Sequim: the work report

This was an initial meeting- the first of three such planned workshops. So this was not a very structured meeting, but more of an open house. the public meeting was set up like an interpretation centre, with posters and displays. The posters were on the themes of what is a watershed, withdrawals from the watershed, nature of water use, how instream flows affect the groundwater, and what is meant by allocating instream flows

what I found interesting:

• the fact that the issues were different as compared to those at home, but still the same. Here it is not as obvious a water scarcity, but they still have increasing demands and reducing flows.
• 70 people turned out for the meeting, out of a population of 1800. most of the people i spoke to (cab driver, hotelier) did not know of the meeting. Of the people who did turn up, most were 'regulars'. people who had been with this always. And yet, it was considered an extremely good turnout.
• Though the actors were different it was interesting to see that the roles were being fulfilled. instead of sugarcane farmers, there are real estate developers, instead of threatened sarpanches, there are tribal governments, so on and so forth.
  
• There has been put into place a system for operationalising this public participation through the creation of 'an initial governing system' and so on. It seems to me that this is something that can be applied in the Bhima. But here, it is the department of ecology that is leading the issue, and it is backed by the water law. What is the equivalent in India? The nearest thing I have seen is the 'executive committee' in Aurangabad, and that worked quite well. can we upscale that? how to get govt.
  

Visit to Sequim: why and how

What it was:

This was the first in a series of workshops to discuss water management options for the Dungeness watershed. . As per their website:

Among the questions for consideration:

• How will we meet the needs for people and fish?
• What are some of the water management options?
• Why do fish and streams need a water right?

Location:

John Wayne Marina, Public Meeting Room,
2577 West Sequim Bay Road, Sequim, WA

You should be able to see the area here

Sponsor: Dept of Ecology, Water Resources

Why I wanted to go there:

What I am doing is trying to learn how to get communities to manage river basins through negotiation. I would like to see a stakeholder’s forum consisting of urban and rural water users, the government, and someone speaking for the ecosystem sit down and manage the equitable, sustainable distribution of their water. This is a difficult goal anyway, what makes it more difficult is that the idea of water for the ecosystem is something strenuously resisted by all water users, if they ever think of it. This meeting was to open up the topic of allocating water rights to the ecosystem! I wanted to see how the topic was broached, how many people turned up, why they came, how did they react, etc complete. I also wanted to meet the people working in the project.

How I could go there:

Aha, like Bhuj, this is a one-service-a-day town, so I needed to stay overnight. this also meant that i would attend one session in the morning, go home, pick up an overnight bag, catch the 1330 bus, reach at 1600 ,attend the meeting till 1900-1930 ,go to hotel, sleep, catch bus at 0710, arrive at Seattle at 1000, and go to meeting right away. Interesting, na? but I travelled on the ferry!