Water is essential for life. No living being on planet Earth can survive without it. It is a prerequisite for human health and well-being as well as for the preservation of the environment. However, four of every ten people in the world do not have access to even a simple pit latrine; and nearly two in ten have no source of safe drinking water. Every year millions of people, most of them children, die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. According to the World Health Organization, each and every day some 3,900 children die because of dirty water or poor hygiene; diseases transmitted through water or human excrement are the second-leading cause of death among children worldwide, after respiratory diseases. Water scarcity, poor water quality, and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choices, and educational opportunities for poor families across the world. Water-related natural disasters such as floods, tropical storms and tsunamis exact a heavy toll in human life and suffering. And all too regularly, drought afflicts some of the world's poorest countries, exacerbating hunger and malnutrition.
2nd edition: Water for Food Security
Nominations are now open for the second edition of the ‘Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award. The nomination period is open from 30 June to 30 September 2011.
The United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015/UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) and the UN World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) organize the “Water for Life” UN-Water Best Practices Award.
The purpose of the Award is to promote efforts to fulfil international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015 through recognition of outstanding best practices that can ensure the long-term sustainable management of water resources and contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed goals and targets contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
The Award is open to projects or programmes achieving particularly effective results in the field of water management or in raising awareness in water issues.
The prize is awarded yearly in two categories, one in ‘best water management practices’ and another one in ‘best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices’.
In accordance with selected theme for next World Water Day, this edition’s focus is on “Water for food security”. Only best practices/projects which have considered this theme will be eligible.
The prize will be awarded at a special ceremony on World Water Day, 22 March and consists of an invitation to participate in the UN event celebrated on the occasion of World Water Day, a video produced on each of the winning best practice categories and a certificate especially designed for the award.
Statutes
Purpose
The purpose of the Award is to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015 through recognition of outstanding best practices that can ensure the long-term sustainable management of water resources and contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed goals and targets as contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Agenda 21 an the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
Focus
Best practices shall be aligned with the Water for Life Decade's objectives. Best practices can focus on a variety of subjects such as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), adaptation to climate change in the water sector, improvements in water quality, promotion of water efficiency, improvements in water governance, establishment and management of protected areas, and creation of public awareness.
Every year, special emphasis is being put on the theme selected for next World Water Day. This edition's focus is on “Water for food security”. Only best practices/projects which have considered this theme will be eligible.
Periodicity and categories
The prize is awarded yearly in two categories, one in best water management practices and another one in best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices.
Award
The award consists of:
An invitation to participate in the UN event celebrated on the occasion of World Water Day, including travel and accommodation for one representative for each of the above mentioned categories representing the winning practice;
A video produced on each of the winning best practice categories. This videos will be included in the UN database on good practices;
A certificate especially designed for the award.
The prize is awarded at a special ceremony on World Water Day, 22 March.
Eligibility
The Award is open to projects or programmes achieving particularly effective results in the field of water management or in raising awareness in water issues.
Submission of candidatures
The candidatures must be submitted through an independent nominating organisation in a letter of well reasoned justification, signed and dated by the presenter and accompanied by an application form duly filled. The letter should indicate the reasons why the candidature should be selected, describe background that corresponds to the objectives and criteria of the Award, and provide an assessment of the results achieved. Letters may be submitted in any of the official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish). Please note that self-nominations and direct approaches to members of the Selection Committee will disqualify any nominee from further consideration.
The nominating organisation can be any organisation with sufficient knowledge about the candidate. You need to state your professional and/or business connection in relation to the best practice to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Submitters are encouraged to include the following supporting materials:
Documents and publications;
Digital standard format videos less than 10 minutes in length;
Photographs and/or other graphic material; and
Brochures or other promotional material.
The candidatures (letter and application form) should be submitted to the UN Office to Support the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015. An original hardcopy should be mailed to:
Oficina de Naciones Unidas de apoyo al
Casa Solans
Avda. de Cataluña nº 60
50014 Zaragoza. Spain
The date of the postmark or the date stamp of the delivery company will be considered as the date of submission.
Its content may be sent beforehand as a PDF file by e-mail to the Award Secretariat at water-decade@un.org or by fax to the following number: +34-976-478-349.
All submissions received will be acknowledged and assigned a catalogue number by UNW-DPAC for documentation purposes and for eventual inclusion in the Best Practices Database. UNW-DPAC shall inform all submitters the status of their submission.
Selection process
UNW-DPAC may contact the submitters who shall provide effective assistance by reviewing the documents submitted with the objective of ensuring their compliance with the criteria as well as the rules and regulations of the award and advise them of any further actions required.
All submissions complying with the reporting format shall be forwarded to an independent international Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for review.This advisory committee will evaluate the submitted best practices based on a set of selection criteria.
The TAC shall review all submissions and prepare a comprehensive report including a description of the selection process. This evaluation report will be forwarded to an international Jury for their assessment and final selection of the Award recipients.
The Best Practices Jury shall review evaluation by the TAC to select those initiatives deserving of the “Water for Life” Best Practices Award.
The decisions of the Jury should normally be taken unanimously; if the Jury does not reach unanimity in favour of any of the candidatures submitted, it should take its decision by a simple majority of the members present. In the event of a tie, the President vote would decide.
All submitters will be notified of their status following the final selection by the Jury.
Selection criteria
The TAC will first apply the following general criteria in reviewing applications:
The best practice responds to one or more of the following requirements:
- Respect for social and cultural diversity;
- Transferability, adaptability and ability to be up-scaled;
- Appropriateness to local conditions and levels of development.
- The best practice contributes to, but is not limited to:
- The promotion of social equality and equity;
- The eradication of poverty;
- The preservation of traditional knowledge.
- Clarity: The clarity with which the best practice is presented and the approach described.
Categories
The prize is awarded yearly in two categories, one in 'best water management practices' and another one in 'best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices'
Category 1: Best water management practices
The following specific selection criteria will be applied to Category 1 candidatures:
- The best practice must have substantially contributed to the improvement of the living environment on a sustainable basis, especially to the living conditions of the poorest and most disadvantaged groups of society, and demonstrate a positive impact. Possible impacts to be considered include but are not limited to:
- Improvement of health conditions;
- Improvements in disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation;
- More effective and efficient administrative, management and information systems;
- Social integration and reduction of exclusion;
- Gender equality and equity in decision-making, resource-allocation and programme design and implementation;
- Community participation in decision making and resource allocation.
The best practice must have made an outstanding contribution to the sustainable management of water. Contributions to be considered include but are not limited to:
- IWRM;
- Adaptation to climate change;
- Improvement of water quality, decrease of water pollution;
- Increase of water efficiency;
- Improvement of water governance; and
- Protection and conservation of natural resources and of the environment, e.g. establishment and management of protected areas of special importance for the water cycle.
- The best practice results in lasting changes in at least one of the following areas:
- Legislation, regulatory frameworks, by-laws or standards formally recognising the issues and problems that have been addressed;
- Institutional frameworks and decision-making processes that assign clear roles and responsibilities to various levels and groups of actors, such as central and local governmental organisations and community-based organisations; and
- Efficient, transparent and accountable management systems that make more effective use of human, technical, financial and natural resources.
The best practice should be based on a partnership between at least two of the following actors:
- Government organisation or agency, including bilateral aid agencies;
- City, local authority;
- Non-governmental organisation (NGOs);
- Community-based organisation (CBOs);
- Private Sector (e.g. water operators);
- Research and academic institution;
- Media;
- Public or private foundation;
- Educational institution.
- The best practice includes social policies and/or sectoral strategies that have the ability to be up scaled.
- Additional criteria:
- Empowerment of the community to maintain water services and infrastructures;
- How others have learnt or benefited from the initiative;
- Means used for sharing or transferring knowledge, expertise and lessons learnt.
Category 2: Best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices
The following specific selection criteria will be applied to Category 2 candidatures:
The ability, as demonstrated in the proposal narrative, to improve participatory practices and communicate clearly and effectively.
Leadership in inspiring action and change;
The best practice must have made an outstanding and tangible contribution to improving participation and developing awareness on water and sanitation issues. Possible impacts to be considered include but are not limited to:
- Increased stakeholder engagement in specific actions.
- Increase of community awareness on proper use of water and sanitation in daily life;
- Increase of community understanding of the water existing situation, causes for the situation, its linkages to food security and related challenges;
- Increased awareness of environmental sanitation.
- The best practice has being successful in developing awareness on water and sanitation issues among most disadvantaged groups of society, particularly:
- The impoverished people;
- People with low levels of literacy;
- People with disabilities;
- Women; and
- Indigenous people.
The best practice has contributed education through children/adult literacy and post literacy programs.
The best practice has been successful in proposing the most appropriate formats for to the target audience. This could include:
- Community group meetings;
- Street drama/cultural programmes;
- Talk/interaction programmes;
- Group discussions;
- Radio, TV programmes, video documentaries;
- Seminars/workshops;
- Publication of wall newspapers; and
- Distribution of posters, leaflets, etc.
- Community perceptions have been considered and integrated within the communication, education or awareness-raising initiative.
The best practice has contributed to change people's attitudes and/or behaviours.
The best practice is associated with a water supply and/or sanitation project.
The best practice has helped people to exchange experiences, learn from each other and/or encouraged dialogue and debate.
The best practice has resulted on effective changes in water management practices.
Moreinfo: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/waterforlifeaward.shtml
