Winners of the International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management 2004
Announcing the winners of the ReSource Award for 2004
By the end of August 2004, some 198 projects from all over the world were submitted – three times last year’s number. All projects were then assessed on the basis of overriding, predefined criteria. First, an expert panel evaluated 58 projects which met requirements. Then, six of these projects were nominated for the ReSource Award 2004 and were subsequently assessed by an independent jury of international water and institutional development experts.
Due to the very positive assessment of two of the projects, jury members this year proposed awarding two joint first prizes of USD 50 000 each. The abbreviated title of one of the winning projects is:
“Improving the water quality of the Tomebamba River watershed in southern Ecuador”
This project is aimed at protecting a river watershed which supplies water to some 75 000 inhabitants of Cuenca in southern Ecuador.
Background
Covering an area of 300 km2 , the Tomebamba watershed consists of different climate and vegetation zones. New road construction and subsequent economic development in the unprotected area in the upper region of the Tomebamba watershed have negatively affected ecosystems and water quality.
Project description
This winning project was submitted by ETAPA, the public utility company for water supply and wastewater treatment for the district of Cuenca.
The project has three goals until the end of 2006:
- Reducing pollution in the Tomebamba River by introducing dry and liquid waste diversion systems.
- Strengthening the planning and decision making structures in the communities directly affected by the Tomebamba River.
- Demonstrating the advantages of raising alpacas instead of cows in a pilot project.
Evaluation
The project has many convincing features due to its integrated and innovative approach. Water quality will be improved by promoting awareness among the local population and by demonstrating alternative farming and production methods – not by issuing restrictive measures.
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| Production of organic fertilizer | Sanitation facility | Alpaca-farm |
Download evaluation report Ecuador
“Reducing water pollution in the Puzhehei Lake watershed in Yunnan in southern China”
This project targets reducing water pollution through basic, innovative, low-cost and decentralised measures. Project implementation will be at a time before water resources become overly polluted.
Background
The Yunnan Province in China is famous for its various local cultures and rich biodiversity. Pressure on natural resources has increased with economic development, advancing industrialisation and urbanisation. Hence, a comprehensive master plan for the upper region of the Puzhehei Lake watershed was approved in May 2004.
Project description
The proposal was submitted by the Yunnan Environmental Development Institute, a local NGO in Kunming, China together with the Yunnan Environmental Protection Bureau. The pilot project will be implemented in the upper region of the Puzhehei Lake watershed between May 2005 and January 2006. Its short and medium term goals are:
- Promoting public awareness for safeguarding the water quality in the lake watershed
- Demonstrating new and low-cost measures for combating water pollution, eg decentralised, innovative organic waste separation, composting, biogas production
- Promoting the project concept inside and outside Yunnan Province through dissemination and discussion of project results
Evaluation
The project is very well conceived and will implement measures formulated in the master plan for the Puzhehei Lake and its watershed. The project is supported by the governments of the Yunnan Province and Wenshan Prefecture.
Since experience gained in the pilot project will be evaluated and the results made public, the project concept may probably be duplicated at both local and national levels and implemented on a larger scale.
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| Bailong reservoir in the upper watershed | Dual waste collection | Village homestead pollution |
Download evaluation report China
Interview with award winner from China
