5 World Water Forum
th

March 16-22, 2009, Istanbul

Roundtable Discussion Session, March 20, 2009

Discussion Statement 3 ­ Meeting Human and Environmental Needs through
Linking Integrated Management of Freshwater Basins with Downstream Coastal
Areas and their Ecosystems

The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands--GFOCI-- (Working Group on
Linking the Management of Freshwater, Oceans, and Coasts)
Presented by: Gonzalo Cid (NOAA) and Miriam Balgos (GFOCI), 2009-02-20

Management of freshwater and marine coastal ecosystems must be closely interlinked.
Upstream and downstream communities' livelihoods depend on the health of these
ecosystems, which are normally managed independently of each other under the
traditional water/coastal planning of most coastal countries. Practitioners of both
freshwater and coastal planning have also increased this fragmentation; therefore these
two communities rarely work together in coordination within a national or regional
framework.

Coastal ecosystems are strongly influenced by land-based activities and pollution from
all activities upstream. Freshwater may impact all aspects of ocean and coastal
biological and physical characteristics, including productivity, trophic balances, salinity,
turbidity, and streams. At the same time, the dynamic of the coastal ecosystem may
impact the sources of freshwater by influencing the water cycle, tidal movement, and
intrusion of salt water into coastal aquifers. The interface between freshwater and
marine systems generates some of the most productive ecosystems on earth, including
estuaries, deltas, and mangroves, which depend on the balance between the two
systems. The threat of climate change could eventually break this balance, affecting
both the marine and freshwater systems, hence the urgent challenge of addressing this
linkage through integrated management. The potential impact of not addressing this
issue in a timely manner may have catastrophic effects on the global economy and on
human and environmental health.

Although many international environmental fora have alerted scientists and decision
makers to the importance of developing integrated tools to address the linkage of
freshwater and ocean and coastal management, these two worlds remain fragmented,
addressing their own problems, speaking different languages, having separate budgets,
duplicating many national-regional efforts, and disregarding each system's issues and
potential joint solutions.

Recommendations emanating from the 2008 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts,
and Island on closing the gap between freshwater and coastal management include:
taking coordinated action at all levels (including local, national and international);
communicating the importance of integration among decision makers and main
stakeholders; promoting demonstration projects and implementation of best
management practices; and prioritizing increased funding and capacity building.

Management of freshwater and its impact on ocean and coastal areas is a cross-cutting
issue (environmental, political, social, and economic) and must be a priority outcome for

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the current World Water Forum, and a permanent World Water Council agenda item for
future fora.



Guiding questions

· Are the linkages between freshwater and coastal ecosystems included in water
management in your region? How are these linkages managed (by which
institutions)?
· What positive and negative impacts (economic, social and environmental) are there
on ecosystem goods and services from freshwater flows on ocean and coastal
ecosystems?
· How do these impacts affect different sectors (industrial, agricultural, fisheries,
environment)?
· What recommendations do you have to ensure equitable sharing of water resources
that will conserve ecosystems and support people?

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