World Economic Forum 2010: Global brainstorming on redefining the Global Commons  (MaximsNewsNetwork)  Photo © World Economic Forum, 2010

UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 12 March 2010 -- The 2010 Davos session just ended has been, as always, a rich mixture of Industry Partners, Young Leaders, Civil Societies, Awards, current and past political megastars, high quality cultural events, innumerable meetings – most of them ‘off agenda’, and partying into the night.

The major concentration continued to be on macro economics and financial institutions, with heavy concentration on post-crises norms, leadership requirements, structural imperatives, and China, China, China, India and China.

On the natural resource side, the Copenhagen results, however interpreted, hung heavily over the public sessions.  With Doha stuck, post Kyoto not agreed, and many financial systems producing little in the way of financing for new resource investment, the plenary sessions suggested some feeling of stalemate, but not despair.   

On the other side of the coin, there seems to be a larger and more nuanced appreciation of biodiversity – and above all, sustainability in all of its forms and dimensions.  

Compared to the situation two years ago, water had much less apparent visibility: one public session, and fewer Water-titled sessions.    

There were however, many sessions in which the water emerged as key or central. Most important, water was raised by ‘non-water people’ with a great deal more frequency.

1.  The only public/plenary type session on Water Management lasted only one hour and focused on continuing challenges and new mechanisms.  A McKinsey management/medium term budgeting tool was discussed extensively – and raised a good level of interest, including from the President of Mongolia (a panelist) who promptly signed on. 

2.  A number of Private sessions (often more important in the way Davos operates) had a high concentration on water matters.

1. the Pathways for Water Reform exercise which explored the potential of the McKinsey tool was the dominant water issue of the entire session.   

2. In sessions on Redesigning Land Use (the water theme) three companies, decided to convene on-ground national level meetings focused primarily on agricultural water management issues before the next regional or national WEF meetings.  Tentative countries will be Vietnam , an Indian state and Tanzania .   The idea is to build on existing projects (such as corridors to provide agricultural inputs and trade pathways) to try to get the foundation for a dialogue on water use in food production.  This could be very interesting.

3. Several hundred participants from all sectors were asked to redefine the Global Commons; water (and human rights) emerged clearly as the No 1 issues of concern.  See the above cloud diagram.

4. Humanitarian and relief sessions (high Haiti profile) over and over again talked about the need to be much more prepared to meet this basic human need for water in times of crisis.  This pressure is mounting.

5. A major new exercise on a Vision for Agriculture attracted most of the world’s elite Food Production people;  water was a frequently mentioned, together with (still nascent) ideas on how to support the efforts to use less water yet grow more food.  One idea hat the world declare an Agriculture Land Footprint moratorium, ie no more land for agriculture even with 2 million more to feed, may have some traction.  One might add the same limit for water use????

6. Managing the Global Commons sessions reinforced the need to reform water use through

   - concentrated campaigns focused on providing information which would have the effect of making people everywhere more thoughtful water users and more ready supporters to enlightened public policy,

   - indices (water use on products) and water footprints,

   - individualization – what YOU can do and should do to change your own impact and what your society does.

7. Sessions on Housing, Cities, Urbanization had a new focus on water.

So – glass half empty or half full?   I think the latter.  There is much more awareness of the many implications of a looming and present water crisis.  This cannot but be helpful. 

Labels: United Nations, MaximsNews Network, U.N., MaximsNews, MaximsNews WATER, MaximsNewsWATER, water, UNSGAB, Margaret Catley-Carlson, World Economic Forum, WEF, Davos 2010, economy, water footprints, food, agriculture, McKinsey, Mongolia, global commons, international development, environment, water news, water sustainability, water resource, water management, global water crisis, sustainable development

 

Advertisement

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MaximsNewsNetwork is a Global News Network that is read worldwide, in 201 countries and territories. Established in 1999.

SEE:  About MaximsNews

The views expressed are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of MaximsNews Network.

REACH THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE  

SEE: Advertise with MaximsNews Network | MaximsNews MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS with MaximsNews Network       NEWS SYNDICATION 

MaximsNews Network | CONTACT MaximsNews Network  | Please contact us about Republishing: ©Copyrights 1999 - 2010, MaximsNews Network. All rights reserved.