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NewSecurityBeat

The blog of the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program
  • Tapping In: ‘Secretary Clinton on World Water Day’

    March 23, 2010 By Julien Katchinoff

    “It’s not every day you find an issue where effective diplomacy and development will allow you to save millions of lives, feed the hungry, empower women, advance our national security interests, protect the environment, and demonstrate to billions of people that the United States cares. Water is that issue,” declared Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a World Water Day event hosted by the National Geographic Society and Water Advocates.

    Alongside speeches by representatives from government and the non-profit sector, Secretary Clinton repeatedly emphasized America’s support for water issues. “As we face this challenge, one thing that will endure is the United States’ commitment to water issues,” she asserted. “We’re in this for the long haul.” Beyond simply highlighting the importance of the issue, Secretary Clinton also affirmed commitment to new programmatic, cross-cutting initiatives that will target water as a keystone for development and peace.

    ECSP Director Geoff Dabelko, who attended the event, noted that Secretary Clinton’s speech ran counter to the much publicized notion that water scarcity is an unavoidable catalyst for conflict.

    She came down squarely on the side of inclusion by identifying water as both a ‘human security’ and ‘national security’ issue. At the same time, she did not fall prey to the common pitfall of arm-waving about water wars. She flagged conflict and stability concerns, but also raised solutions through meeting needs associated with water and development. She went out of her way to emphasize water’s potential for peace and confidence-building, reflecting a commitment to capturing opportunities rather than merely identifying threats.

    Secretary Clinton highlighted five crucial areas that comprise the United States’ whole-of-government approach to water issues:

    1. Building capacity:
    Through efforts with international partners, the United States hopes to strengthen the abilities of water-stressed nations to manage vital water resources. Agencies such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID are implementing initiatives that will enhance national ministries and encourage regional management cooperatives.

    2. Elevating diplomatic efforts:
    A lack of coordination between the numerous UN agencies, governments, and multilateral funding organizations hinders global water progress. By bringing this work together, the United States can act as a leader, demonstrating a positive diplomatic precedent for fragile and water-stressed nations.

    3. Mobilizing financial support:
    Relatively small grants have achieved large impacts. Work by the United States to strengthen capital markets in the water sector shows that it is possible to earn large returns on water investments. Successful examples range from educational and awareness-building programs, to desalinization and wastewater treatment plants.

    4. Harnessing the power of science and technology:
    Although there is no silver technological bullet to solve the global water crisis, simple solutions, such as ceramic filters and chlorine disinfection systems, do help. Additionally, sharing government-accumulated technological knowledge can have significant impacts, as demonstrated in a recent NASA-USAID project establishing an Earth-observation monitoring and visualization system in the Himalayas.

    5. Broadening the scope of global partnerships:
    By encouraging partnerships and elevating water in its global partnership initiatives with NGOs, non-profits, and the private sector—all of which are increasingly engaged in water issues—the Department of State hopes to maximize the effectiveness of its efforts.

    The holistic approach advocated by Secretary Clinton reflects a distinct evolution of American diplomacy within this area, which is strongly supported by the water community. “The policy directions outlined in the speech, the five streams, represent a victory for those in and outside of government who have argued for a broad, rather than narrow, view of water’s dimensions,” said Dabelko. “The diversified strategy focuses on long-term and sustainable interventions that respond to immediate needs in ways most likely to make a lasting difference.”

    In her concluding remarks, Secretary Clinton sounded a positive note, noting that for all of the press and attention devoted to the dangers of the global water crisis and the possible dark and violent future, dire predictions may be avoided through a smart, coordinated approach. “I’m convinced that if we empower communities and countries to meet their own challenges, expand our diplomatic efforts, make sound investments, foster innovation, and build effective partnerships, we can make real progress together, and seize this historic opportunity.”

    Photo Credits: State Department Official Portrait; UNEP.

    Topics: development, environmental security, foreign policy, water
    • http://www.blogger.com/profile/18337694112852162181 Geoff Dabelko

      Secretary Clinton's speech was notable for the breadth of the problem set she identified and the solution set she proposed. While placing WASH front and center of the administration's efforts, Secretary Clinton highlighted commonly neglected avenues for progress such as transboundary river commissions and cooperative management of shared resources.

      Her willingness to embrace multilateral institutions on regional efforts was notable as so often the default is strictly bilateral efforts. In supporting basin-wide institutions, such support is often counter-productive given US relationships with different riparians.

    • http://www.blogger.com/profile/18337694112852162181 Geoff Dabelko

      And David Douglas and his team at Water Advocates should be commended for helping pull off this session with so many supporting partners. It is hard to imagine Water Advocates is going to follow its planned sundown plans and close the effort this year. It has become such a vital player in these debates and advocacy efforts.

    • Tom Deligiannis

      It's heartening to see that all the hard work of ECSP and others in pushing the idea and practice of water cooperation instead of conflict is paying off with the message reaching the highest levels. This is especially important given the widespread worst-case scenario building around climate-change security linkages, where water is often the first thing people point to as a cause of climate-change induced conflict. I look forward to more measured and detailed climate-change security scenario building that integrates the best thinking on water cooperation solutions as well.

      Tom Deligiannis

    • http://csis.org/program/global-water-futures Rachel Posner

      Tom and Geoff, I couldn't agree more. It truly is heartening to see the spirit of our work reflected in these new State Department policies. Secretary Clinton deserves strong praise for taking on the water challenge in a strategic, integrated fashion.

      Last year at this time, CSIS released a Declaration on water, cochaired by two CSIS trustees – Former Senate Majority William H. Frist and Former Coca-Cola Chairman, E. Neville Isdell. The Declaration, endorsed by dozens of high-level individuals—including former Cabinet-level officials, university presidents, and both NGO and Fortune 500 CEOs—called on the United States to launch a bold, new international campaign to address the global challenge of water. (For a digital copy, visit http://csis.org/publication/declaration-us-policy-and-global-challenge-water.) Secretary Clinton’s World Water Day speech this week set the wheels in motion for an elevated, enduring U.S. commitment to international water issues—what we have all been waiting for.

      The five “streams of action” that Secretary Clinton outlined as comprising the State Department’s renewed approach to water issues are, I believe, right on target. I look forward to seeing how each of these areas are operationalized in the future, and I still hope that someday we will see a high-level representative to lead this growing domain of USG engagement on international water issues.

    • http://www.blogger.com/profile/18337694112852162181 Geoff Dabelko

      Thanks Rachel for the post. Many of the themes outlined in the CSIS declaration are quite apparent in Secretary Clinton's speech and I don't think that is just a coincidence. You and Erik Peterson really have provided the Washington water & development community a real service with your regular forum for practical discussions.

      To your last point, Secretary Clinton did tap Under Secretary Maria Otero and USAID Administrator Raj Shah as co-leads to pursue the strategy she outlined. After all the debate for where this portfolio should reside and does it warrant a specific high level rep, I think this arrangement could work better than previously. At some level it is no real change as the people in these positions have had this ultimate responsibility before. But what was missing was a clear statement of priority and strategy from a principal. With Secretary Clinton's speech, we now have that as well as continued pressure from the Hill (Durbin & Blumenauer in particular). So let's see if water can compete for attention among Otero and Shah's many priorities.

    • http://www.blogger.com/profile/01797902319112041964 Karin

      It was an absolutely excellent speech. I've circulated it around The Nature Conservancy, especially since Secretary Clinton mentioned the Quito Water Fund which TNC helped start with USAID support about 10 years ago and we are now replicating around the region, most recently in Bogota. It was great to hear her emphasis on watershed management and I hope that the Administration starts speaking in terms of ecosystem services which are critical for livelihoods. Also, I hope that some of the climate funding and attention can actually shift to addressing the impacts on ecosystem services including the watersheds upon which people depend. Great job!

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