SICK WATER? THE CENTRAL ROLE OF WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT A RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT

David Osborn

Abstract

The world is facing a global water quality crisis. Continuing population growth and urbanisation, rapid industralisation, and expanding and intensifying food production are all putting pressure on water resources and increasing the unregulated or illegal discharge of contaminated water within and beyond national borders. This presents a global threat to human health and wellbeing, with both immediate and long term consequences for efforts to reduce poverty whilst sustaining the integrity of some of our most productive ecosystems. There are many causes driving this crisis, but it is clear that freshwater and coastal ecosystems across the globe, upon which humanity has depended for millennia, are increasingly threatened. It is equally clear that future demands for water cannot be met unless wastewater management is revolutionized.

The aim of the European Environment Agency (EEA) is to provide such timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information on the environment to support sustainable development and help achieve significant and measurable improvements in Europe's environment. A further requirement is that the EEA publishes regular assessments of the state and outlook for the environment in Europe: this report is the fourth in the series.

SICK WATER? THE CENTRAL ROLE OF WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT A RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT 1 This report, compiled by GRID-Arendal has been an interagency col- laboration led by UNEP and UN-HABITAT in partnership with mem- bers of UN Water. Corcoran, E., C. Nellemann, E. Baker, R. Bos, D. Osborn, H. Savelli (eds). 2010. Sick Water? The central role of waste- water management in sustainable development. A Rapid Re- sponse Assessment. United Nations Environment Pro- gramme, UN-HABITAT, GRID-Arendal. www.grida.no ISBN: 978-82-7701-075-5 UNEP promotes Printed by Birkeland Trykkeri AS, Norway environmentally sound practices globally and in its own activities. This pub- Disclaimer lication is printed on fully recycled paper, FSC The contents of this report do not necessarily relect the views or policies of UNEP, UN-HABITAT or contributory organisations. The designations em- certiied, post-consumer waste and chlorine-free. ployed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion Inks are vegetable-based and coatings are water- whatsoever on the part of UNEP, UN-HABITAT or contributory organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, company or area or its based. Our distribution policy aims to reduce UNEP’s authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. carbon footprint. A RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT SICK WATER? THE CENTRAL ROLE OF WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Emily Corcoran (Editor in chief) Christian Nellemann Elaine Baker Robert Bos David Osborn Heidi Savelli 4 JOINT STATEMENT The statistics are stark: Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is discharged into the world’s waterways and at least 1.8 million children under ive years-old die every year from water related disease, or one every 20 seconds. Over half of the world’s hospitals beds are occupied with people charges to rivers and seas if a sustainable link is made from suffering from illnesses linked with contaminated water and farms, rural areas and cities to the ecosystems surrounding more people die as a result of polluted water than are killed by them. all forms of violence including wars. In some cases, investments in improved sanitation and water The impact on the wider environment is no less striking. An treatment technologies can pay dividends. In other cases in- estimated 90 per cent of all wastewater in developing countries vestments in the rehabilitation and restoration of nature’s wa- is discharged untreated directly into rivers, lakes or the oceans. ter puriication systems—such as wetlands and mangroves— Such discharges are part of the reason why de-oxygenated dead offer a cost effective path. zones are growing rapidly in the seas and oceans. Currently an estimated 245 000 km2 of marine ecosystems are affected with UNEP and UN-Habitat are increasing our cooperation across impacts on isheries, livelihoods and the food chain. several fronts including meeting the wastewater challenge. This report is one fruit of that collaboration. The climate is also being impacted: Wastewater-related emis- sions of methane, a powerful global warming gas, and another Investing in clean water will pay multiple dividends from over- called nitrous oxide could rise by 50 per cent and 25 per cent coming poverty to assisting in meeting the Millennium Devel- respectively between 1990 and 2020. opment Goals. It also makes economic sense. According to a recent report from the Green Economy Initiative, every dollar Already, half of the world’s population lives in cities, most of invested in safe water and sanitation has a pay back of US$3 to which have inadequate infrastructure and resources to address US$34 depending on the region and the technology deployed. wastewater management in an eficient and sustainable way. Twenty-one of the world’s 33 megacities are on the coast where Meeting the wastewater challenge is thus not a luxury but a fragile ecosystems are at risk. Without urgent action to better prudent, practical and transformative act, able to boost public manage wastewater the situation is likely to get worse: By 2015, health, secure the sustainability of natural resources and trigger the coastal population is expected to reach approximately 1.6 employment in better, more intelligent water management. billion people or over one ifth of the global total with close to ive billion people becoming urban dwellers by 2030. By 2050 the global population will exceed nine billion. Some of these trends are inevitable. However the world does Achim Steiner Anna Tibaijuka have choices in terms of the quantity and the quality of dis- Executive Director, UNEP Executive Director, UN-HABITAT 5 PREFACE The wastewater challenge is not only a threat, but a challenge where we can find opportunities for green employment, social well-being and ecological health The United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UN- SGAB) is committed to accelerating progress on the Millennium Development Goal targets for water and sanitation. UNSGAB collaborates with others to galvanize action and fos- nancial planning at the country level to maximize eficiency to ter new initiatives. One of our initiatives for improving basic improve coverage in the water and sanitation sectors. sanitation coverage was the UN-backed International Year on Sanitation (IYS) in 2008. By all accounts, the IYS was a suc- UNSGAB has gained valuable experience and understanding cess. It triggered an honest, concrete and productive public that we will now bring to bear on improving wastewater man- discussion about expanding access to sanitary toilets and im- agement. Meeting this challenge will require new alliances and proving hygiene while fostering political commitments to act. we are happy to have collaborated with UNEP, UN-HABITAT and UN Water in the development of this report. We are ready UNSGAB now is working to ensuring that these IYS com- to work with the global community to promote a new wastewa- mitments are fulilled. We also are building on this positive ter paradigm encompassing modular design, appropriate tech- momentum to widen the discussion to include the collection, nology, and sustainable inancing. For as the report “Sick wa- treatment and reuse of human, household, agricultural, storm ter? The central role of wastewater management in sustainable and industrial wastewater and run-off. More than 80 percent of development” points out, the wastewater challenge is not only wastewater is discharged untreated into water bodies. This un- a threat, but is a challenge where we can ind opportunities for treated wastewater is the missing link to meeting the sanitation green employment, social well-being and ecological health. challenge. It has a material impact on human health, social and economic development and ecosystem sustainability. The 2009 Istanbul Ministerial Statement embodies a global commitment to “further develop and implement wastewater col- lection, treatment and reuse.” This report aims to place waste- water on the international and national agenda by pointing out HRH, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands that wastewater management provides opportunities not only Chair, UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and challenges. Now, more than ever, we must promote strategic i- Sanitation 6 7 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The world is facing a global water quality crisis. Continuing population growth and ur- banisation, rapid industralisation, and expanding and intensifying food production are all putting pressure on water resources and increasing the unregulated or illegal discharge of contaminated water within and beyond national borders. This presents a global threat to hu- man health and wellbeing, with both immediate and long term consequences for efforts to reduce poverty whilst sustaining the integrity of some of our most productive ecosystems. There are many causes driving this crisis, but it is clear that freshwater and coastal eco- systems across the globe, upon which humanity has depended for millennia, are increas- ingly threatened. It is equally clear that future demands for water cannot be met unless wastewater management is revolutionized. Global populations are expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Urban populations may rise nearly twice as fast, projected to nearly double from current 3.4 billion to 6.4 billion by 2050, with numbers of people living in slums rising even faster, from one to 1.4 billion in just a decade. Over a ifth of the global to- tal, 1.6 billion people are expected to live by the coast by 2015. Inadequate infrastructure and management systems for the in- creasing volume of wastewater that we produce are at the heart of the wastewater crisis. The way we produce our food uses 70–90 per cent of the avail- able fresh water, returning much of this water to the system with additional nutrients and contaminants. It is a domino ef- fect as downstream agricultural pollution is joined by human and industrial waste. This wastewater contaminates freshwa- ter and coastal ecosystems, threatening food security, access to safe drinking and bathing water and providing a major health and environmental management challenge. Up to 90 per cent Contaminated water from inadequate wastewater management of wastewater lows untreated into the densely populated coast- provides one the greatest health challenges restricting develop- al zone contributing to growing marine dead zones, which al- ment and increasing poverty through costs to health care and ready cover an area of 245 000 km2, approximately the same lost labour productivity. Worldwide, almost 900 million people area as all the world’s coral reefs. still do not have access to safe water and some 2.6 billion, al- 9 most half the population of the developing world do not have reducing poverty and sustaining ecosystem services. Instead of access to adequate sanitation. At least 1.8 million children un- being a source of problems, well-managed wastewater will be der ive years old die every year due to water related disease, a positive addition to the environment which in turn will lead accounting for around 17 per cent of deaths in this age group. to improved food security, health and therefore economy. One Worldwide some 2.2 million people die each year from diar- ifth of the world’s population, or 1.2 billion people, live in areas rhoeal disease. Poor hygiene and unsafe water is responsible of water scarcity, and this is projected to increase to 3 billion for around 88 per cent of all diarrhoeal incidents. by 2025 as water stress and populations increase. There is no option but to consider wastewater as part of the solution. To Under-dimensioned and aged wastewater infrastructure is al- be successful and sustainable, wastewater management must ready overwhelmed, and with predicted population increases be an integral part of rural and urban development planning, and changes in the climate the situation is only going to get across all sectors, and where feasible transcending political, ad- worse. Without better infrastructure and management, many ministrative and jurisdictional borders. There are few, if any, ar- millions of people will continue to die each year and there will eas where investments in integrated planning can sustainably be further losses in biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, un- provide greater returns across multiple sectors than the devel- dermining prosperity and efforts towards a more sustainable opment of water infrastructure and the promotion of improved future. A healthier future needs urgent global action for smart, wastewater management. sustained investment to improve wastewater management. The irst part of this report addresses the critical challenges we Change is both essential and possible. As a part of the shift to face in managing wastewater and considers the implications a green economy, the public sector including national, provin- for people and the environment across different sectors, and cial and local governments must be more proactive in fund- how these may be inluenced by issues such as population ing wastewater management, central to which will be issues growth, urbanization and climate change. of equity and social justice. To ind solutions we will need to draw on a cocktail of existing and new policy approaches and The second part looks at solutions and how these challenges can funding mechanisms, from better water quality legislation be turned around. Finding appropriate solutions will require in- and voluntary agreements, to market-based instruments and novation at both ends of the pipe. Innovation to reduce the vol- partnership-based inancing and management models bring- ume and contamination of wastewater produced, how to treat or ing together the public and private sectors, not forgetting the even reuse the waste, and how to do it in an affordable sustain- vital role of education. able way. The report reviews how the production and treatment cycle can be better understood and managed so that through Wise investments in wastewater management will generate better investment and management major environmental, soci- signiicant returns, as addressing wastewater is a key step in etal, and economic dividends can be achieved. 10 A healthier future needs urgent global action for smart, sustained investment to improve wastewater management KEY MESSAGES: Improved sanitation and wastewater manage- 1 Wastewater production is rising 3 ment are central to poverty reduction and im- proved human health The global population is expected to exceed nine billion people The poor are affected irst and foremost by this global crisis. by 2050. Major growth will take place in developing countries, Over half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by people particularly in urban areas that already have inadequate waste- suffering from water related diseases. Diarrhoeal diseases make water infrastructure. The inancial, environmental and social up over four per cent of the global disease burden, 90 percent costs are projected to increase dramatically unless wastewater of which is linked to environmental pollution, a lack of access management receives urgent attention. to safe drinking water and sanitation. Comprehensive and sus- tained wastewater management in combination with sanitation and hygiene is central to good health, food security, economic development and jobs. In terms of public spending on health issues, investing in improved wastewater management and the supply of safe water provides particularly high returns. Successful and sustained wastewater manage- 2 Wise and immediate investment will generate multiple future beneits 4 ment will need an entirely new dimension of in- vestments, to start now Immediate, targeted and sustained investments should take Currently, most of the wastewater infrastructure in many of the multiple forms. They should be designed to (i) reduce the vol- fastest growing cities is lacking. It is outdated, not designed to ume and extent of water pollution through preventative prac- meet local conditions, poorly maintained and entirely unable tices; (ii) capture water once it has been polluted; (iii) treat to keep pace with rising urban populations. Experiences have polluted water using appropriate technologies and techniques shown that appropriate investments done in the right manner for return to the environment; (iv) where feasible safely reuse can provide the required returns. However, it will require not and recycle wastewater thereby conserving water and nutri- only investments, but careful and comprehensive integrated wa- ents; and (v) provide a platform for the development of new ter and wastewater planning and management at national and and innovative technologies and management practices. If in- municipal levels. This must transcend the entire water supply vestments such as these are scaled up appropriately they will and disposal chain involving ecosystem management (including generate social, economic and environmental dividends far coastal waters), agricultural eficiency and production and treat- exceeding original investments for years to come. ment of wastewater and a stronger focus on urban planning. 11 Wise investments in wastewater management will generate significant returns, as addressing wastewater is a key step in reducing poverty and sustaining ecosystem services The policy recommendations presented in part III of this re- port propose a two-pronged, incremental approach to tackle immediate consequences whilst thinking to the long term: A Tackle immediate consequences B Thinking to the long term 1. Countries must adopt a multi-sectoral approach to wastewa- 4. In light of rapid global change, communities should plan ter management as a matter of urgency, incorporating prin- wastewater management against future scenarios, not cur- ciples of ecosystem-based management from the watersheds rent situations. into the sea, connecting sectors that will reap immediate beneits from better wastewater management. 5. Solutions for smart wastewater management must be so- cially and culturally appropriate, as well as economically and 2. Successful and sustainable management of wastewater re- environmentally viable into the future. quires a cocktail of innovative approaches that engage the public and private sector at local, national and transboundary 6. Education must play a central role in wastewater manage- scales. Planning processes should provide an enabling envi- ment and in reducing overall volumes and harmful content ronment for innovation, including at the community level of wastewater produced, so that solutions are sustainable. but require government oversight and public management. 3. Innovative inancing of appropriate wastewater infrastruc- ture should incorporate design, construction, operation, maintenance, upgrading and/or decommissioning. Fi- nancing should take account of the fact that there are im- portant livelihood opportunities in improving wastewater treatment processes, whilst the private sector can have an important role in operational eficiency under appropriate public guidance. 12 CONTENTS 5 JOINT STATEMENT 6 PREFACE 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 15 INTRODUCTION 23 PART I THE CHALLENGES OF WASTEWATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT 24 WASTEWATER AND URBAN LIFE 30 WASTEWATER, FOOD SECURITY AND PRODUCTION 37 WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRY 40 WASTEWATER, HEALTH AND HUMAN WELLBEING 43 WASTEWATER AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION 49 WASTEWATER AND GLOBAL CHANGE 53 PART II REALISING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF WASTEWATER 54 RECOGNISING WASTEWATER AS A RESOURCE 57 DEFUSING THE CRISIS: MANAGING WASTEWATER EFFECTIVELY 73 PART III POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 76 GLOSSARY 80 ACRONYMS 81 CONTRIBUTORS AND REVIEWERS 82 REFERENCES 13 14 INTRODUCTION Water is crucial for all aspects of life, the deining feature of our planet. Ninety seven and a half per cent of all water is found in the oceans, of the remaining freshwater only one per cent is accessible for extraction and use. Functioning and healthy aquatic ecosys- tems provide us with a dazzling array of beneits – food, medicines, recreational amenity, shoreline protection, processing our waste, and sequestering carbon. At the beginning of the 21st century, the world faces a water crisis, both of quantity and quality, caused by continuous population growth, industrialization, food production practices, increased living standards and poor water use strategies. Wastewater management or the lack of, has a direct impact on the biological diversity of aquatic ecosystems, disrupting the fun- damental integrity of our life support systems, on which a wide range of sectors from urban development to food production and industry depend. It is essential that wastewa- ter management is considered as part of integrated, ecosystem-based management that operates across sectors and borders, freshwater and marine. Fresh, accessible water is a scarce (igure 1) and unevenly dis- nearly 900 million people still do not have access to safe wa- tributed resource, not matching patterns of human develop- ter (UNDESA 2009), and some 2.6 billion, almost half the ment. Over half the world’s population faces water scarcity. Be- population of the developing world do not have access to ad- cause it plays a vital role in the sustenance of all life, water is equate sanitation (WHO/UNICEF, 2010). Over 80 per cent a source of economic and political power (Narasimhan, 2008) of people with unimproved drinking water and 70 per cent of with water scarcity a limiting factor in economic and social people without improved sanitation live in rural areas (DFID, development. 2008). This is also only part of the story. International attention has to date, focused on water quan- tity, the supply of drinking water and increasing access to What do we mean by wastewater? sanitation with commitment expressed through the World Wastewater can mean different things to different people with a Summit of Sustainable Development and the Millennium large number of deinitions in use. However this report has tak- Development Goal 7 for Environmental Sustainability, tar- en a broad perspective, and deined wastewater as “a combina- get 10 for safe drinking water and sanitation. 2005 – 2015 is tion of one or more of: domestic efluent consisting of black- the international decade for Action “Water for Life” (http:// water (excreta, urine and faecal sludge) and greywater (kitchen www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/), with a focus on the Inter- and bathing wastewater); water from commercial establish- national year of Sanitation in 2008 (http://esa.un.org/iys/). ments and institutions, including hospitals; industrial efluent, Despite this high proile attention, these issues are proving stormwater and other urban run-off; agricultural, horticultural dificult to resolve, requiring signiicant sums for invest- and aquaculture efluent, either dissolved or as suspended ment, over long periods of time and with jurisdiction often matter (adapted from Raschid-Sally and Jayakody, 2008). spread across several government departments. Worldwide, 15 World fresh water supply About 97.5% of all water on Earth is salt water Only 2.5% of all the water on Earth is fresh water Around 70% of fresh water is frozen in Antarctica and Water is crucial for all aspects of life, the deining feature of our Greenland icecaps planet. Ninety seven and a half per cent of all water is found in the oceans, of the remaining freshwater only one per cent is accessible for extraction and use. Functioning and healthy aquatic ecosystems provide us with a dazzling array of services – food, medicines, recreational amenity, shoreline protection, processing our waste, and sequestering carbon. At the begin- Most of the remaining freshwater ning of the 21st century, the world faces a water quality crisis, lies too deep underground to be accessible or exists as soil caused by continuous population growth, industrialization, moisture food production practices, increased living standards and poor water use strategies. Wastewater management or the lack of, has a direct impact on the biological diversity of aquatic ecosys- tems, disrupting the fundamental integrity of our life support systems, on which a wide range of sectors from urban develop- Only 1% of the earth's fresh water is ment to food production and industry depend. It is essential available for withdrawal and human use that wastewater management is considered as part of integrat- ed, ecosystem-based management that operates across sectors Sources: FAO, 2009. and borders, freshwater and marine. Figure 1: Water is the life force of our planet, but only 1 per cent Access to safe water is a human right (UNDP, 2006). However, of all the freshwater on Earth is available for human use. the right to pollute and discharge contaminated water back into 16 Water withdrawal and use Asia North America Europe (except South Asia) Pacific Water withdrawal O c Ocean South Asia per capita and its use by sector Domestic Agriculture Industry Africa Indian Atlantic Ocean Latin America Ocean and Caribbean Oceania 0 200 400 600 800 1 000 Cubic metres Sources: FAO statistical database, 2009; UNPD, 2009. Figure 2: Regional variation in water withdrawal per capita and its use by sector. 17 Wastewater, a global problem with differing regional issues Total fertilizers usage Million tonnes over 1980-2002 period Water disease 910 related deaths per 100 000 inhabitants less than 15 100 to 200 370 Sources: WHO database, data for 15 to 30 200 to 400 2002; FAO database; Babel et Walid, 30 to 100 More than 400 2008: European Environment 45 Agency, 2009; Diaz, R., et al., 2008. Dead zones Variation within Europe: Polluted river basins Exceeding critical nutrient loading Helmand Ganges 3 55 Brahmaputra Meghna Indus 94 Ecosystem deterioration Eutrophication equivalents (N) per parameter * hectare and year Severe None High 0 to 200 Wastewater discharge (Billion cubic metres per year) 200 to 400 * Deﬁned as the land ratio without vegetation coverage (forest area 400 to 700 and wetlands) used to present the contribution of an ecosystem’s 700 to 1 200 deterioration to the vulnerability of its water resources. 18 the environment, polluting the water of downstream users, is not. As water travels through the hydrological system from the moun- tain summit to the sea, the activities of human society capture, divert and extract, treat and reuse water to sustain communities and economies throughout the watershed (agricultural, industrial and municipal) (igure 4). These activities, do not, however return the water they extract in the same condition. A staggering 80–90 per cent of all wastewater generated in developing countries is dis- charged directly into surface water bodies (UN Water, 2008). Unmanaged wastewater can be a source of pollution, a hazard for the health of human populations and the environment alike. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA, 2005) reported that 60 per cent of global ecosystem services are being degraded or used unsustainably, and highlighted the inextricable links be- tween ecosystem integrity and human health and wellbeing. Wastewater can be contaminated with a myriad of different investment. It is not a question of the quantity of investment. components (igure 5): pathogens, organic compounds, syn- There are numerous anecdotes pointing to a history of one-off, thetic chemicals, nutrients, organic matter and heavy metals. short-term, single-sector investments – capital treatment-plant They are either in solution or as particulate matter and are car- developments which were unable to secure operation and man- ried along in the water from different sources and affect water agement funding, built at the wrong scale or in the wrong loca- quality. These components can have (bio-) cumulative, persis- tion. Even without empirical data, it is clear that this approach tent and synergistic characteristics affecting ecosystem health is not generating results in either improved water quality or i- and function, food production, human health and wellbeing, nancial incentive. and undermining human security. Over 70 percent of the wa- ter has been used in other productive activities before entering A paradigm shift is required towards new approaches that in- urban areas (Appelgren, 2004; Pimentel and Pimentel, 2008). clude wise investments and technological innovation, not one Wastewater management must address not only the urban but size its all, but now ensuring that investments are appropri- also the rural context through sound and integrated ecosystem- ate to the industries and communities they serve. Such invest- based management including, for example isheries, forestry ments can boost economies, increase labour productivity and and agriculture. reduce poverty. This report uses a number of case studies to il- lustrate the challenges of wastewater management, but also the The quality of water is important for the well-being of the envi- opportunities for how wastewater management and reuse can ronment, society and the economy. There are however ways to safely meet the growing demands for water resources, without become more eficient and reduce our water footprint. Improv- degrading the environment, and the ecosystem services on ing water and sanitation services and managing water require which we depend.  Figure 3: The signiicance of wastewater and contents of wastewater vary greatly between and even within regions. In Africa for example, it is the impact on people’s health that is the major factor, in Europe, the input of nutrients into the coastal waters reducing productivity and creating anoxic dead zones. 19 Freshwater and wastewater cycle Water withdrawal and pollutant discharge Rain Evapotraspiration Agriculture Urban Rural Domestic 70% 8% Industry 22% Sources: WHO; FAO; UNESCO; IWMI. Figure 4: As water is extracted and used along the supply chain, both the quality and quantity of water is reduced. 20 Wastewater Contaminants and their effects ORIGIN MANAGEMENT Storm water Centralized and Storm water Storm water decentralized sewage Sewerage treatment Sewerage Combined sewage Sewerage and storm water Spills Spills Spills Industrial Individual household Industrial Industrial treatment Manufacturing waste Reed bed ﬁltration Manufacturing waste Manufacturing waste Enhancing nutrient ﬁltration of wetlands Global water withdrawal Nuclear Nuclear Municipality waste percentage by sector Nuclear Agricultural run off Agricultural run off management Agricultural run-off Waste water Industrial small scale Medical discharge Medical Acquaculture waste management Medical Acquaculture Acquaculture Contaminated food provision TOXICITY Smelly Reusing processed sewage Solid waste Solid w Drinking water treatment Suffocate/block Sewage sludge P Pharmaceutical Poisonous Corrosive I ganic Inorganic Organic matter Ecosystem p e particulate m material Biological degradation Radioactive Chemicals Micro crobes cro Microbes Heavy metals Infectous Increased IMPACT Decreased ecosystem production costs health (e.g. dead zones)  Figure 5: The contaminants in waste- Contaminated Contaminated drinking and water come from many different sources food Decreased bathing water and can have cumulative and synergistic human health effects requiring a multi-pronged response. Source: personal communication with E. Corcoran and E. Baker, UNEP-Grid Arendal. 21 22 PART I THE CHALLENGES OF WASTE- WATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT Wastewater – spent or used water from farms, communities, villages, homes, urban ar- eas or industry may contain harmful dissolved or suspended matter. Unregulated dis- charge of wastewater undermines biological diversity, natural resilience and the capacity of the planet to provide fundamental ecosystem services, impacting both rural and urban populations and affecting sectors from health to industry, agriculture, isheries and tour- ism. In all cases, it is the poorest that are the most severely affected. These impacts continue to grow. Global populations are increas- In this part of the report we will present some of the key chal- ing rapidly and will reach between nine and 11 billion in 2050, lenges that the unregulated discharge of wastewater presents. and as population increases so does the production of waste- water and the number of people vulnerable to the impacts of se- vere wastewater pollution. Almost 900 million people currently lack access to safe drinking water, and an estimated 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation (WHO/UNICEF, 2010). Lack of capacity to manage wastewater not only compromises the natural capacity of marine and aquatic ecosystems to as- similate pollutants, but also causes the loss of a whole array of beneits provided by our waterways and coasts that we too often take for granted; safe water for drinking, washing and hygiene, water for irrigating our crops and producing our food and for sustaining ecosystems and the services they provide. The i- nancial, environmental and societal costs in terms of human health, mortality and morbidity and decreased environmental health are projected to increase dramatically unless wastewater management is given very high priority and dealt with urgently. 23 WASTEWATER AND URBAN LIFE Global populations are growing rapidly, particularly so in urban areas where the rate of urbanization far outstrips planning and wastewater infrastructure development. Existing wastewater infrastructure of most cities is decaying or no longer appropriate and in slum areas there is no planning and few facilities. Management of wastewater in the urban context must be adapted according, not only to the size, but also to the economic develop- ment and governance capacity of the urban area. By working together, and cooperating across municipalities the challenges of addressing wastewater management can be met and potential beneits realized. Urban areas are both consumers and producers of large amounts in urban areas is predicted to be twice as high as that projected of wastewater. Providing good quality water and sanitation ser- for the total population (1.8 per cent versus almost 1 per cent). vices to densely populated areas involves signiicant planning As soon as 2030, 4.9 billion people, roughly 60 per cent of the and infrastructure. Over the next 25 years the annual growth rate world’s population, will be urban dwellers (UNDESA 2006). Access to sanitation facilities Commonwealth of Independent States East Asia West Asia Pacific a icc North Ocea Oce an an Ocean Africa South Type of sanitation facility South Asia Eastern Asia Shared Unimproved Indian Improved Open Atlantic Ocean Latin America Sub- defecation and Caribbean Ocean Saharan Oceania Africa 0 500 1 000 1 500 Million people Source: JMP, Progress in drinking water and sanitation, 2008. Improved: facilities that ensure hygienic separation of Shared: sanitation facilities of an otherwise Unimproved: facilities that do not Open defecation: in ﬁelds, forests, bushes, human excreta from human contact. Includes connection acceptable type shared between two or ensure hygienic separation of bodies of water or other open spaces, or to a piped sewer system, septic tank, or pit latrines. more households. human excreta from human contact disposal of human faeces with solid waste. Figure 6: Access to improved sanitation remains a pressing issue in many regions. 24 Most of the rapid expansion in urbanization is taking place ing water and sanitation services through investment in large not in megacities, but in small and medium sized cities with infrastructure is extremely dificult. populations of less than 500 000 (UNFPA, 2007). Growth is often unplanned and attracting government and private Water and wastewater services are often controlled by multiple investment to infrastructure development in areas that lack authorities operating at a local, regional or national level. The the economic clout of the megacities is dificult. In addition, infrastructure may be state-owned or include private sector an estimated one billion people currently live in urban slums involvement. The reliance of traditional wastewater-treatment without even the most basic services (UN-HABITAT, 2009). systems on large-scale infrastructure generally results in a Because these informal settlements lack land tenure, provid- natural monopoly and hence a lack of market competition. Centralized or decentralized? Uganda. A study case Centralized sewage and wastewater connection Decentralized latrines with excreta reuse Present Net Value Financial NPV Economic Present Net Value Using low price latrines US Dollars, 2006 Economic NPV US Dollars, 2006 Using high price latrines 0 400 -200 300 200 -400 100 -600 0 -800 -100 -1 000 -200 -1 200 -300 Note: the Present Net Value (PNV) measures the -1 400 resultant ﬁnancial and economic beneﬁt of goods -400 or services when all costs and beneﬁts are taken -1 600 into consideration. A positive NPV indicates a net -500 beneﬁt and a negative NPV a net loss. 1 000 2 500 5 000 10 000 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 Population connected to the sewer Change in food price, percentage Source: WSP, Study for Financial and Economic Analysis of Ecological Sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2006. Figure 7: Looking at the costs and beneits, centralized systems may not be the answer in terms of best result for the investment. The chart on the left shows that the inancial NPV does not change with increasing population size for centralized sewage and wastewater connection, however the economic NPV (which includes beneits to health and the environment) shows a positive trend with increas- ing populations. Centralized systems therefore generate a greater beneit as population increases, but show a signiicant loss with small community size. The chart on the right shows the situation where decentralized latrines have been installed, and where the excreta is reused for food production, and hence the overall beneits returned will depend on the current market price for food. With a good market, the reuse beneits of low-cost latrines can be realized by the households into a positive NPV, however those requiring greater investment, do not offer a return on the investment (WSP, 2006). 25 Sanitation sewage and treatment in big cities Two study cases: Jakarta Sydney Sanitation in big cities Big cities with little sanitation infrastructure can easily be 1.3 million 1.2 million swamped by human waste. In Jakarta, with a population of cubic metres cubic metres nine million people, less than three per cent of the 1.3 million cubic meters (enough to ill more than 500 Olympic swim- ming pools) of sewage generated each day reaches a treat- ment plant – there is only the capacity to process 15 swimming pools’ worth. Compare this to a city like Sydney, with a popula- tion of four million, where 100 per cent of urban wastewater is treated to some degree. Sewage treatment plants process 1.2 million cubic metres per day (each person in Sydney produces nearly three times as much wastewater as a person in Jakarta). 3% Almost 100% In Jakarta there are more than one million septic tanks in the city, but these are poorly maintained and have contaminated the groundwater with faecal coliform bacteria. When tanks are emptied their contents are often illegally dumped untreated into waterways (Marshall, 2005). Jakarta has a network of ca- nals, originally built to control looding but these have been partially illed with silt and garbage. This coupled with severe subsidence due to groundwater water extraction (60 per cent of residents are not connected to the water grid so rely on wells), results in increasingly severe looding. Flooding and Daily generated sewage stagnant stormwater create conditions for mosquitoes and 1 million people Portion of sewage that the incidence of dengue fever and other water related diseases reaches a treatment plant such as diarrhoea and leptospirosis is increasing. Sources: this report. Figure 8: Case study to compare two urban centres. 26 Attracting funds to develop and maintain water and wastewater in developing countries. Instead urban planners are investi- infrastructure requires a coherent governance structure and i- gating decentralized systems where the wastewater is treated nancial and technical feasibility. close to where it is generated. This may also be an appropriate option for urban areas prone to natural hazards. These sys- The cost of investing in centralized wastewater-treatment tems can be designed to use no water or very little water and systems can be high. Urban landscapes have large areas of can be managed by households or communities. An example impervious surfaces that increase surface run-off and reduce is the closed loop “ecological” toilet that separates urine and groundwater water recharge – utilities are often left to deal faeces so that they can be easily treated and then used safely with extremely large volumes of water, especially during wet in agriculture. weather (Nyenje et al, 2010). In centralized systems, waste- water transport and treatment facilities must be engineered The increase in population and urbanization increases the de- to cope with these irregular extreme lows. Investments for mand for food. As discussed in the following section, urban “modern” water and sewer systems have been estimated to be wastewater is vital for agriculture in many areas. However $30 billion per year, and by 2025 it may cost $75 billion per while many urban centres in developing countries have house- year, excluding costs for operation and maintenance (Esrey hold sewer connections, these often discharge, in combination et al, 2001). Both the cost of building and maintaining these with storm water, into open drains that low untreated into lo- systems and the reliance on a regular supply of water means cal waterways. Local governments do not have the resources to this may not be an appropriate economical or environmental build collection and treatment facilities so that untreated water solution particularly for smaller or secondary urban centres is used in peri-urban agriculture. Sanitation in urban slums Integrated solid waste and wastewater management Slum dwellers frequently have to rely on unsewered commu- nal public toilets or use open space. The lack of water, poor It is not just wastewater that poses a major management chal- maintenance, plus the user-pays system in place for many lenge for the urban environment. Solid waste has been increas- communal toilets means that they are not widely used. A study ing with population growth and urbanization (Kan, 2009). in the slums of Delhi found that the average low-income fam- Waste management planners must consider both solid waste ily of ive could spend 37 per cent of its income on communal and wastewater in order to appropriately allocate resources toilet facilities (Sheikh, 08). Finding a suitable place to go to and successfully achieve MDGs. Solid Waste Management in the toilet is especially problematic for women raising issues of the World Cities, is the third edition in UN-HABITAT’s State of personal security, embarrassment and hygiene. Water and Sanitation in the World Cities series published in March 2010. The report presents the state and trends for solid There are approximately 600 000 residents living in the Kibera waste management, acknowledging the escalating challenges slums on the outskirts of Nairobi. The term “lying toilet” orig- in solid waste management across the globe. The publication inated in Kibera. The lying toilet is a polythene bag that people endeavours to help decision-makers, practitioners and ordinary used to dispose of faeces. These bags of waste are thrown citizens to understand how a solid waste management system onto roofs and into drains and pose a serious health hazard, works and to incite people everywhere to make their own deci- especially during the wet season, when contaminated run-off sions on the next steps in developing a solution appropriate to pollutes water sources. their own city’s particular circumstances and needs. 27 Unregulated discharge of septic tanks to the coast, Lavender Hill, Accra, Ghana approximately two kilometres upstream from major tourist hotels The city of Accra has sewer connections for only about seven per cent of its households, and the vast majority of those not living in slums have septic tanks. At peak hours there is a tanker car emptying every three minutes at this site, which is adjacent to homes and ishing grounds (Source and Photographs Robert Bos, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2006) 28 Wastewater, Health and Human well being Investing in water supply and sanitation Economic return for water and sanitation investments for two different scenarios US Dollars return for each dollar invested 45 Central and 40 Eastern Europe 35 30 Western Paciﬁc 25 Eastern Mediterranean Pacific Ocean 20 Africa South East Asia 15 Atlantic Ocean Latin America 10 and Caribbeans Indian Ocean Scenario B 5 Scenario A 0 1 000 WHO scenarios for 2015 Diarrhoea cases averted Mortality rate for WHO sanitary regions per year reaching: Water Source and sanitation for Thousands 430 High Source: Hutton, G., et al., A the Millennium Development Child Global cost-benefit Goals 130 Low analysis of water supply Scenario A Regulated piped water Low High Very high and sanitation Scenario B interventions, Journal of B source and sewer connection 1 Adult Water and Health, 2007. Figure 9: Investment to improve basic access to a safe water source and sanitation (WHO scenario A) can have a signiicant return with the largest impact on health in particular averting diarrhoea cases and time saved (increasing productivity). Urbanized areas provide a large proportion of GDP, therefore the future development of developing countries is dependent on the productivity of growing urban areas. 29 WASTEWATER, FOOD SECURITY AND PRODUCTION Agriculture is the single largest user of water. This sector uses an estimated 70 per cent of total global fresh water (Appelgren, 2004; Pimentel and Pimentel, 2008), returning the ma- jority of this water back to the system. Where agriculture takes place in upper catchments, it may be the irst cause of contamination in the water basin. However, agriculture also takes place downstream, where the water may already be polluted by other human activities that result in domestic and industrial waste. Hence there is a complex relationship between water quality, agriculture and food quality, which is in turn linked to human and ecological health. Impact of food production practices on water quality Pimentel, 1994). The daily drinking water requirement per Deterioration of water quality caused by agricultural practices person is 2–4 litres, but it takes 2 000 to 5 000 litres of wa- can be addressed by optimizing water use, irrigation practices, ter to produce one person’s daily food (FAO, 2007). Water re- crop selection and reducing evaporation, as well as cutting the quirements to produce different food stuffs vary hugely (Fig- application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, and pesticides. ure 10). Increased livestock production and associated meat It is also necessary to consider the opportunities and threats processing consumes large quantities of water and produces posed by the reuse of wastewater in achieving these goals. signiicant amounts of contaminated wastewater. Hence, re- ducing meat production will also affect water availability in Irrigation has enabled crop yield to increase by up to 400 per- many regions. cent (FAO, 1996) and is one of the practices that has enabled production to keep up with the increased food demands of a Water originating from the snow and ice in the Kush Hima- growing population, increasing yield by 2.5 times (Kindall and layas and Tibetan Plateau currently sustains over 55 percent 30 of Asia’s cereal production or approximately 25 percent of the world food production (Klatzel et al, 2009; UNEP, 2009). In- Water for food vestment in increased irrigation eficiency will not only have Volume of water required to produce one kilogram of... very substantial effects on overall water consumption and irst- phase wastewater production, it will also signiicantly reduce 100 litres food prices, increasing food production potential, and hence agricultural development and rural poverty reduction. Rice The wastewater produced from rural agriculture and livestock production, as well as inland urban areas, represents the irst phase in wastewater production and pollution and constitutes a considerable challenge for downstream users. It is character- ized by organic and inorganic contaminants; originating from dissolved contents of fertilizers, chemical runoff (such as pesti- cides), human waste, livestock manure and nutrients. Agricultural practices, primarily the cultivation of nitrogen ix- ing crops and the manufacture of fertilizer convert about 120 million tonnes of nitrogen from the atmosphere per year into reactive nitrogen containing compounds (Rockström et al, Soybeans 2009a). Up to two-thirds of this nitrogen makes its way into in- land waterways and the coastal zone. This anthropogenic addi- Wheat tion of nitrogen exceeds all natural inputs to the nitrogen cycle. The phosphorus story is similar – we mine approximately 20 million tonnes of phosphorus a year to be used mainly as fertil- izer, but almost half of this inds its way back into the ocean (Rockström et al, 2009a). This is estimated to be approximately Maize 1Kg Potatoes eight times the natural input. Together, the excess nitrogen and phosphorus drive algal booms, including toxic red tides and Source: Hoekstra, A. Y., Virtual devastating hypoxic events that impact ish stocks or human Beef Water Trade, IHE Delft, 2003. health. (Tilman, 1998; Rockström et al, 2009b). Impacts of water quality on food quality and health Wastewater has long been used as a resource in agriculture. The use of contaminated water in agriculture, which may be intentional or accidental, can be managed through the imple- mentation of various barriers which reduce the risk to both Figure 10: The volume of water required to produce different crop viability and human health. Today an estimated 20 million food products varies enourmously, as do the waste products. hectares (seven per cent) of land is irrigated using wastewater 31 Converting water into red meat Latin America and Caribbean South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Western Europe Eastern Europe Eastern and South Eastern Asia Water use for cattle Pacific drinking requirements North America Ocean 1 hundred cubic kilometres per year West Asia and Northern Africa Oceania Cattle production Heads Indian 3 500 Atlantic Ocean Ocean 1750 400 Sources: FAO statistical database, 2009;FAO, Livestock Long Shadow. Environmental Issues and Options, 2006. Data refers to 2003. Figure 11: Production of red meat has a signiicant demand on water with impacts on quality. worldwide (WHO-FAO, 2006), particularly in arid and semi- contaminated wastewater (WHO-FAO, 2006). In Pakistan, arid regions and urban areas where unpolluted water is a scarce about 26 per cent of national vegetable production originates resource and the water and nutrient values of wastewater repre- from urban and peri-urban agriculture irrigated with wastewa- sent important, drought-resistant resources for farmers. How- ter (Ensink et al, 2004). In Hanoi peri-urban agriculture, using ever, untreated wastewater may contain a range of pathogens diluted wastewater, provides 60–80 per cent of the perishable including bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxic chemicals such as food for local markets (Lai, 2002, Van den Berg et al, 2003). heavy metals and organic chemicals from agriculture, industry and domestic sources (Drechsel et al, 2010). Whilst providing affordable food, the use of wastewater for food production without proper management can pose a seri- There are clear health advantages related to wastewater use ous risk. This risk can be to farmers and farm workers who in agriculture, stemming directly from the provision of food come into direct contact with wastewater affected through (mainly vegetables) to urban populations. It is estimated that faecal-oral transmission pathways or contact with disease vec- 10 per cent of the worlds population relies on food grown with tors in the water, such as schistosomiasis. Consumers and 32 33 Wastewater in urban agriculture A look inside Resource or threat? Concentrations of micro-organisms excreted in one litre of wastewater Cryptosporidium parvum Entamoeba Waterborne histolytica disease risk Giardia Salmonella intestinalis Shighella Wastewater treatment Vibrio cholerae Ascaris lumbricoides Anchilostoma No need of added fertilizers Inefficent crops duodenale Costs of treatment Low quality output Trichuris trichiura Enteric visuses Nutrients Pharmaceuticals Rotavirus Heavy metals Soil enrichment Nutrients Ecosystem destruction Number of organisms Eutrophication Logaritmic scale 1 000 000 100 000 10 000 Source: WHO, Guidelines for the Safe Use of 1 000 Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater, Volume 100 10 2 Wastewater use in agriculture, 2006. Wastewater reuse in agriculture: blackwater and graywater discharge Food provision Contamined food provision Pollutant discarge on soils and ecosystems Source: Drechser, P., et al.Wastewater Irrigation and Health. Assessing and Figure 12a: Is reuse of wastewater a beneit or a threat for agri- Mitigating Risk in Low-Income Countries, IWMI-IDRC, 2009. culture? Figure 12b looks at what one litre of wastewater might contain in terms of pathogens. 34 marginalized communities living around agricultural and aquaculture regions where untreated wastewater is used are also exposed to risks. The impact on health varies depending of location and type of contaminant, however bacteria and in- testinal worm infestations have been shown to pose the great- est risk (Drechsel et al, 2010). In addition farmers often lack knowledge of water quality, in- cluding nutrient content, so they combine nutrient-rich irriga- tion water with chemical fertilizers. This makes agriculture a source of pollution rather than a step in environmental sanita- tion (Evers et al, 2008). Whilst some countries have national guidelines for the accept- able use of wastewater for irrigation, many do not. The Guide- lines on the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater in Agriculture and Aquaculture (WHO/FAO, 2006a) provide a comprehensive framework for risk assessment and manage- ment that can be applied at different levels and in a range of socio-economic circumstances. The main characteristics of the approach proposed by the guidelines are: • the establishment of health-based targets, which allow local improvements in wastewater use are mutually re-enforcing ac- authorities to set risk levels that can be handled under the tions in support of optimizing wastewater management from local socio-economic conditions and with the capacities avail- the public health perspective (WHO/FAO, 2006). able in a country; • the application of quantitative microbial risk assessment (for Optimizing agricultural practices including irrigation tech- pathogenic viruses and bacteria) as a cost-effective way of as- niques, fertilization practices, and reducing water evaporation sessing health risks; and crop selection can save signiicant amounts of water with • the identiication of all risk points along the chain of events a subsequent reduction in wastewater production. In a similar from the origin of the wastewater to the consumption of the way, opportunities for appropriate use of wastewater, as well produce (e.g. the farm-to-fork approach of the HAPPC meth- as improvement in fertilization and animal production should od in food safety); continue to be explored. Development and modiication of ag- • the design of a combination of health risk management mea- ricultural tools and practices should be promoted as one facet sures, to be applied along the same chain of events, with the in addressing the management of wastewater. aim of ensuring health protection as a result of incremental risk reduction. Such interventions can include partial waste- Sectorally appropriate solutions may however not be benei- water treatment; cial across the board. Reuse of wastewater may, for example • monitoring at all stages to ensure measures are effective, ap- increase productivity and yield without the need for additional plied correctly and lead to the desired impact on health. water sources and artiicial fertilizers, but carry risks for con- sumer health – creating costs further down the chain. This In many countries the capacity to apply these guidelines and again highlights the cross-cutting nature of wastewater man- best practice recommendations is insuficient and needs sub- agement that requires collaboration and dialogue between stantial strengthening. Yet, this incremental approach to waste- partners who may not usually talk, for example farmers, pub- water management is highly compatible with the concept of lic health oficials, municipal and waste managers, planners the sanitation ladder. Both improvements in sanitation and and developers. 35 36 WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRY Water is an important requirement in many industrial processes, for example, heating, cooling, production, cleaning and rinsing. Overall, some 5–20 per cent of total water usage goes to industry (WWAP, 2009), and industry generates a substantial propor- tion of total wastewater. If unregulated, industrial wastewater has the potential to be a highly toxic source of pollution. The vast array of complex organic compounds and heavy metals used in modern industrial processes, if released into the environment can cause both human health and environmental disasters. Industry has a corporate responsibility to take action to ensure discharged water is of an acceptable standard, and accept costs of any required clean up. The most cost-effective solutions usually focus on preventing contaminants from ever entering the wastewater stream or developing a closed system of water use. Industry can also beneit from access to cleaner water resources with fewer impurities, as impurities can add costs to the production processes. In many developing countries more than 70 per cent of in- carcinogenic or neurotoxic to people (e.g. lead and mercury) or dustrial wastes are dumped untreated into waters where they extremely toxic to aquatic organisms (e.g. copper). There are pollute the usable water supply (WWAP, 2009). Industrial dis- many examples of persistent environmental damage caused by charge can contain a wide range of contaminants and originate the discharge of toxic mine waste. In Papua New Guinea for ex- from a myriad of sources. Some of the biggest generators of ample, companies discharge millions of tons of contaminated toxic industrial waste include mining, pulp mills, tanneries, mine waste into rivers from the Ok Tedi, Porgera and Tolukuma sugar reineries, and pharmaceutical production. mines (Christmann and Stolojan, 2001). In many instances wastewater from industry not only drains The food and agriculture processing industry can also be a directly into rivers and lakes, it also seeps into the ground con- major producer of wastewater particularly organic waste with taminating aquifers and wells. This pollutes water supplies and high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). BOD measures the in developing countries often goes undetected, as monitoring amount of oxygen used by micro-organisms like bacteria in is expensive. Even if it is detected, remediation often does not the oxidation of this material. Low oxygen levels or even an- occur as the source of the pollution must be addressed and oxic conditions may result if large amounts of organic waste decontamination carried out at the same time, which can be are discharged into waterways. Slaughterhouses may produce extremely dificult. water polluted with biological material such as blood contain- ing pathogens, hormones and antibiotics. Mining has traditionally been a major source of unregulated wastewater discharge in developing countries. Tailings from Cooling waters used in industrial processes like steel manufac- mining operations can contain silt and rock particles and sur- ture and coke production not only produce discharge with an factants. Depending on the type of ore deposit being mined, elevated temperature which can have adverse effects on biota, tailings can also contain heavy metals like copper, lead, zinc, but can also become contaminated with a wide range of toxic mercury and arsenic. The contaminants in mine waste may be substances. This includes cyanide, ammonia, benzene, phe- 37 nols, cresols, naphthalene, anthracene and complex organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). How to get industry to clean up its act? Water is also used as a lubricant in industrial machinery and In many countries the responsibility for industrial wastewater can become contaminated with hydraulic oils, tallow, tin, chro- treatment falls on ordinary taxpayers. In the absence of a user- mium, ferrous sulphates and chlorides and various acids. pays system for pollution control, large volumes of contami- nated industrial wastewater end up in municipal sewage treat- Industry has a primary responsibility to reduce the production ment plants, which are expensive to construct, operate and of toxic waste. Many incentives are based on voluntary mea- maintain. The Netherlands introduced a series of incentives sures, but governments and the public sector must play a cen- to polluters to reduce pollution at source, rather than opting tral role in monitoring, regulating and also implementing pol- for the more expensive end-of-pipe solution of public sewage icy to reduce toxic waste. Industrialized nations have generally treatment. This approach has been cost-effective in reaching recognized that in theory it is simpler and more cost-effective water quality targets (the Urban Waste Water Treatment Di- to deploy cleaner production processes than to clean up large- rective). In contrast other European member states who have scale industrial pollution. Pollution from wastewater depreci- not introduced a polluter-pays system or have been slow to ates land values, increases municipal costs and causes numer- adopt one have consequently not reached targets (e.g. France) ous adverse biological and human health effects, the cost of or have paid a high price to do so (e.g. Denmark)(EEA, 2005). which are dificult to calculate. Bottled water The problem of poor water quality in many urban centres has Before Mining been one of the factors that have lead those who can afford it Rainfall filtering to turn to bottled water. Bottled water sales worldwide have through soil Surface runoff increased rapidly with global consumption now at more than 200 000 million litres a year. While the USA is the biggest Filtering soils consumer of bottled water, China has shown the strongest Sulfide growth, increasing consumption by more than 15 per cent Groundwater since 2003 (Beverage Marketing Corporation). The cost of producing bottled water is a serious concern. In the United States it is estimated that the production of the bottles alone requires 17 million barrels of oil a year and it takes three litres of water to produce one litre of bottled water After Mining (Source: Paciic Institute http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_ sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html) Surface runoff Mine Filtering soils Sulfide Groundwater  Figure 13: Mining effects on rainfall drainage. Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is the number one environmental problem facing the mining industry. AMD occurs OXYGEN + WATER + SULPHIDE = SULFURIC ACID when sulphide-bearing minerals in rock are exposed to air and water, changing Heavy Metals Fish Mortality the sulphide to sulphuric acid. AMD can devastate aquatic habitats, is dificult to Extraction decreases groundwater depth and treat with existing technology, and once started, can continue for centuries (Ro- natural filtration, and increases the man mine sites in Great Britain continue to generate acid drainage 2 000 years groundwater contamination. after mining ceased (Mining Watch Canada, 2006)). 38 Different sources of danger and their impacts to the environment Energy Construction Production and Demolition Hazardous Manufacturing Feedlot Waste Dumpsite Landfill Mining and Quarrying Agriculture and Forestry k Solvents e Roc abl Con me tamin ated Per Impe Grou Leachate ndw rme able ater Fertilisers & Roc Pesticides Water Supply Well k Source: Geological Survey of Canada, the Geological Society Figure 14: Sources of agricultural and industrial pollution and their impacts on the environment. Contaminated groundwater can adversely affect animals, plants and humans if it is removed from the ground by man-made or natural processes. Depending on the geology of the area, groundwater may rise to the surface through springs or seeps, low laterally into nearby rivers, streams, or ponds, or sink deeper into the earth. In many parts of the world, groundwater is pumped out of the ground to be used for drinking, bathing, other household uses, agriculture, and industry. 39 WASTEWATER, HEALTH AND HUMAN WELLBEING Securing safe water and reducing the unregulated discharge of wastewater are among the most important factors inluencing world health. Unmanaged wastewater is a vector of disease, causing child mortality and reduced labour productivity, but receives a dispro- portionately low and often poorly targeted share of development aid and investment in developing countries. At least 1.8 million children under ive years die every year due to water related disease, or one every 20 seconds (WHO, 2008). THE BURDEN OF WATER ASSOCIATED DISEASE Distribution of causes of death among children Infectious disease under five years and within neonatal period Estimates of the global burden of water-associated human dis- HIV/AIDS Water linked diseases eases provide a simple index hiding a complex reality. WHO Postneonatal diseases estimates that worldwide some 2.2 million people die each year Non communicable diseases from diarrhoeal disease, 3.7 per cent of all deaths and at any one Measles time over half of the world’s hospitals beds are illed with people suffering from water related diseases (UNDP 2006). Of the 10.4 Injuries million deaths of children under ive, 17 per cent are attributed to diarrhoeal disease, i.e. an estimated 1.8 million under-ives die Malaria annually as a result of diarrhoeal diseases. For an estimated 88 Other infectous and parasitic diseases per cent of diarrhoea cases the underlying cause is unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Moreover, it is estimated Diarrhoeal diseases that 50 per cent of malnutrition is associated with repeated diar- Acute respiratory infections rhoea or intestinal worm infections. Childhood malnutrition is at Neonatal deaths the root of 35 per cent of all global child mortality (WHO, 2008). Prematurity, Birth asphyxia Neonatal Other The burden of disease is about more than just mortality; it low birth weight and birth trauma infections also takes into account the proportion of healthy life years lost. Other non-infectious The Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is a time-based mea- Diarrhieal diseases Neonatal tetanus sure of the burden on community health that combines years Congenital anomalies of life lost due to premature mortality and years of life lost due 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 to periods of illness. Diarrhoeal diseases rank second in terms Percentage of global DALYs lost (see: Table 1). Source: WHO, 2008. It is dificult to tease out which fraction of the disease burden Figure 15: Distribution of causes of death among children un- can be attributed to the poor management of wastewater. The der ive years and within the neonatal period, 2004 (Figure from role of wastewater in human ill-health can pass through one WHO, 2008). 40 Table 1: Global burden of disease and the relative disease burden caused by diarrhoeal diseases (measured in DALYs), 2004 Disability-adjusted life years, Disability-adjusted life years, Percentage of total Disease or injury all age groups (millions) children 0–14 years (millions) DALYs, all age groups 1 Lower respiratory infections 94.5 73.6 6.2 2 Diarrhoeal diseases 72.8 65.2 4.8 3 Unipolar depressive disorders 65.5 – 4.3 4 Ischaemic heart disease 62.6 – 4.1 5 HIV/AIDS 58.5 8.5 3.8 ... 11 Tuberculosis 34.2 3.4 2.2 12 Malaria 34.0 32.4 2.2 Source: WHO (2008) of two transmission pathways; the faecal-oral pathway (i.e. ACCESS TO SANITATION disease-causing microbes originating from faecal contamina- tion make their way when water is ingested); or the ecosystem, The connection between wastewater and human health is where wastewater collects providing an ecological niche for linked with access to sanitation and with human waste dispos- the propagation of certain human diseases vectors. The latter al. Adequate sanitation is expected to create a barrier between group includes lymphatic ilariasis, and in some parts of the disposed human excreta and sources of drinking-water. Waste- world, for some vector species, West Nile infection; it does not, water management is a key component of health risk manage- however, include malaria, as the anopheline vectors of this dis- ment in this context. ease generally do not breed in wastewater. Access to basic sanitation is part of the 2015 water and sanita- Non-communicable disease tion target under Millennium Development Goal 7: to halve, Direct evidence of ill-health related to exposure to toxic com- by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable pounds is harder to establish. This is because of complexities access to safe drinking-water and basic sanitation. The WHO/ in the exposure pathways and the long-term effect of exposure UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) is the formal to low doses over extended periods of time, during which other mechanism to keep track of progress towards achieving these hazards and risks will complicate the picture. Pesticides and targets. Information up to 2006 showed 2.5 billion people pesticide residues in agricultural run-off, heavy metals and toxic lacked access to basic sanitation (WHO/UNICEF, 2008). The compounds in industrial waste, the group of persistent organic 2010 JMP report (WHO/UNICEF, in print) will report that ig- pollutants (which includes many irst generation synthetic pes- ure estimated to be 2.6 billion at the end of 2008. This means ticides), endocrine disruptors and pharmaceutical and person that, taking population growth into account the situation has care products all feature as conirmed, incriminated or suspect remained stagnant and progress towards the sanitation target chemicals that pose health hazards. is off track. 41 Regionally, there are large variations in progress towards this MDG. For sanitation, the regions of Africa south of the Sahara Child mortality rates and southern Asia show the greatest disparity, with 330 mil- Percentage lion and 221 million people without access to basic sanitation, 40 Perinatal conditions Africa respectively. Not surprisingly, the regional variations in lack Diarrhoeal diseases of access are proportionally mirrored in the diarrhoeal dis- 35 Respiratory diseases ease data. Figure 16 presents the regional child mortality rates Malaria diseases from diarrhoea for which lack of access to sanitation is the Other causes root-cause, modulated by regional differences in the capacity 30 of health services. 25 THE SANITATION LADDER Eastern Mediterranean 20 In their efforts to monitor progress in achieving the MDG wa- South East ter and sanitation target, WHO and UNICEF designed the sani- Asia tation ladder. The sanitation ladder relects incremental prog- 15 ress even in situations where it is not possible to achieve the Europe full MDG target. Poverty is the overarching determinant, and Western 10 Paciﬁc the position of a community on the sanitation ladder therefore Americas relates to that community’s capacity to deal with wastewater High management as well. Not only do higher rungs on the ladder 5 income relect a better sanitation starting point for effective wastewater countries management, but the corresponding improved socio-economic 0 status will also permit a greater capacity to manage wastewater Source: WHO, 2008. and invest in the necessary infrastructure. Figure 16: Child mortality rates by cause and region, 2004. Source: WHO, 2008. 42 WASTEWATER AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION All waterways are connected. The unregulated discharge of wastewater therefore has far reaching implications for the health of all aquatic ecosystems, which threatens to undermine the resilience of biodiversity and the ecosystem services on which human wellbeing depends. One such impact, eutrophication is a major global concern affecting the functioning of marine and freshwater ecosystems. To address these challenges we must apply the principles of integrated ecosystem-based management so that the eco- system services on which we depend can be sustained through the watershed and into the marine environment. Water quality changes at the irst point of extraction or use, whether this is the impact of livestock production, release of nu- trients and sedimentation through deforestation, or the myriad of agricultural, industrial and urban activities taking place in the watershed all the way to the coastal zone and open ocean via rivers, ground water, aquifers and storm water run-off. These changes can impact aquatic environments in the following ways: Mechanical impacts The impact of water extraction can inluence water quality through changes in sediment loading and thermal stress which can change the physical environment, increasing turbidity or scouring and in turn affect biodiversity. For example, changes in sediment loading of rivers can impact downstream habitats that provide ecosystem services of waste and nutrient assimi- lation. Many aquatic organisms and habitats such as bivalves, mangroves, salt marshes, fresh water marshes and sea grasses have a natural capacity to assimilate a certain amount of pol- lutants, such as nitrates and phosphates. Changes in sediment supplies can result in either smothering of sea grasses and coral reefs, or if restricted reduce the essential supply required waters become increasingly rich in plant biomass as a result for the accretion of coastal wetlands, resulting in the decline of of the enhanced input of plant nutrients mainly nitrogen and these critically important and sensitive habitats. phosphorus in general originating from agricultural and ur- ban areas, through the soil or directly into rivers and oceans Eutrophication (Gilbert, 2008, Nyenje et al, 2010). The impacts of eutrophi- Eutrophication is one of the most prevalent global problems cation can result in profound environmental change and im- of our time. It is a process by which lakes, rivers, and coastal pact the ecological integrity of aquatic systems e.g. Agricul- 43 tural run-off exacerbating the spreading of dead zones (Diaz and Rosenberg, 2008): current agricultural practices, convert about 120 million tonnes of nitrogen from the atmosphere per year into reactive nitrogen containing compounds (Rock- ström et al, 2009). Up to two thirds of this nitrogen makes its way into inland waterways and the coastal zone, exceeding all natural inputs to the nitrogen cycle. Approximately 20 million tonnes of phosphorus are mined each year for fertilizers, al- most half returns to the ocean – approximately eight times the natural input (Rockström et al, 2009a). Together, this excess nitrogen and phosphorus drive potentially toxic algal booms and changes in biodiversity which can in turn lead to devastat- ing hypoxic events and enhancing dead zones (Tilman, 1998; Rockström et al, 2009b) resulting in huge economic losses across many sectors (Figueredo and Giani, 2001, Hernández- Ratio of wastewater treatment Baltic Sea Central and East Europe Western Europe Caspian Sea North Atlantic Mediterranean Caribbean East Asia Southern Asia West and Central Africa Untreated Adapted from a map by Ahlenius, H., http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/ratio Treated -of-wastewater-treatment Sources: UNEP-GPA, 2004. Figure 17: The ratio of treated to untreated wastewater reaching water bodies for 10 regions. An estimated 90 per cent of all wastewa- ter in developing countries is discharged untreated directly into rivers, lakes or the oceans (UN Water, 2008). 44 Shancho et al, 2010). Dead zones are now thought to affect more than 245 000 km2 of marine ecosystems, predominantly in the northern hemisphere (Diaz and Rosenberg, 2008), equivalent to the total global area of coral reefs. Toxicity, saphrogens and mutagens A wide range of toxic pollutants from land based sources are found in both fresh and marine waters ranging from agricul- tural and industrial chemicals such as organic compounds, heavy metals to personal-care products and pharmaceuticals. The impacts of these are wide-ranging. In the north east of Australia, run-off of agricultural herbicides caused the loss of 30 km2 of mangrove between 1999 and 2002. In areas where mangroves were lost, the near shore zone suffered greater tur- bidity, nutrient loading and sediment loading as well as greater 45 exposure to the herbicide toxins which then had toxicological these net beneits by an estimated US$350–870 million a year effects on other highly valued marine ecosystems such as the (Burke and Maidens, 2004). reefs and lagoons of the Great Barrier Reef (Duke et al, 2005). Another example of transfer of terrestrial pathogens to marine Healthy, functioning ecosystems provide a wide array of valu- mammals concerns Toxoplasma gondii, a pathogen of marine able services to human security and wellbeing. Coastal eco- mammals commonly found in domestic cats and terrestrial systems provide global services estimated at US$25 billion a wild mammals. It is believed that the oocysts from cat faeces year (Martínez et al, 2007) – contributing food security, shore- are washed into seawater where they remain a source of infec- line protection, tourism, carbon sequestration through blue tion for up to two years, depending on the water temperature (Lindsay and Dubey, 2009) Desalination and impacts on the marine and Coastal regions and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) rep- coastal environment resent an area of particular concern as they contain some of Desalination of sea water is often the only viable option for the most productive ecosystems. It is here that human popu- providing safe drinking water in many arid, coastal regions or lations concentrate – they are the most densely populated on isolated locations such as small islands, An established tech- the planet, and yet the most productive. This zone where land nology since the 1950s, by 2006 approximately 24.5 million m3 and sea meet has historically been a strategic location for hu- of water were being produced per day for drinking water, tour- man communities, with good positioning for trade and secu- ism, industry and agriculture (58 per cent of all desalinated wa- rity, productive land and water providing access to food and ter produced) (UNEP, 2008; Lattemann, and Hoepner, 2008). energy sources. Twenty-one of the world’s 33 megacities are on Production is expected to increase to 98 million m3 a day by the coast (Martínez et al, 2007). By 2015, the coastal population 2015 (UNEP 2008). It is not however without consequences is expected to reach approximately 1.6 billion people, nearly both in terms of high economic cost, energy requirements 22.2% of the global total (Manson, 2005). (Bleninger and Jirka, 2008; Lattemann, and Hoepner,2008; von Medeazza GLM 2005; Sadhwani et al, 2005; UNEP, 2008), This increasing pressure from changing climate and growing environmental and social implications (Lattemann, and Ho- populations threatens the continued provision of vital services, epner,2008). There is scope to improve the sustainability of in particular where economies are highly dependent on coastal the desalination process. resources. In Zanzibar, a Tanzanian island off the east coast of Africa, for example, marine ecosystem services account for 30 The process results in the discharge of a concentrated brine per cent of GDP, 77 per cent of investment, and a large amount into the receiving waters. Temperature and salinity are two factors that determine the composition and distribution of of foreign exchange and employment. The value of tourism species in the marine environment affecting water density and alone in 2007 accounted for 25 per cent of GDP, ive times causing stratiication (Miri and Chouikhi ,2005;Lattemann and greater than the combined value of all the other ecosystem val- Hoepner,2008) changes to primary production and turbidity. ues and dependent on a healthy marine environment. How- Changes in these parameters over sustained periods could ever uncontrolled release of wastewater from Zanzibar town lead to local ecological changes, resulting in shifts in species into the coastal zone is a particular threat to water quality and diversity, opening the potential for the colonization of exotic ecosystem integrity impacting the two main economic activi- and potentially invasive species, and changing ecosystem ties – isheries and tourism – a risk for the very assets that tour- function. The process requires the use of descaling and anti- ists pay to come and see (Lange and Jiddawi, 2009). In Carib- fouling products, which can contain heavy metals and toxic bean SIDS, the economies of some states are almost entirely chemicals, although the impact of these can be managed with dependent on the health of their reefs for tourism, isheries good practice and plant maintenance. and shoreline protection. Degradation of the reefs could reduce 46 carbon sinks (Nelleman et al, 2009). However, loss of these along the coasts, and subsequent loss of livelihoods and food ecosystems, or overburdening through poor management security. The continued provision of these services requires of water and wastewater compromises the integrity of these management that will support healthy and functioning eco- ecosystems and the services they provide. Resulting in, con- systems, not just in the marine environment, but in the entire tamination of ish stocks, algae blooms, a rise in dead zones watershed. Saudi Water desalination Arabia Water desalination Desalination capacity Thousand of cubic metres per day 5 000 United States 4 000 UAE 3 000 Netherlands UK Italy Japan South Iran Korea Russia 2 000 Israel Pacific Spain Kazakhstan Ocean Mexico Netherland Taiwan Algeria Libya Hong Kong Antilles Egypt Oman India Iraq Qatar Bahrain Singapore 1 000 Kuwait Indian Indonesia Atlantic Ocean Chile Ocean Australia South Africa 0 Note: only countries with more than 70 000 cubic metres per day are shown. Sources: Paciﬁc Institute, The World’s Water, 2009. Figure 18: Desalination is an increasingly important practice to secure clean water in a number of countries. Monitoring is key to minimize negative impacts on the ecosystem. 47 48 WASTEWATER AND GLOBAL CHANGE Global populations are rapidly expanding with urban populations expected to double in the next 40 years (UNFPA, 2009), increasing demands on food and water resources and already inadequate wastewater infrastructure. This is in the light of changing climatic patterns, and water availability, weakened ecosystems and inconsistent and poorly in- tegrated management. The challenges that unmanaged wastewater poses in the urban environment, to food production, industry, human health and the environment are in- terconnected and becoming ever more severe. It is critical that wastewater management is dealt with urgently and given very high priority to become an integral part of urban planning and integrated watershed and coastal management. POPULATION GROWTH ization has become virtually synonymous with slum growth. The slum population of sub-Saharan Africa almost doubled in The world’s population is expected to grow by almost a third to 15 years, reaching nearly 200 million in 2005. Seventy-two per over 9 billion people in the next 40 years (UNFPA, 2009), result- cent of the region’s urban population lives under slum condi- ing in increased water usage, and increased demand for food and tions, compared to 56 per cent in South Asia. (UNFPA, 2007) products. The amount of available fresh water resources, how- ever will not increase. Over the period to 2050 the world’s water As cities continue to expand their size, footprint and slum ar- will have to support the agricultural systems that will feed and eas, it is essential that wastewater management is brought into create livelihoods for an additional 2.7 billion people (UN, 2010). urban management and planning. Currently one ifth or 1.2 billion people live in areas of physical water scarcity. It is esti- Urban populations are projected to see the fastest growth rising mated that this will increase to 3 billion by 2025 as water stress from a current 3.4 billion to over 6.4 billion by 2050 (UNDESA, and populations increase (UNDP, 2006 and DFID,2008) 2008). Most cities in developing countries have an aging, in- adequate or even non-existent sewage infrastructure, unable CLIMATE CHANGE to keep up with rising population. Effective treatment also re- quires a transportation infrastructure to deal with the growing The relationship between wastewater and climate change can masses and frequently unorganized settlement patterns. be seen from three perspectives. Changing climatic conditions change the volume and quality of water availability in both time Slum dwellers of the new millennium are no longer a few thou- and space, thus inluencing water usage practices. Secondly sand in a few cities of a rapidly industrializing continent, but changes in climate will also require adaptation, in terms of how include one out of every three city dwellers, close to a billion wastewater is managed. Finally, wastewater treatment results people, or a sixth of the world’s population and are projected to in the emission of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon diox- increase to 1.4 billion within a decade (UN-HABITAT 2009), ide (CO2) and methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). meaning another 400 million people without basic sanitation or water supply by 2020. Over 90 per cent of slum dwellers to- Changes to global climate patterns are a reality which impacts day are in the developing world. In sub-Saharan Africa, urban- our daily lives (IPCC, 2007) and may affect water availability, 49 Population living in river basins where freshwater withdrawal exceeds 40 per cent of renewable resources Million people Asia and the Pacific Projection for 2 964 2050 2025 2010 2 110 Africa 552 Latin America North Europe West Asia Caribbean America 217 239 119 137 133 Population by region was calculated averaging the results forecasted by the scenarios of the GEO-4 report using the WaterGAP modeling. Source: Fourth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-4 report), UNEP, 2007. Figure 19. in the timing and intensity of rainfall, or the period of time exposed land, where loods also spread diseases and cause diar- without rain, as well as affecting the quality of water in rivers rhoea through the looding of open sewage or inadequate sew- and lakes through changes in the timing and volume of peak age infrastructure. Increased capacity to capture and store water, discharge and temperature (IPCC, 2007). as well as eficient use of water, and maximizing resources that are available will be important adaptation strategies. Anticipation of more droughts and extreme rainfall events has impacts for non-existent or old, inadequate wastewater treat- Increasing pressure on water resources through increasing ment facilities highlighting the need for infrastructure that can populations and more unreliable rainfall has in some regions cope with extreme surges of wastewater. Changes in the reli- pushed the exploitation of groundwater resources as other ability of the water supply have major impacts on the livelihoods sources decline. Eighty per cent of drinking water in Russia and health of the poorest communities which rely on rainfall or and Europe comes from these slowly repleating resources surface waters and tend to settle in the available low-lying lood- (Struckmeier et al, 2005). 50 Population increase and water resources World population living in river basins with severe water stress Billion Cubic kilometres Million people Projection for 2050 4 909 9.3 2025 3 208 6.6 200 000 200 000 1 601 2007 Water availability below 1 000 m3 per capita per year was regarded as an indicator of water stress. Projections for 2025 and 2050 are computed considering socio-economic and climatic driving forces from the B2 scenario of the IPCC. 2007 2050 2007 2050 Source: Joseph Alcamo, et al, Future Long-term changes in global water resources driven by socio-economic and climatic changes, Hydrological Source:UN Water Statistics Sciences Journal, 52(2), April 2007. Figure 20: The world’s water resources will not change, but the Figure 21: Increasing water scarcity with population increase. human population and its demands on supply are growing rap- idly. Meeting these demands will require wise investment in how we use and reuse our water (UN Water Statistics). The effects of climate change are exacerbated by the rapidly increas- methane has an impact 21 times greater than the same ing physical expansion of cities, deforestation and grazing of up- mass of carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide is 310 times more lands surrounding cities, and the heavy build-up of infrastructure potent (AAEE, 2008). Although a relatively small contribu- and lack of green rain-absorbing vegetation and areas inside cities. tor to global emissions, wastewater and its management With extensive build-up of concrete, housing, roofs and roads in is a growing impact. Methane emissions from wastewater cities, no ground and vegetation is available across larges areas to are expected to increase almost 50 per cent between 1990 absorb and slow the water, resulting in massive run-off and lood- and 2020, while, estimates of global N2O emissions from ing of cities (Nyenje et al, 2010), especially the low-lying slums. wastewater are incomplete they suggest an increase of 25 per cent between 1990 and 2020 (IPCC, 2007). There is a How wastewater is treated can in turn have an impact on cli- pressing need to investigate and implement alternatives to mate change. Wastewater and its treatment generates methane current wastewater treatment, which minimize the produc- and nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. It is worth noting that tion of greenhouse gases and power consumption. 51 52 PART II REALISING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF WASTEWATER Reducing unregulated discharge of wastewater and securing safe water are among the most important interventions for improving global public health and achieving sustain- able development. Part I demonstrated the enormous impacts and high cost to the en- vironment, society and thus to economies, that wastewater can have when inadequate- ly or inappropriately managed. Part II pro- vides another perspective. Where are the opportunities for using wastewater? How can wise investment and appropriate man- agement of wastewater reveal a resource, a tool that can help tackle the global water crisis, urgent health issues, food security and economic productivity, and maintain or improve environmental integrity? It is critically important how investment is made. Inappropriate inancing that does not produce results can have serious knock-on effects, leading to diminished public and po- litical conidence and a lost opportunity to simultaneously tackle a problem and generate capital. The UNGA declared 1981–90 the International drinking water supply and sani- tation decade. Approximately US$700 billion was spent, yet absolute numbers of people without safe drinking water stayed static (Elimelech, 2006; Mintz et al, 2001). The task in hand is not a small one, but the technology and know how exist. It can be done. 53 RECOGNISING WASTEWATER AS A RESOURCE As its name implies, wastewater is grossly undervalued as a potential resource. All too frequently wastewater is ignored and left to drain away. Smart and sustained investment in wastewater management will generate multiple dividends in society, the economy and the environment. It can involve both private and public sectors, fulilling public needs as well as social equity and enhance food security. Immediate, targeted and sustained in- vestments should take multiple forms. They should be designed to (i) reduce the volume and extent of water pollution through preventative practices; (ii) capture water once it has been polluted; (iii) treat polluted water using appropriate technologies and techniques for return to the environment; (iv) where feasible safely reuse and recycle wastewater thereby conserving water and nutrients; and (v) provide a platform for the development of new and innovative technologies and management practices. If investments such as these are scaled up appropriately they will generate social, economic and environmental dividends far exceeding original investments for years to come. It is acknowledged that water is a limited resource for which Developing strategies to improve environmental governance, demand is growing. Managing wastewater is intrinsically including improving watershed, coastal and riparian manage- linked to management of the entire water chain. How we ment, irrigation eficiency and the greening of agricultural use and reuse water is the key to successfully meeting the practices, provides an enormous opportunity for maximizing vast water requirements of an urban population twice its cur- the beneit derived from natural ecosystem processes, greatly rent size, expanding agriculture to feed another three billion reducing the negative impacts of wastewater, and increasing people and satisfy rising demand for meat, while coping with the availability of water to cities. increasing food waste. Climate conditions and watershed management, particularly Climate, geography and healthy ecosystems together control with regard to deforestation, cropland development and inland the initial supply of water in the water chain, maintain water aquaculture, are crucial factors in determining the quantity quality and regulate water low. Forests and wetlands, includ- and quality of the water which will eventually be available for ing salt marsh and mangrove forests, have an important natu- irrigation in food production, processing in industry, human ral role to play in wastewater management, capturing water, consumption and recycling. iltering out nutrients and other contaminants and releasing water into lakes, rivers and coastal seas. Worldwide, these eco- Worldwide, water tables and aquifers are declining (IWMI, systems are being lost and with them the services they provide 2006). With climate change, rainfall patterns are likely to be- for buffering extreme weather and assimilating wastewater. come more variable and extreme rainfall events more frequent. 54 Figure 22: Global water withdrawal and waste over time. Improving watershed management will be crucial and inding economic eficiency. In the US state of California, 31 per cent ways to reduce, optimize and recycle water will become increas- of reclaimed water is used for crop or landscape irrigation. ingly essential in the future. Wastewater is already being used In Mexico, most of the wastewater from Mexico City is used for irrigation and fertilization and can continue to expand this in irrigation districts surrounding the city, notably the Tula role, particularly for peri-urban or urban agriculture and home valley. Untreated wastewater is often used in the informal, un- gardens. But maximizing water eficiency in the entire water regulated sector and directly beneits poor farmers who would chain including before water enters the cities, and reducing otherwise have little or no access to water for irrigation. Even production of wastewater should be a primary goal throughout untreated wastewater can improve soil fertility and reduce wa- the entire management scheme. ter contamination downstream, since the wastewater is not fed directly into the water low but is irst iltered through WASTEWATER AS A MANAGED RESOURCE soil during irrigation. Through FAO’s Farmer Field Schools FOR IRRIGATION AND FOOD PRODUCTION in developing countries, training in risk-reduction and man- agement strategies in safe food production and crop selec- With proper management, wastewater can be an essential re- tion have been implemented from International Guidelines source for supporting livelihoods. Wastewater treatment and (WHO-FAO 2006) to simple and adoptable ‘farm-to-fork’ reuse in agriculture can provide beneits to farmers in conserv- techniques. Safe reuse of untreated and partially wastewater ing fresh water resources, improving soil integrity, preventing for agriculture production has been tested in Ghana and Sen- discharge to surface and groundwater waters, and improving egal where various options at farm, markets, and food-vendor 55 levels were operationally monitored, farming adjustments application rate of 5 000 m3/ha/year, the fertilizer contribu- and management measures trained and veriied on the effec- tion of this efluent would be 250 kg/ha/year of nitrogen, 50 tiveness in reducing health risks. In many countries, farmers kg/ha/year of phosphorus and 150 kg/ha/year of potassium. prefer wastewater for irrigation due to economic beneits in Thus, the efluent would supply all of the nitrogen and much fertilizer savings. Typical concentrations of nutrients in treat- of the phosphorus and potassium normally required for agri- ed wastewater efluent from conventional sewage treatment cultural crop production. Other valuable micro-nutrients and processes are as follows: 50 mg/litre of nitrogen; 10 mg/litre the organic matter contained in the efluent would also pro- of phosphorus; and 30 mg/litre of potassium. Assuming an vide beneits. Community-based project in Cambodia addresses water supply and wastewater treatment challenges The project was initiated under the Joint Communiqué of the estimated monthly savings of up to US$34 on water-use fees. UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme and PEMSEA. More than The rehabilitated reservoir also serves to recharge groundwater 600 families are located in Stung Hav. Most of the families derive in nearby water wells, thereby reducing the time and effort by their income from ishing, with supplemental income derived from family members – mostly women and children – in accessing wa- agriculture. The Reservoir Utilization and Community-based Sus- ter for household use. tainable Ecotourism Development project was implemented to: (1) rehabilitate a 5.9-hectare water reservoir to abate the impact of A wastewater garden was created as a natural water treatment climate change on water levels and recharge the dried wells in the system to prevent water contamination from household waste- surrounding area; and (2) provide a water source for other supple- water discharge for irrigation. Planting of about 380 trees around mental livelihood activities, particularly agricultural production. the reservoir was also done to prevent soil erosion, maintain the reservoir’s water-holding capacity and improve the landscape. The project resulted in the rehabilitation of a community reser- voir with holding capacity of 40 550 m3. Community members (Source: Personal communication, Adrian Ross, PEMSEA, 2010) 56 DEFUSING THE CRISIS: MANAGING WASTEWATER EFFECTIVELY Historically water has been viewed as a common resource – for the people – a public good. “Water controls all geological and biological processes necessary for life’s sustenance” (Narasimhan, 2008). In 2002, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights declared that: “The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in hu- man dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights.” The European Union has declared that: “Water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected and defended…,” EU Water Framework Directive. These positions pose questions as to how the right to water can be achieved, how this af- fects how water is managed and who takes responsibility for managing supply and the wa- ter itself once it has been used, in other words wastewater. And critically, who should pay? This section looks at different tools, strategies and technologies that have been employed to manage wastewater, using case studies to illustrate various instruments, and the op- portunities and challenges of implementation. 57 UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT Wastewater management has many associated environmen- tal beneits, enabling ecosystems within watersheds and the productive coastal zone to thrive and deliver services on which healthy communities and economies depend. Inadequate man- agement in turn incurs heaving costs, threatening to under- mine these ecosystems. However the value of these beneits is often not calculated because they are not determined by the market, due to inadequate property rights, the presence of ex- ternalities, and the lack of adequate information. Valuation of these beneits is nevertheless necessary to justify suitable investment policies and inancing mechanisms (Hernández- Shancho et al, 2010). THE ROLE OF ECONOMIC VALUATION IN UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT In order to develop effective policies and instruments in the management of water and water quality, it is necessary to un- derstand the total value of the resource needs to be measured and incorporated into policy design (Hernández-Shancho et al, 2010). Economic valuation is often used as a tool to understand the costs and beneits of different choices. It can be applied in the context of sustainable development to show how dependent the economy is on an ecosystem (Lange and Jiddawi, 2009). The economic valuation of non-market ecosystem services (e.g. gas regulation, waste assimilation) is still very much in devel- opment. Despite limitations and caveats on this tool, a beneit is that it uses a common language – money. This can help Defusing the wastewater crisis is achievable and measurable, overcome fragmentation in cross-sectoral decision making but will require an entirely new dimension of investments. and build a broad alliance of stakeholders by quantifying the Currently, most of the wastewater infrastructure in many of common interests and mutual dependence of different stake- the fastest growing cities is either non-existent, inadequate or holders, and providing a scientiic basis for assessing tradeoffs outdated and therefore entirely unable to keep pace with the de- among options for development (Lange and Jidawwi, 2009). mands of rising urban populations. Experience has shown that substantial investments done in the right manner can provide Valuation of wastewater assimilation by ecosystems can be the required returns. However, inding a solution will require looked at in terms of costs or damage avoided by reducing the not only investment but also carefully integrated national to amount of wastewater (Lange and Jiddawi, 2009). There is an municipal water and wastewater planning that addresses the increasing entrepreneurial interest developing for investing in entire water chain – drinking water supply, production and private ecosystem markets such as carbon and nitrogen trad- treatment of wastewater, ecosystem management, agricultural ing – although these are still emerging, there is evidence to eficiency and urban planning. suggest that the total values derived from the services of intact 58 The story of Xiamen – when wastewater management becomes part of the plan, investments can have many returns Decades ago, Xiamen pursued economic development with little around Yuandang and attracted big business. Fifty-three per cent regard for the environment. The surrounding coastal waters were of 173 investors cited the good environment as a reason for locat- heavily impacted by aquaculture ponds with pollution from ex- ing around Yuandang. Despite the estimated total rehabilitation creta and excess ish food. Nearly all the domestic and industrial cost of more than US$43.75 million, Yuandang’s central location wastewater was also discharged untreated into the coastal wa- helped it yield a beneit-cost ratio estimated at 9:1! This helped ters and there was a history of industrial and shipping accidents convince Xiamen’s leaders that good environmental manage- spilling oil and chemicals into the area. ment could return social and economic beneits. The situation was especially bad in Yuandang. By the early 1980s, The city government generated funds by levying fees for the use the bay had been cut off from the sea by a causeway and untreat- of sea areas, waste disposal, and exceeding waste standards. ed industrial and domestic wastewater was being discharged Landscaped areas were developed into business parks and into the bay. The water body shrank to just one-ifth of its original property sold or leased for large sums. Funds generated from surface area. The foul smell repulsed would-be investors and red use of the sea area were allocated to marine management and tides often occurred in the poorly lushed water body. Residents helping support the cost of the management programme. Xia- began leaving the area (PEMSEA, 2006b). In 1988, Xiamen be- men has invested a total of US$2 billion in sewage treatment gan the Yuandang rehabilitation. Infrastructure was built to cap- over the last 20 years (XOFB, 2009). Treatment of industrial ture and treat the waste. The city government dredged silt out of sewage rose from 20 per cent in 1994 to nearly 100 per cent in the bay and built tidal channels to increase water exchange with the 2000s while treatment of domestic sewage rose from 28 per the West Sea. They also enforced regulations on the disposal of cent in 1995 to 85 per cent in 2007 (Zhang, unpublished; PEM- waste more strictly. Dissolved oxygen rose from 0 to 5.2 mg/li- SEA, 2006a). Xiamen has not only become more sustainable, its tre and water quality met the national standards. The public and beauty has also attracted immigrants, tourists, and real-estate the national government praised the government achievements development. A sense of pride in the beauty of their city has also in Yuandang. High-rise buildings rapidly increased in number grown in Xiamen’s people. 59 ecosystems, e.g. wetlands, salt marsh, mangroves, could Learning from past mistakes: unsustainable equal or surpass the current opportunity costs to individu- investments in wastewater management als and society, if for example land-owners change from an agricultural regime to restore wetlands. For this to succeed, During the decade from 1970 signiicant investments in wastewa- requires suficient economic incentive for the land-owners ter management were made in several African countries, in partic- to participate, and if subsidized, suficient societal beneit ular Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Schemes were inanced by bilateral for tax-payers to fund it. and multilateral donors, but despite political good-will few of these investments survived. Little attention was paid to the arrange- ments needed to sustain the effectiveness and sustainability of In an assessment of the restoration of the wetlands of the these investments. The following examples from Saly Portudal and Mississippi alluvial valley, a valuation exercise was under- Louga in Senegal and Daloa in Côte d’Ivoire illustrate how good taken using existing market values. The total value of the intentions can turn into white elephants. wetlands was assessed at just US$70 a hectare – signii- cantly lower than the anticipated opportunity costs of the Senegal: The village of Saly Portudal experienced a tourist boom land owners. However when a broader range of ecosystem in the 1970s. This resulted in a signiicant increase in wastewa- services was incorporated (e.g. social welfare, GHG miti- ter production, justifying the construction of a sewage treatment gation, nitrogen mitigation, waterfowl, recreation, etc.) the plant. The chosen system was based on stabilization ponds, de- estimate rose to US$1 035 a hectare. This market potential signed to treat a low equivalent to 6 000 hotel guests. The proj- was higher than the land-owner opportunity costs, and pro- ect was funded by the World Bank in 1977 for a total cost of 270 vides a viable incentive to land owners to consider joining million XOF (ca. US$0.54 million). In 1984 the State of Senegal, the wetlands restoration programme (Jenkins et al, 2009). through the National Company of Sanitation (ONAS), inanced the The challenge however remains in developing these poten- construction of a similar treatment facility in the city of Louga, with tial markets for ecosystem services. The developing Nitro- a capacity of 200 m3 a day for nearly 7 000 households. About 20 gen Credit Trading market is described by Jenkins et al. years later a review (Maiga et al, 2002) revealed the following: • No dedicated institution was established to manage the facility in either of these two cities. The plant of Saly Portudal was man- aged by the ONAS ofice in Ruisque, located 205 km away, while that of Louga was run remotely by the ONAS ofice of Saint-Lou- is at 60 km. • At each site, only one staff member, a guard without relevant technical qualiication and virtually no supervision, was sup- posed to ensure the maintenance of the service. • No monitoring of the quality of the treated water was carried out • Many cases of non-functioning equipment were reported but there were no inancial resources, staff or equipment dedicated to follow up. Côte d’Ivoire: In 1994 the African Development Bank inanced a sewage treatment plant in Daloa to treat wastewater from the regional hospital complex. A follow-up review in 2002 (Maiga et al, 2002) noted that the plant was no longer operational. It had been left to fall into disuse and vegetation had invaded and covered the ruins of its basins and dams. (Source: Personal communication, Dr. S. Kenfack, CREPA and R. Bechtloff, UNEP, Maiga et al, 2002) 60 The use of economic valuation as a tool for prioritizing investment Shadow pricing is a valuation methodology that can be used to ive undesirable outputs of wastewater treatment. The negative assess choices regarding activities discharging by-products which, value relects the environmental value of damage avoided, or in although they have no market value, may have signiicant envi- other words, environmental beneit. Here, for example, action to ronmental impact, such as wastewater (Hernández-Shancho et al, reduce phosphorus levels would have the greatest environmental 2010). This method is useful for helping to prioritize management beneit per unit volume, followed by nitrogen (Jenkins et al, in options relevant to wastewater management and treatment, taking press). The overall environmental beneit resulting from the treat- into account both the economic and environmental aspects. Table ment of wastewater can be shown in the volume removed per 2 shows the price of water, and the average shadow prices for the year and its shadow price (Table 3) (Jenkins et al, in press). Table 2: Reference price of water treated (€/m3) and shadow prices for undesirable outputs (€/kg). (Jenkins et al, in press) Shadow prices for undesirable outputs (€/kg) Destination Reference price water €/m3 N P SS BOD COD River 0.7 − 16.353 − 30.944 − 0.005 − 0.033 − 0.098 Sea 0.1 − 4.612 − 7.533 − 0.001 − 0.005 − 0.010 Wetlands 0.9 − 65.209 − 103.424 − 0.010 − 0.117 − 0.122 Reuse 1.5 − 26.182 − 79.268 − 0.010 − 0.058 − 0.140 Table 3: Environmental beneit of treatment in €/year and €/m3 (Jenkins et al, in press) Pollutant removal Environmental value Environmental value Pollutants (kg/year) pollution (€/year) pollution (€/m3) % N 4,287,717 98,133,996 0.481 59.6 P 917,895 50,034,733 0.245 30.4 SS 60,444,987 448,098 0.002 0.3 DOB 59,635,275 2,690,421 0.013 1.6 COD 113,510,321 13,364,429 0.066 8.1 Total 164,671,677 0.807 100.0 The greatest environmental beneit is associated with the removal of umes of suspended solids are removed from wastewater during nitrogen because it represents nearly 60 per cent of the total proit. treatment, their low shadow price means that their removal contrib- The next most important factor is phosphorus with a percentage utes a very low percentage (0.3 per cent) of the total environmental weight of 30 per cent. It is important to note that the removal of beneit. The share of the environmental beneit accounted for by or- these nutrients creates most of the environmental beneit (90 per ganic matter (COD and BOD) is only 9.7 per cent because, despite cent) resulting from the treatment process. This is because these the fact that a great deal is removed during the treatment process, pollutants have the highest shadow prices. Even though large vol- their shadow prices are comparatively low (Jenkins et al, in press). 61 POLICIES AND INSTRUMENTS – MIXING rural areas, both with regard to water supply and wastewater POLICY COCKTAILS production and management. To succeed in the face of some of the largest threats to environ- Wastewater management must address not only urban but also mental degradation, human health, and productivity, it is not rural water management throughout the watershed and into suficient to address only urban contamination or wastewater, the coastal zone. It must also look to the future and be able to we also need to consider water supply. Governance frameworks meet the needs of a growing population under changing cli- should clarify and link the roles of central and local authori- matic conditions. Meeting these challenges requires long term, ties and communities, including rural areas and industry; pro- coordinated and integrated national plans and organization as mote public responsibility; and where appropriate, facilitate this cannot be dealt with alone by municipalities, individual private investment and involvement in wastewater processes, sectors and rarely individual nations. It will require a much particularly with regard to operational quality, maintenance stronger role for good governance and an active public sector and upgrading. The use of environmentally sound technolo- working across sectors and perhaps international boundaries gies including green technologies and ecosystem management to solve these challenges drawing on a range, or cocktail of pos- should be used more actively and encouraged, particularly in sible strategies, policies and instruments. 62 THE ROLE OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PRIVATE Following a move to privatization in the 1990s, there has AND PUBLIC SECTORS IN SANITATION AND WASTE- been a high return of wastewater services from private back to WATER MANAGEMENT public management (World Bank, 2009). The critical factor seems to be how far privatization goes, with full control or Governments facing challenges of water and wastewater man- concessions to private companies proving the most contro- agement are always confronted by the issue of attracting in- versial. Whilst experience has shown that privatizing water vestments and the need to achieve broad public and national management as a means to gain more investments rarely re- beneits with improved water management. sults in positive results, the private sector has demonstrated improvements in operational eficiency and service quality. Water privatization is the outsourcing of central public wa- Hence, rather than outsourcing management, integrated part- ter management services and responsibilities to the private nership models where the private sector is given responsibil- sector, such as in drinking water or wastewater management. ity not for the full water management, but mainly for certain Privatization can range from management contracts, lease operational segments, can work best. contracts to direct concessions, in which the latter gains re- sponsibility for the entire water system, or even asset sale, USE OF ECONOMIC POLICY INSTRUMENTS where the government actually sells the entire water rights. Because these water services are often viewed as a key public Economic development is an important factor in environmen- service and human right, privatization is often met with heavy tal quality (Lee et al, 2010). As countries develop their econo- resistance. The Cochabamba Water Wars are an example of mies, their citizens obtain higher living standards, yet during a series of protests that took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia’s this process of economic development and industrialization, third largest city, between January and April 2000, when the levels of pollution increase to a point at which citizens begin municipal water supply was privatized, due to fears of in- to demand a higher environmental quality – when measures creased prices (Laurie, 2005). come in to manage the polluting waste products of many goods (Lee et al, 2010). The construction and operation of waste Currently at least 84 per cent of all water and sanitation sys- tems are publicly owned and managed, with more than 93 per cent in some developing countries (World Bank, 2009). Only The role of multinational corporations in an estimated seven per cent of the urban population in the de- wastewater management veloping world is served by private companies (World Bank, 2009). While the population served by privatized water utilities Multinational companies dominate the private water, energy increased from six million to 94 million in developing or tran- and waste management business, many of which have a close relationship to the public sector. Two French multinationals – sition countries from 1991 to 2000, and the number of coun- Suez and Vivendi – control 70 per cent of the world’s privatized tries involved in such schemes from four to 38, the outsourcing water concessions, with an Anglo-German company, RWE- of water management to private contractors has decreased in Thames, a distant third. (Hall, 2002), and the ive largest oper- the last decade (World Bank, 2009). ating some 80 per cent of all the privatized water concessions (World Bank, 2009). The same companies dominate the waste There are many cases where privatization has led to improved business – Suez and Vivendi are the largest two waste man- water services by generating cheaper loans and higher invest- agement multinationals in the world, having bought up the ments, while bringing in expertise. However, it is also clear that overseas operations of the former USA global giants, Waste unless the process is guided and under the close supervision of Management Inc and BFI. RWE is number three in Europe government agencies there is a risk that the wider public inter- (Davies, 2001). Many multinationals have changed names est will not be served and only wealthy customers will receive or merged with one another. In 2007 Veolia Environment (ex- services. Impoverished communities are unlikely to be the Vivendi) reported US$47 billion revenue with a workforce of primary target for companies operating under a cost-beneit about 300 000 people (MSE, 2010). investment-return scheme. 63 treatment facilities, including those for wastewater requires policy instruments, in particular that they tend to require a a huge amount of capital – acting as a barrier to wastewater high level of institutional capacity (Russell and Powell, 1996), management in many regions. Creative solutions are required other challenges include administration, politics, inconsisten- to inance management over the long term (Rammont and Nu- cies, need for enforcement of legislation and laws in design rul Amin, 2009). Economic Instruments (EI) are tools which (O’Connor, 1998). can be used to support regulatory frameworks by recovering some of these costs. They generate market-conforming in- ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT AND WASTEWATER centives, both positive and negative, that are directed to bring about behavioural change (Rammont and Nurul Amin, 2009). Ecosystem-based management is an integrated approach to There are challenges in the implementation of economic management that considers the entire ecosystem, including Challenges of applying economic instruments to inance wastewater management in Thailand Following a period of economic growth and environmental deg- activities on enhancement and conservation of environmental radation in 1987–96, Thailand started to give priority to envi- quality. Fees collected under the PPP contribute to the EF. Au- ronmental issues in the early 1990s when increased economic thority for making the charges under the PPP also falls to the performance allowed for environmental protection and man- local government authorities. agement. In 1992 Thailand reinvigorated its environmental acts of 1975 and 1978 as the Enhancement and Conservation of the Rammon and Nurul Amin, 2009 identiied a number of chal- Environmental Quality Act (NEQA 1992), which featured the im- lenges to the uptake of these EIs in Thailand: plementation of two Economic Instruments – the polluter-pays • Failure to follow up with concrete laws and regulations to sup- principle (PPP) and the establishment of an Environmental Fund port charge implementation (EF) (Rammon and Nurul Amin, 2009). • Lack of willingness by local authorities to charge under the PPP. • Lack of cooperation between water and wastewater authori- Thailand focused on the use of EIs for central wastewater man- ties (water supply is administrated by two centralized authori- agement. Capital investment for basic infrastructure was man- ties; wastewater under local governments as part of their mis- aged by central government (Ministry of Natural Resources and sion to provide environmental management). Environment). Once constructed, responsibility was handed over • Willingness of local government to charge and residents’ ac- to local government for operation and management. In 1999 the ceptance to pay. government established the Determining Plans and Process of • Complexities in accessing the EF: long process of approval, Decentralization to Local Government Organization Act. Local lack of active public relations, lack of contributory fund, per- government organizations were then handed responsibility for sonnel problems and loopholes in the law and regulations are environmental management, including wastewater management commonly cited problems related to accessing the EF – guided by the National Economic and Social Development • Within Thailand, different cities and districts have different Plan which focuses on improving water quality, reducing water waste management approaches. pollution, applying the PPP and promoting the involvement of the private sector in water pollution management. However due Thailand’s two-pronged strategy of providing inancial support to the high costs in dispensing this responsibility, LGOs needed from EF and levying charges to implement the PPP for use of the continuing support of central government. EIs in WWM is far from being a success. Even if the subsidy part of the strategy works, the PPP part does not. The confusion be- This support was provided through two main channels: (1) bud- tween willingness to pay and willingness to charge has resulted getary allocation, and (2) grants and soft loans through the En- in a deterioration in water quality. It is suggested that greater ef- vironmental Fund. This fund provides inancial support for both forts to explain the beneits of wastewater management to local government and the private sector for provision of control, reme- populations would result in greater acceptance to pay charges, dial and disposal systems, and to support the implementation of and therefore make it easier for local authorities to ask. 64 humans. The goal of ecosystem-based management is to main- cal construct as often political and administrative boundaries tain an ecosystem in a healthy, productive and resilient condi- do not align, and this makes implementation and governance tion so that it can provide the services humans want and need. challenging. Additional challenges are social pressures and Ecosystem-based management differs from current approaches power over the management and interests of water resources that usually focus on a single species, sector, activity or concern; and usage (Molle, 2009). it considers the cumulative impacts of different sectors. Specii- cally, ecosystem-based management emphasizes the protection of ecosystem structure, functioning, and key processes. It is Nutrient credit trading place-based, focusing on a speciic ecosystem and the range of activities affecting it. Ecosystem-based management explicitly Farmers are able to earn nitrogen-reduction credits when they accounts for the interconnectedness within systems, recogniz- go beyond legal obligations to remove nitrates from the water- ing the importance of interactions between many target species shed. These credits can then be traded. This can be achieved or key services and other non-target species. It acknowledges by changing fertilizer application rates; by changing produc- tion practices; by growing different crops, or retiring cropland. interconnectedness between systems, such as air, land and (Restoring wetlands is not yet included as a mitigation option sea, and it integrates ecological, social, economic, and institu- because, it has been demonstrated (Ribaudo et al, 2001) that tional perspectives, recognizing their strong interdependences wetlands restoration is currently more expensive than fertil- (COMPASS, 2005). izer management and therefore a less attractive alternative for farmers, Jenkins et al, in press). Tackling the broad and cross-sectoral nature of wastewater and its management successfully and sustainably requires an Although there are more than 40 nutrient trading pro- ecosystem-based perspective, applied to integrated natural re- grammes on the books in the United States as well as the de- source management approaches. To those working in water velopment of online tools such as the Nitrogen Trading Tool management, the concept of Integrated Water Resource Man- (http://199.133.175.80/nttwebax/), very few trades have taken agement (IWRM) is familiar. To those working in the marine place to date (Ribaudo et al, 2008). As such, the market value environment, it would be Integrated Coastal Zone Manage- under existing markets is essentially zero for N mitigation. Nev- ment (ICZM), or a variant of this. There is a need for the bridg- ertheless, there is some interest in nutrient trading and it is pos- ing of these communities to ensure that the entire water sup- sible that nitrogen mitigation will gain a market value in the fu- ply chain and wastewater impact can be addressed coherently. ture. One estimate puts the annualized potential market value at These approaches are based on natural ecological boundaries US$624/ha/year for nitrogen mitigation (Jenkins et al, in press). and have strong merit. However, it is very much an ideologi- 65 APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AND Pesticide management in Sri Lanka INNOVATION Pesticides used in agriculture, public health, industrial, veterinary and domestic use can potentially end up in the There are numerous examples where attempts to transfer tech- water, either through seepage into groundwater, run-off into nologies from one place to another fails. Different approaches streams or via the municipal wastewater collection systems. to wastewater management are required for different regions, On their way they often threaten human and environmen- rural and urban areas, with different population sizes and dif- tal health. Balancing the desired beneits of pesticide use, ferent stages of economic governance depending on capacity to whilst minimizing the potentially harmful side effects of manage wastewater and capacity for governance. Approaches these potent chemicals primarily remains the responsibility can also vary depending on the quality standard required for of governments. end users or end-point disposal. The sanitation ladder provides a useful instrument to assess the local status of sanitation in a Sri Lanka’s high yielding crop varieties, such as tea and rice, community, municipality or region, pointing to optimal waste- are susceptible to pest damage, resulting in a need for safe water management strategies. and effective pest control. Sri Lanka has prohibited a large number of highly toxic chemicals without affecting its agri- cultural production and today produces one of the world’s Cradle-to-cradle – can we do away with cleanest teas with regards to all persistent organic pollutants wastewater? (POPs) and WHO hazard class Ia and Ib chemicals. How was this achieved? The cradle-to-cradle philosophy suggests a new form of pro- duction using processes that rely on reusable, biodegradable The Ofice of the Registrar of Pesticides, established within or consumable materials. No waste, as we know it at all and in the Department of Agriculture looks at product registration, fact the possibility of using production methods to improve the provides laboratory analysis for monitoring programmes environment, for example water going out cleaner than it came and coordinates enforcement of the Control of Pesticides in. With cradle-to-cradle there is no end, as discarded products Act No 33 of 1980, guided by a multi-disciplinary and multi- once they have served their purpose should provide food for sectoral Technical Advisory Committee. One of the keys to the biosphere or be completely recyclable in the technosphere. pesticide management is chemicals registration. Prerequi- Examples include carpets that are made of a polymer that is sites are the conformation to international standards such completely recyclable – it can be depolymerized and used again as those of FAO and WHO; and the registration status in and again or textiles that are made from completely non-toxic other countries. The Rotterdam Convention is one of the material, tested down to parts per million, that are completely key international instruments providing governments with biodegradable and nutritious for the environment. guidelines and detailed information on product use and risk proiles. Why is it currently acceptable, even in developed countries with environmental guidelines, for manufactures and consumers to The adoption of international standards and cooperation is demand products whose production and or disposal damage cost-effective in countries with limited inancial and labora- the environment? We tolerate products that are inherently poi- tory capacity. Some challenges remain, but given that most sonous, are poisonous to make and have a toxic legacy. We need of Sri Lanka’s pesticide control only started a little over two international regulations to drive innovation so that cradle-to- decades ago, the progress that has been made thanks to the cradle becomes the norm. Companies are now starting to adopt institutional arrangements, legislation, and enforcement, cradle-to-cradle production and inding that it is economic to has been remarkable. have design principles, that are “good” rather than “less bad”. (Source: Manuweera, 2007; Manuweera et al, 2008) (Source: McDonough and Braungart, 2002) 66 Reducing wastewater impacts in the Coral Coast, Fiji On the Coral Coast of Fiji it was estimated that 35–40 per cent of the waste from washing pens is eliminated, the waste management of anthropogenic nutrients entering the fringing reefs resulted from the unit is dramatically simpliied. local pig-rearing. The nearby tourist hotels give leftover food to workers for their pigs, which encourages people to keep pigs. Pigs The sawdust must be raked and renewed weekly and kept dry. It is produce three times as much nitrogen waste per unit weight com- replaced and taken to the farm about every three months to fertil- pared to humans and many of the pig pens are near or over water. ize crops. With good management of these systems foul odours Luckily the community found a simple low-cost system to manage are not a problem, with the inal composted product having an pig waste and reduce contamination of the surrounding reefs. earthy smell. The system was initially trialled at one piggery at the National Youth Training Centre in the Sigatoka valley. The man- The technique of using sawdust beds to assimilate and stabilize ager noted bigger, healthier pigs in the sawdust pens and has since piggery wastes is generally known as shallow bed composting. applied this in all the centre’s piggeries. If sawdust is not readily This technique has the potential to offer pig farmers some real available other high-carbon, high-absorptive material can be tried. advantages in both economic and waste management terms. For example, the capital and maintenance costs of this system are (Source: UNEP/GPA and UNESCO-IHE, http://www.training.gpa.unep. signiicantly lower than the original piggery. Additionally, as liquid org/content.html?id=199&ln=6) 67 No one size its all – wastewater treatment in Bali As an internationally famous tourist destination, protecting the environment, maintaining natural beauty, and conserving the nat- ural resources of the area are consistent priorities in Bali. Faced with the threats of environmental pollution and deterioration that comes with rapid tourist development, the government and vari- ous stakeholders have recognized the critical importance of waste- water treatment and sanitation for the sustainability of Bali. This was a key consideration in the development of the 300-hect- are Nusa Dua Tourist Resort, which has integrated a wastewater treatment system that not only treats wastewater from the hotels and other establishments in the area, but also provides water for It is important that management approaches form part of maintaining hotel gardens, public gardens and the golf course. the planning and development process, relecting regional The system was also designed to blend with the natural physical realities and cultural differences as well as externalities surroundings and socio-cultural setting of Nusa Dua. The inal such as exposure to natural hazards or extreme conditions. wastewater station, called the Eco Lagoon, attracts various species Incremental approaches to wastewater management can of birds and further adds to the charm of the area. The wastewater contribute to long-term success. treatment system is operated by the Bali Tourism Development Corporation in local government, hotels, and commercial and Innovation is important to continue to address evolving tourism establishments. challenges in a changing world – to reduce the energy de- mands of wastewater management, and encourage solu- In Denpasar City, one of the focal areas for coastal recreation and tions that promote using raw materials that do not con- tourism in Bali, the three-phase Denpasar Sewerage Development taminate, rather than focusing on end of pipe solutions. Project (DSDP) is now on its second phase. The irst phase of the project completed a sewerage treatment system with a capacity of THE ROLE OF EDUCATION, AWARENESS 51 000 m3 a day, which currently serves around 9 000 homes in AND STEWARDSHIP Denpasar. The second phase of the project will expand the treat- ment facility to the other areas in Denpasar all the way to the Sanur Wastewater is everyone’s concern in the home and at work area, with additional pipe connections to 8 000 homes. The proj- and using education to help change behaviour to both re- ect is a collaboration between the Government of the Republic of duce wastewater discharge and also see the opportunities Indonesia, Bali Province, Denpasar City, Badung Regency and the of managing wastewater is part of the solution. Increased Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). understanding of the links between wastewater and health, For areas that could not be served by the centralized sewerage sys- ecosystem functioning and the potential beneits of waste- tem, a community sanitation programme called Santasi oleh Ma- water reuse in contributing to development and improved syarakat, or SANIMAS, which involves construction of community wellbeing can increase uptake of initiatives. wastewater treatment systems with a capacity of 60 m3 a day has also been implemented in Denpasar City and other areas in Bali. It is vital that education in wastewater management and The system was set up through a multi-inancing scheme with con- engagement of stakeholders in all sectors should include tributions from central and local government and the beneiciary access to solutions and be culturally speciic. Education, community. Ecological and low-cost wastewater gardens have also awareness, advocacy and stewardship should be addressed been developed in various areas in Bali. at multiple levels, including the development of profes- sional skills for improved inter-sectoral collaboration and (Source: Personal communication, Adrian Ross, PEMSEA; 2010) multi-year inancial planning. 68 Political and public support for change – Salmon in the Rhine The Rhine is Western Europe’s largest river basin and one of the world’s most important trans-boundary waterways, low- ing 1 320 km through Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Established as a navigable river in 1816, the Rhine has seen several major engineering projects proceed without prior bilateral agreement or environ- mental concern. The river became the “sewer of Europe” in the mid 1900s when large amounts of liquid waste from towns, industry and agriculture were increasingly discharged into the river. Salmon and most other ish species vanished, phospho- rus reached alarming levels and it had become dificult to draw drinkable water from the river. The need to set up a basin-wide body to deal with pollution issues in the Rhine became clear, leading to the formation of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) in 1950. However, it took another 20 years to see signif- icant results, partly due to the loose set-up and lack of author- ity of the commission. The inal catalyst came in 1987, when an accident at a Basel chemical plant led to the discharge of tonnes of toxins into the river, an environmental disaster caus- ing the deaths of more than half a million ish. After the 1987 accident, environmental awareness rose and the affected population and their representatives demanded much tougher measures against polluters. The 15-year Rhine Action Plan – also known as Salmon 2000 – was adopted as a result, one of its goals being the return of salmon and other ish by the end of the century. With an active water-quality monitoring regime, the plan also deployed pollution patrols to industry and communities, penalties for polluters and lood control and bank restoration measures. Since 1987 point discharges of hazardous substances have de- creased by 70 to 100 per cent, the fauna has almost completely recovered, including salmon, and accidental toxic discharges have been greatly reduced. However, several challenges remain, including ish passages, the release of toxic mud from the port of Rotterdam and pollution from farm fertilizers. On comple- tion of the Rhine Action Plan, the Rhine 2020 Plan was adopted in 2001 for further sustainable development of the river. (Sources: UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Europe, 2004; ICPR, 2010; UNESCO, 2000) 69 70 UNEP’s response to capacity building needs in developing countries The UNEP/WHO/UN-HABITAT/WSSCC Guidelines on Munici- were able to apply in their work. It identiied a further training pal Wastewater Management propose sustainable wastewater need for senior management and high level policy makers of management based on an approach that integrates water sup- municipalities and utilities providers of wastewater manage- ply, sanitation, and wastewater treatment. http://www.training. ment services. gpa.unep.org/documents/guidelines_on_municipal_wastewa- ter_english.pdf The evaluation also identiied areas of the course that can be strengthened. There are few practical examples and little data These guidelines also relect needs for capacity development in on wastewater management solutions that have been imple- this ield and in response to these needs, UNEP/GPA jointly with mented locally under the guidance of the course materials. It the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and in the frame- was proposed that UNEP/GPA and its partners embark on a work of the UN/DOALOS Train-Sea-Coast Programme offer new phase of the programme to link institutional capacity build- training courses on wastewater management to municipal staff. ing with demonstration projects, which should be documented and shared. In addition, the lack of multi-year inancial planning The Train Sea-Coast programme trained 1 800 experts from 67 for municipal infrastructure projects in many countries severely countries between 2003 and 2009. It aims to increase the ability undermines, and sometimes even prevents, the operation and of participants to identify and formulate sustainable and inan- maintenance of already existing infrastructure, such as sewerage cially viable proposals for the restoration of existing municipal in- systems and treatment plants. The capacity building needs of frastructure. It also develops capacities for new projects to either lifecycle budgeting processes have not yet been met. collect and treat wastewater, or to use alternative technologies to reduce or recycle nutrients from human waste. More information about the UNEP wastewater management training programme is available at: http://www.training.gpa. Post-training evaluation for 2007–9, demonstrated that the unep.org, it is supported by the governments of Belgium, Ireland UNEP-UNESCO-IHE training programme was delivering re- the Netherlands and the United States, the European Union ACP sults, providing participants with knowledge and skills that they Water Facility and UNDP-GEF. Building capacity and stewardship for environmental management of the Iraqi marshlands The Iraqi marshlands are the most extensive wetland ecosystem tion and implementation of suitable mitigation options, particu- in the Middle East and Western Eurasia. The marshlands of the Ti- larly for provision of safe drinking water, but also for sanitation gris and Euphrates delta are spawning grounds for Gulf isheries systems and water quality management. Implemented by the and home to a wide variety of bird species. By 2002 the 9 000 km2 International Environmental Technology Centre, the Marshlands of permanent wetlands had dwindled to just 760 km2, drained by project includes training of Iraqi partners, coordination with the former Iraqi regime and contaminated by sewage and chemi- Iraqi and other stakeholders, communication and data sharing cal waste. With poor water circulation and low lows, salinity had through the Arabic-English Marshlands Information Network, also increased. The weak management sent the marshes into se- and pilot projects to introduce environmentally sound technolo- rious decline, and this impacted the surrounding communities. gies for safe water and sanitation to marshlands communities. UNEP´s Iraqi Marshlands project is contributing to restoration and sustainable management of the area, through the identiica- (Source UNEP and UNESCO: http://marshlands.unep.or.jp/) 71 72 PART III POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS A TACKLE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES Countries must adopt a multi-sectoral approach Successful and sustainable management of waste- 1 to wastewater management as a matter of ur- gency, incorporating principles of ecosystem- 2 water requires a cocktail of innovative approaches that engage the public and private sector at local, based management from the watersheds into the sea, national and transboundary scales. Planning processes connecting sectors that will reap immediate beneits should provide an enabling environment for innovation, from better wastewater management. including at the community level. On its journey through the hydrological cycle, water is used and To succeed in the face of some of the largest threats to human reused an ininite number of times by various industries, com- health, productivity and environmental degradation, it is not munities and ecosystems. With 70–90 per cent of the water suficient to address only one source of contamination. Gover- being used and some 50 per cent of the nutrient loading added nance frameworks should clarify and link the roles of central before water even enters urban areas, wastewater management and local authorities and communities, including rural areas; must address not only urban but also rural water management promote public responsibility; and where appropriate, facilitate through improved forestry, agriculture and ecosystem manage- private investment and involvement in wastewater manage- ment. This requires national plans and organization as it can- ment. The use of technology in wastewater management should not be dealt with solely by municipalities or single ministries. also be multi-faceted and should relect the needs and capacity of local communities. Incentives should encourage innovative, Eventually water reaches the coastal plains, estuaries, ports adaptable approaches to reduce the production of wastewater and harbors where communities, agriculture and industry are and potency of its contaminants. The use of green technologies burgeoning. More wastewater is generated and inally it is dis- and ecosystem management practices should be used more ac- charged to the sea, frequently with little or no treatment, con- tively and encouraged, including in rural areas with regard to taminating seafood, polluting critical ecosystems and threaten- both water supply and wastewater management. ing biodiversity. Wastewater management should relect the community and ecological needs of each downstream ecosys- Whilst experience has shown that privatizing water manage- tem and user. Improved ecosystem management, including ment as a means to gain more investments rarely results in integrated forestry, livestock, agriculture, wetland and riparian positive results, the private sector has demonstrated improve- management, will reduce and mitigate the effects of wastewa- ments in operational eficiency and service quality. Hence, ter entering rivers, lakes and coastal environments. The best rather than outsourcing management, integrated partnership option is to close the nutrient loop and harness the potential of models where the private sector is given responsibility not for wastewater for re-use in agriculture, or to generate biogas, thus the full water management, but mainly for certain operational turning the nutrients contained therein into resources. segments, can work best 73 B THINKING TO THE LONG TERM Innovative inancing of appropriate wastewater In light of rapid global change, communities 3 infrastructure should incorporate design, con- struction, operation, maintenance, upgrading 4 should plan wastewater management against fu- ture scenarios, not current situations. and/or decommissioning. Financing should take account of the fact that there are important livelihood opportunities Wastewater management and urban planning lag far be- in improving wastewater treatment processes. hind advancing population growth, urbanization and climate change. With forward thinking, and innovative planning, ef- Investment, including ODA, in wastewater infrastructure must fective wastewater management can contribute to the chal- relect the full lifecycle of the facility, not just capital project lenges of water scarcity while building ecosystem resilience, costs. This should not just be about new inancing, but also thus enabling ecosystem-based adaptation and increased op- making current investments more effective and sustainable. portunities for solutions to the challenges of current global- Full life-cycle inancing may involve linking the cost of waste- change scenarios. water treatment with water supply – while many contend that access to safe water is a human right, the act of polluting water Population growth and climate change are not uniform in is not, and water users should bear the cost of returning water time or space, and so regionally speciic planning is essential. at a quality as close as possible to its natural state. Wastewater management must be integrated as part of the so- lution in existing agreements and actions. The valuation of non-market dividends, e.g. public amenity, eco- system services such as carbon sequestration, nutrient and waste assimilation, must be further developed to enable more compre- hensive cost beneit analysis of the potential returns from waste- water management and for the development of effective market based incentives, such as pollution cap and trade schemes. 74 Solutions for smart wastewater management Education and awareness must play a central role 5 must be socially and culturally appropriate, as well as economically and environmentally viable 6 in wastewater management and in reducing over- all volumes and harmful content of wastewater into the future. produced, so that solutions are sustainable. Different approaches to wastewater management are required Wastewater is everyone’s concern in the home and at work. for different areas, rural and urban, with different population Education and awareness can inluence behaviours to re- sizes, levels of economic development, technical capacity and duce wastewater discharge and also to see the opportunities systems of governance. Approaches can also vary depending of managing wastewater in an environmentally friendly and on the quality standard required for end users or end point inancially sustainable way as part of the solution. Increased disposal. The sanitation ladder provides a useful instrument understanding of the links between wastewater and health, to assess the local status of sanitation in a community, mu- ecosystem functioning, food production and the potential ben- nicipality or region, pointing to optimal wastewater manage- eits of wastewater reuse in contributing to development and ment strategies. improved wellbeing can increase uptake of initiatives. It is important that wastewater management approaches form It is vital that education and training in wastewater manage- part of the planning and development process, relecting re- ment and systematic engagement of stakeholders in all sectors gional realities and cultural differences as well as externalities throughout the entire project cycle is culturally speciic and such as exposure to natural hazards or extreme conditions. exempliies or suggests solutions that can be modiied to suit Incremental approaches to wastewater management can con- different settings. Education, awareness, advocacy and stew- tribute to long-term success. ardship should be addressed at multiple levels, including the development of professional skills for improved inter-sectoral collaboration and multi-year inancial planning. 75 GLOSSARY Aquifer Economic valuation Huge storehouses of water comprising the saturated zone be- The assessment, evaluation, or appraisal of business perfor- neath the water table (USGS 2009 http://ga.water.usgs.gov/ mance in matters involving ecology and inances (Oxford edu/earthgwaquifer.html) English Dictionary, quoted in KPV http://kpv.arso.gov.si/ kpv/Gemet_search/Gemet_report/report_gemet_term?ID_ Carbon sequestration CONCEPT=2938&L1=94&L2=94) The removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide, either through biological processes (for example, photosynthesis in plants and Ecosystem-based management trees), or geological processes (for example, storage of carbon An integrative and holistic approach to management based on the dioxide in underground reservoirs) (Department of Climate idea of systems in contrast to the traditional procedure of manag- Change 2008) ing sectoral activities like ishing, shipping, or oil and gas devel- opment. This approach is intended not only to draw attention to Dead zone linkages among the various components of complex systems but Hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world’s oceans (Science also to consider the non-linear dynamics of socio-ecological sys- Daily undated http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/d/dead_ tems (Arctic Governance 2010 http://www.arcticgovernance.org/ zone_(ecology).htm ) ecosystem-based-management-ebm.4668250-142904.html) Desalination Ecosystem services Any mechanical procedure or process where some or all of the The processes by which the environment produces resources salt is removed from water (EMWIS 2010 http://www.semide. that we often take for granted such as safe water, timber, and net/portal_thesaurus/search_html) habitat for isheries, and pollination of native and agricultural plants (Ecological Society of America undated http://www.esa. Downstream ecosystem org/ecoservices/comm/body.comm.fact.ecos.html) Ecosystem of a lower watercourse (WaterWiki 2009 http://wa- terwiki.net/index.php/Downstream_ecosystem) Equity The quality of being fair or impartial (Dictionary.com 2010 Economic instruments http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equity). A core propo- Fiscal and other economic incentives and disincentives to in- sition is that future generations have a right to an inheritance corporate environmental costs and beneits into the budgets (capital bequest) suficient to allow them to generate a level of of households and enterprises. The objective is to encourage wellbeing no less than that of the current generation (European environmentally sound and eficient production and consump- Community 2005 http://biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/ny- tion through full-cost pricing. Economic instruments include glossary_terms/I/intergenerational_equity) efluent taxes or charges on pollutants and waste, deposit-re- fund systems and tradable pollution permits (United Nations Eutrophication Statistics Division 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environ- A process of pollution that occurs when a lake or stream be- mentgl/gesform.asp?getitem=738) comes over-rich in plant nutrient; as a consequence it becomes 76 overgrown in algae and other aquatic plants. The plants die and supplying wells and springs. Because groundwater is a major decompose. In decomposing the plants rob the water of oxygen source of drinking water, there is a growing concern over leach- and the lake, river or stream becomes lifeless. Nitrate fertilizers ing of agricultural and industrial pollutants or substances from which drain from the ields, nutrients from animal wastes and underground storage tanks (United Nations Statistics Division human sewage are the primary causes of eutrophication. They 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environmentgl/gesform. have high biological oxygen demand (BOD) (EMWIS 2010 asp?getitem=586) http://www.semide.net/portal_thesaurus/search_html) Irrigation Food security Artiicial application of water to land to assist in the grow- When all people at all times have access to suficient, safe, nu- ing of crops and pastures. It is carried out by spraying water tritious food to maintain a healthy and active life (WHO 2010 under pressure (spray irrigation) or by pumping water onto http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story028/en/) the land (lood irrigation) (United Nations Statistics Division 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environmentgl/gesform. Green city asp?getitem=685) Today, many city mayors are working to get their cities focused on the environmental movement. For many of those mayors, their Marine pollution goal is to convert their city into a green city. By thriving to achieve Direct or indirect introduction by humans of substances or green city status, leaders are acting to improve the quality of the energy into the marine environment (including estuaries), re- air, lower the use of non-renewable resources, encourage the sulting in harm to living resources, hazards to human health, building of green homes, ofices, and other structures, reserve hindrances to marine activities including ishing, impairment more green space, support environmentally-friendly methods of of the quality of sea water and reduction of amenities (United transportation, and offer recycling programmes (Wisegeek.com Nations Statistics Division 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/ undated http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-green-city.htm) environmentgl/gesform.asp?getitem=738) Green technology Market and non-market values A continuously evolving group of methods and materials, Most environmental goods and services, such as clean air from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning and water, and healthy ish and wildlife populations, are not products. The goals that inform developments in this rapidly traded in markets. Their economic value -how much people growing ield include sustainability, “cradle-to-cradle” design, would be willing to pay for them- is not revealed in market source reduction, innovation, viability, energy, green building, prices. The only option for assigning monetary values to them environmentally preferred purchasing, green chemistry, and is to rely on non-market valuation methods. Without these green nanotechnology (Green Technology 2006 http://www. value estimates, these resources may be implicitly underval- green-technology.org/what.htm) ued and decisions regarding their use and stewardship may not accurately relect their true value to society (GreenFacts Groundwater 2009 http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/mno/non-market- Freshwater beneath the earth’s surface (usually in aquifers) value.htm) 77 Megacity Private sector Massive migration out of the country and into the city has lead That part of an economy in which goods and services are pro- to the rise of the megacity, a term typically used to describe a duced by individuals and companies as opposed to the govern- city with a population of over 10 000 000 inhabitants (Wise- ment, which controls the public sector (Dictionary.com 2010 geek.com undated http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mega- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/private%20sector) city.htm) Public sector Peri-urban That part of the economy controlled by the government (Dic- Peri-urban areas are the transition zone, or interaction zone, tionary.com 2010 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ where urban and rural activities are juxtaposed, and landscape public+sector) features are subject to rapid modiications, induced by human activities (Scientiic Committee on Problems of the Environ- Resilience ment 2008 http://www.icsu-scope.org/projects/cluster1/pu- Ecological resilience can be deined in two ways. The irst is a ech.htm) measure of the magnitude of disturbance that can be absorbed before the (eco)system changes its structure by changing the Polluter Pays Principle variables and processes that control behaviour. The second, a Principle according to which the polluter should bear the cost more traditional meaning, is as a measure of resistance to dis- of measures to reduce pollution according to the extent of ei- turbance and the speed of return to the equilibrium state of ther the damage done to society or the exceeding of an accept- an ecosystem. http://biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/nyglos- able level (standard) of pollution (United Nations Statistics sary_terms/E/ecological_or_ecosystem_resilience Division 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environmentgl/ gesform.asp?getitem=902) Saphrogenic Formed by putrefaction, for example by bacteria http://diction- Population connected to urban wastewater collection ary.reference.com/browse/saprogenic system Percentage of the resident population connected to the waste- Sanitation water collecting systems (sewerage). Wastewater collecting A range of interventions designed to reduce health hazards in systems may deliver wastewater to treatment plants or may the environment and environmental receptivity to health risks, discharge it without treatment to the environment (United Na- including management of excreta, sewage, drainage and solid tions Statistics Division 2009 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/EN- waste, and environmental management interventions for dis- VIRONMENT/wastewater.htm) ease vector control. Adapted from: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health / Population connected to urban wastewater treatment hygiene/sanhygpromotoc.pdf Percentage of the resident population whose wastewater is treated at wastewater treatment plants (United Nations Sta- Slums tistics Division 2009 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/ENVIRON- Areas of older housing that are deteriorating in the sense of MENT/wastewater.htm) their being under-serviced, overcrowded and dilapidated (Unit- 78 ed Nations Statistics Division 2006 http://unstats.un.org/ 2004 http://ecovalue.uvm.edu/evp/modules/nz/evp_es_dei- unsd/environmentgl/gesform.asp?getitem=1046) nitions.asp) Tailings Water stressed Wastes separated out during the processing of crops and min- A country is water stressed if the available freshwater supply eral ores, including residues of raw materials (United Nations relative to water withdrawals acts as an important constraint on Statistics Division 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environ- development (WHO, WMO and UNEP 2003 http://www.who. mentgl/gesform.asp?getitem=1119) int/globalchange/publications/cchhbook/en/index.html) Transboundary Water table Crossing or existing across national boundaries (Encarta World Level below which water-saturated soil is encountered. It is also English Dictionary 2009 http://encarta.msn.com/diction- known as groundwater surface (United Nations Statistics Di- ary_1861721403/transboundary.html) vision 2006 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environmentgl/ges- form.asp?getitem=1205) Urban wastewater collection system A system of conduits which collect and conduct urban waste- White elephant water. Collecting systems are often operated by public authori- Something costly to maintain; an expensive and often rare or ties or semi-public associations (United Nations Statistics Di- valuable possession whose upkeep is a considerable inancial vision 2009 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/ENVIRONMENT/ burden (Encarta World English Dictionary 2009 http://en- wastewater.htm) carta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults. aspx?lextype=3&search=white%20elephant) Urban wastewater treatment All treatment of wastewater in urban wastewater treatment Willingness to charge plants (UWWTP’s). UWWTP’s are usually operated by public There is growing evidence that many urban and rural communi- authorities or by private companies working by order of public ties are willing to pay more than the prevailing rates for water and authorities. Includes wastewater delivered to treatment plants sanitation, to ensure a better or more reliable service. However, by trucks (United Nations Statistics Division 2009 http://un- governments seem unwilling to match this with a willingness to stats.un.org/unsd/ENVIRONMENT/wastewater.htm) charge consumers for these services and the result is a continu- ing cycle of low revenues, high costs, unsatisfactory services and Waste assimilation inancial crisis (UNDP-World Bank 1999 http://124.30.164.71/ Both forests and wetlands provide a natural buffer between hu- asciweb/kwa/site/Content%20Resources/Financial%20As- man activities and water supplies, iltering out pathogens such pects/National/Willingness%20to%20Pay%20Dehradun.pdf) as Giardia or Escherichia, nutrients such as nitrogen and phos- phorus, as well as metals and sediments. This beneits humans Willingness to pay in the form of safe drinking water, and plants and animals by The amount an individual is willing to pay to acquire some reducing harmful algae blooms, reduction of dissolved oxygen good or service. This may be elicited from stated or revealed and excessive sediment in water (The University of Vermont preference approaches (UNEP 1995) 79 ACRONYMS AMD Acid Mine Drainage ONAS National Company of Sanitation BFI Browning Ferris Industries P Phosphorus BOD Biological Oxygen Demand PEMSEA Partnerships in Environmental Management COD Chemical Oxygen Demand for the Seas of East Asia CREPA Le Centre Régional pour l’Eau Potable et POPs Persistent Organic Pollutants l’Assainissement à faible coût PPP Polluter Pays Principal DALY Disability-Adjusted Life Year SIDS Small Island Developing States DFID UK Department for International Development SOPAC Paciic Islands Applied Geoscience Commission DSDP Dempasar Sewerage Development Project SS Suspended Solids € Euro UN United Nations EF Environment Fund UN CESCR UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cul- EI Economic Instruments tural Rights EU European Union UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United UNDESA United Nations Department of Economic and Nations Social Affairs GDP Gross Domestic Product UNDP United Nations Development Programme GEF Global Environment Facility UNEP United Nations Environment Programme GHG Green House Gas UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientiic and GPA Global Programme of Action for the Protection of Cultural Organization the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities UNFPA United Nations Population Fund Ha Hectare UNGA United Nations General Assembly HAPPC Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund ICPR International Commission for the Protection of UNSGAB UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on the Rhine Water and Sanitation ICZM Integrated Coastal Zone Management USA United States of America IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change US$ US Dollar IWRM Integrated Water Resource Management WFD EU Water Framework Directive JBIC Japan Bank for International Cooperation WHO World Health Organization JMP Joint Monitoring Programme WIO-LaB Addressing Land Based Activities in the West- Km2 Square Kilometres ern Indian Ocean MA Millennium Ecosystem Assessment WSP Water and Sanitation Programme MDG Millennium Development Goal WWAP World Water Assessment Programme Mg Milligramme WWM Wastewater Management N Nitrogen WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant NPV Net Present Value XOF Central African Franc ODA Overseas Development Assistance Yr Year 80 CONTRIBUTORS AND REVIEWERS EDITORS CARTOGRAPHY Emily Corcoran, Christian Nelleman, Elaine Baker, Robert Bos, Riccardo Pravettoni, Philippe Rekacewicz (igures 13, 14 and 22), David Osborn and Heidi Savelli Giulio Frigieri (igures 20 and 21) and Hugo Ahlenius (igure 17) CONTRIBUTORS REVIEWERS Graham Alabaster, Bert Diphoorn, Lars Stordal Chizuru Aoki, Ryuichi Fukuhara, Vicente Santiago UN-HABITAT, P.O. Box 30030, GPO, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya UNEP DTIE International Environmental Technology Centre, Elaine Baker, Emily Corcoran, Christian Nellemann 1091 Oroshimo-Cho, Kusatsu City, Shiga, Japan GRID-Arendal, Teaterplassen 3, 4836 Arendal, Norway Ulrich Claussen David Osborn, Heidi Savelli, Thomas Chiramba, Robert Bechtloff Umweltbundesamt, Bismarckplatz 1, D-14193 Berlin, Germany DEPI, UNEP, P.O. Box 30552 (00100), Nairobi, Kenya Alexandra Evans Robert Bos IWMI, 127 Sunil Mawatha, Pellawatte, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health, WHO, Department of Francine Kershaw, Silvia Sivestri Public Health and Environment, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva, UNEP-WCMC, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, Switzerland United Kingdom Siméon Kenfack Johan Kuylenstierna CREPA, Centre Regional pour l´Eau Potable et l´Assainissement FAO, Vial delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy a faible cout, 27, rue de Wayalghin Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Duncan Mara Sasha KooOshima University of Leeds, United Kingdom FAO, Vial delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy David Piper Gamini Manuweera Chemicals Branch, UNEP DTIE, International Environment Stockholm Convention Secretariat, 11–15, Chemin des Anemo- House, 15 Chemin des Anémones, 1219 Geneva, Switzerland nes, Chatelaine, Geneve, Switzerland Mark Redwood Alan Nicol Urban Poverty and the Environment, International Development World Water Council, Marseille, France Research Centre (IDRC), 150 Kent St. P.O. Box 8500, Ottawa, Eric Odada Ontario, Canada UNSGAB, Professor, University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus, Salif Diop, Kevin Keyser, Patrick Mmayi Riverside Drive, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya DEWA, UNEP, P.O. Box 30552 (00100), Nairobi, Kenya Adrian Ross Yannick Beaudoin, Rannveig Nilsen, Morten Sørensen PEMSEA, P.O. Box 2502, Quezon City 1165, Philippines GRID-Arendal, Teaterplassen 3, 4836 Arendal, Norway LAYOUT COPY EDITOR GRID-Arendal Harry Forster PHOTO CREDITS 1 Mio Cade Photography 1 Christian Nellemann 4 Topham Picturepoint/UNEP/David J Cross 7 iStockphoto 8 iStockphoto/Alex Jeffries 9 iStock- photo/Claes Torstensson 13 iStockphoto 14 iStockphoto/Shock the Senses 16-17 iStockphoto/Alexander Hafemann 17 iStockphoto 19 iStock- photo/Daniela Schraml 22 iStockphoto/Simon Alvinge 23 iStockphoto 26 iStockphoto/Zhang Bo 28 Robert Bos 30 iStockphoto/William Val- entine 30 iStockphoto 33 iStockphoto 33 iStockphoto/Bart Coenders 33 iStockphoto/Gordon Dixon 35 iStockphoto/Vik Thomas 36 Topham Picturepoint/UNEP 39 iStockphoto 39 iStockphoto/Marc Fischer 42 iStockphoto/Frank van den Bergh 42 iStockphoto 43 iStockphoto/Amanda Cotton 44 iStockphoto/David Thyberg 45 Christian Nellemann 45 iStockphoto/Peter Zurek 48 iStockphoto/Thomas Bradford 48 iStockphoto 48 iStockphoto/Matt Niebuhr 48 iStockphoto 52 iStockphoto/David Cox 53 Robert Bos 56 iStockphoto/Robert Churchill 57 iStockphoto/Claudia Dewald 57 iStockphoto 58 Topham Picturepoint/UNEP/Jota Cornea 59 iStockphoto 60 Lawrence Hislop 62 Topham Picturepoint/UNEP/Tarlok Chawala 65 iStockphoto/David Chadwick 67 iStockphoto/Andrew Jalbert 68 iStockphoto/Raoul Vernede 69 iStockphoto/Yuan Jing 70 Topham Picturepoint/UNEP/Teddy A Suyasa 72 iStockphoto/Juan David Ferrando 86 iStockphoto 88 iStockphoto/Paul Erickson 81 REFERENCES AAEE. 2008. 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