Zaragoza, 7 initiatives on water cooperation. Victor Viñuales, Director of ECODES. Techniques and models to further water cooperation to improve water efficiency and water services in cities. International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference 2012/2013. Preparing for the 2013 International Year. Water Cooperation: Making it Happen! 8-10 January 2013

1. Zaragoza,
seven initiatives on water cooperation
International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference
2012/2013
January 9th 2013
Víctor Viñuales

2. Index
• Introduction
• Seven Case Studies on multisector
cooperation
• 10 Lessons Learned

3. Introduction
The following case studies have been developed and
promoted by ECODES in collaboration with the main
local, regional and national institutions:
– Zaragoza City Council
– Aragon Regional Government
– EXPO2008
– Ebro Riber Basin Authority
– Environment Ministry of Spain
– AECID (Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for
Development)
– United Nations Office for MDG…

4. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
1.- One Challenge: saving 1 Hm3 in domestic water
consumption in one year in Zaragoza
• A project supported by the EU LIFE funding programme.
• 65 % of the city`s businesses involved.
• 75 % of the city`s schools involved.
• How? Change of habits and technological changes.
• The overall goal was reached.
• But the technological changes were less accepted.

5. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
1.- One Challenge: saving 1 Hm3 in domestic water
consumption in one year in Zaragoza
SPOT
Zaragoza, Water Saving City

6. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
2.- Training in the city: 50 good practices (technological
changes)
• Hospitals, restaurants, industry, schools, sports centers, businesses,
parks … in all of them we found good practices in water consumption
and water savings through technological changes that were a reference
for similar users.
• Good practices where spread out through similar users/consumers.
• It was easier to identify “top savers” than just disseminate technological
changes and general recommendations to each sector.

7. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
3.- 160.000 public commitments with water saving
• More than 300 entities in
the city publicly commited to
water saving through four
different actions.
• More than 30.000 citizen
publicly commited to take
more than four actions to
save water.
• Media involvement and the
Expo 2008 proximity were
important for reaching
160.000 commitments.

8. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
4.- Solving water conflicts though Social Mediation
• ECODES with the sponsorship of the Regional Government of
Aragon and the support of relevant people of the region carried
out social mediation in three water conflicts caused by three
projects of construction of big dams (Santaliestra, Biscarrués and
Torre del Compte).
• These conflicts had led to severe social confrontation for years.
• In two of them (Santaliestra and Torre del Compte) an
agreement was reached by consensus of
farmers, ecologists, local governments, irrigation
communities…the agreements reached are currently being
implemented.
• On the basis of one of the agreements (Torre del Compte) in
the Matarraña river basin, today ECODES is promoting the first
pilot experience of a River Contract in Spain in collaboration with
political, social and economic actos.

9. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
5.- A scream for water as a human right: the pavilion for
citizen initiatives, el FARO (the lighthouse)
• More than 350 NGOs (environmental,
emergencies, consumers, women,
indigenous, trade unions..) from the five
continents agreed to common messages on
water issues, throuh a exhibition and a
programme of activities in Zaragoza Expo
2008.
• A bioclimatic building was built with mud,
straw and wood.
• It had more than 1.000.000 visitors.
• 108.000 people signed a common petition to the United Nations for the recognition
and support of the human right to water and sanitation. Those signatures were
presented in the UN Headquarters in NYC.

10. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
6.- ZINNAE, Urban cluster for water efficiency
23 members (public
administration, business
entities, research
centers, NGO..) are
working together in
ZINNAE for water
efficiency in the city:
Boosting R&D&I and
demonstration projects.

11. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
7.- A water alliance for Central America: Water Nexus
• With the support of Zaragoza Expo 2008, a Alliance for Water was developed
www.alianzaporelagua.org, aiming to reduce the lack of access to water and sanitation
in Central America.
• Founders of the Alliance: Expo2008,
AECID, Environment Ministry of Spain, UN
Office for MDG in Spain and ECODES.
• More than 300 entities in Spain and Latin
America participate in this multisector
initiative (public administrations, business
entities, NGOs, etc).
SPOT Alliance for Water

12. Seven Case studies on multisector
Cooperation
7.- A water alliance for Central America: Water Nexus
• Project launched by the water
Alliance. We make stable linkages
between local authorities and
water operators in Central
America and local authorities and
water operators in Spain. For
example, Zaragoza cooperates
with the city of Leon (Nicaragua).

13. 10 Lessons Learned
The case studies exposed gave us at least 10 lessons
learned:
1. The greatest objective of these multi-sector
projects was to build up trust among the
participating actors. To do so it is necessary to
invest time and resources.

14. 10 Lessons Learned
2. The importance of identifying a collective
and shared challenge.

15. 10 Lessons Learned
3. To set up objectives that are simple,
concrete, and possible to reach and that
can seduce the general public.

16. 10 Lessons Learned
4. “Triple Therapy”:
Active citizens, Public
responsible regulation
– A new public regulation. consumers
– Civic awareness: active citizens.
– “Responsible” Market instruments.
Market instruments.
This triple therapy requires that we set up a cooperative
environment between three main actors: public
administrations, NGOs and business entities.

17. 10 Lessons Learned
5. The importance of creating a
dynamization “core” of entities commited
with the project.

18. 10 Lessons Learned
6. It is very important to identify and choose a
FACILITATOR that:
• translates different “cultures”,
• integrates different approaches,
• repairs conflicts and mistrusts among
project partners…

19. 10 Lessons Learned
7. It is very important to manage partners’ EGOS
(and other involved entities).

20. 10 Lessons Learned
8. Identify the active minority that can become a
NETWORK OF ALLIES for change. Minorities
have always had a leading role in change!

21. 10 Lessons Learned
9. The success of reaching agreements through mediation
has a shortcoming: it might be an agreement that does
not take into account some actors as they are not visible
actors (such as future generations and nature). We
were not able to integrate them into the agreement.

22. 10 Lessons Learned
10. PATIENCE is essential to build up the revolution in water
management that we need.
The seven initiatives exposed were carried out through 15
years in a consecutive manner.
Trust must be built in the first initiatives, making it possible to
design and build together with other actors the following
experiences.

23. Acknowledgements
Ayuntamiento Zaragoza, Gobierno de Aragón, Confederación
Hidrográfica del Ebro, Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y
Medio Ambiente, Agencia Española de Cooperación
Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), Ibercaja, BSH Balay,
Universidad de Zaragoza, Cámara de Comercio…
…all members that have made possible these
7 successfull stories …

24. Thank you!
victor.vinuales@ecodes.org
www.ecodes.org
Tel. (+34) 976 29 82 82