually agreeable solutions. GC Argentina will take full responsibility for
the project and GCI will assist by providing international credibility, coordination
and expertise, and acquiring information and contacts relating to other large
dam projects.
This project will be carried out with a view to encourage integrated,
international basin management and cooperation and communication
between governments and civil society, and can therefore be placed
in the context of the work in International Basin Management &
Water Conflict Prevention. In the future, this activity could
lead to GCI acting as a mediator between different sectors of
communities affected by dams in other regions.
GC Bolivia
is in the process of developing a project to help divide the country into basin
level administrative units. This project has the support of GCI and the Bolivian
government, and is being initiated partly in response to the outbreak of violence
earlier this year over water rights in which several people were killed.
GC Burkina Faso,
as well as the Tree Planting Project, plans to take advantage of the international
contacts and experience gained as a result of its involvement in the West Africa
Water Vision to initiate a transboundary water project to promote cooperation
and communication between Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries, possibly
beginning with the Volta River Basin shared with Ghana. Following discussions
in The Hague, GCBF has invested its efforts in establishing contacts for a study
of shared river and lake basins in the West African sub-region from the perspective
of the prevention of water based conflicts at the regional and sub-regional
levels.
GC Côte
d'Ivoire will implement a "water and sanitation" programme
in 2000 involving the installation of drinking fountains in poor urban areas
and different exercises aimed at water management education.
GC Hungary,
following flooding of the Tisza River in April 2000, took the initiative
to bring urgent relief to the community of Bodrogkeresztur - the most severely
damaged village - to help people to save possessions from their inundated homes.
Two months prior to these floods, the Tisza River had suffered from a cyanide
spill in a mine in upstream Romania. GC Hungary and GCI issued a press release
immediately following the disaster and continue to raise awareness of this and
other water-quality problems. As a link between the education and water programmes,
GC Hungary hopes to start a water-quality monitoring project based in schools
in the region.
GC Italy cosponsored a film on Middle East Water Conflict
Prevention, and is currently developing a project based on the
School Rivers concept which could involve Italy and some Eastern
European GCNOs.
GC Swaziland will
hold two symposiums at the University of Swaziland the theme of "Water
and the environment - our hope for the future". A fresh-water supply project
has recently begun at Engwenyameni with the help of the American Embassy.
The project has been divided into 2 phases and the 1st phase has already started.
GC Sweden,
in cooperation with Linkoping University, will hold a water education
course for high school students aimed at bringing to light the relationship
between water resources and international conflicts. The first courses will
be held in September - October 2000.
GC Switzerland
finances a project to build wells in Burkina Faso.
GG USA - will
hold a Symposium
on International Water and Energy in Los Angeles, 13 October 2000.
For more information on any of these projects and events,
contact