Dropbydrop

EU: electricity prices - water next?

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:36:00 +0000

Ever wondered what your neighbour pays for their electricity? wonder no more as this latest graph from The Economist shows prices across the EU. Someone should also do this for the price of water!

Jim Rogers blog: Water investments can pay off big

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:57:00 +0000

Jim Rogers

Great to see our own view backed by Jim Rogers blog: Water investments can pay off big: If you can find ways to invest in water, you will be extremely rich because we do have a serious water problem in many parts of the world l...

Desalination in Yemen funded by GCC states: smart!

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:37:00 +0000

(c) Yemen Post

Today's news report that Gulf states countries are funding and building a large desalination plant in Yemen is good news indeed.

It's good for Yemen but also good for the region. Water scarcity sets off a domino effect of scarcity in other key areas: food security, health, productivity and economic output are just some of them. Funding a reliable source of water, is smart risk management for neighbours keen on reducing political instability.

One of the poorest countries in the Arab region with a per-capita GDP of US$1,209, Yemen also has one of the world's highest population growth rates. The availability of educational and health services, drinking water, and employment opportunities is limited.

Access to safe drinking water will make a major contribution to this situation. In a country that experienced a 16% inflation rate in 2011, affordability of water services will be key.

Extractive Industries Source Book - Shale Gas Contribution

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:15:00 +0000

We are very pleased to have our contribution on the Romanian shale gas debate included in the Extractive Industries Source Book.

The Extractive Industries Source Book is a free online, interactive resource that is built upon a coherent and incisive narrative analysis of the extractive industries sector as a whole, supplemented by hundreds of downloads and otherweb resources, including specially commissioned reports, summaries and briefs. It is a partnership between the World Bank Group, a global consortium of universities led by the University of Dundee, and non-governmental organisations.

Dezbatere in Romania privind gazele de sist: Dragnea este orbit – din pacate nu de stiinta

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:57:00 +0000

Lucky to have good friends who translated yesterday's blog into Romanian.

Este simbata si imi permit un ton mai familiar si tema cintecului

“M-a orbit cu stiinta” (She blinded me with Science )

Acest cintec a lui Thomas Dolby suna ca si cind ar fi dedicat protestelor actuale din Romania si vicepremierului Liviu Dragnea.

Intr-un interviu acordat ieri Dl. Dragnea afirma ca nu a vazut nimic in America care sa sprijine afirmatile potrivit carora exploatarea gazelor de sist reprezinta un risc pentru mediul inconjurator, asa cum sustin cele mai recente proteste.

Citecul lui Dolby este un joc de cuvinte (calambur) provenind din expresia englezeasca “being blinded with science” (orbit cu stiinta) care inseamna inducerea intentionata in eroare a unei persoane de catre o alta persoana,aceasta din urma dind impresia ca ar stapini stapinirii cunostinte stiintifice foarte complexe.

Din pacate din ceea ce am observat eu, nici prezentarea stiintifica a riscului cauzat de exploatarea gazelor de sist, nici maniera in care investigatiile stiintifice si rezultatele acestora sint considerate parte a unei abordari mai largi a problemei, nu au fost luate in consideratie in cadrul dezbaterilor din Romania.

Majoritatea oficialitatilor pare a cinta pe aceeasi partitura:aceasta majoritate se refera mereu la - experienta americana – afirmind ca acolo nu s-a observat nici un motiv de ingrijorare. Ori, numai aceasta afirmatie categorica ar trebui sa ridice semne de intrebare

O simpla cautare pe Google va dezvalui ceea ce toata lumea stie deja , si anume:– exploaterea gazelor de sist a produs deja pagube mediului inconjurator iar autoritatile de resort sint in curs de a-si revizui modul de abordare a acestei probleme.

Australia

Scurgeri/pierderi:Vezi scurgerile de gaz de carbune in Australia la Programul “Four Corners”. Mai jos link-ul transcript

Comisia Nationala a Apelor si-a publicat in 2010 pozitia privind relatia dintre exploaterea gazelor de carbune si apa/apa freatica,pozitie in care se subliniaza clar lista riscurilor la care este expusa apa freatica si alimentarea cu apa ca urmare a exploatarii gazului amintit.

Pagina de Web include o actualizare inportante datata Iunie 2012 precum si publicarea Ghidului Apelor (Waterlines ) care a fost insarcinat sa furnizeze informatii obiective privind relatia dintre exploatarea gazelor de carbune si volumele de apa inplicate precum si optiuni de management.

Guvernul Federal Australian a publicat o excelenta nota informativa (background note) ce descrie substantele chimice folosite in mod obisnuit in exploatarea gazelor de carbune si a celor de sist, diferentele importante dintre cele doua modele de exploatare si riscurile pe care le implica fiecare.

Pagina de Web a Comitetului Stiintific Independent de Experti al Guvernului Federal Australian este deasemenea importanta precum si diversele proiectele ( inclusiv acesta) ce analizeaza in subsidiar si impactul contaminarii apei freatice (http://www.environment.gov.au/coal-seam-gas-mining/research-projects/aquifers.html)

Centrul National Australian de Cercetare a Apei Subterane (http://www.groundwater.com.au/) a transmis mediilor de informare o serie de materiale privind importanta pe plan national a apei freatice

Materialul care se regaseste in link-ul alaturat (http://www.groundwater.com.au/news_items/media-release-crumbling-bores-jeopardise-nation-s-water) subliniaza divergentele dintre fermieri si industria extractiva.

Marea Britanie

Comitetul Geologic Britanic a recunoscut riscurile legate de exploatarile gazelor de sist la care este supusa apa freatica precum si riscul aparitiei activitatilor seismice

(http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shaleGas/environmentalImpacts.html)

In recomandarile sale este inclusa si necesitatea elaborarii studiului de evaluare a riscului privind mediul inconjurator, pentru toate operatiile de exploatare a gazelor de sist, cu participarea cit mai curind posibil.a comunitatilor locale vizate.

(http://royalsociety.org/uploadedFiles/Royal_Society_Content/policy/projects/shale-gas/2012-06-28-Shale-gas.pdf)

Statele Unite

Agentia de Protectie a Mediului este in curs de elaborare a unui studiu privind fracking-ul (http://www.epa.gov/hfstudy/) si impactul sau asupra resurselor de apa potabila.

Alaturat link-ul unde sint redate expunerile de la masa rotunda din noiembrie 2012 (http://www.epa.gov/hfstudy/techround12.html) legate de acest studiu.

Tuturor celor ce au indoieli serioase (intemeiate) privind scurgerile ce pot apare la exploatare le sugeram sa vizioneze prezentarea si informarea oferita de statele New , Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas si Colorado (http://www.epa.gov/hfstudy/pdfs/flowback.pdf).

Lipsa unor date si masuratori riguroase culese din toate statele federale americane va face si mai dificila munca Agentieil de Protectie a Mediului.

Shale Gas [Gazele de Sist] Debate in Romania: Dragnea is Blinded - Sadly not with Science!

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 03:58:00 +0000

It is Saturday so I'm permitting myself a more familial tone and a theme song.

Thomas Dolby's She blinded me with Science is dedicated to the current protests in Romania and to Deputy Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea.

In an interview given yesterday, Dragnea claims that he hasn't seen anything in America which supports the allegations of the environmental hazards of shale gas exploration, as contended by the most recent protests.

Dolby's song is a quirky play on the English expression of being blinded with science, meaning to deliberately confuse someone by giving the impression of highly complex knowledge. Unfortunately, from what I've seen so far of the debate in Romania, neither the science underpinning the risks of shale gas exploration; nor the manner in which any scientific investigation and results are considered as part of the broader assessment, have merited any airplay.

The majority of officials appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet: always referring to the 'American experience' which they claim hasn't raised anything that could be of concern. This categorical proclamation alone, should be cause for alarm.

A simple 'google.ro' or 'google.com' search would uncover what everyone else already knows - shale gas exploration has caused environmental damage and regulators are revisiting their approach:

Australia

Spills/ Leaks: 4Corners program on Coal Seam Gas leaks in Australia. Here is also the transcript.

The National Water Commission has published its position on coal seam gas and water/ Groundwater, dated 2010 which clearly outlines a list of risks to water supply. The website includes an important update from June 2012 and the publication of Waterlines which was commissioned to provide objective information on CSG co-produced water volumes and management options.

The Australian Federal Government has issued this excellent background note, explaining the chemicals commonly involved in CSG and Shale Gas exploration, the difference between the two relevant to extraction methods and the risks incurred.

The Australian Federal Government's Independent Expert Scientific Committee on CSG and Large Coal Mining Development's site is important, as are its different projects including this one which will develop subsidence related impacts, and this one relating to Aquifer contamination and integrity.

Australia's National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training has issued several media releases on the national importance of groundwater. This one highlights the issue competition between farmers and extractive industries very well.

United Kingdom

The British Geological Survey has recognised risks to groundwater as well as seismic activity on this site. Its recommendations include the need to conduct an Environmental Risk Assessment for all shale gas operations 'involving the participation of local communities at the earliest possible opportunity'.

United States of America

The Environmental Protection Agency is undertaking a study of fracking and its impact on drinking water resources. This is a good page for all presentations made during the last round table in November 2012. For anyone seriously doubting the occurrence of spills I suggest they look at this presentation and the information provided on New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas and Colorado. The lack of consistency in data capturing and measuring across the states is surely making the EPA's work more difficult.

Romania: Shale Gas & Water: will the vital issues bubble to the surface?

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:28:00 +0000

Today (4 April 2013), residents of Romania are taking to the streets staging mass demonstrations in Bucharest and 25 regional towns to protest intended shale gas exploration.

www.stopfracturare.ro

Hydraulic exploration of shale gas, also known as ‘fracking’ is challenging energy and environmental regulators across the world. Australia, the United States of America where the exploration method is probably most common, the United Kingdom and France are but a few countries wrestling with this topic.

On the one hand there is potential for harm: most obviously to the environment, contamination of water resources, residents’ health, and impeded agricultural activities. On the other, there are tempting prospects of increased energy generation (potential for export and national revenue gain, and strategic independence) and broader regional and national economic benefits.

The level of dialogue underway in Romania is of grave concern. It looks to be no more than a ‘shouting match’ pitching easy targets against each other: regional residents and environmental activists versus obstinate officials.

Without a robust process that engages all relevant stakeholders, there is a real danger that consideration of vital factors will be lost in the fray, including:

Water Resources

Volume of water required to undertake exploration, and its impact on other water intensive or dependent economic activities

Actual documented incidents of contamination occurring in the US, and Australia

Risk of contamination to groundwater, publicly recognized by national bodies responsible for overseeing water policy.

Romania’s obligation under the EU Groundwater Directive 2006 to implement measures to protect the quality of its groundwater, any failings should also be of concern to neighboring countries sharing aquifers and/or rivers.

Value of groundwater resources: quantification of the economic, cultural and environmental benefit of uncontaminated groundwater to the regional economy, national economy, and its food security, as well as local customs, and traditions.

Value of uncontaminated water resources: rivers could become contaminated affecting water services, water use by industry, by the energy sector and any other dependent economic activity.

Romania’s energy strategy and (any) intended export at the expense of exposure to environmental risk

Identification of alternative energy sources including renewable energy

Demonstrated capacity of Romanian regulatory bodies to manage environmental risk in the mining/ extractive industries

Environmental records of companies seeking to extract shale gas in Romania

Available technology for safer extraction/ discharge processes

Assessment of the true economic benefits which regional centres stand to gain if fracking occurs, including generation of jobs and sustainable local investment

Availability of compensation and remediation methods in the event of contamination

Treatment of landowners and their bargaining power in negotiating access rights with exploration companies

Good Corporate Governance for Indonesian Water Utilities, like it or not

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:53:00 +0000

This is one of the slides I used during my IWWEF presentation. This slides represent a fundamental change that will soon be applied to Indonesian water utilities (PDAM). As I have posted earlier, on the opening ceremony of the IWWEF, the Indonesian Vice President said that Good Corporate Governance is the key for water services reform and that he is committed to such reform.

On another session, four cabinet ministers also stresses the importance of Good Corporate Governance for water utilities. How are we going forward with this? Here are the reform path that will soon take place:

1. Law No.5/1962 on Regional Corporation will soon be revoked. As you probably know, this law was enacted in the old order regime. As such, it has an antiquated corporate governance system. This is the law that currently governs almost all water utilities (PDAM/Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum).

2. The Law on Regional Government 32/2004 may contain clauses or chapters regulating the corporate form for regional corporation. This law will be used to revoke Law 5/62 and transition existing regional corporations into it.

3. A Government Regulation on Regional State Owned Enterprises (PP BUMD) will be enacted as an implementing regulation of the Regional Government law. This PP BUMD (GR on Regional State Owned Enterprise) will thus become the main regulatory instrument on utilities corporate governance.

4. Finally, no less important, is that Minister Gamawan Fauzi of the Home Affairs said that until those legal frameworks are in place, a Joint Ministerial Regulation on Good Corporate Governance will be enacted to transition the changes from the old regime of Law 5/62 into this new regime of Law 32/2004. The Joint Ministerial Regulation will be signed together by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, State Planning Agency and the Ministry of Public works.

All four points above considered, PDAM can no longer escape the excuse for implementing Good Corporate Governance. Hence, the title, “Good Governance, Like it or Not”.

Mohamad Mova Al’Afghani

Effective Governance: Mix 'Sama Sama' & 'Local Wisdom'

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:16:00 +0000

For anyone not living in Jakarta, let me quickly update you. On 17 January 2013, Jakarta experienced a major flood the kind of which it has not seen for the last 5 years. A 'disaster emergency' was declared, substantial number of people displaced and fatalities counted.

Ironically, on the same day we conducted our Working with Indonesian Water Utilities Workshop: Governance Focus as part of the IWWEF. Our seminar room at the Bidakara hotel was overcrowded with participants eager to hear about governance.

During the course of this week we will be blogging about the key messages from our workshop.

The first message is that any effective governance system will involve international best practice customised for local context. Or as we described it during the workshop in response to a question from a participant - a mix of 'Sama Sama' and 'Local Wisdom'

Why 'Sama Sama'?

'Sama Sama' is an Indonesian expression which my colleagues confirm means 'same same'. Corporate governance systems for water utilities in different countries will have many commonalities. Their stakeholders are likely to be very similar and involve at least some of the parties shown above. To this extent we can look to the experience in other regions/ countries to form a view of what constitutes 'best practice'. The primary reason for looking externally is to learn from the mistakes and triumphs others have made.

Why 'Local Wisdom'?

'Local wisdom' refers to local knowledge, conditions and the way things are done. The temptation to rely on local wisdom alone prevails everywhere, because it is what people already know. But while it may look 'safe' it can also stymie any real progress. On the other hand, a corporate governance program which ignores local wisdom entirely will do so at its own peril. Transplanting any corporate governance system even one proposing to be 'best practice' without the right proportion of local wisdom mixed in, is unlikely to achieve any real change. Ultimately water is a local affair, and its management relies on local conditions. Without local wisdom it is unlikely that the real change needed will be achieved.

Flooding our Water Governance Workshop in Jakarta...

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 01:17:00 +0000

After months of preparation, Thursday 17 January 2013 finally arrived: it was the day of our workshop, the last day of the Indonesian Water & Wastewater Expo & Forum 2013, and the worst floods Jakarta has seen for the last 5 years!

We experienced a flood of our own as more than 50 people crammed into our seminar room at the Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta to listen to presentations on Governance of Indonesian Water Utilities.

I would like to say a very big "TERIMA KASIH & THANK YOU" to:

our participants and our speakers and moderators who gave of their time away from their daily responsibilities on such a challenging day, including those making the trip from Australia
PERPAMSI, for their support in holding the workshop, including their on-the-ground team who helped us deliver on the day (Special Terimakasi to Sophie and her team for helping us with last minute requirements)
the staff at the Bidakara Hotel
our media partner TallyFox/ WaterNetwork
our Dropbydrop team including Mova, Risa, Ricardo, Hin Ching and Almas

We will be posting the key messages from our workshop on this blog in the coming week.

stay dry stay safe :-)!

Ruxandra Lazarescu,

on behalf of the Dropbydrop team

The Key to Water for All is Governance, Governance, Governance

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 04:32:00 +0000

Four Government Ministers: (left to right: Minister Armida of BPPN, Minister Djoko of Public Works, Minister Agus of Finance, Minister Gamawan of Home Affairs). Minister Agus highlighted three important features of water utilities reform in Indonesia: professional management, business planning, Tariff.

Meanwhile, Minister Gamawan (Home Affairs) stated his intention to reorganize water utilities in the regional autonomy law. The valid law was enacted in 1962 and has never been amended. Hence, The home affairs will try to reform this by amending the regional autonomy law.

Water is Life, The Vice President Said

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:50:00 +0000

Vice President Boediono opens the Indonesian Water and Wastewater Expo and Forum. Here's my note on his speech:

1. Water is life, a basic need
2. Municipality/Regency government has huge responsibility
3. Synergy is required
4. The VP asks the audience to strengthen commitment. His office will incorporate results of the IWWEF's symposiums
5. We may miss MDG target (55% safe drinking water so far)
6. 105 PDAM not healthy 85 are "sick"
7. PDAMs are the spearhead of water services
8. From 175 PDAM restructured, 72 has zero progress
9. Corporate Governance for PDAM is key. Political interventions leads to inefficiencies
10. We need to have long term vision. Politician only have 5 year vision. Statesmen has vision for generations.
11. VP: I promise that I will support anything we can do at the central level
12. State/Regional Budget (APBN/APBD) may not be sufficient. It can be used for urgent matters, such as in supporting the poor. But we need other financing schemes.
13. PPP is a good model. If the regions require assistance, the central govt will provide

We're in Jakarta: Working with Indonesian Water Utilities 17 Jan 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Greetings from Jakarta.

Today we went to the Bidakara Hotel where the final preparations are under way for the 2013 Indonesian Water & Wastewater Expo & Forum.

We are excited to be contributing to this event through our workshop: Working with Indonesian Water Utilities - Governance Focus on 17 January 2013.

Our speakers have confirmed and include:

Mr Agus Rahardjo, MSM, Chairman of the Government's Goods and Services Procurement Agency,

Mr Subekti, SE, MM, Director, PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja, Regency of Tangerang,

Mr David Downie, Consultant and former General Manager of the Office of Water, State of Victoria, Australia, and

Mr. Frans Nembo Sukardi, Director, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur

If you haven't registered yet, you can do so through our site www.iwwef2013.dropbydrop.com.au or email us directly at ruxandra@dropbydrop.com.au

We look forward to seeing you Thursday!

Dam Infrastructure: Do Not Let Them Just Become Monuments

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 03:03:00 +0000

"A memorandum of understanding had to be made because several regencies do not yet have RTRW", Hasan said. As of October 2012, there are only 205 regencies/cities, out of a total 498 regencies/cities, that have completed RTRW. Of the 33 provinces, only 14 provinces have finalised their RTRW.

Mohamad Mova Al 'Afghani, a doctoral candidate at the UNESCO Center for Water Law Policy at the University of Dundee, Scotland, says that it is more appropriate for RTRW to follow "water planning". "Thus, we bring people, bring farmers to the water, instead of water to the people", he said.

Source: Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative (Indii) website

KOMPAS, 23 November, 2012, Page 35, Section: Fokus Ketahanan Pangan

By Haryo Damardono

"I have a message even to workers, so that workers would contribute their energy to the fullest for the implementation of this project. Remember, this project does not belong to a single capitalist, but this is a project of the state, a project for the people, a project for all of us", said Ir Soekarno, when visiting Jatiluhur Dam Project, 19 September, 1965.

From his speech, the strong desire of Ir Soekarno - the proclaimer [of Indonesian independence] - could be felt, that Jatiluhur Dam should be quickly completed. This is because Jatiluhur was key to increasing agricultural productivity, in addition to controlling floods and meeting the needs of raw water.

Initiated by irrigation expert WJ van Blommestein in 1930, Jatiluhur was originally designed to irrigate an area of 517,240ha. However, when President Soeharto inaugurated it on 26 August, 1967 the remaining area was only 240,000ha. Much reduced, but still it was categorically large in size and the condition continued to be excellent.

Not surprisingly, Mohammad Hasan, Director General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works, expressed disappointment when he witnessed the conversion of land [that had taken place] in Bekasi, especially when he observed the land use conversion in the West Tarum Parent Channel. Its inspection road has even been transformed into Kalimalang public road.

Due to its strategic location, the Bekasi - Cikarang corridor has become a magnet for industrial estate and housing developments. Businessmen have long telescoped potential profits there. From the centre of Jakarta, Cikarang is only 24km away, while from the Port of Tanjung Priok it is 35km away.

The glittering gold in Cikarang is demonstrated by publicly listed company PT Bekasi Fajar Industrial Estate, Tbk (BEST), which recorded revenue of Rp 661.97 billion as of the third quarter of 2012, up 88.50 percent compared to revenue in the third quarter of 2011.

Meanwhile PT Lippo Cikarang, Tbk, has also armed itself with a new toll gate at KM 34 + 700 in Jakarta - Cikampek Toll Road. Lippo will soon transform 3,000ha of land into industrial estate and residential area.

Chairman of Indonesian Water Resources Network (SDA), Sudar D Atmanto, noted the importance of a strong will to stem land conversion. "The fact shows that population growth in Citarum River region has been recorded at 1.7 percent, while the entire West Java has registered growth of 1.2 percent. This is an example of how attractive the river banks are as places of domicile, so that the land will increasingly be annexed", he said.

Another fact is that, each year, there are 110,000ha of agricultural lands being converted. The modus may be illegal or legal, in line with spatial planning revisions. In the context of Jatiluhur’s presence, is food agriculture in the Citarum region, and Java, still the focus?

Is there really a future for agriculture in Java, which has recorded a planting index (IP) of 1.9, with productivity of 5.5 tonnes per ha? These numbers glaringly show imbalance, given that the national IP is 1.4 and the average productivity is 4.6 tonnes per ha.

In his book titled Infrastructure Management and Regional Development (2012), Bambang Susantono, said that the economic corridor of Java is focused more on the food and beverage, textile, machinery, and spare parts industries. So, where is the location of food agriculture of the future? The Government's vision turns to the Sulawesi corridor and the Papua - Maluku corridor, with its Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE). Some 1.2 million ha of land is allocated for MIFEE, although it is not monopolised for rice, but it may include sugarcane and palm oil.

Spatial Layout
With regard to the conversion of agricultural land, Hasan chooses to speak of the future. "The commanders are indeed the spatial layout plans (RTRW). Without them, Public Works will no longer build any water infrastructures," he said.

On 7 November, for example, Public Works gave its agreement to build Batang Asai Irrigation Area, which covers 6,210ha in Sarolangun Regency, Jambi. The development [process] begins after regional leaders and local communities sign an agreement on sustainable development of agricultural area.

In the midst of the many problems on the sustainability of agricultural land, Director General of Infrastructure and Facilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sumardjo Gatot Irianto, remains optimistic. The ministry’s main weapon is Law no. 41/2009 on Protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land.

"We are also currently conducting an audit of agricultural fields with a target completion in December 2012", said Gatot. He also urged local governments to not allocate lands for purposes of just meeting their food needs.

Rehabilitation
Ministry of Agriculture deals with [sizes of] land areas, while Ministry of Public Works ensures continuous construction of infrastructure. Of the 7.23 million ha of irrigated rice/agricultural fields in Indonesia, only 11 percent have guaranteed supply of water from reservoirs or dams. Hasan gave an indication that, in 2013, some 13 dams will be built, from an inventory of 100 units of potential dams.

The best solution to minimise land conversion needs to be quickly found, then determination of RTRW should be encouraged, at least making sure that the land area for food production remains preserved. It should not happen that the reservoirs and dams will be mere monuments. Understandably, they cost trillions of rupiah to build. Even, the construction cost of irrigation per ha already reaches Rp 30–40 million.

Then, what is no less important is rehabilitation of the irrigation networks. Especially because, based on a technical audit (rapid assessment) of the irrigation system in 2010, in fact 55 percent of the irrigation facilities are in damaged conditions. Most of these are under the local governments’ authority.

The problem is, about 4.8 million ha of rice/agricultural fields are under the authority of the local governments, with special allocation fund (DAK) of "only" Rp 1.4 trillion. Those under the central government’s authority involve 2.4 million ha of land, with funding of Rp 2 trillion.

"The money for the regions may be used up on personnel expenditure. They have no money", said Hasan.

Sudar has a different view. When calculated from the state budget (APBN) allocation worth Rp 1,300–1,400 trillion per year, funding needs for irrigation at the local level account for only 1.8 percent of the total development budget allocation of the regions.

"That’s peanuts (small), nothing. Regional/local governments should compensate it from their respective personnel expenditure. It has to be. If not, no matter how big the DAK is, it would never be enough", he said.

The land has been maintained, the dams are built, while the irrigation networks are rehabilitated. All for the sake of food security. But what if in the end land conversion has continued to take place?

"Well, it is difficult. The stages are indeed from agrarian to industrial, it cannot jump directly to services", said Mova.

You know when you really, really need to go...?

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:07:00 +0000

You may have at least one at home, at your place of work, and even at your local park or in your favourite shopping mall. You may have called it a loo, a throne, WC, Klo, Casa de Banho, the list goes on.

And yes I can see many smirk about this post. But here is the sad news... the year is 2012 and one in 3 women worldwide risk shame, disease, harassment and even attack because they have nowhere safe to go to the toilet.

19 November is Toilet Day!

Today WaterAid is asking governments around the world to keep their promises to provide the world’s poorest people with safe toilets and clean water. You can help by watching their powerful new film about the importance of toilets, taking action and sharing with your friends: http://bit.ly/wtd2012a

17 January 2013 Workshop @ IWWEF 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:38:00 +0000

Dropbydrop workshop: ‘Working with Indonesian Water Utilities: Governance Focus’

Indonesia Water & Wastewater Expo and Forum 2013

17 January 2013

Bidakara Hotel, Jakarta

We are excited to be supporting Perpamsi, the Indonesian Water Utilities Association at IWWEF 2013.

As part of the forum, we will conduct a one day workshop on working with water utilities, covering topics including corruption, financing and regulation.

Our team will be supported by local and international experts, for what promises to be an informative event.

TallyFox Social Technologies is our media partner of choice. TallyFox is an award winning provider of social collaboration, including conference communities & event management systems (EventFox). Launched in 2010, TallyFox builds, owns, and operates The Water Network, which currently includes thousands of water professionals from over 50 countries, representing over 2000 companies.

Details about the workshop and registration facilities are available from http://www.iwwef2013.dropbydrop.com.au/

For further information please contact us at events[at]dropbydrop.com.au

We look forward to meeting you in Jakarta @ IWWEF 2013!

The Dropbydrop Team

Returning to the source: Impressions of Al Ain (UAE)

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:15:00 +0000

I went to Al Ain on a whim. An intuitive whim, yet still a whim. To be honest, I am a little nuts about soil and irrigation. And I wanted to see the falaj system. One of the oldest around.

My good friends lived in Dubai and I had completed the first semester of my Master’s program in Scotland. Looking for an escape, I booked a ticket – a cheapie in the middle of June.

It was a scorching 52 degrees Celsius! The hotel swimming pool’s coolers had broken down and it felt like we were all swimming in a warm bath. Still, we were immersed in water in the middle of a desert – joy!

In Al Ain I saw manicured nature strips and roundabouts, and the edges of expansive private gardens; a mélange of local people with a lot fewer expatriates. In my quest to see the Falaj, I managed to get heat stroke while strolling through the Date Palm oasis in the middle of town. Even a little disoriented, I never felt unsafe. No word of Arabic (Shukran and Inshallah don’t really count?), but everything was on a human scale, making it easier to navigate.

Among these experiences I came across two particular images which have stuck in my mind: a photograph showing the Corniche in Abu Dhabi some 40 years ago - a man sitting outside a row of tents, not a building in sight (at the Al Ain National Museum). The other is a photograph of a very young looking Queen Elizabeth II being received by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan inside one of the tents at his palace in Al Ain (now a museum).

I should point out, in case you haven’t been there, I didn’t see a mega mall (none that I know of), or F1 track, or enormous building complex. The atmosphere is fairly subdued and laid back. There seem to be few bling attractions to lure tourists an hour away from Abu Dhabi or Dubai. I can almost make out the sub-title: this is our home, where we raise our families and our ways can prevail. It felt real.

PS: I’ll be going back.

The Complexities of Jakarta's Water Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Jakarta, the Indonesian Capital of 13 million population has a new Governor. Governor Jokowi is very popular among Jakartans because of his sincere and practical approach in solving urban problem in his previous role as a Mayor of a city in Central Java.

One of his crucial program is to provide water for the poor. However, popular support and practical approaches alone may not be sufficient in solving Jakarta's water problem. This is because of the complexities of the water governance in Jakarta. Mr Al'Afghani elaborates this in his Jakarta Post op-ed piece.

Improving Soil in the Middle East

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:53:00 +0000

I posted a blog yesterday on the Victorian Government's assistance offered to water companies wishing to enter the burgeoning Middle East market. The VGBO is running a mission to the region in feb 2013, and a preparatory workshop in Melbourne on 16 November 2012. More information is posted here.

The water needs of the region are plentiful. Most people immediately think of desalination and all the intricate components that are included in that. Few think of agriculture. Yet agriculture (including horticulture and amenity maintenance) is by far the thirstiest of the lot. Statistically agriculture consumes anywhere between 60-90% of water, and without drawing too fine a reference for this purpose, the countries in the Middle East would be in the upper scale of that range.

Given the aridity of the region, the condition of the soil including its ability to retain any irrigated water applied (and the occasional rain), becomes very important. Hence there is a need and I would suggest an opportunity for companies whose business is improving soil condition - whether through compost or other means. The Omani 'Kala Compost' is an example of local adaptation.

Despite the scarcity of water, countries like the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia do have an agricultural sector. It may not be as large and developed as what Australian/ Victorian companies are used to, but for the locals it is still of vital cultural importance. Date palm plantations, and the amenities beautifying city roads and upscale property developments, come to mind.

I strongly encourage companies servicing this sector in Victoria/ Australia, to come along to the workshop on Friday 16th November in Melbourne. Information on the workshop is posted here.

Exporting Water Expertise to the Middle East

noreply@blogger.com (Ruxandra Lazarescu) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:27:00 +0000

The Victorian Government's Business Office (VGBO) is leading a super trade mission to the Middle East in Feb 2013 with a focus on the water sector. Companies in the business of water are invited to attend a pre-mission workshop on Friday, 16 November in Melbourne. Registration is free.

The workshop is being run to develop a bespoke mission agenda and assist participating companies to achieve the greatest benefit from the mission. Kassem Younes of the VGBO and myself will be facilitating the workshop. Together we will outline the opportunities and discuss the needs of Victorian companies interested in entering the Middle East market.

To register your attendance please contact cassandra.mignon@dbi.vic.gov.au or (03) 9651 9360.

For further information I can be contacted through LinkedIn or at Ruxandra@dropbydrop.com.au.

Look forward to meeting you then.

Ruxandra

Details

Date: Friday, 16 November 2012

Venue:
Boardroom
Investment Centre Victoria
Level 46, 55 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Roundtable: 10.00 – 12.00 pm

Light Lunch: Noon

RSVP

Friday, 9 November
Cassandra Mignon
(03) 9651 7634
cassandra.mignon@dbi.vic.gov.au

IWWEF 2013: Legal Aspects of Water Services...

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:28:00 +0000

IWWEF 2013: Legal Aspects of Water Services Provision

Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani invited you to "IWWEF 2013: Legal Aspects of Water Services Provision"

Thu, 17 January 2013, 08:30 GMT+07:00

Bidakara, Jakarta, Indonesia

View Invitation

44 people invited

Meet Dropbydrop at IWWEF 2013. More info here.

Review on Indonesian Regional by Law on Community-based Water and Sanitation

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 07:41:00 +0000

Mr. Al'Afghani has recently completed a review of a draft by-law on community-based watsan. The review is a collaboration between dropbydrop, Watsan Working Group of the East Nusa Tenggara Province, UNICEF and the Sikka Regency.

Most of the challenges found are due to ambiguities of the legal framework at the national level. The review highlighted the lack of acknowledgement towards community based watsan in national legislation.

Assets ownership is one of the major issue during the review. Neither the national policy nor the national legislation provide clarification as to the actual owner of the assets. There is a general understanding that the assets "belong to the community" but what "community" actually means is not clear in the legal framework.

One of the aspirations that develops during the review is that the assets should be owned by villages but operated by the communities. The review provide recommendation as to how this could be translated into provisions in a regional by law and also provide solution for ownership arrangements for entities other than villages.

The lack of clarification on assets ownerships would affect the sustainability and security of community based watsan, which is developed mostly through fundings from the World Bank, AusAid and various other institutions.

Some of the findings from the review is currently being discussed at the national level.

For further information please contact dropbydrop's senior water lawyer Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani: mova(at)dropbydrop.com.au

Meet us at IWWEF in Jakarta!.

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 04:51:00 +0000

The Indonesian Water and Wastewater Expo and Forum (IWWEF) will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 15 – 17 January 2012.

As part of IWWEF, Dropbydrop is hosting a one day seminar on Water Utilities Regulation on 17 January 2013. The seminar will cover regulation and governance, financing and corruption relating to water utilities. Indonesian water law expert, Mohamed Mova Al’Afghani will lead the session and be supported by speakers with local and international expertise. This seminar will be of interest to:

Development and private banks involved in the financing of water projects in Indonesia
Law firms
Consulting firms
Regulators
Operators of water companies
Engineering companies

IWWEF is organised by the Indonesian Water Utilities Association (Perpamsi), and supported by the International Water Association (IWA). The event promises to bring together various institutions, including development banks, engineering companies and water companies from around the world. The last event held in 2011 drew more than 5000 delegates. Registration opens in October 2012 on IWWEF's website (hyperlink) with event tickets and day tickets available. Check our blog for continuous update on the lead up to the event. Meet you in Jakarta in January 2013!

The Simukai Project

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:25:00 +0000

Multiple Use water Schemes (MUS) are used to provide reliable water supplies for domestic and agricultural activities. Dropbydrop is pleased to be assisting the Simukai Women’s Development Project to establish a multiple use water scheme in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe. The Simukai Project was founded by the Tsungai Women’s Burial Society, a village based organization formed eleven years ago by women living in the Zimbabwean Save River Basin. The organisation’s main purpose was to support the bereaved and bury victims of HIV and AIDS, mostly of men resulting in a very high percentage of widows and orphans. The Simukai Project has since diversified the economic activities of the village, and further progress is being held up by the lack of a reliable water source. The objective of the multiple use scheme is to provide safe access to water to at least 10,000 people to meet their domestic and economic needs, with a view to further expansion to all people in the basin.

Incoherence in the debate over ‘privatisation’

noreply@blogger.com (Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 05:13:00 +0000

The following is my op-ed for The Jakarta Post, cross published by The Malaysian Insider.

Incoherence in the debate over 'privatisation' — Mohamad Mova Al'Afghani

July 22, 2012

JULY 22 — The term "privatisation" is contentious and controversial but despite the controversy it causes, people often have no common understanding on what it actually means. As a result, debates on privatisation are often misleading and incoherent.

When Law No. 7/2004 on Water was submitted for judicial review at the Constitutional Court, petitioners argued that the law was intended to privatise the water sector despite the fact that the term privatisation is never mentioned in the law. Government representatives denied that the water law was a privatising instrument since it did not regulate the transfer of shares from state-owned companies to the private sector.

Why is it that the government often denies privatisation whereas NGO activists argue that privatisation is occurring? It is because when the government says "privatisation", they often mean "divestiture", i.e. the reduction of assets for financial or ethical objectives. Divestment is the opposite of investment.

The government is technically correct because the law on state owned enterprises defines privatisation as a sale of equity. However, it is theoretically incorrect to say that other forms of private sector participation such as management contracts, affermage (the private operator is responsible for operating and maintaining the utility but not for financing investment), leases and concession, are not privatisation. In those instances, the state has, to a certain extent, retreated from providing goods or services. The legislation could also be misleading.

The emphasis in privatisation debate in Indonesia tends to be on ownership. The government will deny that privatisations are occurring since there is no divestiture. Civil societies are complacent because it seems that the private sector is prohibited from participating in the provision of goods and services. These debates miss the point.

It should be understood that privatisation is a continuum. Divestiture (the government version of privatisation) and long-term contracts are a part of this continuum. But even ordinary procurements are privatisation in a certain sense since they involve non-state entities. Office stationary, internet services and other logistics must come from somewhere and they are usually provided by the private sector.

The only difference between divestiture and simple logistics procurement is on the degree of the private sector's involvement in providing goods and services.

Ownership-focused debate on privatisation is too narrow. Civil society often assumes that privatisation (of ownership) will automatically result in the privatisation of wealth, etc. But this is not always true. In some countries, an increase of civic engagement and transparency is the result of privatisation.

The very reason why public utilities were privatised in England during Thatcher's administration is exactly because privatisation was thought to be in the public interest. Regulatory apparatus was designed to defend the public interest. Later after the Labour government came to power, this role was strengthened by preventing public utilities from cutting off their services due to the customer's inability to pay.

In terms of transparency and social engagement, privatised public utilities in England are much better than the state owned companies in Indonesia. Despite being owned by the state, Indonesian badan usaha milik negara (state-owned companies) are substantially more secretive and disengaged than privatised English utilities.

Privatisation processes in England and other parts of Europe is the reassertion of the public sphere. The state reconfigures itself as a regulator to defend the public interest by applying transparency and participatory principles in the regulatory process.

In Indonesia the debate focuses primarily on the ownership question and there is a lack of discussion of the role of the state as a regulator, and the accountability of the private sector. Privatisation has already occurred through contracting, but most people are complacent because the company's ownership status remains "public".

The irony is that our country is in certain ways more liberal than the neoliberals. Neoliberal England fully divested its public utilities but strongly regulates the privatised entities and guarantees the public sphere. Conversely, our government is very reluctant to formally retreat from the market.

However, at the same time scratches the back of the private sector through contracts, but with no accompanying strong regulations. In terms of the public sphere, this kind of privatisation conducted "by contract" could be much worse than full divestiture.

I urge that the debate on privatisation should not be focused on the question of ownership alone. Ownership debate is tricky. State ownership is not a guarantee that things are not privatised and conversely, privatised ownership — could be more public than state ownership if accompanied by strong regulation.

Our focus should not be on rejecting privatisation per se and then advocating state ownership. Instead, our focus must be on the role of state in defending the public interest, in reasserting the public sphere and in holding the private sector accountable for public service delivery. — The Jakarta Post

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.