Luís Simas,ERSAR -Portuguese Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority, Portugal Special Regional Session: Implementing the water related SDGs in the UNECE region

1. Luís Simas
Reporting systems
and the SDG

2. Sustainable Development Goals

5. Water Framework Directive

6. Drinking Water Directive

7. The Protocol on Water
and Health
•The world’s only legal treaty designed to reduce water-
related deaths and diseases through improved water
management
•A practical instrument to achieve water-related MDGs
and framework to implement the human right to water
and sanitation.
•Tool to implement future water and health related SDGs
•Focus on governance, integration of policies and on
cooperation
Key objectives:
(a) Access to drinking water for everyone and
(b) Provision of sanitation for everyone

8. Status of ratification
Signatories
Parties
Towards
accession
Adopted in
1999 by 36
countries
Entered into
force in 2005
Currently has
26 Parties
.
Signatories
Parties
Towards accession

9. Scope
Costal and
estuarine
waters
Surface
waters
Wastewater
collection,
transport,
treatment,
discharge,
reuse
Water during
abstraction,
transport,
treatment and
supply

10. Reporting under the
Protocol
• Art.7: Every three years Parties shall evaluate progress
towards the targets set and submit a summary report
in accordance with guidelines established by the
Meeting of the Parties
• Two reporting cycles have been conducted (2010,
2013). Third cycle - 2015
• All reports available, Compliance Committee and
secretariat developed two analysis of them
• Final template for reporting adopted by MOP2

11. Objectives of reporting
• Assess progress (self assessment by Party and
assessment by the Meeting of the Parties)
• Exchange experience, share lessons learned
• Demonstrate the main challenges/obstacles in
implementing the Protocol => inform the Protocol’s
programme of work
• The aim is not to compare Parties, however there’s the
need to have a basis of harmonized information
throughout the region

12. Post 2015 agenda and a
possible water SDG:
implications for Protocol
 Possible revision of the Guidelines for setting targets, evaluation of progress
and reporting under the Protocol to bring it in line with the post-2015
agenda
 Possible revision of the guidelines and template for reporting
 Increasing focus on sanitation (joining forces with WHO), wastewater, safe
and efficient water management, equitable access, health promotion,
financing, human resources
 Possible adjustment of current targets and indicators to future global
indicators
 Integration of reporting under the Protocol with global monitoring
framework

13. Portuguese Experience
 Adoption of strategic plans for
the sector
• Formulation of national strategies
• Definition of goals & measures
• 1st generation (1993-1999)
• 2nd generation (2000-2006)
• 3th generation (2007-2013)
• 4th generation (2014-2020)
• Annual monitoring of
implementation and public
reporting of the results
• Stability in the last 20 years
National strategic plan
for water supply and
waste water
(PENSAAR: 2014-2020)

14. Portuguese Experience
Results of the public policy in Portugal (1993-2013):
Water supply
Hepatitis A
Water quality

15. Portuguese Experience
Surface waters
Results of the public policy in Portugal (1993-2013):
Waste water

16. Portuguese Experience
Results of the public policy in Portugal (1993-2013):
Coastal bathing
waters
Blue flags in the
beaches
River bathing
waters

17. Conclusions
 International instruments are driving forces
for improvement
 Routine monitoring is crucial to assess the
real situation and support decision makers
 Reporting is important, namely for sharing
knowledge and experience
 International instruments must be
articulated about the information they ask