Workshop: Advocacy for responsible management of rural water supply systems

NGO „Alternative” organized a workshop on the theme „Advocacy for responsible management of rural water supply systems”. The workshop was held on 3 April 2014. in hotel Tiron in Kakanj.

The workshop is part of the project „Let’s be responsible in water management” that is implemented within ETNAR program (Advocacy NGOs networks for sustainable use of energy and natural resources in the Western Balkans and Turkey).

The workshop was attended by representatives of local authorities, the Planning and Construction Department of Kakanj Municipality, local rural communities and NGO sector. Such a structure of participants should provide a wide basis to support joint decisions in the process of advocating for best solutions for protection of drinking water springs and responsible water management.

The following topics were addressed by the workshop:
1. How to manage rural water supply systems (EU directives, ownership and management of water supply systems, management principles – financing and costs, amortisation, network enlargement etc.)
2. How to get an organized water supply system in rural areas (legal and institutional framework for ware management in FBiH)
3. Steps in legalisation of water supply systems
4. Advocating for water supply system protection plans

Additional topics that were discussed: the right to water; capital investments; ownership; price of water; management; protection plan; water quality; legalisation of water supply systems.

In the final part of the workshop the participants defined the theme for the next workshop which will be focused on the plan for the protection of rural water supply systems. There are 48 of these systems in Kakanj which provide water for around 37% of rural households.

Our vision is: organized rural water supply systems with responsible developed local awareness about importance of the protection of water supply enabling access to sufficient amount of good quality water to all.