Sustainable Water–Integrated Management and Governance (SWIM)

Timeframe: 2004 – 2005

Coordinator: ICLEI Southeast Asia

Co-sponsor: Asian Development Bank

Summary:

The SWIM Pilot Demonstration Activity ushered Baguio City, an ICLEI Member, into enacting a water reform agenda that is a shift from sectoral to integrated water governance. Through a series of multi-stakeholder dialogues of over 900 stakeholders from September 2005 to August 2005, Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon signed Executive Order No. 04, Series of 2005 adopting the implementation framework and integrated mechanism for the operationalization and institutionalization of Sustainable Water -- Integrated Management and Governance (SWIM) for Baguio City. A codification of national and local laws, an inventory of initiatives, and a mapping of mandates related to water served as springboard for the integrated local water agenda and investment priorities.

Activities

1. Situational Analysis

A Report on the State of Baguio City's Water: A written situationer was prepared to serve as a basis to evaluate the state of the city's water. The situationer describes, analyzes, and evaluates different parameters to describe the state of Baguio's water resource supply and access, river basins, watershed and drainage, and flood control. It seeks to analyze data and identify gaps in water management. The situationer was presented to the Baguio City Technical Working Committee on Water Resource. The committee identified a framework with corresponding indicators for data processing and analysis on water management.

The situationer contains selected qualitative and quantitative indicators to describe the water sector. The indicators included in the framework for water governance in Baguio City are Water Quality/Treatment/Health, Watershed and River Systems, Cost Recovery and Water Supply and Source/Water Consumption/Access.

2. Identifying and involving the Stakeholders

Establishing A Local Water Organization Mechanism and Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Participation in Water Governance: City Administrative Order 461 Series of 2004 issued on November 3, 2004, formalizes the creation of an inter-agency body for local water governance. The inter-agency body includes a Local Water Management Team chaired by the city mayor, a technical working group composed of the different heads of line agencies in the city, city government offices, and NGOs.

As the lead-implementing agency, the city government ensures multi-stakeholder participation through equitable representation between and among concerned sectors. A series of workshops, conferences and dialogues paved the way for the identification of priority water action agenda, target setting, clarification of specific roles and accountabilities of stakeholders, and the formalization of working committees to sustain the water management process.

3. Setting Priorities and Targets

Baguio City's 8-Point Water Agenda (2005-2008). Adopted by the city in January 27, 2005 through the approval of the City Mayor (Hon. Braulio Yaranon) and City Council, Chairman for the Environment Committee (Hon. Erdolfo B. Balajadia).

1.    Ensure Sustainable Access to Safe Water for the remaining 25% of the
       city’s population. --Baguio Water District, Baguio Health Department, City
       Planning and Development Office
2.    Reduce non-revenue water from 38-45% to 20-30%. --Baguio Water
       District
3.    Increase forest cover in all watersheds in Baguio City by at least 20
       percent. --City Environment, Parks and Management Office, Department of
       Environment and Natural Resources-Forest Management Bureau
4.    Reduce waste in Balili River by 25 percent and reduce BOD levels by 15%.
       --City Environment, Parks and Management Office, Department of
       Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau
5.    Optimize investments for the city’s water treatment facility and expand
       coverage of connection to prevent pollution.--City Environment, Parks and
       Management Office, City Planning and Development Office, National
       Economic and Development Authority
6.    Mainstream gender and apply community-based approaches to water
       management. Office of the City Social Work and Development, City
       Planning and Development Office, Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation
7.    Enact a common water agenda and adopt a local water code.  City 
       Council, City Planning and Development Office, Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation
8.    Harmonize actions and work together towards water security. --SWIM Local        Water Governance Board and Technical Working Group

The project has been implemented very successfully.  It has been hailed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) as an excellent case study in water management. It was presented at the 4th World Water Forum (Mexico, 2006) and is featured in the web-based IWRM Toolbox (http://www.gwptoolbox.org/).
ICLEI Southeast Asia’s (SEA) pioneering work on Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Governance (SWIM) pilot-tested in Baguio City, Philippines received the Incentive Prize of the APFED Awards for Good Practices.  

Lessons learnt

- Evolved the adaptive participation in the water dialogues
- Urgent need for Policy Reforms
- Making stakeholders aware of their roles and accountabilities
- Sustainable financing as a key element in the design and Implementation of capital intensive water   programs and Projects
- Water resources are transboundary and governance does not assert sole jurisdiction where the impact of poor governance and mismanagement will result in local and global impacts on water security

For information on the Project visit the web site of the ICLEI South Asia