Enabling Delta Life Initiative:

A Joint Global Program of Action on Deltas

GWP Regional Days

Wim van Driel

Program manager Delta Alliance

Henk Wösten

Senior researcher Alterra

August 27, 2013

Enabling Delta Life Initiative:Global Program of Action on Deltas

Background

The Global Water Partnership and the Delta Alliance initiated in 2012 a program to develop more resilient and sustainable deltas.

4 Work packages:

- Facilitate structured learning and information sharing among stakeholders

- Develop and implement pilot activities in specific deltas

- Develop a framework that would guide the management initiatives for global deltas

- Governance of and fundraising for the program

River deltas are valuable: provide food to the world

underpin economies

sustain biodiversity

home to many people

provide ecosystem services

River deltas are vulnerable:pollution

urbanization

flooding and drought

land subsidence and erosion

overall loss of environmental quality

And pressures are increasing: economic growth

population growth

climate change

Why a special program on deltas?

:

pressure on

space

flood

vulnerability

freshwater

shortage

ageing or

inadequate

infrastructure coastal erosion

loss of

environmental

quality and

biodiversityYangtze River Delta

(China) **** ** *** * * ****Mekong River Delta

(Vietnam) ** **** **** ** * ***Ganges-Brahmaputra

Delta (Bangladesh) **** **** ** ** **** ****Ciliwung River Delta

(Indonesia) **** **** ** ** * ****Mahakam River Delta

(Indonesia) ** *** *** ** *** ***

Nile River Delta (Egypt) **** * **** **** ** **Rhine River Delta

(Netherlands) *** ** ** *** ** *Mississippi River Delta

(USA) * **** * **** **** ****California Delta and Bay

(USA) ** **** **** *** * ***Pantanal Inland Delta

(Brazil)

*

**

***

****

issues

deltas

relatively minor problem, now and in the near future

currently already a big problem, future trend uncertain

currently a minor problem, but is likely to increase in the near future

currently already a big problem, likely to increase in the near future

Mission Delta AllianceTo improve the resilience of the world’s deltas

Through:

• Sharing knowledge

• Identifying knowledge gaps

• Developing jointly new knowledge

• Reducing unnecessary overlap

• Building capacity

Delta Alliance Network• Foundation Delta Alliance International established

• Now 11 deltas have joined:

– Vietnam: Mekong

– China: Yangtze

– Egypt: Nile

– Argentina: Parana

– Mozambique: Zambezi

– USA - Louisiana: Mississippi

– Netherlands: Rhine – Meuse

– Brazil: Pantanal (inner-delta)

– Indonesia: Ciliwung and Mahakam

– Bangladesh: Ganges - Brahmaputra - Meghna

– USA - California: Sacramento – San Joaquin

• Many more deltas like to join: e.g. Taiwan, Senegal, Kenya, Myanmar, Thailand,

Ghana, Japan, Romania, Benin, Nigeria

Global Program: Activities 2012

• Electronic Platform

• 2 workshops Stockholm

• Discussion paper

• Start program development

Enabling Delta Life Initiative:Global Program of Action on Deltas

Mission of the joint program

To develop more resilient and sustainable deltas.

4 Work packages:

• Facilitate structured learning and information sharing among stakeholders

• Develop and implement pilot activities in specific deltas

• Develop a framework that would guide the management initiatives for global deltas

• Governance of and fundraising for the program

Global Program: Activities 2013

• Organize country stakeholder workshops to initiate the process of program development in six different deltas

• Formulate concrete (fundable) project proposals for each of the deltas to be included in the Global Program

• Finalise the proposal for the Global Program

• Start fund raising?

Global Program: involved deltasIdentified during Stockholm Workshops:

• Bangladesh: Ganges- Brahmaputra Delta

• Benin: Ouémé Delta

• Cambodia and Vietnam: Mekong Delta

• China: Pearl River Delta

• Egypt: Nile Delta

• Indonesia: diverse Delta systems

• Thailand Chao Praya Delta

Added later:

• Myanmar: Ayeyarwady Delta Other deltas?

Progress September 2013 (1)Bangladesh- Detailed work plan with clear objectives prepared for the Ganges-

Brahmaputra-Meghna delta- Stakeholders identified and duration and budget ($700,000 over 3 years)

project establishedBenin- Workshop already held in December 2012- Detailed work plan with clear objectives prepared for the Ouémé delta- Stakeholders identified and project duration and budget ($670,000 over 3

years) establishedEgypt- Country stakeholder workshop being held for the Nile delta June 2013- First draft project proposal prepared (first estimate: $ 1.000.000 for a 3-year

project)

Progress September 2013 (2)Myanmar- Identification mission for vulnerability assessment completed for the

Ayeyarwady delta- Preparation of go – no go decision on vulnerability assessment (fall 2013)- First ideas developed for project proposal preparation on salinity intrusion

($750.000 for a 3-year project)Mekong (Vietnam/Cambodia)- Transboundary stakeholder workshop planned for October in Mekong delta- Stakeholders identified and objectives of the workshop are clearThailand- Chao Phraya delta identified, contacts established but concrete actions

pendingIndonesia, China- Concrete actions pending

Report on experiences

Concrete experiences will be reported during the Stockholm World Week 2013*) on the following deltas:

- Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta, Bangladesh

- Ouémé Delta, Benin

- Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar

*) Session ‘From Source to Sea’, 1 September 2013, 14:00- 17:30. Convenors: SIWI, UNEP-DHI, UNDP, GWP, Xiamen University, SEI, Delta Alliance

Enabling Delta Life Initiative:

A Joint Global Program of Action on Deltas

Questions?

Thank you