Water and Green Growth for Sustainable Development

1. Water and Green Growth for Sustainable Development Ganesh Pangare Head, Water and Wetlands Programme Head, Ecosystems and Livelihoods Group, IUCN, Asia Regional Office Bangkok

2. About nature.

3. nature not the problem – but a source of solutions • complement nature with built infrastructure, don’t replace it • build the values of nature into economic development

4. Livelihood for all : These pictures are of fishermen from Bangladesh and Japan Their livelihood is dependent on fishing, for which healthy rivers with abundant fish is necessary. The issues of livelihood, clean water to maintain ecosystems and life are the same, be it Japan or Bangladesh.

5. CENTURYASIAN ECONOMYBOOMING CITIESBUZZING PEOPLEUPBEAT WATERWEALTH? Can this current boom be sustained? Yes it can, if we can manage one of the basic pillars supporting this growth i.e. water Asia Regional Office, Bangkok

6. China PRC today is the world’s second largest economy. Taihu Basin contributes more than 20 per cent of the GDP of the country. Shanghai is located in the Taihu Basin. Lake Taihu in 2007 had a major algae problem due to heavy pollution which threatened the water supply to Wushi and other towns. This was awake up call, highlighting the need that if the economy has to be sustained then the health of the people and the basin also has to be maintained.

7. Ecosystems are infrastructure – part of the “stock of facilities, services and installations needed for the functioning of a society and economy.” coastal defence flood regulation water purification water provision water storage C sequestration coastal defence fisheries provision water conveyance cultural services

8. Nature as Water Infrastructure

9. Values of Natural Infrastructure

10. Miyun watershed, People’s Republic of China Protected watershed on the periphery of Beijing that meets 75% of the city’s water demand. Miyun watershed services: $1.87 billion annually Asia Regional Office, Bangkok

11. Nakivubo wetlands, Uganda Sewage treatment and nutrient retention for 33,000 residents: $1.75 million per year (Emerton 2003)

12. Available water resources Ecosystem function

13. Green Economy/ Growth future growth should reduce poverty, increase social equity, in a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy, while sustaining ecosystems and preventing biodiversity loss

14. Green Economy/Water – Emerging Success Factors Economic Environmental • efficiency • subsidies • enterprise • optimisation • multipliers • ecosystems • pollution • wastewater • allocation natural storage Water Infrastructure conveyance built risk Value natural infrastructure by investing... ... to secure, improve and restore the considerable multi-functional value of biodiversity and ecosystems to provide food and energy, conserve water, sustain livelihoods and contribute to a green economy while strengthening the basic role that nature plays in supporting life, well-being and cultures. Social Cross-cutting quality • access & equity • livelihoods • jobs • learning • empowerment • good governance • coherence • adaptive mgt. • incentives • metrics

15. Investing in natural infrastructure means investing in people, their capacities and in good governance, including participation

16. The Green Growth policy aims to effectively implement climate change adaptation strategies nationally and internationally, and thereby contributing to green growth and climate change adaptation in developing countries. Many international organizations have shown their keen interests in green growth which is a highly effective strategy for pursuing environmental protection and economic growth at the same time. Kwon, Do-Youp Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs 09 March 2012 Asia Regional Office, Bangkok

17. Thank you for your attention