A Regional Initiative for MonitoringAccess to Water Supply and Sanitation Beyond 2015

Mohamed I. Al-HamdiUN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia – ESCWA

Arab Water Week – New Prospects and Challenges for the Water Sector in the Arab Region

Amman, Jordan – 27-29 January 2013

Outline

Current water and sanitation MDG Progress achieved

» At the Global level» At the Arab “Regional” level

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015» Shortcomings of the current “goal-indicator

system”» Water and sanitation as a human right» MDG+ initiative

Reflections

Current water and sanitation MDG

Goal 7Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Target 7-C

Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

Indicator 7.8 Proportion of

population using an improved

drinking water source

Indicator 7.9 Proportion of

population using an improved sanitation

facility

Target 7-AIntegrate the principles of

sustainable development into country policies and

programmes and reverse the loss of environmental

resources

Indicator 7.5Proportion of total water

resources used

• Access to improved drinking water source

–Definition of “improved water source”

“By the nature of their construction or through active intervention, are protected from outside contamination, particularly from faecal matter.”

• Unprotected dug wells, springs, tanker truck, surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, canal, irrigation channel) and bottled water.

Unimproved•public taps

or standpipes, tube wells, protected dug wells, springs, and rainwater collection cisterns.

Other Improved

•Piped house connections.

Improved

Classification of Water Supply Indicators

• Access to improved Sanitation facility

–Definition of “Improved sanitation facility”

“Facilities that ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.”

•Defecation in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water, or disposal of human faeces with solid waste.

Open defecation

•Pit latrines without slab or platform, hanging latrines and bucket latrines

Unimproved

•Acceptable type, but shared between two or more households (incl. public toilets)

Shared(improved or unimproved)

•Flush or pour flush toilet/latrine to: piped sewer system, septic tank or pit latrine

•Ventilated improved pit latrine

•Composting toilet

Improved

Classification of Sanitation Indicators

ObservationProtection of public health

from water born and water related diseases is the main rationale behind the water and sanitation MDG.

Progressed Achieved (1)

At the Global Level

“ The MDG drinking water target, which…….. , was met in 2010, five years ahead of schedule.” ……….”the world is unlikely to meet the MDG sanitation target.” (JMP 2012 biennial progress report)

2 billion gained access to improved water sources and 1.8 billion gained access to improved sanitation facilities (1990-2010).

BUT, Regional “hot spots” i.e. Sub-Saharan Africa and

Oceania. Large urban-rural disparities and inequalities. Water quality.

Progressed Achieved (2)

At the Arab “Regional” level

Improved sanitation coverage increased from 72% to 82% (1990-2008).

Improved drinking water coverage increased from 81% to 82% (1990-2008).

Significant inequalities in the use of improved sanitation facilities between urban and rural areas in Arab States.

The Arab region is ON TRACK to achieve the sanitation target.

The Arab region is OFF TRACK to achieve the drinking water target.

Progressed Achieved (3)

0102030405060708090

100Access to improved water sources

1990 2010

Perc

en

tage

0

20

40

60

80

100Access to improved sanitation facilities

1990 2010

Perc

en

tage

Progressed Achieved (4)

Algeria; 5582.4752; 5%

Bahrain; 769; 1%

Egypt; 28033.3609

; 26%

Iraq; 10962.238;

10%

Jordan; 2689.547; 2%

Kuwait; 642.51; 1%

Lebanon; 1280; 1%

Libya; 1094.9194; 1%

Mauritania; 1118.744; 1%

Morocco; 8326.05139999999; 8%

Occup. Palestinian

Terr.; 1433.2618;

1%

Oman; 981.683400000001; 1%

Qatar; 1285; 1%

Saudi Ara-bia;

12231.7998; 11%

Somalia; 1142.6478;

1%

Sudan; 8033.76120000001; 7%

Syria; 7782.044;

7%

Tunisia; 2949.6184;

3%

UAE; 5703; 5%

Yemen; 5251.4704; 5%

Increased access to improved water sources 1990-2010

- Total population 108 mil.- Population figures in 1000- Countries percentages are of total regional figure- Data for Sudan incl. South Sudan.- Data Source JMP 2012

Algeria; 6043.7472; 9%

Egypt; 462.389700000003; 1%

Iraq; 6619.448;

10%

Libya; 2909.319;

5%

Mauritania; 1742.456;

3%

Morocco; 5604.2054;

9%

Occup. Palestinian

Terr.; 617.967; 1%

Saudi Ara-bia;

823.440000000001; 1%

Somalia; 6640.8727; 10%

Sudan; 18291.84;

29%

Syria; 2057.4288;

3%

Tunisia; 865.7306;

1% Yemen; 10823.85;

17%

Population without access to improved water sources - 2010

- Total population 64 mil.- Population figures in 1000- Countries percentages are of total regional figure- Data for Sudan incl. South Sudan- Data Source JMP 2012

Algeria; 11178.2924; 9%

Bahrain; 769; 1%

Egypt; 36126.8546;

30%

Iraq; 6649.7696;

6%

Jordan; 2744.2744; 2%

Kuwait; 649; 1%

Lebanon; 1253.9312; 1%

Libya; 1956.7906; 2%

Morocco; 9245.2046;

8%

Occup. Palestinian

Terr.; 1684.7096;

1%

Oman; 1211.5622;

1%

Qatar; 1285; 1%

Saudi Ara-bia; 11309;

10%

Sudan; 4193.9846;

4%

Syria; 8874.3828;

7%

Tunisia; 2691.0526;

2%

UAE; 5564.2791;

5% Yemen; 9830.2; 8%

Increased access to improved sanitation facili-ties 1990-2010

- Total population 118.6 mil.- Population figures in 1000- Countries percentages are of total regional figure- Data for Sudan incl. South Sudan.- Data Source JMP 2012

Progressed Achieved (5)

Algeria; 1915.272; 2%

Comoros; 473.34; 1%Djibouti; 442.0108; 1%

Egypt; 4283.1888; 5%Iraq;

8570.44320000001;

10%

Mauritania; 2552.788;

3%

Morocco; 9591.69019

999999; 12%

Somalia; 7183.0038;

9%

Sudan; 32228.48;

39%

Syria; 1085.8652;

1%

Tunisia; 1745.3504;

2%

Yemen; 11333.7736;

14%

popultion without access to improved sanita-tion facilities-2010

- Total population 82.4 mil.- Population figures in 1000- Countries percentages are of total regional figure- Data for Sudan incl. South Sudan- Data Source JMP 2012

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015 (1)

Rio +20 Conference Intergovernmental Working Group tasked to design

SDGs. Secretary General Appointed a HLP to advise on the

global development agenda beyond 2015. Water – not high in the Rio Agenda. Water and Sanitation Vs. IWRM. “Water Community” Want a “standalone goal on

water”? ….. The notion of water as crosscutting !!

JMP – UNECIF/WHO Created a discussion platform that: Critically reviews current shortcomings, and Aim to reach consensus on a “menu of options for

global WASH goals and corresponding targets and indicators for considerations by UN member states…”

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015 (2)

Shortcomings of the use of the proxy indicator “improved”: Water Quality Reliability Affordability Sustainability Accessibility Equality

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015 (3)Water and sanitation as a Human Right

• General Assembly Resolution 64/292 (July 2010):“1. Recognizes the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights”

• Human Rights Council resolution 15/9 (October 2010):“3. Affirms that the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity;”

• Human Rights Council resolution 18/1 (October 2011):“7. Calls upon States: a) To continuously monitor and regularly analyze the status of the

realization of the right to safe drinking water and sanitation on the basis of the criteria of availability, quality, acceptability, accessibility and affordability;

c) To develop comprehensive plans and strategies, including the definition of responsibilities for all water and sanitation sector actors, to achieve progressively the full realization of the right to safe drinking water and sanitation for all, or re-examine and revise them where necessary to ensure consistency with human rights standards and principles;”

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015 (4)

MDG+ Initiative Mandate

Three resolutions of the Arab Ministerial Water Council. Aim

Enhance monitoring not develop new goal. Scope

Level and quality of access and services. Environmental protection.

Indicators Expand on current JMP indicators to include issues like;

availability, quality, affordability, and environmental protection.

Data availability and measurability. Efficiency (maximum additional information in relation to

needed efforts). Phasing.

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015 (5)

Water and Sanitation in the global development Agenda Beyond 2015 (6)

Vision for implementing the MDG+ Initiative At the National level

National Monitoring Teams (representation of concerned agencies).

At the Regional level Arab Ministerial Water Council - political coverage. Advisory Board (ESCWA, ACWUA, CEDARE, RAED, AWC). Data management system (MDG+ unit) - ACWUA. Technical and institutional support - ESCWA and ACWUA.

At the Global Level Financial support – Swedish International Development

Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Reflections

Water (management/services) is cross cutting, and impacts (directly or indirectly) other social and economic sectors (education, health, economy, etc..)

A conceptual framework of the post 2015 water & sanitation MDG/SDG is underway and will probably be governed by: The official global recognition of water and sanitation as

a human right, and, The crosscutting nature and role of water in achieving

sustainable development. Evidence indicate that the current proxy indicator

“improved” will probably loose some of its presumptions in favor for more tangible, but costly to monitor, indicators of reliability, water quality, sustainability, equality, accessibility and affordability.

The MDG+ initiative/project is an opportunity to harmonize national monitoring systems with the global trend and assist to enhance capacities at the national level.

Thanks for your attention …

Mohamed Al-HamdiWater Resources SectionSustainable Development and Productivity DivisionUN-ESCWATel: +961 1 978 524Fax: +961 1 981 510Email: al-hamdi@un.orgWeb: www.escwa.un.org