|
Bookmark this page: www.oecd.org/water
Securing safe and reliable water and sanitation services for all is one of the leading challenges facing sustainable development. All but a few OECD countries have connected 100% of their populations to safe water supplies, and the majority are connected to wastewater treatment. Progress has also been made in developing countries but there is still a long way to go.
A key challenge is to ensure the financing necessary to extend water services to those that are currently not connected, and to maintain and upgrade the existing infrastructure. In 2007 OECD launched a major cross-cutting project on the policies needed to ensure sustainable financing of water supply and sanitation infrastructure. The project will look at the financing needs for water infrastructure, the available sources of financing (including water pricing, public budgets, private investment, official development assistance or ODA), and how the gap between the two can be bridged. It will include specific analysis of current water pricing practices; realistic financing strategies for developing countries; applying the OECD Principles on Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure to the water sector; sustainable water use in agriculture; and innovative business models.
On November 14-15 2007, an Expert Meeting on “Sustainable Financing for Affordable Water Services – From Theory to Practice” was held in Paris. Over 50 experts from OECD and non-OECD countries convened to: (i) share experiences on the challenges and opportunities of financing sustainable and affordable water for municipal and agricultural uses in OECD and non-OECD countries, and sanitation services; (ii) take a fresh look at the theory and practice of water pricing, both as an instrument to ensure the financial sustainability of service provision, and as a tool to encourage the efficient allocation and use of water resources; (iii) fill knowledge gaps in this important policy area, and (iv) provide feedback on the progress and planned work for the OECD Horizontal Water Programme.
Rapporteur’s Summary by Jim Winpenny
Powerpoint presentations :
Session 1: Overview of OECD’S Horizontal Water Project
Session 2: Water Pricing : From Theory To Practice
Session 3: Agriculture Water Pricing and Policies
Session 4: Innovative Business Models to Finance Water Services
A comprehensive list of relevant OECD documents has been prepared on the following issues:
|
Infrastructure to 2030- Telecom, Land Transport, Water and Electricity =>
|
|
Financing water supply and sanitation systems
Reliable and sustainable financing will be needed to expand and maintain adequate water supply and sanitation services for all. Lessons can be drawn from the experiences of OECD and transition economies in developing systems for financing infrastructure and water services provision and applying full cost recovery water pricing systems.
=> More information on OECD Task Team on Sustainable Financing to Ensure Affordable Access to Water Supply and Sanitation
=> More information on OECD work on water supply and sanitation sector reform
Monitoring aid for water
Official Development Assistance (ODA) can make an important contribution to financing water and sanitation services in developing countries. The statistics of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD provide for detailed analyses of ODA for water by donor and by recipient. Data are available both at the level of individual projects and in table form.
=> More information on OECD work on aid activities
Pricing water
Having water users pay the full cost of the service can help to generate the funds needed for infrastructure development and maintenance and provide incentives for efficient water use. Most OECD countries have been moving towards water pricing schedules that reflect the full marginal costs of providing water services for households and industry. More weight is being given to social considerations to ensure affordable access to water services by all.
Improving governance of water resources
Proper management of existing water supplies entails sufficient quantities of clean water to support both human needs and essential ecosystem functions. Good governance will require careful consideration of the institutions in place to manage water supply and sanitation systems, including the role that might be played by the private sector.
=> More information on OECD work on natural resources management
Achieving sustainable management of water in agriculture
Agriculture is responsible for approximately 70% of water use worldwide. Governments must ensure that farmers use water resources efficiently, and that they are allocated among competing demands in a way that enables farmers to produce food and fibre, minimise pollution and support ecosystems, while meeting social aspirations.
-
-
-
Environmental Indicators for Agriculture Volume 4 (2007, forthcoming). The Report will include chapters on OECD trends in agriculture water use and impacts on water quality, plus reference to water on a country-by-country basis.
-
-
-
=> More information on OECD work on agriculture and environment
Making water clean and drinkable
Inadequate drinking water supply, poor water quality and sanitation are among the main causes of preventable disease and death in the world. While the majority of these deaths occur in developing countries, OECD countries are not immune to outbreaks of water-borne disease.
Many new scientific and technological developments are helping to make more efficient use of available water resources, to reduce pollutants to water bodies, and to improve treatment of drinking water. The OECD has worked extensively on the development of policies to support technological advances.
=> More information on OECD work on scientific applications of biotechnology
Last update: 4 July 2008
For further information, journalists are invited to contact Helen.Fisher@oecd.org, OECD (tel. 33 1 45 24 80 97).
|
