IOW on the WEB "SANDRE" FORMAT SOUND MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES A CONSISTENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. PAGE 3 International News - IOW - N° 5 - 1997 T he development of conti-nuous professional

International O f f i c efor Water

IOW on the WEB http://www.oieau.fr

N°5A 1 9 9 6RETROSPECTIVE R E V I E W

C O N T E N T S

● FROM ONE CONTINENT TO ANOTHER- Training and P 11

Documentation Centres- Municipal Water Supply P 13

and Sewerage Services- River Basin Management P 16

● NEW DEVELOPMENTS P 2IN IOW

● INTERNATIONAL EVENTS P 6● FROM ONE CONTINENT

TO ANOTHER- Monitoring Networks P 9

and Data Banks

IOW on the WEB http://www.oieau.fr

Basin Organizations:INBO’s next GeneralAssembly will take placein Valencia (Spain) -October 2-4

Euro-MediterraneanConference on WaterManagement (Marseilles)

Euro MediterraneanWater InformationSystem (E.M.W.I.S.)

Training Centre forWater Professions: opening to the world

Towards a MexicanWater Foundation

Gdanska Fundacja Wody

European Inland WaterTopic Center

French Water Data Base

AQUADOC-Inter

Basin Organizations:INBO’s next GeneralAssembly will take placein Valencia (Spain) -October 2-4

Euro-MediterraneanConference on WaterManagement (Marseilles)

Euro MediterraneanWater InformationSystem (E.M.W.I.S.)

Training Centre forWater Professions: opening to the world

Towards a MexicanWater Foundation


European Inland WaterTopic Center

French Water Data Base

AQUADOC-Inter

PAGE 2

THE FRENCH NATIONAL WATER DATA NETWORK

International News - IOW - N° 5 - 1997

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN IOW

SPECIALIZEDBASES

THE NATIONAL

BASE

RIVER BASIN BASES

INTERNATIONAL USERS

NATIONAL USERS

OBSERVATORIESOF THE

ENVIRONMENTR N D E

LOCAL USERS

DATA PRODUCERS

The authorities in charge ofwater in France decided in 1992to set up a consistent informationsystem on water, the NationalWater Data Network (RNDE).

The French Water Law is based onintegrated river basin managementand aims at meeting waterdemands and preserving aquaticmedia. RNDE is the informationsystem that accompanies this poli-cy and it allows for the preparationof decisions and the measurementof their impact.RNDE is also the tool that ensuresthe storage and the availability of arich heritage of data coming frommany water monitoring networks:rainfall gauging, hydrometry, waterquality, piezometry, etc.Finally, RNDE must meet anincreasing information demandfrom the water users.The high number of operators inthe water field led to the designof this information system as anetwork which federates dataproducers and users.Initiated and funded by the Ministryfor the Environment, the WaterAgencies, the French Institute forEnvironment and Higher Council forFisheries, RNDE now also regroupsthe Ministry of Health, Meteo-France,IFREMER and EDF; the InternationalOffice for Water (IOW) is in charge ofthe project implementation.

A NETWORKOF DATA BASES

The data bases carry out the tasks,or parts of them, of collecting, sto-ring and disseminating water data.● the river basin bases collect data

from the producers with whomthey have agreements, store anddistribute them at river basin level.

M I N I S T E R E D E

L ' E N V I R O N N E M E N T

Conseil Supérieur de la Pêche

ifenInternational O f f i c efor Water

● the specialized bases deal withrainfall gauging, hydrometry,coastal water quality...

● the National base prepares aggre-gated information with the data ofother bases and meets the demandof European or French users.

The Observatories of the environ-ment are set up by local communitiesto provide decision-makers and thepublic with information on water.The RNDE data bases are pro-gressively modernized and net-worked to be adapted to the Weband Internet technology.

THE NATIONALBASE

Equipped with modern computeri-zed systems and with a powerfuldata base system, it widely usesgeographic information systems(GIS) to produce maps of all kinds.As it will soon be equipped with anInternet server, it will also have a pivo-tal role for the users to have access todata whatever the place of storage.

A COMMON LANGUAGEFOR DATA

In order to have comparable dataand facilitate their exchange,RNDE has established a commonlanguage: “SANDRE”.“SANDRE” precisely defines howproducers must describe their datafor them to be used by otherswithout any risk of error.It manages the common references atnational level in the form of lists ofcodes: physico-chemical parameters,taxons, analytical methods, aquifersand watercourses...Finally, it defines electronic exchan-ge formats. “SANDRE’s” work isnow used for exchanges (EDI)between the Ministry of Health

and water suppliers, or betweenWater Agencies and operators ofwastewater treatment plants.

AVAILABLEPRODUCTS

In 1996, RNDE widely dissemina-ted several of its publications:● a map of the main polluting

discharges of industries,● 1996 assessment of sewerage in

towns,● 4 quality maps of watercourses,● the state of fish population in

rivers.

THE NEW TOPICSFOR 1997

After completing its work on surfa-ce water, then on discharges, RNDE

is now dealing with new topics:● Potable water: with the coope-

ration of the services of theMinistry of Health. RNDE aimsat providing information on thequality of the supplied water andalso on the safety of water sup-ply in towns.

● Coastal water: on-going studiesassociate IFREMER and theDepartment of Fisheries with thedepartments of the Ministry forthe Environment and the WaterAgencies.

● Groundwater: RNDE is goingto assist in the setting up of net-works for the patrimonial know-ledge of aquifers.

Contact:

Dominique PreuxFax : +33 5 55 77 72 24

EUROPEAN AGENCY FOR ENVIRONMENT

"INLAND FRESHWATER" EUROPEAN

TOPIC CENTRE

FRENCH WATER DATA BASE

SIX RIVER BASIN DATA BASES

REGIONAL & DEPARTMENTAL OBSERVATORIES

DATA PRODUCED BY

SPECIALIZED SERVICES

IFEN: E.A.E.'S FRENCH FOCAL POINT

INTEGRATORS FEDERATORS

NATIONAL THEMATIC

BANKS

REGIONAL OBSERVATORIES

THEMATIC BANKS

SUPPLIERS LABORATORIES

STATE DEPARTMENTS

WATER AGENCIES

"SANDRE" FORMAT

SOUND MANAGEMENT

OF WATERRESOURCES

A CONSISTENTINFORMATION

SYSTEM

PAGE 3


The development of conti-nuous professional training isthe priority of the InternationalOffice for Water.Owing to the 4-year programme(1995-1998) for the moderniza-tion of its French NationalTraining Centre for WaterProfessions at Limoges-LaSouterraine, implemented withthe support of the LimousinRegion Council and in coopera-tion with the University and thenew National School of Engineersof Limoges, IOW can now pro-pose a new series of specifictraining on its installations thatare being renovated and that:● is addressed to all professio-nal categories: from engineersand executives, to technicians,workers and employees. Thecentre receives about 4,000 pro-fessional trainees per year, 350to 400 of whom are foreigners.● covers all specializations andpositions: design, implementa-tion, operation, maintenance,management...● is based on the “on-the-jobtraining” principle, using real-size educational pilot units thatreproduce the professional envi-ronment of the trainees and simu-late all standard or exceptionalsituations that can be encounteredin their daily tasks.● is offered in the French,English and Spanish languagesupon the request of interestedorganizations.

These installations are nowunique in Europe on such a scale.Above all, it deals with trainingfocused on a real practice ofwater professions.In 1997, the International Officefor Water proposes three specia-lized catalogues:

WATER AND SEWERAGEIN MUNICIPALITIES

It comprises 101 training coursescovering all large specializedfields, such as water analyses,potable water production and sup-ply, quality of potable water supplyservices, the control, design andoperation of sewerage networks,urban wastewater treatment, pum-ping and electrotechnology, rehabi-litation and laying of mains,remote control and automation,technical, administrative and finan-cial management of water services,relations with the users and mana-gement of consumers.For the last two years the Officehas had two new pilot units at itsdisposal, in addition to its completeinstallation for water treatment.One concerns leak detection indrinking water supply networksand the other the operation ofsewerage networks of all types.This year, it will open a work-shop specialized on sensors.Finally, before summer 1998, afuture training unit on sludgetreatment, connected with the newwastewater treatment plant that isbeing built for La Souterraine townand located next to the trainingcentre, will complete the pilot unitsalready offered in this field.

WATERIN INDUSTRY

It comprises thirteen trainingcourses in the following eightfields: analysis of process andcooling water, raw water treatmentand operation of ion exchangers,operation of wastewater treatmentplants using activated sludge andphysico-chemical treatment pro-cesses, treatment of standard andparticular wastes, sludge dewate-ring, measurements and self-moni-toring, analysis of wastewater anddetermination of heavy metals, andfinally aid and water charges of theWater Agencies.

WATER IN THEPLATING INDUSTRY

It comprises 10 modules that,with applications specific to thistype of activity integrated in theprevious industrial trainingcourses, deal with training onrecycling techniques used at thesource, decontamination ofeffluents and emergency electri-cal repairs and maintenance ofmechanical equipment of treat-ment plants.The Office particularly offers thetrainees access to a completedecontamination plant equippedwith representative industrial

machinery and to a laboratory foranalyses and treatment control.All trainees can also consult theEAUDOC server that is one ofthe most important specializedlibraries throughout the worldwith more than 175,000 refe-rences.All training courses can be com-bined to constitute a real andcomplete curriculum of professio-nal training.“Tailored” training courses arealso organized upon the parti-cular request of municipalitiesand water companies, enter-prises or industrial holdings.They can be implemented inany foreign country in one ofthe international languages(English catalogue: “Opencourses”, Spanish catalogue:“Cursos abiertos”).

Contact: Gilles NEVEUFax : +33 5 55 77 71 15

LIMOUSIN


IOW has created “JURIEAU-DOC” which allows access to:● legal texts, relative to French

and Community legislation.The search can be made by texttype (Community directives orregulations, laws, decrees,orders, circulars, etc.) by refe-rence to their signature orpublication date in OfficialBulletins or by key-words.

● comments from specialists,chosen from articles or booksthat explain the texts.

● the most interesting jurispru-dence, used to appreciate howlaw courts solve applicationand interpretation problems.

Thanks to a “linkage” system,used as an experiment, legal texts

that derive from one another canbe found automatically (texts forthe application of a law for ins-tance, etc.) as well as the com-ments or jurisprudence that areassociated, and, of course, thesuccessive changes in the sametext when they exist.Each document is analyzed and isindexed with key-words and asummary.To date, the base comprises1,800 referenced documents.The chosen documents can beordered from IOW and be sent bymail or fax, depending on therequest and urgency.Contact: J.A. FABYFax : +33 5 55 77 72 24

JURIEAUDOCFRENCH WATER LAW ON INTERNET:http:/ /www.oieau.fr

THE NATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE FOR WATER PROFESSIONS:NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN LIMOUSIN REGION ALLOW FOR A WORLD-WIDE OPENING

The National Training Centre at La Souterraine

PAGE 4



IOW ON THE WEBTHE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE FOR WATER HAS JUST OPENEDAN INFORMATION “SITE” ON “INTERNET” NETWORK

DOCUMENTATION❹ This is the “EAUDOC Plus” service thatprovides a direct or assisted-mode access to:● the 30 most recent references, for each key-word, of books, articles and publications thatare available in “IOW Library” (175,000references),● the legal water base “JURIEAUDOC”(French and European texts, comments andjurisprudence),● the new Permanent Inventory of WaterStudies and Research (IPERE) - 1,240 references,● the file on hydrobiological products usedin France (OMHS),● an agenda of events,● collections of technical documents(National Fund for Rural Water Supply - Inter-agency studies, etc...).Thanks to the “EAUDOC Plus” service, “shortsummaries” (less than 10 pages) can be obtainedon several important and present-day topics andthe new “GRISELI” programme of the FrenchMinistry in charge of Research can be initializedregarding the water sector. This programme aimsat making in France an inventory of study andresearch reports, unpublished by the operatororganizations (“corporate literature”).

USEFUL INFORMATION ON THEORGANIZATION OF THE WATER

SECTOR IN FRANCE❺ Professions, basic training centres anddiplomas at all levels in the water and envi-ronment sector.

❻ Continuous professional training: the“1997 National Catalogue of continuing trai-ning for water engineers and technicians” inparticular.

❼ The National Water Data Network(RNDE)

● With an experimental presentation of the“products” that are available in the“National Water Data Base (BNDE)”regarding hydrology, surface water quality,discharges of large towns and industries.

A “RNDE-window” is being studied. In1997, it should provide users with a directaccess to all data, maps, catalogues andcoding of BNDE.

● The server also presents useful informationon the services of the Ministry for theEnvironment and Water Agencies - and as anexperiment - the “FONTAINE” networkwhich regroups the studies and publicationson each basin.

❽ Support to the environmental appro-ach for industrial managers: catalogues oftraining on industrial processes and environ-mental procedures and files of examples of“clean technologies”.

An item entitled “ECO MANAGEMENT” willbe opened in 1997. It will be a real tool for assis-ting managers of small industrial enterprises tomake decisions regarding the environment.

Contact: J.A. FABYFax : +33 5 55 11 47 80

In a first experimental phase, the serverpresents:

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATIONIn French and English languages and inSpanish in some cases. It concerns:

❶ The electronic issue of two IOW publica-tions: “Les Nouvelles” (French) and the“International News” (English) which presentIOW’s cooperation activities in foreign countries.

❷ The International Network of BasinOrganizations (INBO) whose PermanentTechnical Secretariat is managed by IOW:

● “Declaration of membership” and “Charterof Organization and Operation” of the network,

● Proceedings of international technicalseminars and workshops organized by INBO,

● Retrospective electronic issue in French,English and Spanish of the last issues of the“Network Newsletter” which, twice a year,publishes information on the activities andprojects of the 68 member organizations ofthe network on the five continents.

❸ The proceedings of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on WaterManagement - EUROMED - (in Frenchand English) which was held in Marseilleson November 25 and 26, 1996.

http://www.oieau.frhttp://www.oieau.fr

EDUCATIONAL ENGINEERING AND MULTIMEDIA

IOW participates in severalprojects that can test in realsize the new educationalmethods, using CD-ROM, CDIand Internet technologies.“ECO-MANAGEMENT”Directed by the CESI Group -Educational Technology, withinthe framework of a EuropeanProgramme TELEMATICS, thisproject will test remote trainingand remote advice for smallenterprises and industries regar-ding environment (ISO STAN-DARDS 14000, EMAS regulation,...) by relying on videotex net-

works, INTERNET in particular,and videoconferencing.

This 3-year project will shortlyenter a demonstration phase andpilot sites have already beenidentified.

“SIMSTEP”This project which is managed byIOW with European funding(LEONARDO DA VINCI pro-gramme) consists in developingan interactive simulator for theoperation of treatment plantsusing activated sludge. The soft-ware will be used on a micro-computer and will have aconventional interface for theoperation of a treatment plant.

The operators will be able to be trai-ned for regulating treatment withoutany danger for the natural medium,with reasonable response times.

The multilingual product(French, English, Spanish,German, Danish) is planned forSeptember 1997.

“PREVENTION OF TORRENTIAL FLOODS”The French Ministry for theEnvironment, the RegionalCouncil of Alps-Riviera and theRhone-Mediterranean-CorsicaWater Agency entrusted IOWwith the preparation of this awa-reness raising tool addressed tothe local elected officials of theMediterranean region.

Using real cases, this tool willenable:● the recording of exceptional

events and the explanation ofphenomena,

● the promotion of a moreflexible approach to develop-

ment, based on a solidarity bet-ween the upstream and downs-tream parts of the river and thepresentation of newapproaches to better unders-tand and control these hazards,

● a better understanding of theimportance of prevention strategyand effective crisis management.

“SELF-MONITORING OFTREATMENT PLANTS”This first issue of the series“IOW’s CD-Techniques” isnow commercialized by EDI(Eau & DeveloppementInternational - Water andInternational Development).Contacts:F. RANSONNETTEFax : +33 5 55 42 60 30

J. MONGELLAZFax : +33 4 93 65 44 02

PAGE 5

RESEARCH


The International Office forWater has been entrusted

by the French Authorities withgeneral missions of strategicassistance to public study andresearch programmes on water.In this respect, it manages a per-manent inventory of all on-goingactivities (IPERE) and dissemi-nates results, either published(EAUDOC) or unpublished (cor-porate literature-GRISELI).IOW is a founder member of the“HYDROSYSTEMES” Groupof Public Interest and partici-pates in various “WATER -TASK FORCES” organized bythe European Commission withinthe readjustment of its communi-ty research programmes.Finally, IOW has opened its out-standing technical installationsof Limoges-La Souterraine topublic or private research teamswho wish to develop projectswhile using its pilot units.

Up to now, due to the great numberof decision-makers and service pro-viders, it has been difficult to get asynthetic view of public and privateefforts made in France regarding stu-dies and research on water.IOW, after making an enquiry direc-ted to all French organizations concer-ned and to the European Commission(DGXI and XII), recorded, in 1996,1,650 studies or titles of research, ofwhich 1,134 are described in a detai-led information sheet.

In this respect, IOW can make asearch upon request either per topicor per programme.

Contact:“IPERE” & “GRISELI”J. A.FABYFax : +33 5 55 77 72 24

It has been noted that access to theinformation kept by research organi-zations, public institutions, universi-ty laboratories was still difficult.Aware of this problem, theMinistry of National Education andResearch has undertaken, throughthe “GRISELI” programme, anaction to improve access to “corpo-rate literature” that is outside anycommercial channel of publication.The International Office for Waterwas thus chosen as “GRISELI’swater centre”.The National Institute for Scientificand Technical Information (INIST)

is the national centre that centra-lizes the programme and is theinterface with the European baseSIGLE.IOW is planning to experiment twonew processes to complete the col-lection of the corporate documen-tation and the dissemination of therecorded one on information super-highways (RENATER, INTER-NET, ...):● the automatic recognition of

characters in tables of contents,summaries and conclusions ofdocuments,

● the transfer of whole texts.

COORDINATION OFFRENCH PUBLICRESEARCH IN THEWATER SECTORIOW is a founder member of the“Hydrosystemes” Group ofPublic Interest (GPI) that bringstogether the French public esta-blishments carrying out research inthe water field: BRGM (ResearchCentre for Geology and Mines),CEMAGREF (National Centre forAgricultural and RuralEngineering, Water and Forestry),CNRS (National Centre ofScientific Research), IFREMER(French Research Institute for theExploitation of the Sea), INRA

(National Research Institute onAgronomy), ORSTOM (OverseasScientific and Technical ResearchCentre), in order to pool theirresearch capacities.During its meeting of December 9,1996, the GPI’s Board of Directorschose nine topics of basic rese-arch in the water field to be joint-ly dealt with by the memberorganizations in the coming years:● Topic 1: Study on rainfall distri-

bution, relative to runoff and torain hazards

● Topic 2: Hydrological, socialand economic impacts of clima-tic variability

● Topic 3: Transfer and transforma-tion of polluting substances in

urban and peri-urban water systems● Topic 4: Operational aspects of bio-

diversity in inland water systems● Topic 5: Estuaries and develop-

ments● Topic 6: Aquifer management● Topic 7: Water multi-use mana-

gement● Topic 8: Impact of phytosanitary

substances● Topic 9: Erosion, sediment trans-

port and contaminant life.“www.oieau.fr/Hydrosystemes”,the Internet site will publish all use-ful information on the implementa-tion of this multiannual programme.Contact : J. L. VERRELFax : +33 1 44 27 65 95

WATER 2001THE VTH INTER-AGENCYSTUDY PROGRAMMEHAS JUST BEEN LAUNCHED

The six Water Agencies have beenjointly undertaking inter-agencystudies and research for more thantwenty years on topics of commoninterest.The Vth of these inter-agency pro-grammes, “Water 2001”, whichwill cover the 1997-2001 period,was officially launched on January1st, 1997. It will be allocated 105million francs for seven prioritylines of study:● Line 1: Socio-economy, plan-

ning, evaluation of policies● Line 2: Knowledge and assess-

ment of aquatic media● Line 3: Urban areas● Line 4: Rural areas● Line 5: Water and health● Line 6: The management of

aquatic media● Line 7: Industry, energy, trans-

portsIt innovates with the importancegiven to the topic: “water socio-eco-nomy”; but most of all with the will tobetter organize all studies dealing withthe management of aquatic media.This new priority expresses thewill of the Agencies to undertakenew responsibilities and will leadto a more effective protection andsound management.Contact: Ph. GUETTIERFax : +33 1 42 19 12 35

“GRISELI”

A SYSTEM FOR RECORDING AND DISSEMINATING FRENCH CORPORATE LITERATURE

“IPERE”

THE PERMANENT INVENTORY OF WATER STUDIES AND RESEARCH

NATIONAL“ENVIRONMENT-DETERGENTS”PROGRAMME

The first phase of this 3-year program-me of which IOW is the DelegatedContracting Authority could be com-pleted thanks to the mobilization of 6million francs by the Ministries for theEnvironment and Research, and bythe private sector (Soap and DetergentManufacturers, Union of ChemicalIndustries, water treatment industries).Thanks to the work carried out in1995-96 by various laboratories,either public (Limoges University,NANCIE, CEMAGREF) or private(BETURE, CIRCEE, AnjouResearch), a first definition of thecontents, that can be accepted inthe environment, could be maderegarding the substances that com-pose washing products as well asthe preparation of a method foranalyzing some of these substances.Financial partners decided to la-unch in 1997 a second phase of thisprogramme to evaluate the distri-bution of the detergent componentsin running surface water.Contact : F. ARCANGELIFax : +33 1 40 08 01 45

“HYDROSYSTEMES GPI”

PAGE 6

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN IOW - RESEARCH

CLEAN TECHNOLOGIESIOW has just completed a file thatregroups 60 examples of the indus-trial application of “clean techno-logies”. Each information sheetdescribes a recent industrial activitythat has led to a significant reduc-tion in the pollution created, even tothe point of being a “nil discharge”.The summary technological des-cription is associated with an envi-ronmental, economic and financialassessment of the project and withthe particulars of the concernedcompany... in order that these ori-ginal and effective experiments bereproduced by others...This information is available onIOW’s Web server on the line “Industry”: http://www.oieau.frand is also the topic of specific trai-ning.Contact : A. BERNARDFax : +33 4 93 65 44 02

IOW’S TEST UNITS

DEWATERING OFSLUDGE FROM WASTEWATERTREATMENT PLANTSIOW was entrusted by EDF(Electricity of France) researchcentre and ELMETHERMCompany with the study of a newprocess for sludge dewateringbased on the electro-osmosis phe-nomenon.Premises have been especiallyarranged, at IOW’s NationalCentre for Water Professions, toset up a semi-industrial pilot unit.Tests carried out during a wholeyear have enabled to assess the effi-ciency of the equipment and orien-tate the development andadjustments of the industrial equip-ment.Contact : M.WELSCHBILLIGFax : +33 5 55 63 34 92

DEVELOPMENT OF ASHES FROMELECTRO-THERMALPOWER STATIONSThe International Office for Wateris carrying out a study on the deve-lopment of ashes from fluidizedbed reactors in partnership with theEDF research centre and the steampower plant of Gardanne (Bouchesdu Rhône).Taking the large lime content ofthese ashes into account, EDFwants to evaluate the possibilitiesof ashes to be substituted for limewhen conditioning and stabilizingurban sludge from wastewatertreatment plants. A comparativestudy is on-going at the IOWcentre of La Souterraine.

VEGETATIONCOVER ANDLOW WATERFLOWThe Commission for theEconomic Development of MassifCentral, in agreement with the twoWater Agencies concerned, Loire-Brittany and Adour-Garonne, hasnominated the International Officefor Water as the delegatedContracting Authority to study towhat extent a change in prac-tices used in agriculture andforestry could have an impacton the low water flow of watercourses in six watersheds of theMassif Central.IOW will be associated with theNational Inventory on Forestry,Electricity of France and Jean LeBloas consulting firm.Contact: J. A.FABYFax : +33 5 55 77 72 24

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

EURO-MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE ON WATER MANAGEMENT

MARSEILLES - NOVEMBER 25-26, 1996A Euro-Mediterranean Conferen-ce on local water management washeld in Marseilles (France) on No-vember 26. It gathered the Ministersin charge of water from the 15 mem-ber countries of the European Unionand their 12 counterparts from coun-tries bordering the Mediterraneanthat had signed the Barcelona Decla-ration.The debates were chaired by Mrs. Corinne Lepage and Mr. Bernard Allen, French Ministerfor the Environment and IrishSecretary of State for theEnvironment respectively, and in thepresence of Mrs. Emma Bonino,European Commissioner. The conference was preceded on theday before by a meeting of interna-tional experts which had been ope-ned by Mr. Jean-Claude Gaudin,Mayor of Marseilles and French Mi-nister of Land Use Planning.A first preparatory meeting of theexperts had been held in Cairo(Egypt) on October 21 and 22,1996. The International Office for

Water had been entrusted with thepreparation and organization of theMarseilles conference and Cairopreparatory meeting by the Euro-pean Commission and the FrenchGovernment.

Water is a fragile resource andthe basis of a Mediterranean sus-tainable development. Water is asocial, economic and environmentalconcern in all countries and the Mi-nisters pleaded for the implementa-

tion of a global water managementthat would associate the varioususers as well as for the acknowled-gement of the socio-economic valueof water.

The Ministerial Conference adopted a Euro-Mediterranean declaration on local water mana-gement which stressed commonprinciples and objectives for waterpolicies and broadened the arrange-ments of the Rome Charter (1992)

to a Euro-Mediterranean context. The Ministers also decided to set upa Euro-Mediterranean Water In-formation System (EMWIS) thatwill be organized into a network ofcompetences.In his closing speech, Mr. Hervé DeCharette, French Minister forForeign Affairs, recalled the interestof France for a Euro-Mediterraneancooperation and wished that this part-nership contribute to the setting up ofa solidarity in the Mediterranean.

All official documents andreports of the Conference are

available on Internet:http://www.oieau.fr/Euromed/

The Conference SecretariatInternational Office for WaterFax: +33 4 93 65 44 02The Euro-Mediterranean Ministers’ Conference


PAGE 7



The Marseilles Conferenceemphasized the need to

acquire the best possible know-ledge of water managementtools, actors and methods. Theavailable information on theseitems only exists in a fragmented,dispersed and heterogeneous way.Therefore it is necessary to makean effort to rationalize and makethis information readable, easilyaccessible and usable. The purpose of EMWIS is togather the existing informationsystems into a network and definecommon rules for their data pro-cessing and exchange.It was agreed that this structureshould rely on existing organiza-tions and data and would notrequire the creation of a new one.EMWIS is designed to be open toall users in the associated coun-tries, signatories of BarcelonaConvention.An action plan must be preparedin 1997 and its preparation hasbeen entrusted to the InternationalOffice for Water by the EuropeanCommission and the FrenchGovernment.A working group composed ofthe European Commission andthe following countries: Algeria,Cyprus, France, Italy, Jordan,Malta, Morocco, Spain, theUnited Kingdom and the

Palestinian Authority, met onApril 8 and 9, 1997 in Amman atthe initiative of Jordan.This group must prepare thisaction plan that will be submittedto all the parties concerned duringa seminar in Autumn 1997. France was mandated to preparethese works. Therefore, the WaterDirectorate of the FrenchMinistry for the Environment haslaunched an inquiry to define thepriority expectations regardingEMWIS. They concern:● the definition of the informa-

tion contents for each topic ofaction,

● the identification of the opera-tors who can be rapidly mobilized,

● the examination and evalua-tion of information transfersystems that are already orga-nized within existing networksin order to broaden them,

● the examination of the possi-bilities for widening andgathering these networks toopen them to all interestedEuro-Mediterranean partners.

The action framework and themeans necessary for an effectivecreation of EMWIS will be defi-ned by the Water Directors of theassociated countries, using thataction plan and the conclusions ofthe seminar.Contact: Paul HAENER (IOW)Fax: +33 4 93 65 44 02

A EURO-MEDITERRANEAN WATERINFORMATION SYSTEM

Working group meeting Amman - 8-9 April 1997

The European EnvironmentalAgency was created in 1994 toproduce reliable and comparableinformation on the environment.It contributes to the future regula-tions of the European Union, froma technical point of view. TheAgency relies on focal pointswhich collect data in each State.It entrusts expertise to topiccentres. IOW participates in theInland Water Topic Centre with 6other organizations: AWW(Austria), CEDEX (Spain), INAG(Portugal), NERI (Denmark),NIVA (Norway), VMM (Belgium)to form a consortium under the lea-dership of WRc (Great Britain).A EUROPEAN WATERMONITORING NETWORK

The Agency requested the “InlandWater Topic Centre” to assist in the

setting up of a water monitoringnetwork needed to obtain reliableenvironmental data.The specifications of this monito-ring network were defined in 1995and presented to the Member-Statesduring a seminar held in Madrid inJune 1996. IOW, in cooperationwith the Water Agencies and IFEN(French Institute for Environment),will test these specifications in 1997on the existing French networks.A DATA BASE ON LAKESAND RESERVOIRS

The Topic Centre started a data baseon European lakes and reservoirs in1995. IOW plays a leading role inthis task, in cooperation with IFEN.This base is supplied to theEuropean Agency on a computerizedsupport. To-date, it comprises about3,000 references: physical characte-

ristics of water bodies and dam-reservoirs, water use, water quality.DOBRIS REPORT:The Topic Centre contributes to theup-dating of DOBRIS report on thestate of the environment in Europe tobe finalized in 1998, by drawing upseveral chapters on water, groundwa-ter in particular, and on nitrogen andphosphorus in watercourses.The 1997 programme of the TopicCentre also comprises a technicalsupport for the preparation ofannexes to the future EuropeanDirective on water resources and forthe harmonization of forms used forthe reports of Member-States on theapplication of water-relatedDirectives.

Contact: Dominique PREUX (IOW)Fax : +33 5 55 77 72 24

THE EUROPEAN “INLAND WATER” TOPIC CENTERSTRASBOURGINTERNATIONALSEMINAR ON THETRAINING OFENVIRONMENTALENGINEERSThe European Company for theTraining of Engineers andENGEES jointly organized thisevent, on April 17 and 18, 1996,which gathered more than a hun-dred international experts under thechairmanship of Mr. D. Loudière,the School’s Director.Mr. Donzier, IOW’s GeneralManager, had been invited to pre-sent the introductory report on theadequacy between training and newjobs in the environmental sector.Contact: D. LOUDIERE(ENGEES)Fax : +33 3 88 37 04 97

UNESCO THEINTERNATIONALHYDROLOGICALPROGRAMMEThe 12th session of the Inter-Governmental Council of theHydrological Programme was heldat UNESCO Headquarters in Parisfrom 23 to 28 September 1996.France, after a long absence, rein-tegrated the Council and was repre-sented by an important delegationof national specialized researchorganizations (CEMAGREF,ORSTOM), as well as those likelyto federate actions in the field ofhydrology (Hydrosystemes GPI,IOW, etc).The FRIEND (Flow Regimes fromInternational and ExperimentalNetwork Data) projects, form thecore of the new phase that started onJanuary 1, 1996. It entails, thanks tothe circulation of hydrological dataand to the assessment of treatmentprocesses, the elaboration of regio-nal syntheses (cartographic in parti-cular) on specific problems such asfloods, low water levels, solidstransportation or flow regimes. The question of the free circulationof water-related data was also rai-sed and a joint UNESCO / WorldMeteorological Organization taskforce was created.Contact: Pierre HUBERT French National Committee forHydrological SciencesFax : +33 1 64 69 47 03

EMWIS:

PAGE 8



INTE

RNATIONAL NETW

ORK

OF

BASIN ORGANIZATIO

NSINBO: THE SECOND GENERAL

ASSEMBLY WILL BE HELDIN VALENCIA (SPAIN)

FROM 2 TO 4 OCTOBER 1997

Mr. ZEDILLO, President of the United States of Mexicoopens INBO’s General Assembly

The International Network ofBasin Organizations (INBO)Liaison Bureau which was heldlast 27 and 28 January, at theHeadquarters of Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica WaterAgency in Lyons (France), accep-ted that the next GeneralAssembly would take place inValencia next October, at theinvitation of the SpanishAuthorities.An international seminar on thetopic “financing of basin organi-zations” will be organized onthat occasion. Bi and multilateralcooperation agencies and INBOmember-organizations have beenrequested to contribute papers.

THE LIAISON BUREAU

Since the network’s constitutivemeeting that took place in Aix-les-Bains (France) in May 1994 at theinvitation of the French river basinorganizations, INBO’s LiaisonBureau has already held five mee-tings in Romania (October 1994),Poland (March 1995), Mexico(September 1995), Romania (July1996) and Ivory Coast (November1996) respectively.This Bureau has been composed ofMessrs. Benevides and Garrido(Brazil), Chirouze (France), Lascuand Predescu (Romania), Kouadio(Ivory Coast), Noain and SantafeMartinez (Spain), Mestre-Rodriguez (Mexico), Ostojsky andBadowski (Poland), Roedjito andRusfandi-Usman (Indonesia) andMrs Serbu (Romania).Mr. Donzier (IOW) participates asPermanent Technical Secretary.The Bureau administers theNetwork between meetings of theGeneral Assembly. Assisted by thePermanent Technical Secretariat, itprepares the Agendas and ensuresthe implementation of resolutions.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

It was held in Morelia (Mexico)from 27 to 29 March 1996.The works of this Assembly wereopened by Mr. Ernesto Zedillo,President of the United States ofMexico, himself. The texts of the“Declaration of Membership”and the “Charter for

Organization and Operation” ofthe Network , prepared by theBureau, were adopted by theAssembly. It gathered the repre-sentatives of 45 countries, interes-ted in the approach of an integratedmanagement of their waterresources on the scale of large riverbasins.During the closing ceremony, 68organizations from 32 countriesofficially signed INBO’s“Declaration of Membership”.An international technical semi-nar on “information necessaryfor decision-making” was held onMarch 28, 1996, during theGeneral Assembly of Morelia.This seminar enabled the findingof solutions to be used for develo-ping monitoring and analysesnetworks, optimizing the collec-tion of necessary data, setting upreal “basin observatories” tosummarize the information usefulfor planning, determining watercharges and following up priorityaction plans.Retrieval of data in a form easilyunderstood by and accessible toAuthorities and to members ofRiver Basin Committees, is also anissue of great interest.The Network members adoptedrecommendations so as to helpnew basin organizations toapproach this important issue.The reference file, summarizing allthe papers of this conference, willbe particularly useful to developnew “basin observatories”. In addition, the General Assembly

confirmed the mandate given to theInternational Office for Water tocarry out, under the authority of theNetwork President, Mr. EduardoMestre-Rodriguez (Mexico), thePermanent Technical Secretariat ofINBO, with the support of the sixFrench Water Agencies and theFrench Authorities.

THE NETWORKJOINT ACTIVITIES

These are progressively beingimplemented:● “INBO’S NEWSLETTER”,written by the Network membersthemselves, is a link and means forexchanging information on theirexperiences. Four issues have already beenpublished in the three official lan-guages of INBO (French, English,Spanish); more than 7,500 copiesof the last issue were disseminatedall over the world.● THE “ACQUADOC-INTER” SYSTEM will enable, asfrom 1997, the exchange of institu-tional documentation based onreferences harmonized betweenbasin organizations.“AQUADOC-INTER” will be ope-rational on INTERNET nextSummer. It will be a “virtual libra-ry” gathering all legal, administrati-ve and economic documentation onthe organization of river basinmanagement in INBO membercountries.The first step of this project,which relies on professionals ofdocumentary data processing, was

to nominate -on an experimentalbasis- 12 “National RelayDocumentation Centres”(NRDC), which will indeed be the“windows” used as relays betweennational users, national specializedbases and the system. This entails creating the idealconditions for exchange, within anetwork, by standardizing referen-ce systems and access procedures.It thus aims at having a users’friendly access to the needed infor-mation, whatever its source.● INTERNATIONAL WORK-SHOP ON BASIN MASTERPLANSIt was held in CONSTANZA(Romania) from 31 August to 4September 1996, on the initiativeof the Romanian Authorities. Itenabled 31 participants from 11countries to examine in detail theorganization of water institutionsin the various countries interestedin INBO: it turned into a realcomparative administrationcourse, very useful for developingprinciples for a better resourcesmanagement, adapted to each localsituation.● A 2-WEEK, INTERNATIO-NAL, TRILINGUAL COURSEon the “creation of basin organi-zations” will also be jointly orga-nized by France and Spain at thebeginning of 1998.● THE INTERNET SERVER“http://www.oieau.fr/riob/” hasbeen broadcasting since November1996 all documentation publishedwithin INBO, in 3 languages(French, English, Spanish), inclu-ding the entire recommendations ofthe March 1996 technical seminaron “information necessary fordecision-making” and of theSeptember 1996 workshop on“basin master plans”.

Permanent Technical SecretariatIOW - ParisFax : +33 1 40 08 01 45

INBO on the WEBwww.oieau.fr/riob/

PAGE 9

FROM ONE CONTINENT TO ANOTHER


The setting up of modernobservation systems is an

essential condition for a globaland integrated water resourcesmanagement.

INBO’s General Assembly, heldin Morelia in 1996, emphasizedthe importance of having at its dis-posal at all levels, either national,river basins, or “international”(transboundary rivers in particu-lar), a continuous, reliable, com-plete and representativeinformation on the state ofresources and uses.

To be efficient, this informationmust deal with:

● all surface and groundresources, either in quantity(meteorology - hydrology) or inquality (pollution);

● withdrawals of all kinds andpolluting discharges fromvarious categories of users.

It must enable to:

● determine “black spots” andtherefore action priorities;

● follow up the efficacy of poli-cies on the medium and longterm;

● react in front of crisis situa-tions (torrential waterflows,floods, accidental pollution,drought forecasting ...).

It is obvious that in many situa-tions, it is first of all necessary tofederate a heterogeneous infor-mation that is often spread amongvarious organizations with specificneeds and management procedures.

The experiment of creating inFrance a National Water DataNetwork relying on a NationalBase and six basin observatories,as well as cooperations that are setup within the “Inland Water”Topic Centre of the EuropeanEnvironmental Agency or withinthe project for setting up a Euro-Mediterranean Water Infor-mation System (EMWIS), arevery interesting.

The International Office forWater, which is either operator orpartner in these projects, has awide experience and a know howto offer useful assistance eitherorganizational or technical topublic bodies that are concernedwith water data managementthroughout the world.

DID YOU KNOW IT?

For several years, there has been anaccelerated environmental deteriora-tion in the entire Senegal river basin:vegetation and ecosystems are decli-ning, desertification is increasing,agricultural lands are becoming sali-ne and the fauna’s habitats fragile.Upon the request of the OMVSCouncil of Ministers, the FrenchMinistry of Cooperation entrustedthe International Office for Waterwith a feasibility study on the possi-bility of setting up an environmentalobservatory in the basin.Its purposes were to:● examine the conditions for set-

ting up this observatory atOMVS, with a priority on pro-blems related to water manage-ment (quality, in particular),

● define a work programme ,

separating the activities whichare directly conducted by OMVSfrom the activities entrusted tonational or foreign specializedpartners;

● determine the institutional andoperational relations betweenthe OMVS unit to be created andthe various private or publicadministrative structures of theMember-States;

● assess, depending on availabili-ty, the kind of funding necessa-ry and the requirements of theobservatory and determine theconditions for capacity building.

The study comprised two missionsfrom July to November 1996 car-ried out in Dakar-Nouakchott andSaint Louis by Messrs. Haener(IOW) and Crouzet (IFEN).

A new meeting of EXACT(EXecutive ACtion Team)responsible for coordinating the“Middle East Water Data BankImplementation Plan” (MEWD-BIP) took place in Tunis from 11to 13 May 1996.

Representatives of Israël, Jordan,the Palestinian Territories, toge-ther with the main funding agen-cies, participated in this meeting.

The French Ministry for ForeignAffairs was represented byMessrs P. Ospital, Expert of theFrench Embassy in Jordan,P. Haener, Project Manager at

IOW, J.L. Oliver, Ministry ofPublic Works and Mrs. Barbut, incharge of the French Environ-mental Fund.

This meeting was the occasion ofdiscussing the work progress on14 out of the 41 recommenda-tions of “MEWDBIP” for a totalamount of 1.8 Million ECU.

France expressed its willingnessto contribute to the activities ofthe EXACT group with a projectfor setting up a “Regionalwarning system on waterresources”.

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESSMIDDLE EAST WATER DATA BANK IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The National Office forInformation and Documen-tation on Public Works(ONIDE) requested the technicalassistance of the InternationalOffice for Water to develop waterdata bases. It would consist of amethodological support in organi-zation and technical means, anda logistical support in publicationand documentation supply.

Since 1990, ONIDE has takenover the tasks and activities of theNational Documentation Centreon Hydraulics (CNDH) of theAlgerian Ministry of PublicWorks and Land Use Planning.

In the water sector, the mainobjectives of ONIDE are:

● the design, publication and dis-semination of periodicals,information bulletins, descrip-tion sheets or bibliographies,catalogues,

● the setting up of a nationalinformation network on water,

● “copyrights” for informationand documentation on thewater sector in Algeria.

The purchase by ONIDE of thenecessary computer equipmentwill enable the management of itsdocumentation bank.

A data base relative to hydrau-lic infrastructures (dams, earthdams, irrigated schemes, potablewater supply...) will be develo-ped at the same time to quicklyidentify these infrastructures infiles, to geographically referen-ce the sites on digital maps, toestablish statistics, balancesheets and summary reports.

This 2-year project is supportedby the French Ministry forForeign Affairs.

AFRICAAND THEMEDITERRANEAN

MONITORINGNETWORKS

AND DATA BANKS

SENEGAL RIVER BASINFEASIBILITY STUDY FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATORY

A WATER DATA BASE IN ONIDE

ALGERIA

PAGE 10

MONITORING NETWORKS AND DATA BANKS

POLANDLOWER VISTULA: CREATION OF A PILOT BASIN OBSERVATORY WITH GDANSK RZGW

EUROPE

REFERENTIALS

● PARAMETERS

● HYDROLOGICAL

● ADMINISTRATIVE

MONITORING NETWORK

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETER

TOPICS TO BE DEALT WITH IN THE DICTIONNARY

STANDARD EXCHANGE

FORMAT

UW Voivoidship

Administration

RZGW

VISTULA BASIN: EXCHANGE PROCEDURE SKETCH

INTERFACE SOFTWARE

DEVELOPER

WIOS Voivoidship Inspectorate

of Environmental Protection

IMGW National

Institute of Meteology

DATA EXCHANGE

The PHARE project “Creation of abasin observatory in Poland”, co-financed by the European Union, theFrench Ministry for Foreign Affairsand the Polish Government, is co-piloted by the International Office forWater and the RZGW of Gdansk.The main expected results on surfacewater quality are:➧ the elaboration of a data dictio-

nary, to be used by all organiza-tions that collect and process datain Poland;

➧ the structuring of a data base inGdansk RZGW.

❶ The following was undertaken ina first phase “Study of existingstructures”:

A first mission led by Mr. Haener(IOW) in Gdansk and Warsaw madean inventory of:● the Polish institutions involved in

data management on surface waterquality;

● the computerized organization ofGdansk RZGW and the integrated“Srodowisko system” of theMinistry for Environment;

● the organization of national monito-ring networks on surface water quality;

● the current capacities regardingdata management and processing.

A training course was organized inFrance, with the presentation of theNational Water Data Network(RNDE) and the National Data andReference Centre for Water(SANDRE).

This course was attended by repre-sentatives of the “Polish network”:Gdansk RZGW, the “Ministry ofEnvironmental Protection, NaturalResources and Forests”, IMGW(National Institute of Meteorology),WIOS (Departmental Service for theEnvironment) of the Lower Vistula.❷ The second phase called “har-

monizing and standardizingdefinitions, codification and dataexchange procedures” startedwith two collaborative meetingsbetween network partners, whichwere held at Gdansk RZGW inApril and September 1996, withMessrs. Blanc and Haener of IOW,who also carried out a remote-fol-low up in December 1996.

The actions undertaken led to the:● validation of the topics to be dealt

with by the task force;● preparation of a provisional ver-

sion of a conceptual data model of“surface water quality” for Poland;

● preparation of a first version of thedata dictionary;

● definition of a structure for theexchange formats to be developed.

❸ The third phase “Applying stan-dards to a specific topic” wasdefined as follows:

● the structuring of a surface waterquality data base in GdanskRZGW

● the development and utilization ofinterface software for the exchangeof data between RZGW, WIOSand the Voivoidships involved inthe Pasleka river basin.

THE FRENCHKNOW-HOW At the initiative of the FrenchMinistry for the Environment, theCommission on “Water data mana-gement” of IOW’s Scientific andTechnical Committee has intendedpresenting on Internet theFrench know-how on“Monitoring networks and databanks for water resources mana-gement”.

This presentation is now beingdeveloped. It will be accessible bythe end of June 1997 on IOW’sWeb site:

http://www.oieau.fr.Then, information presented in thisapplication will be regularly up-dated.

OMHSThanks to the assistance of theFrench Ministry for theEnvironment and the Seine-Normandy Water Agency, IOWhas been able to contact 240French correspondents who areeither users or suppliers of hard-ware, software or hydrologicalmodels.

As a result of this, 136 informa-tion sheets have been collected in“OMHS” (Operational Multi-purpose Hydrological System)format.

“OMHS” is coordinated on aninternational scale by WMO(World MeteorologicalOrganization) in Geneva thenrelayed by a national referencecentre in 121 countries, membersof the system.

These references, translated intoEnglish and Spanish, will be circula-ted on diskettes, to all the othernational reference centres over theworld.

Contact: May ABIRACHED (IOW)Fax : +33 5 55 77 72 24

TOWARDS AHUNGARIANWATERDATA BASE

During his visit to IOW inNovember 1996, Mr. Szabo,manager of VITUKI’s datadepartment, was able to study thenew French Water Data Base(BNDE).The idea of creating a similar“national base” in Hungary see-med attractive.The excellent relations betweenthe Hungarian and French “waterschools”, led to the creation of awater glossary in five languages,including French and Hungarian,which could be more widely usedand electronically developed onInternet.

THEDANUBETRAININGPROGRAMME

IOW, acting as a consultant ofICWS (NL), was mandated withthe preparation and the imple-mentation of programme n°8“institutional development trai-ning” of the PHARE project“Training for a monitoring strate-gy - the Danube”.

This mission was entrusted byIOW to Mr. Ph. Crouzet of IFEN(French Institute for theEnvironment) who, in coopera-tion with Mr. H. Mansfeld(IMPLECO) managed a seminar,held in Salzburg (Austria) from22 to 26 July 1996, in which par-ticipated senior water resourcesmanagement experts from:Bulgaria, Czech Republic,Hungary, Romania, SlovakRepublic, Slovenia, Moldavia,Ukraine, Austria and Germany.


Contacts:“Water Observatories” division● P. HAENERFax : +33 4 93 65 44 02E. mail : [email protected]● D. PREUXFax : +33 5 55 77 72 24E.mail : [email protected]

PAGE 11



Water services employ, on ave-rage, 750 agents per

1,000,000 supplied inhabitants inpotable water and as many insewerage and treatment services.It concerns operators, workers oremployees (80 %), supervisors andtechnicians (15 %) and only 5 % ofexecutives and engineers.

Services quality mainly depends onstaff’s know-how, especially in themanagement, operation and mainte-nance of installations, rehabilitation offacilities and old networks, relationswith the users. Therefore, basic trai-ning is important but continuoustraining as well.

The last Euro-MediterraneanConference on Water Managementinsisted on the need to strengthencontinuous professional training andrecommended that funds allocated to

this training represent at least 1 %of the wage bill of the services. Itshould be noted that the funds used bythe most effective suppliers are alrea-dy exceeding 5 % of the wage bill.

The International Office for Water,whose priority is professional trai-ning and which receives about 4,000trainees a year, develops “tailo-red” international courses that canbe implemented in French, Englishand Spanish languages.

It particularly offers to assist the inte-rested countries in developing theirown professional training capacitiesby training national trainers, by thetechnical design and equipment of trai-ning centres, by supplying educationalmodern materials in the language usedand in organizing effective documen-tation centres.

DID YOU KNOW IT?

BOTSWANASIGNING OF A 3-YEAR CONTRACT RELATINGTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAININGFOR WATER SERVICESIOW, in association with LYSA(Lyonnaise Water Company Asso-ciated Services), signed, on June 10,1996 in Gaborone, a 3-year (1996-1998) contract with the “WaterUtilities Corporation” (WUC), fora technical assistance and the deve-lopment of training capacities.This contract amounts to 5,500 millionFrench francs and falls within the fra-mework of the financial protocol si-gned by French and Botswanese Go-vernments on 25 January 1996.The programme has four components:❶ Human resources development

(Training of Botswanese trainers,specialized technical training forBotswanese executives who willface real working conditions, in

France in the Lyonnaise WaterCompany and IOW national trai-ning centre, and at a branch of theLyonnaise Water Company inSouth Africa, in Johannesburg,Kwazulu and Queenstown,

❷ The development of trainingtools (documentation and com-puter centres),

❸ A technical assistance for defi-ning a national continuoustraining policy,

❹ A feasibility study for the set-ting up of a Regional WaterTraining Institute intended forall countries, members ofSADC (Southern Africa Deve-lopment Community).

Further to a feasibility study whichwas carried out by IOW in 1996, incooperation with the NationalWater Commission, the project ofa Mexican Training Centre forWater Professions is now ready tostart its operational phase.

The creation of the centre and itseffective operation are plannedover a 4-year period (1997-2001) atthe end of which financial balanceshould be reached.

Priority will be first given to themanagement and operation ofmunicipal potable water supplyservices, then sewerage in asecond phase.

A foundation will be created ,under Mexican law, to be the

contracting authority of the projectand will gather, under the aegis ofthe National Water Commission,the interested Mexican partnersand, on the French side, theGroups of the General WaterCompany and Lyonnaise WaterCompany and IOW.

The total investment amounts toMFF 27, MFF 5.5 of which will beborne by the French Ministry ofEconomy and Finance, thanks tothe assistance of the EconomicExpansion Mission at the FrenchEmbassy in Mexico, MFF 8.5 byFrench industries and MFF 13 bythe Mexican partners for the buil-ding of infrastructures and person-nel cost.

NIGERIADELIVERY OF A PILOTWASTEWATERTREATMENT UNIT Within the cooperation agreementsigned by the French Ministry forForeign Affairs and the NationalWater Resources Institute(NWRI), a mission was carried outby J. Pronost (IOW), in December1996 for the delivery of the educa-tional pilot unit for wastewatertreatment by activated sludge.The purpose of this mission was tocheck the conformity of the instal-lation with the specifications givenby IOW. This unit, of a 200 pop-eqtreatment capacity, will be used forapplied research and trainingpurposes (practical work).On December 11, 1996, theMinister of Water Resources andRural Development and theCultural Attaché of the FrenchEmbassy in Lagos inaugurated theinstallations.They were able to appreciate theconcrete results of the French-Nigerian cooperation by visitingthe documentation centre andtechnical installations, designed byIOW: the pilot water potabiliza-tion unit (OTV), the pilot waste-water treatment unit (SOAF),equipment for withdrawals, flow-meters and water analyzers, thatwere offered to create a technicalassistance service.

KENYAHUMAN RESOURCESDEVELOPMENTA Task Force made up of Kenyanexecutives, representing the mainactors in the water field, has asses-sed, with the help of an IOWexpert on secondment for sixmonths in 1996, the trainingresources (institutions and pro-grammes) and the needs (staff) inorder to elaborate an Action Plan.This plan has three components:❶ assistance in creating or deve-

loping “Human Resources”units within organizations ofthe sector,

❷ a priority training programme,❸ support to training centres

likely to develop continuoustraining courses.

The first component is very important.It consists in improving the capacityof Kenyan organizations to managetheir human resources and to plancontinuous training for their staff.That, of course, involves a conside-rable effort in defining missions,activities and capabilities of thevarious categories of staff, as wellas assessing their performances,developing training programmesand setting up a “HumanResources” information system.

AFRICA

LATIN AMERICA

TRAINING ANDDOCUMENTATION

CENTRES

MEXICOPROJECT OF A MEXICAN NATIONAL TRAININGCENTRE FOR WATER PROFESSIONS

Created under the aegis of the PolishAuthorities, Ministry for Environ-ment, with the support of French andDanish cooperations and of the Euro-pean Commission’s Life Programme,the Water Foundation of Gdansk(GFW) aims at becoming the PolishNational Training and Documenta-tion Centre for Water.The Voidvoidship and municipality ofGdansk, the International Office forWater and the Limousin region, theFreshwater Centre of Copenhagen arefounder members of GFW.Officially registered in May 1995, theFoundation has, at present, a perma-nent full-time staff of seven.A permanent representative of IOWseconds the Director in Gdansk. Mr. H. Wojciechowski, Voivoidshipof Gdansk, has been the President ofthe Foundation since September 1996.

In 1996, 16 catalogue-courses and 5conferences and seminars were at-tended by 568 executives of waterservices of Polish municipalities andmore than 400 local elected officialstook part in information days that we-re coorganized with the Water Agen-cies (RZGW). Trainers from IOW re-gularly intervene in these courses.Thanks to new equipments, theFoundation will reach, in the se-cond quarter of 1997, its full com-mitment and will propose a comple-te range of training courses foragents at all hierarchical levels inthe water services of Poland and ofthe neighbouring riparian countriesof the Baltic Sea.FGW: Fax (48-58) 35 54 30

PAGE 12

TRAINING AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRES


The “AQUADOC-INTER” con-cept aims at setting up a world net-work of National Relay Documen-tation Centres (NRDC) on water,that can exchange relevant infor-mation within the framework ofINBO (International Network ofBasin Organizations).

The first AQUADOC-INTER modelwill be implemented by IOW to give,in 1997, a simultaneous access to har-monized information on water relati-ve to Romanian, Hungarian, Mexi-can, Moroccan, Brazilian and French... river basins, on Internet ofcourse.

APELE ROMANE might create inRomania, one of the first “AQUA-DOC-INTER” centres.

APELE ROMANE is charged withthe collection of information on thelarge Romanian river basins.

HUNGARY: VITUKYDOCUMENTATIONCENTERIn November 1996, the InternationalOffice for Water, on the request of theFrench Ministry for Foreign Affairs,welcomed Mr. Szabo, in charge of VI-TUKI’s data department, to show himthe operation and organization of itsinformation and documentation de-partment.

Following this mission, IOW’s docu-mentation bank was installed at VI-TUKI under CDS-ISIS. The on-lineaccess to banks via Internet“http://www.oieau.fr” was suc-cessfully tested and will be used byVITUKI’s engineers to look forscientific and technical information.

In 1997, IOW will open a credit forthe order of primary documents se-lected by VITUKI staff.

MOROCCOCREATION OF AN INFORMATIONAND DOCUMENTATIONCENTRE ON WATER INONEPThe National Office for PotableWater (ONEP) has planned thecreation of an information anddocumentation centre on water thatwould be set up in the Bou Regregunit (Rabat) in order, among otherthings, to:● constitute a complete docu-

mentation in the water sector,● manage the reports of ONEP

and make them accessible tousers,

● consult external, especiallyinternational, data bases,

● disseminate ONEP’s works byproducing bibliographical bulle-tins or other information pro-ducts,

● establish close relationshipswith foreign documentationcentres.

To start the centre, ONEP reques-ted technical assistance from IOWfor the installation, the purchase ofequipment and the organization ofthe centre, for the training of docu-mentalists and of a multimediatechnician.This mission will continue until1998.

“AQUADOC-INTER”

The Romanian National Committeeof Water Producers and Suppliers(CNDPAR) and the regional councilof Limousin have entrusted IOW witha feasibility study regarding the crea-tion of a Training Centre for WaterProfessions in Romania.The study has three main objectives to:● identify the operational difficulties

encountered by the 41 State-ownedcompanies - members of CNDPAR,

● examine previous training me-thods and to identify the prioritytraining needs,

● elaborate a national continuoustraining strategy.

IOW and CNDPAR made a joint analy-sis of the situation during the last quarterof 1996:● A complete “quality” type audit

was carried out in 3 State compa-nies acting as “samples”,

● A national inquiry questionnairewas circulated among a representa-tive sample of the other companies,

● A study of a National Observato-ry of the State companies.

In 1997, the results thus obtained willbe used to establish the characteristicsof equipment and the operating condi-tions of a future Training Centre.

The project “Creation of a trainingand information centre for deci-sion-makers, on water managementin the Czech Republic” jointly sub-mitted by IOW and the T.G.Masaryk Institute, received a favou-rable response from the FrenchMinistry for Foreign Affairs and theEuropean Commission, within the1995 Phare Partnership Programme.

The project will comprise the trainingof trainers, the development of speci-fic training modules on managementmethods for potable water supply andsanitation services and on economic andlegal aspects as regards the control ofpolluting discharges, the joint manage-ment of pilot training courses and theinstallation of IOW’s documentationbase at TGMI.

National Training Centre forWater Professions● J.P. LECOMTE● J.L. LERMITERIEFax +33 4 93 65 44 02E.mail: [email protected] and Data● D.PREUX - J.A. FABYFax : +33 5 55 77 72 24E.mail : [email protected]

ROMANIAA FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE CREATION OF A ROMANIAN TRAINING CENTRE

CZECH REPUBLICTHE T.G. MAZARYK INSTITUTE

EUROPE

POLANDGDANSKA FUNDACJA WODY - GFW

THE MEDITERRANEAN

ALGERIANATIONAL INSTITUTEFOR THE IMPROVE-MENT OF PUBLICWORKS - INPEIn 1995, a multiannual partnershipcontract was signed by IOW andINPE, the aim of which is a transferof know-how between trainingcentres on water and sanitation.In 1996, IOW in Limoges received twogroups of engineers-trainers from INPE.Educational kits were provided to theAlgerian trainers to enable a rapidtransfer of this knowledge to techni-cians in their country.The programme will continue in1997 and 1998.


PAGE 13



Affermage (leasing) is themain method used for dele-

gated management of municipalwater services in France.◆ In France, there are 15.244potable water supply services, and11.922 municipal sewerage services.◆ Municipalities, individually orregrouped in intercommunity syn-dicates, are responsible for organi-zing public water services.◆ The municipality is always theowner of installations. TheMunicipal Council freely choosesthe method for services manage-ment, either directly in public cor-poration, or by subcontracting tospecialized private enterprises: thisis the delegated management.◆ In the case of “affermage”, themunicipality:● undertakes all necessary invest-

ments for which it finds fun-ding.

● signs a contract for the opera-tion and maintenance of instal-lations and relations with theusers with a specialized privateenterprise, for about a 12-15-year period, after sending invi-tations to bid.

The contract sets the waterprice and its evolution in time.

◆ The enterprise assumes costbilling and recovery from theconsumers to cover its services. Itreimburses the municipality the partwhich corresponds to technicaldepreciation and financial amortiza-tion of investments and pays thetaxes and charges that are owed tothe State and Water Agencies (see figure below).The International Office for Wateroffers governmental authorities ormunicipalities which would beinterested, an expertise on:● the deconcentrated and decentrali-

zed organization of water services,● the industrial and commercial

management of these services,and the tariffing of water prices,

● the preparation of priorityinvestment programmes and onproject evaluation,

● a “privatization” strategy forchoosing the managementmethod, the most appropriatecontracts to sign, and the follow-up of their execution.

Of course, IOW can also organizetraining courses in France or ineach country concerned.

DID YOU KNOW IT?

PRIVATE SUPPLIER

INVOICE

AFFERMAGE CONTRACT

OPERATION INVESTMENT

USERS

COMMUNITY OR

SYNDICATE

ASIA CHINAADEME - IOW, NEW PARTNERSHIP

UNION OF AFRICANWATER SUPPLIERS

THE 1996 CONGRESSThe 8th Congress of the Union ofAfrican Water Suppliers (UAWS)took place in Yaounde (Cameroon)from 15 to 23 February 1996 andwas very successful in gatheringmore than 400 participants.IOW presented a paper on“Financial Resources and CostRecovery” based on the examplesof Fez (Morocco) and Ouaga-dougou (Burkina Faso).

WATER UTILITIESPROGRAMME - WUPA meeting between IOW, NANCIEand the French Ministries ofCooperation and Public Works andMr. Jerrari, Director of the WaterUtilities Programme (strengthe-ning of UAWS capabilities) tookplace in Paris on 11 February 1997.It examined the support that couldbe jointly provided with training oninstitutional reform of water com-panies, improvement of their mana-gement, efficiency indicators orcreation of a Web site.

NIGERWithin a project implemented forstrengthening the “Training” Unitof the National Water Company ofNiger, led by GTZ and partly fun-ded by the French DevelopmentFund, IOW organized a trainingcourse addressing operators ofthe Goudel and Yantala waterplants that supply water to theNigerian capital. This seminar, which took placefrom November 11 to 30, 1996,

aimed at providing the operatorswith basics of chemistry, watertreatment and the advantage of bac-teriological control.

Shortly before the end of the course,a visit to the potable water productionunit of Tillaberi was organized as thisunit suffers from a quality problem.This case study initiated reflectionsthat should end in a rehabilitationscheme for this plant.

AFRICA

Further to an experts’ missionwhich took place in Mexico DF inOctober 1995, IOW received twoexecutives from the DirecciónGeneral de Construcción yOperación Hidráulica (DGCOH)for a 3-week specialized trainingcourse to study the French offerand know-how on remote control.

During their stay in France, theMexican engineers were able tomeet French operators, industria-lists and consultants.They visited installations of theUrban Communities of Bordeaux,Seine Saint Denis and Nancy(within the framework of the NAN-CIE-IOW partnership).

LATIN AMERICA

MEXICOREMOTE CONTROL OF MEXICO’S SEWERAGE NETWORK

MUNICIPAL WATERSUPPLY AND

SEWERAGE SERVICES

ADEME’s International SteeringCommittee has adopted the prin-ciple of a joint action with IOWto promote abroad our know-how on the organization of muni-cipal services for the urban

environment (water and wastes).

The first real action should be thejoint publication of a CD-ROM onurban ecology proposed within theframework of a Chinese-Frenchcooperation.

“AFFERMAGE” IN FRANCE

LEONARDO DA VINCIThe “Form-aqua” project aimsat promoting the efficiency andquality of vocational training inthe water sector by identifyingthe training needs in fiveEuropean countries (Belgium,France, Italy, Spain and theUnited Kingdom). This studywill be carried out by means ofquestionnaires and interviews.

The results could be used as a firststep for establishing guidelines inthe water sector to help theEuropean Union’s programmes indesigning medium and long-termtraining policies to be adapted tothe national needs.

TRAINING FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN POLAND ANDHUNGARYIOW has been approached by thePolish and Hungarian Authoritiesto develop an awareness pro-gramme for their local electedofficials entrusted with themanagement of water and sani-tation services by the decentra-lization process.In Hungary as in Poland, thisprogramme was preceded by thetraining of the national agents incharge of organizing and imple-menting these courses, and bypreparing educational supportswith them, in their own language.● In Poland, nine information

sessions were jointly organizedwith the Basin Agencies(RZGW) of Krakow,Katowice, Gdansk, Szczecin,Wroclaw and Warsaw, andgathered about 400 electedofficials and representatives ofwater and sanitation services.The Water Foundation ofGdansk (GFW) has contac-ted the RZGWs to continuethese training actions: a mee-ting was held in Olszty on 10December 1996 with aboutfifty municipal managers.

● In Hungary , the trainingcourses for elected officials,that were implemented in 1995with more than 150 partici-pants, have been since takenover by the NationalAssociation of WaterSuppliers.

PAGE 14

MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE SERVICES


EUROPE

To meet European requirementsregarding nitrogen and phosphorus,the Council of the Mans UrbanCommunity (MUC) has decided todevelop its treatment plant for315,000 population-equivalents.

The Community has wanted allpossible guarantees. Therefore, itis going to request 3 consultingfirms to study each a differentalternative for the best process touse. The assistance of an IOW

expert has been required to exa-mine and analyse their proposalsin order to select the optimumprocess.

DECISION OF THE MANS URBAN COMMUNITY

"MUC"

PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS

PROPOSAL ANALYSIS PROCESS SELECTION

PREPARATION OF INVITATIONS TO BID FOR ENTREPRISES

CONSULTATION OF ENTREPRISES

CONSULTING FIRMS"MUC"

TECHNICAL SERVICE IOW

LOCAL ELECTEDOFFICIALSFrom 1992 to 1996, 89 “Waterdays” gathered 6,735 elected offi-cials, in 29 French departments.

Four years ago, the French authori-ties launched a multiannual pro-gramme of information andassistance to decision-making inmunicipalities, the implementationof which was entrusted to theInternational Office for Water.

It is especially addressed tomayors and presidents of watersyndicates in rural areas and aredecentralized in each department,where “water days” can be repea-ted as many times as necessary,especially in districts, in order thatelected officials can participatemore actively.

The topics of each session arelocally chosen depending on speci-fic concerns, but several topics aregaining force such as servicesmanagement and operation...

It is also obvious that such topics,as water pricing and conditions forleasing and concession of publicservices to private enterprises, areat the top of the “hit parade”.

THE REUNIONISLANDIOW organized a training course,with the General Council of theReunion Island, from October 7 to11, 1996, intended for the person-nel of the Departmental WaterLaboratory.

It dealt with wastewater analysisand followed the courses organizedalready on water chemistry andpotable water analysis.

MARTINIQUE

Intervention in the Public Waterand Sanitation Corporation ofFort-de-France (RAEA).

In January 1997, IOW organized inFort de France a training course onthe management of consumers andon meter reading by portable termi-nals.

This 2-week training course dealtwith a comparative study of theexisting tools for computerizedmanagement.

It was the opportunity to underlinesome of the processing difficultiesencountered in the marketing pro-cess of the corporation.

Different solutions were presentedthat imply the redesigning of thecomputerization masterplan andthe use of more complete andadapted management tools.

“THE GREATERLYONS URBANCOMMUNITY” Within the reorganization of theWater Directorate of Greater LyonsUrban Community, Jean-LouisLermiterie from IOW has prepareda project for strengthening thecapabilities of the personnelconcerned.

This 3-year project (1996-98) willuse the wide range of IOW’s capa-bilities on educational engineering,the study of training plans and theimplementation of tailored trainingprogrammes addressed to largeoperating organizations.

A NEW “QUALITY”APPROACHWhile taking into account theEuropean Directive, services mustenvisage the design of sanitationsystems that can faultlessly meetgiven requirements. From problem formulation to projectimplementation, only a logical andcontrolled approach and a multi-cri-teria thinking can provide a tho-rough solution.Aware of the advantage of this“quality” approach, the NationalCentre of Local Public Services(CNFPT) entrusted the InternationalOffice for Water with the design ofa new course to train municipal exe-cutives on cost-benefit analysis intheir sanitation projects.

FRANCE

“LE MANS” CITY

WATERD A Y S

UNITED ARABEMIRATESDESALINATION OFSEA WATERIn this region of the world which isrichly endowed with energyresources, the almost entire lack offreshwater led local authorities todevelop sea water desalination as aby-product of electricity produc-tion.

Distillation and reverse osmosisare well-known techniques.

Upon the request of the Emirates’authorities, the French Ministriesfor Foreign Affairs and Industryentrusted IOW with initiating areflection for the development ofeconomic desalination technolo-gies in the Emirates that could beexported to new markets: an infor-mal brainstorming group gatheredseveral of our specialized partnersto make a proposal.

MOROCCO

PAGE 15



Within the up-dating of the EuropeanDirective on Potable Water Quality,IOW is preparing, in cooperationwith the French Ministry of Healthand the Confederation of SmallBuilding Enterprises (CAPEB), alarge-scale action addressed, on onehand, to building owners, and, on theother hand, to plumbers, to raiseawareness on the impact of lead

pipes on the quality of suppliedpotable water.

This programme benefits from thesupport of the ADAPT programmeof the European Union, andregroups, at European level,EETAA in Greece, Federgasaquaand Hydrocontrol in Italy and thePolytechnics University ofValencia in Spain.

IOW has been associated with UNE-CIA (Universities of EnglandConsortium for InternationalActivities), with WTI (WaterTraining International) and with theSouth Staffordshire Water PLC, inimplementing a programme intendedto reinforce the managerial capabili-ties of municipal personnel respon-sible for water in Bulgaria, Croatia,Czech Republic, Hungary,Moldavia, Romania, Slovakia,Slovenia and Ukraine.This programme is managed by theDanube Programme CoordinationUnit, based in Vienna.IOW participated in a meetingorganized by UNECIA, inSheffield on March 20, in order tolaunch the project.The international training courses for

trainers proceeded in two phases:● a first 3-day component on

financial management was orga-nized in Budapest in June 1996with the assistance of theRegional Centre forEnvironment,

● a second course in which Mr.CASIMIR (IOW) carried out a 2-day training on services organiza-tion and management, the role ofthe public sector, the participationof the private sector, was heldfrom 8 to 19 July 1996 and wasattended by 22 participants.

As a follow-up to these trainingcourses, national courses were pro-grammed in some countries:Bulgaria and Ukraine in December1996, and the Czech Republic inJanuary 1997.

DISCHARGES FROM TANNERIES IN FEZUpon the request of the FrenchDevelopment Fund (CFD), IOWprepared, under the aegis of theWilaya and assisted by the FezWater Authority, a debate on pollu-tion caused by chromium andheavy metals, as a preliminary tolaunching a programme on pollu-tion reduction in tanneries whichincludes three phases:

● improving process and recycling,

● creating a specific decontamina-tion system,

● setting-up an adapted institutio-nal framework.

Two IOW experts, intervened on 5June during the debate in Fez:Messrs. Pechdo, ManneximCompany, and Berthezenne, Loire-Brittany Water Agency.

THE NATIONAL MASTERPLAN ONSEWERAGEIn 1994, with United Nations fun-ding, the Moroccan Ministry of theInterior started a large study for thepreparation of the future treatment ofwastewater in Morocco and reques-ted a French technical assistance forthe follow-up of this study.This task was entrusted to IOW by theFrench Development Fund (CFD).It aimed at providing a critical andconstructive analysis of the workundertaken by consulting firms.IOW experts were concerned with:● comparative legislation,● wastewater treatments that can

be used in Morocco, treatedwater reuse in particular,

● problems encountered in storm-water run-off.

The conclusions of this audit havebeen recently presented and shouldenable the study to be completednext summer.

THE EUROPEANCOMMISSION:WATER PROJECTSEVALUATIONUpon the request of the EuropeanCommission (DG1), IOW carriedout, in October and November1996, an evaluation of the invest-ment needs expressed by thetowns of DIYARBAKIR (1 mil-lion inhabitants) and SHANLIUR-FA (400,000 inhabitants) in thefield of water.This mission identified the effecti-ve roles of the various national andlocal Turkish authorities involved.All projects were estimated to atotal amount of some 100 millionECU. These needs in infrastructureare obvious, but the mission

emphasized some difficulties, espe-cially related to the perenniality ofthe new equipment that will notbe efficiently ensured withoutchanges in the organization ofmunicipal services. Some of themhave already started. IOW madeconcrete proposals for this purpose.

ACTIM SEMINAR ACTIM organized a seminar on thetopic of “water: infrastructures andmanagement of hazard-proneareas” in Istanbul on May 28, 1996,within the framework of the FRAN-CIA 2000 exhibition.

Messrs. P. Fevrier, French DeputyDirector for Water and J.F. Donzier,IOW’s General Manager, presentedpapers on the French managementof municipal water services.

THE MEDITERRANEAN

“Urban water supply and sewerage services” division ● J.P. Lecomte - J. MancelFax +33 4 93 65 44 02E.mail : [email protected]

● K. BittnerFax: +33 3 20 13 11 86● Lionel ROBAUXFax : +33 1 40 08 01 45E.mail : [email protected]

TURKEY

THE DANUBE PROGRAMME

TRAINING OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES’ MANAGERIAL STAFF

ADAPT

MIDDLE EASTPEACEPROCESS“IOW” TRAINING INAMMANA training course was organized byIOW on the topic “Rehabilitatingpotable water supply systems”, inAmman (Jordan) in January 1996.

It was attended by 19 participantsfrom Egypt, Israël, Jordan and thePalestinian Authority, all of whomappreciated the possibility offeredthem of conversing with techni-cians of the region. They were verypleased to exchange their respecti-ve experiences and discuss theirspecific problems.

PAGE 16

RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT

● LEGISLATION - REGULATION

● STANDARDIZATION

● AUTHORIZATIONS FOR WITHDRAWALS OR DISCHARGES

● WATER LAW ENFORCEMENT

● MONITORING OF THE MEDIUM AND USES

● PLANNING

● FUNDING - PROGRAMMING

● INVESTMENTS

● OPERATION - MAINTENANCE

● RESEARCH

● TRAINING

● INFORMATION

INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT MAIN BASIC FUNCTIONS

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

GOVERNMENTAL ADMINISTRATIONS

LOCAL AUTHORITIESCOMMUNITIES

CONTRACTINGAUTHORITIES

USERS

THE WATER CLUBIOW has become a member of the“Water Club” for India whichregroups the French companies andorganizations that intervene in theIndian sub-continent.

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT AND POLLUTIONCONTROL OF THE “SABARMATIRIVER” IN GUJARATIn 1996, three missions were car-ried out by J. Mancel, IOW’sDirector of InternationalCooperation, in March, June andDecember, to define, with theIndian Authorities, the WorldBank, UNDP and the FrenchEmbassy, the technical and finan-cial terms of a pilot project, whichaims at defining the most appro-priate methods to be used for anintegrated development, pollutioncontrol and a sound water manage-ment of the Sabarmati RiverBasin.In a first phase, it should define theterms of reference for the study of amasterplan for water developmentand management and a PriorityInvestment Plan (PIP) by simula-ting the financial mechanisms neces-sary for its implementation and forthe creation of a basin observatory .Mr. Parmar, Secretary of theNarmada and Water ResourcesDept. (Gujarat), came to Francefrom 20 to 24 May 1996 to familia-rize himself with the French waterpolicy.

THE WORLD BANK:WATER FOR RURALAREAS OF PUNJAB Within the framework of the pro-ject “Water Resources Mana-gement in Punjab”, which dealswith potable water supply in ruralareas, the World Bank has reques-ted that French experts intervene.Therefore, several joint identifica-tion missions have been carried outby Mr. W. Bouffard, expert at theRhone-Mediterranean-CorsicaWater Agency.A delegation of 16 Officials ofPunjab Government (waterresources, pollution control, publichealth) were in France for a studytour from 4 to 10 August 1996.After a general introduction toFrench water policy, this delegationwas divided into two groups accor-ding to their fields of interest:● The first group, interested in

river basin management, visi-ted the Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica Water Agency, the CGE(General Water Company) ins-tallations in Lyons and theBAYARD Company.

● The second group, more interes-ted in potable water supply andsanitation aspects, visited seve-ral treatment plants in theProvence-Alps-Riviera region.

A synthesis of the tour was madewith the French Ministry for theEnvironment and was followed by avisit of the SAGEP’s plant in Evryfor the treatment of potable water.

Performing water resourcesmanagement relies on a financialsolidarity between the water usersof each river basin, based on the“user-polluter-pays” principle.IOW has developed, in relationwith the French Institute forEnvironment (IFEN), a computeri-zed tool to simulate various fun-ding scenarios for the training ofexecutives who are undertaking toreform their water institutions.The “WATER” software(Watershed Agency Tabulationof Economic Resources) has adouble objective: realism in simula-tion and educational clarity.

It consists in describing the riverbasin concerned (users, discharges,withdrawals) and defining PriorityInvestment Programmes (PIP) tobe implemented (objectives,amount of the water charges, modeof financial assistance).The user can observe, in real time,the impact of the decisions made bya fictitious River Basin Committee,from an environmental, economicand financial point of view, and thisover a 15-year period.Within the framework of a trainingcourse, the “WATER” softwarecan be provided to local authoritiesin its French, English, and soonSpanish, version.

In October 1996, HR Walling-ford Ltd. submitted a successfultender, in association with theInternational Office for Water, tothe European Commission,Directorate General forDevelopment (DGVIII), for thepreparation of guidelines in thewater resources sector. This project forms part of theEC programme on Environ-ment in Developing Countries.

The work will include:● Development policies, lending

portfolio and the application ofproject cycle procedures byDGVIII and DG1-B,

● A review of the existing poli-cies and strategies in all EUmembers and other donors,

● The preparation of guidelinesfor the application of a sectoralapproach by EC operationalstaff and recipient countries.

“WATER”A SOFTWARE FOR THE FINANCIAL SIMU-LATION OF A RIVER BASIN ORGANIZATION

PREPARATION OF GUIDELINES IN THE WATER RESOURCESSECTOR

To implement an integratedwater resources manage-

ment, it is necessary to organizesome basic functions, in a ratio-nal and coherent manner.It is particularly on the scale ofa river basin that an appro-priate organization must be setup.Supported by the expertise of thesix French Water Agencies, andthanks to its experience acquiredin many countries, theInternational Office for Wateroffers today a multiannualmethodology to initiate advi-sable processes for administra-tive reforms at the level of eachpilot river basin. It relies on:● the setting up and directing

of a river basin committeethat facilitates inter-admi-nistrative coordination andinitiates users’ participation.

● the study of a “white book”,that draws up an inventory ofthe present state and the pre-

paration of a masterplan forriver basin development andwater management on amedium-term basis,

● the definition of a 5-yearPriority Investment Pro-gramme (PIP),

● the simulation of financialmechanisms necessary toimplement the PIP and theadministrative organizationthat follows,

● finally, the setting up of a“basin observatory” , toacquire knowledge on surfaceand ground water resources,either in quantity or quality,on their uses and on pollutingdischarges. These “observato-ries” are necessary to assessthe efficiency of the imple-mented programme, to checkwhether the objectives havebeen reached and to betteridentify the “black spots” onwhich to concentrate efforts.

DID YOU KNOW IT? ASIA

INDIA


PAGE 17


What kind of management forcommon infrastructures?In 1995, IOW was requested by theFrench Ministry of Cooperation, inagreement with OMVS, to reflecton the management of commoninfrastructures built on the Senegalriver. It would involve the creationof two companies: Managementof Manantali Energy (SOGEM)and Diama Management andOperation (SOGED).On the request of Sir A. Gibb,British Consulting Firm, MessrsArcangeli and Delay (IOW) exami-ned the types of delegation (Statecorporation or “affermage” -lea-sing-) of the “Energy” componentof the project.

As a result of the donors’ meetingwhich took place in Paris, a seminarwas held in Dakar, from 17 to 26 June1996, to approach institutional aspects.Mr. Krotoff, IOW consultant, offe-red his a dvice on the statutes of thevarious companies and organiza-tions to be set up.As a follow-up, Mr. Gaissa carriedout an audit on Diama Dam andmade an estimate of the rehabilita-tion and maintenance costs required.Finally, Messrs. Arcangeli and Mancelintervened late November earlyDecember to prepare the donors’assessment of the “Energy” project. Itentailed drawing up the statutes ofSOGED Company, estimating its bud-get and operational costs and examiningthe conditions for the sale of water.

Following a first identification missionof J.F. Talec (IOW), and LionelRenaud, Deputy Director of the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, carried out inAbidjan in March 1996, Mr. SekouToure, High Commissioner for Water,accompanied by Messrs. AnzeniDjouka, Director for Water, andMamadou Sakho, visited in August1996 the International Office forWater, the French Ministries ofCooperation and Environment, theProvence Canal DevelopmentCompany and the Rhone-Mediter-ranean-Corsica Water Agency.An interministerial seminar, basedon IOW’s report, took place inIvory Coast in September 1996.The new policy of integrated waterresources management was defi-ned. Three scenarios were presen-ted: management by national statestructures, river basin management

and a mixed solution which wasadopted.It consists in setting up a WaterAuthority at national level withthe double function of WaterAgency and Developer. A RiverBasin Authority would also becreated in each of the three mainriver basins of the country. Itwould be composed of elected offi-cials, users and representatives fromthe administration.The Council of Ministers adoptedthis project in December 1996.Ivory Coast organized, from 7 to 10November 1996, the fifth meeting ofthe Liaison Bureau of theInternational Network of BasinOrganizations (INBO), that was theoccasion of presenting the envisagedreform and the method used to defineits conditions of application.

A high-level seminar on “integratedwater resources management” washeld in Grand Baie from May 29 to31, 1996. It gathered about sixty par-ticipants representing the differentMinistries concerned and the catego-ries of water users (farmers, consu-mers, industrialists, NGOs ...).It was jointly organized by theMinistry of Energy and WaterResources of Mauritius and theMission for Cooperation of theFrench Embassy.This was the opportunity for a dele-gation from IOW to present theFrench example of river basinmanagement, with the testimoniesof two members of French RiverBasin Committees: Mr Landais,industrialist (Seine-Normandy) and

Mr Glasel, farmer (Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica).In addition, the current experiencecarried out in the French neighbou-ring Reunion island for setting up aRiver Basin Committee and aSDAGE (Masterplan for WaterDevelopment and Management)was also widely discussed.The participants of the seminar allinsisted upon the creation of a“National Water Committee”,composed of local elected officials,users and members of theAdministration.The adopted recommendations willconstitute the action plan for waterresources management inMauritius. They should soon besubmitted to the Council ofMinisters of Mauritius.

MAURITIUSTOWARDS AN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF THE ISLAND WATER RESOURCES

OMVSORGANIZATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENTOF THE SENEGAL RIVER

IVORY COASTFOR AN AMBITIOUS REFORM

It has to meet the water needs ofOuagadougou (almost 1 millioninhabitants), it is equipped with morethan 450 installations and reservoirs,and a large dam (200 Mm3) is understudy... all this on a non perennialriver which only flows from June toOctober!!!The Burkinabe Ministry of Waterand Environment therefore requestedthe International Office for Water,with the support of the French

Ministry of Cooperation, to design anew institutional organization.

The missions, carried out in 1996 byMessrs. Alain Bernard, IOW, andErnest Giorgiutti, Adour GaronneWater Agency, dealt with the elabo-ration of a proposal for the setting upof a Basin Committee on theNakanbe and of a self-supportingbody, managing the resource at basinlevel.

Within the context of a visit toFrance, organized by ACTIM and theCompany HORIZONS, Messrs.Baïchev, First Vice-Minister of theMinistry of Ecology and BiologicalResources and Chamenov, Directorof Kazguidromet, an institution incharge of hydro-meteorology andpollution monitoring, were receivedat IOW in order to discuss a coopera-tion project concerning the develop-ment and integrated managementof the Irtysch River basin.This project really started with a firstinterministerial working seminar,which was held in Almaty from 15 to

17 January 1997. This seminar asso-ciated the users and the authorities ofthe Irtysch Basin and was directedby Mr. Bernard (IOW) in collabora-tion with Mr. Murat, French Ministryfor the Environment, and Mr.Martinez, Adour-Garonne WaterAgency. It examined the institutionaland legal contents required for prepa-ring a priority action plan to improvepotable water supply and sanitationin the main cities of the basin(Pavlodar, Semipalatinsk and Oust-Kamenogorsk).

ASIAKAZAKHSTANTHE IRTYSCH PILOT BASIN PROJECT

AFRICA


Seminar in Grand Baie

BURKINA FASONAKANBE RIVER (WHITE VOLTA), A DELICATE CONTEXT

PAGE 18


As a result of its continuing expe-rience on 3 pilot basins, theNational Water Commission(CNA) is going through a phase ofreorganization within the frame-work of the federal law ofDecember 1992. It consists in divi-ding the Mexican territory into 13regions which in fact, correspond tothe country’s main hydrographicalunits. In each one, a RegionalDirectorate will be responsible,with the support of a BasinCommittee, for locally developingintegrated water resources manage-ment in compliance with the guide-lines defined at national level.Thanks to the experience he acqui-red, as Regional Director of theLerma-Balsas Basin and Technical

Director of the Lerma River -Chapala Lake Committee, Mr. Eduardo Mestre-Rodriguez,currently President of INBO, wasgiven the assignment of coordina-ting this very important reform.The World Bank has just agreed toa loan of 186 M US dollars in sup-port of this large-scale administrati-ve reform. Thirteen Mexican executives ofthese new Regional Directoratesattended (with the cooperation ofIOW and the Water Agencies) a 1-year training course at ENTPE(National School for PublicWorks), France.

MEXICOBASIN ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING SET UP

LATINAMERICA

ALL UNITED FOR A BETTER WATER MANAGEMENT

Upon the request of INRENA(National Institute for NaturalResources of the Ministry ofAgriculture), the PeruvianMinistry of Public Works and ofthe French Embassy, Mr.Sironneau, legal adviser at the

French Ministry for theEnvironment, has made an analy-sis of the draft Law on waterresources management and hasdrawn up proposals which arebeing studied by local authorities.

Nineteen Latin Americancountries were represented

in the General Assembly of theInternational Network ofBasin Organizations (INBO)in Morelia, Mexico (March1996). They decided to set upa regional sub-network forLatin America.It will enable them to developand increase exchanges ofinformation and experiences

which should lead to the rein-forcement of basin structures incountries of the region.The first meeting of the regio-nal network will be held inBrasilia, on 9-10 July 1997, atthe invitation of the BrazilianAuthorities.Contact: E. MESTREFax : (52-42) 134142R. GARRIDOFax : (55-61) 225 359

On the occasion of the visit of Mrs C.Lepage, French Minister for theEnvironment, in April 1996 to herMoroccan counterparts, MessrsBenomar, Minister for theEnvironment, and Meziane, Ministerof Public Works, a cooperation agree-ment on Global Water Managementwas signed by Messrs Jellali, DirectorGeneral of Hydraulics, and P. Roussel, Director for Water.The main projects that were retainedare the setting up of a pilot program-me for the integrated managementof OUM ER R’BIA basin, of whichIOW will be coordinator on the Frenchside, and flood prevention.Within the framework of this agree-ment and of the new Moroccan law,several on-site missions were carried

out in 1996 by Messrs Mancel (IOW),Odier (Water Directorate), Basserasand Martinez (Adour-Garonne WaterAgency). The aim is to prepare a 2-year programme of priority actionsin the Oum Er R’Bia basin.This programme comprises 2 com-ponents:● Technical assistance for the prepa-

ration of a masterplan and aMultiannual Priority Action Planand for the simulation of financialand administrative measures to betaken for its implementation.

● Training on water managementLast December, two Moroccan execu-tives, one being the future Director ofOum R’Bia Agency, went to theAdour-Garonne Water Agency for alegal and administrative support.

Following the Ankara seminar inSeptember 1995 and identificationmissions carried out by IOW in 1996,the Turkish and French Ministers forthe Environment, when meeting onMarch 5, 1997 in Paris, agreed to sup-port the pilot project dealing withthe integrated management of waterresources and pollution control ofGEDIZ, KUZEY EGE and MEN-DEREZ rivers in Izmir region.This project will be supervised by ajoint steering committee composedof the Ministry for the Environment,DSI, Iller Bankasi and SPO, on theTurkish side, and by the Ministry forthe Environment, the FrenchEmbassy in Turkey, the Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica WaterAgency and IOW, on the French side.The project will comprise a feasibi-lity study for a master plan, dealingwith the following:● a Priority Investment Pro-

gramme,● the contribution possibilities of

the water users and the simulationof a financial system,

PERUANALYSIS OF THE WATER LAW

THE MEDITERRANEAN MOROCCOSIGNING OF AN AGREEMENT ON WATER

TURKEYTOWARDS A PILOT-EXPERIENCE

IN THE IZMIR REGION

● the best adapted structures fordialogue and management,

● the setting up of a basin obser-vatory.

Depending on the conclusions ofthis study, the Steering Committeewill endeavour to mobilize themeans necessary for implementingthe Priority Investment Programme,especially by appealing to Euro-Mediterranean credits or to multila-teral agencies.

ALGERIASETTING-UP OF ANEW ORGANIZATIONMessrs. Donzier and Talec of IOW,participated in the first course inFrance intended for executives ofthe Algerian Ministry of PublicWorks, responsible for setting up anew organization for river basinmanagement in their country.

This course, organized by theNational School of CivilEngineering (ENPC) also included asojourn in French Water Agencies.

PROTECTION OFTHE MITIDJAThis 4-year project, which is financedby the French Ministry for ForeignAffairs, concerns the implementationof a programme for monitoring andprotecting the waters of the MitidjaValley which supply Algiers. Since

1994, IOW has already organizedvarious training and research missionsfor Algerian participants of ANRH, inpartnership with SAGEP, Limogesand Toulouse Universities, GEOLAB,Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica WaterAgency.A meeting was organized on January10, 1997 at IOW’s headquarters inParis to make the synthesis of theactivities which are already comple-ted and plan the priority programmefor 1997.


PAGE 19



EUROPE

FRANCE: ACTIONS WITH THE WATER AGENCIES

Contacts:

● Rhine-Meuse Water AgencyFax: +33 3 87 60 49 85

● Artois-Picardy Water AgencyFax: +33 3 27 99 90 15

● Seine-Normandy Water AgencyFax: +33 1 41 20 16 09

● Adour-Garonne Water AgencyFax: +33 5 61 36 37 28

● Loire-Brittany Water AgencyFax: +33 2 38 51 74 74

TRAININGA training course on self-monito-ring of treatment plants wasorganized in October 1996, for theSATESE (Technical AssistanceService for the operation of treat-ment plants) of Artois-PicardyWater Agency on the installationsof IOW’s National TrainingCentre.

THE WATERDEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENTSCHEME (SAGE) OF AUDOMAROISThe French water law of January3, 1992 defined a sound waterresources management on thescale of river basins and createdthe necessary regulatory andplanning tools: Masterplans forWater Development andManagement (SDAGE) andWater Development andManagement Schemes (SAGE).Prepared by River BasinCommittees, the SDAGEs definethe fundamental orientationsfor the six French large riverbasins. They were adopted at theend of 1996 and are nowadaysreference documents.The SAGEs are tools for a localdialogue. They are prepared at sub-basin level by local water com-missions (LWC). To the contraryof SDAGEs, these procedures are

not compulsory. They are decidedupon at local level (local communi-ties, associations, groups of users),and must, further to the SDAGE,face a particular situation.The SAGE of Audomarois:partnership with IOWIn 1995, the Local WaterCommission (LWC) was set upfor the SAGE of Audomarois anddefined the working methods toprepare a diagnostics.More than 90 LWC members(elected officials, users, represen-tatives from administrations) andtechnicians from local structuresparticipated in workshops.IOW firstly worked with LWC in1996 to analyse and present themain arrangements of the“Artois-Picardy” SDAGE and itsconsequences for Audomarois.Then the work developed, using amethodology proposed by IOW, inrelation with the Regional NaturalPark, and a document drawn up byIOW enabled to select priorities andconform them with all other planningdocuments that exist in the region.The work synthesis was presen-ted to the LWC members onFebruary 24, 1997.

SDAGE GLOSSARYA national common glossarybecame necessary to interpret, inthe same manner, the terms usedin documents presenting theSDAGEs (Masterplans forWater Management andDevelopment) of each basin. Agroup of experts from the WaterAgencies, the Water Directorateand the International Office forWater formulated a precise defi-nition of more than 200 wordsthat could be currently used,either technical or legal ones.This glossary formatted by IOWis now appended to all SDAGEdocuments.

SEINE-NORMANDYBASINEDUCATIONAL KITIOW, upon the request of theSeine-Normandy Water Agency,provided an educational kit forthe training of operators of treat-ment plants in small communi-ties.

It is composed of twenty chap-ters that deal with all sanitationaspects and more than 500 colou-red transparencies and educatio-nal sheets are at the trainersdisposal.

RHINE-MEUSEBASINThe Rhine-Meuse Water Agencyentrusted IOW with the in-servicetraining of their technicians andengineers in charge of project fol-low-up. Three training courseswere organized in Metz in 1996:● Two on urban water systems

revised the bases for dimensio-ning, design and work in thepotable water supply systemsand in the sewerage and storm-water networks as well.

● One on Civil Engineeringenabled the participants toacquire the bases for a prelimi-nary diagnostics of existinginstallations, and knowledgeon detection and rehabilitationtechniques in civil engineering.

Technicians involved in mete-ring also benefited from an ini-tiation day on measurement.

ARTOIS-PICARDY BASIN

AGENCE DE L EAUARTOIS . PICARDIE

ADOUR-GARONNE ANDLOIRE-BRITTANY BASINSTHE “RIVER - WATER SHARING”PROGRAMMEThe “RIVER - Water Sharing” pro-gramme, organized with theEuropean Centre for DevelopingInnovation in rural areas (CEDE-PI), consists of 3-day trainingcourses that gather all the actors ofa river basin concerned with a par-ticular problem of water manage-ment, for raising their awarenessand for starting a free dialogueamong them.

The project, which was launched in1991, was immediately supported

by agricultural professional organi-zations and the Ministries ofAgriculture and Environment, andthe Adour-Garonne and Loire-Brittany Water Agencies in particu-lar. In the light of the firstexperiments, CEDEPI obtained, in1994, a co-funding from theCommission of the EuropeanUnion on LIFE credits.

Today, 30 operations are completedand about sixty are planned up toJune 1998.

agencede l'eau loire bretagne

ROMANIAA BASIN COMMITTEE FORTHE TROTUS RIVERThe main trends of a multiannual pro-gramme were determined with Mr. Florin Stadiu, Romanian StateSecretary for Water, in August 1995during the mission in Romania of theFrench Director for Water and IOW’sGeneral Manager.

Since, the new Romanian WaterLaw was promulgated in November1996 and will give stimulus to thecooperation programme.

In 1996, the different components ofthe programme were defined by Mrs.J. Mongellaz (IOW) with ApeleRomane, the Phare unit and theFrench Embassy.

Within this framework, a co-fun-ding request has been submitted tothe “PHARE - Partnership”Programme to establish a BasinCommittee and an operationalSecretariat for the Trotus RiverBasin in Bacau, branch office ofApele Romane.

The project started in 1996 with theparticipation of French experts fromthe Departmental Directorate forEnvironment (DIREN) of South-Pyrenees and in close liaison withthe Directorate for Water.In Romania, the project is led byApele Romane with the participationof experts from its Bacau Branch.The main concern is the forecast ofsudden floods in mountainousregions of the Trotus River (Basinof 4,500 km2) which comprises:● a critical examination of existing

hydrological stations,● a project for a network with auto-

matic transmission to a centralprocessing terminal allowing for areal-time visual display of hydro-logical and meteorological pheno-mena,

● an analysis of the advantage ofusing radar for an upstream fore-cast, based on rainfall gauging inreal time.

A study tour was organized inFrance from 20 to 24 May 1996 for adelegation from Apele Romane,composed of Mrs. G. Serbu,Coordinator of international projects,Messrs. Popovici, Director of the

Bacau Branch and Bogdan, respon-sible for developing equipment.They met with the operationaldepartments in charge of flood fore-casting and warning in France: ● the Departmental Directorate of

Public Works (DDE) of Ardeche,with the “NOÉ” System develo-ped by Centralp Automatisms,

● DDE of the Gard: utilization of the“CALAMAR” software which wasdeveloped by Rhéa for calculatingflood waves, using radar imagesprovided by France Meteo,

● DIREN of South-Pyrenees, res-ponsible for the Upper-Garonneflood warning system,

● the Water Resources Dept. of EDF(Electricity of France) in Toulouse.

The result was a technical proposalsuggesting that a French group(Alcatel, Dassault Data Service, IOW...) provide equipment for the collec-tion and automatic transmission ofdata, computerized data processingsoftware, adapting the existing radar,technical assistance for installingmonitoring stations, and training ofthe Romanian project team.

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The International News are published with the support of the French Ministry for the Environment.

International Office for WaterHeadquarters

21, rue de Madrid - 75008 PARIS - FRANCETél : +33 1 44 90 88 60 - Fax : +33 1 40 08 01 45

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web: http://www.oieau.frfr

Publishing DirectorsJ.F. Donzier - G. Neveu - J. Mancel

Production - C.A.P.: Eau & Développement international - Limoges

Printer: G.D.S. Imprimeurs - LimogesN° ISSN : 0769 - 1995 D

M I N I S T E R E D E

L ' E N V I R O N N E M E N T

The International Institute for Water Administration(IIWA-IOW) intervenes, as a priority, on:

● Large river basins management,● Potable water supply and sewerage in municipalities,● Industrial pollution control,● Irrigation and rural water supply,It offers the interested countries its capabilities in:

➧ Institutional expertise and advice (legal, regulatory, institutional, financial or social aspects) necessary forpreparing and applying advisable reforms,

➧ Creation of Training Centres or Documentation Unitsfor water professions,

➧ Organization of observatories, monitoring and warning systems, data bases.

Address: IIWA-IOWBP 75 - 06902 SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS

FRANCETel.: +33 4 92 94 58 00 Fax: +33 4 93 65 44 02

E-Mail: [email protected]

International Office for WaterCapacity building for better water management

International O f f i c efor Water

UKRAINEAN AMBITIOUS TRAINING AND EXPERTISE PROGRAMMEUnder the impulse of the Ministry ofEnvironmental Protection andNuclear Safety, Ukraine is nowlaunching an important reformprocess for water resources mana-gement.The Seine-Normandy WaterAgency, VERSEAU and the FrenchMinistry for the Environment havebeen developing close relationshipsfor several years with the Ukrainiandecision-makers of the water sector.Therefore, the International Officefor Water is developing a 18-monthprogramme, including trainingcourses, missions for legal and ins-titutional assistance and study toursin France for Ukrainian executives,with the support of the TACIS-Partnership Programme and theFrench Ministry for ForeignAffairs.

EUROPE

“River Basin Management”division:● Joël MANCEL● Alain BERNARDFax: +33 4 93 65 44 02E.mail: [email protected]

A FLOOD FORECASTING AND WARNING PLAN

Documents

IOW on the WEB "SANDRE" FORMAT SOUND MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES A CONSISTENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. PAGE 3 International News - IOW - N° 5 - 1997 T he development of conti-nuous professional