NonGovernmental Organizations

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Non-Governmental Organizations

• Transboundary Water Resources
• October 20, 2005
• Tyler Jantzen

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The World of NGOs

• 6,000 NGOs Worldwide (some estimates as high as
  40,000)
• 10 of Global ODA or 8B
• Range in size from Red Cross to just a few
  employees
• Target a variety of issues
• Poverty
• Hunger
• Health
• The Environment

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Advantages of NGOs

• Less pressure from change in politics
• Small scale projects
• More community involvement
• Can be individually tailored to meet specific
  community needs
• Higher success rate
• Less bureaucratic
• A more human face

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Disadvantages of NGOs

• Constant funding difficulties
• Possible lack of legitimacy
• Difficult to regulate
• Can lack transparency and accountability
• Can be ineffective due to lack of coordination

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Types of NGOs
6
Development OrganizationInter-relationship
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Example Green Cross

• Green Cross International
• Promotes legal, ethical and behavioral norms that
  ensure basic changes in values, actions, and
  attitudes of government, the private sector, and
  civil society, necessary to build a sustainable
  global community
• Prevents and resolves conflicts arising from
  environmental degradation
• Provides assistance to people affected by the
  environmental consequences of wars and conflicts

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Green Cross Programs

• Conflict Prevention
• Addressing Environmental Impact of Conflict
• Promotes environmentally-safe elimination of
  weapons
• Promoting Values and Behavior Changes
• Right to Water Campaign

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Conflict Prevention Water for Peace

• Working directly with governments in
  transboundary watersheds to remove obstacles to
  integrated and cooperative water management
• The Jordan
• Parana- La Plata
• Volga
• Okavango
• Volta
• Danube

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Water for PeaceThe Jordan River Basin- Phase I

• Studies and assessments of the current extent of
  the conflict
• Strategy development
• Increase water use efficiency
• Develop new sources
• Bring water policy decision makers together
• Pilot educational projects
• Recommendations to governments

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Example Water for People

• Supports sustainable drinking water, sanitation
  and hygiene projects
• Vision A world where all people have safe
  drinking water
• Targets goal 7, target 10 of U.N. Millennium
  Development Goals
• Reduce by half the proportion of people without
  sustainable access to safe drinking water

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Water for People Projects

• Projects in Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras,
  Malawi, India, Vietnam
• Partner with local NGOs and communities
• Provide cultural expertise
• Increases ownership
• Requires first step by community community
  initiative
• Funds workshops, health and hygiene education
• Funds technical and managerial training for local
  water committees.

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Water for People

• Funded by private individual donations, EPA,
  foundations, American Water Works Association
• 2004 working expenses 2M, of which 1.6M spent
  directly on projects in developing countries
• Solicits grassroots participation for fundraising
  and publicity

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Questions for Discussion

• How does the overlap of NGOs hinder or help their
  goals? How can these organizations collaborate
  and better share information and resources beyond
  creating just another NGO networking website and
  organization?
• How does the involvement of NGOs in transboundary
  water negotiations and agreements complement the
  work of the various governments involved?