A presentation of GWP's country consultations, undertaken in order to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda. This project is a collaboration with UN-Water.

1. A Potential Global
Goal for Water
National Consultations
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN GWP AND UN -WATER

2. Overall objectives and process
To contribute to the SDG consultation process as well as to the
discussions on the post-2015 development agenda at large…
Guided by the priorities agreed at the
Rio+20 Conference 2012.
Drawing on several consultative
processes:
• Thematic, national and regional
consultations (incl GWP in 2013).
• High Level Panel.
• Open Working Group on SDGs
(OWG).
• Budapest Water Summit.

3. Aims of the national consultations
To obtain views from 30 key countries on the post-2015
development agenda for water and sustainable
development.
To build awareness and examine the recommendation
presented in the UN-Water paper on a dedicated goal
for water from the country perspective.
Influence the global policy dialogue to ensure water is
not neglected in the future development agenda.
To examine implications of adopting the goal and
targets.

4. Why a dedicated water goal?
 The Future We Want: “water is at the core
of sustainable development”
 Water is at the heart of adaptation to climate
change
 Billions lack access to the most basic water
supply and sanitation services
 Increasing demand, pollution, risks,
competition for water resources
 Current situation presents a global threat to
human health and wellbeing as well as to
the integrity of ecosystems

5. Building on existing commitments
and experience: Water, Sanitation, Hygeine
 Building on the MDG
Target on water supply and
basic sanitation
 The human right to safe
drinking water and sanitation
– Obligations on all Member
States for progressive
realization of the right
 Finishing the “unfinished
business” in WASH to
provide access for all must
remain a top priority

6. Building on existing commitments
and experience: Water Resources Management

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Finishing the “unfinished business” in
water resources management is also a
priority
– Agenda 21 (1992), subsequent CSD
meetings (2005, 2008) and Rio+20
(2012)
UN-Water WRM survey of more than 130
countries presented to Rio+20 conference
in 2012.
– widespread adoption of integrated
approaches to water management,
– But…
Need to implement IWRM plans
prepared after the Johannesburg World
Summit on Sustainable Development
2002
 Significant challenges remain!

7. Building on existing commitments
and experience: Governance
Strengthening water governance
highlighted in many international
agreements.
Underpins all other water targets
and also links to related goals
such as food, energy & health.
- Ensure access to and make good use of finance.
- Build stronger institutions and regulation.
- Establish accountable, participatory and transparent
processes.

8. Building on existing commitments and experience:
Wastewater and water quality
 Improving water quality and
wastewater management needs to
be a priority too
– Water quality has to date been very
much neglected
– 80% of wastewater is discharged
without treatment
– Impact on the water resource and
therefore on drinking-water supply
– Impact on ecosystems
 These concerns were clearly
expressed at Rio+20

9. Building on existing commitments
and experience: water related disasters
 Increased resilience to
water-related disasters
– Floods and droughts (Climate
Change/adaptation)
– Human-influenced disasters such as
chemical spills
 Rio+20 called for stronger
coordination between
disaster risk reduction and
development planning

10. Post-2015 development goals need to address five priority areas…
.. which cover the dimensions of sustainable
development and contribute towards poverty reduction
Universal access to safe drinking water,
sanitation and hygiene, improving water
quality and raising service standards
Healthy
people
Increased
prosperity
Equitable
societies
Protected
ecosystems
Resilient
communities
The sustainable use and development of
water resources, increasing and sharing
the available benefits
through
Robust and effective water governance
with more effective institutions and
administrative systems
Improved water quality and wastewater
management taking account of
environmental limits
Reduced risk of water-related disasters
to protect vulnerable groups and
minimize economic losses

12. Proposed Targets
A. Achieve universal access to safe drinking water,
sanitation and hygiene
B. Improve by (x%) the sustainable use and development
of water resources in all countries
C. All countries strengthen equitable, participatory and
accountable water governance
D. Reduce untreated wastewater by (x%), nutrient pollution
by (y%) and increase wastewater reuse by (z%)
E. Reduce mortality by (x%) and economic loss by (y%)
from natural and human-induced water-related disasters

13. A water goal makes economic sense
 Universal access to sanitation, benefits outweigh costs 5.5
to 1
 Universal access to drinking-water, the ratio is 2
to 1
Irrigation infrastructure in Africa, rates of return are up to 26%

 Overexploitation of groundwater Middle East and Northern Africa
2% of GDP
 Watershed protection initiatives in the US yield up to USD 200 for
every dollar invested, compared to conventional water treatment
costs
 One dollar invested in public water and sewer infrastructure
adds USD 9 to the national economy
 Early warning systems for storms, floods, and droughts throughout
Asia indicate potential returns of up to USD 559 for each
USD 1 invested

14. Implications: implementing the targets
 Infrastructure
Water supply, sanitation, irrigation, hydro, water
treatment, flood control - operation and maintenance
and the sustainability of services, including governance
issues
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Policy, laws, plans & coordination
Institutions
Enhanced human capacities
Remove barriers to attract finance
New science and technology
solutions
 Monitoring, data and reporting

15. Next steps
1. 30 National consultations FebMay 2014 (GWP) - feed into Open
Working Group: May 2014
2. Interaction with OWG/Member
States/Other emerging SDG
topics: during 2014
3. OWG report to General Assembly:
September 2014
4. Intergovernmental negotiations in
2015 with General Assembly
decision on post-2015
Development Agenda: Sept 2015

16. This Country Consultation is undertaken in
collaboration with UN-Water and will
contribute to the formulation of a water goal
and targets
www.unwater.org