Wanted: spicy statements on multiple use systems

The Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) is holding the International Forum on Water and Food in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 12-17 November 2006. At the forum, Eline Boelee from the International Water Management Institute will be hosting a session on multiple use water systems.

Eline says "You may have already seen the official announcement and call for abstracts. Unfortunately there were hardly any contributions from our prodwat/multiple use network even though I think you have a lot to offer to the discussions. So here is a new chance! Especially for you we have created a shortcut that will not take much time but may have high impact. What I would like you to do is to write a short statement (preferably one sentence) that is as provocative as possible, on multiple use of water. This can be something from your experience, a research result, but could also be a wish or a doubt. For example, as Ede Jorge Ijiasz (WSP) said in Mexico: "We cannot do rural water supply projects without considering productive uses", which some farmers in eastern Ethiopia have put even stronger to me: "We do not want any more single purpose water systems".

Your suggestions may also be critical: "multiple use services can never be up-scaled because of the sectoral silos", or "benefits of multiple use water services are too marginal and investments in water for poverty reduction are better spent on large-scale irrigation". You are most welcome to play the devil's advocate (anonymous if need be) if you think this will help our discussion. While most of us probably truly believe that multiple use water services are the best way forward, we cannot generate new insights by looking at it from an idealistic viewpoint only. We have to be aware of the difficulties in getting there, not just to convince people, but also to make it work in practice and bring it to scale! Trying to think about it from a contradictory or otherwise different perspective may help to discover better ways of developing multiple use water services.

Please send your statement to me at your earliest convenience, preferably before 1st October, so I can select the most antagonistic ones for elaboration of a 1-2 page briefing note, to be distributed at the forum."

For more information see the forum website or contact Eline Boelee