Policy and legal systems to protect groundwater
543
Overall groundwater availability was a major topic. Understanding its location and movement was key to successful development. The need for appropriate monitoring and sampling programmes was recognized. The provision of new, and maintenance of existing, water harvesting and retention structures to increase recharge and groundwater storage came high on the list of priorities. Often, existing structures were located in inappropriate positions or were installed for another purpose. With more integrated planning these could have been built to serve a number of purposes more effectively. Many could be modified at relatively minor costs to achieve these ends. Identification of optimum drilling locations using more modern techniques was encouraged, as in many villages some hand pumps ran dry early in the dry season due to inappropriate locations. Recognition of the value of water and its declaration as a National Asset were also seen as important issues. This helps avoid wastage and misuse, as well as promoting better utilization of existing resources. Aspects of the ownership of water and the infrastructure to capture and distribute it were considered to be important, as were pollution prevention matters. These ranged from simple wellhead protection to management of discharges from industry. At the end of the fieldwork period, the candidates prepared and presented their findings to an invited audience of local (as well as National) government representatives, village heads, NGOs and others contacted as part of the study. They then returned to their previous posts, often to be promoted, and have used their training to encourage better communication and awareness in their local areas.
20.1.3 International groundwaters The UN Convention on the Protection and use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, signed in Helsinki in 1992 (UN, 1992) recognizes the difficulties of protecting water bodies, including groundwaters, which cross international borders. The Convention requires all signatory countries to: • prevent, control and reduce pollution of waters which may have a transboundary impact; • to ensure that these waters are used with the aim of ecologically sound and rational water management; • to use such waters in a reasonable and equitable way; • to ensure that conservation of ecosystems is achieved. The Convention requires the adoption of prevention, control and reduction programmes for water pollution, and the establishment of monitoring systems. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation is essential to the successful protection of such waters and riparian countries are expected to enter into agreements over such issues as joint monitoring programmes and conduct joint programmes for the prevention, control and reduction of transboundary impacts. Warning and alarm systems are required to inform countries of any critical situations that have a cross-border impact.