Wastewater Management: UNEP perspectives

1. Wastewater Management: UNEP perspectives Dr. Anjan Datta Email: anjan.datta@unep.org

2. UNEP Wastewater Management Program is designed to make a contribution to the MDG 7 : Ensure environmental sustainability; Target 10 : To halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and theproportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation

3. UNEP operationalized its wastewater program in the light of the JPOI/WSSD in 2002 Water & Sanitation should not be restricted to “taps and toilets’”, but should include, wherever feasible, adequate collection, treatment, re-use and re-allocation to the environment of domestic waste and wastewater

4. UNEP strongly believes “Addressing the environmental dimensions of Water and Sanitation mitigates direct and indirect impacts on human and ecosystem health. Unregulated discharge 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, fisheries and tourism Improved sanitation and wastewater management are central to health, labor productivity and thus poverty reduction.

5. Challenge is becoming more complex due to Rapid Urbanization - >50 % global population live in urban areas One in 3 city dwellers live in slums, and 2.6 billion lack adequate sanitation worldwide Wastewater infrastructure is not well maintained

6. Impacts of unregulated discharge/disposal of untreated wastewater into the environment Run-off to water bodies - groundwater contamination - eutrophication, dead zones Ecological impacts – loss of biodiversity e.g., coral reef, fishery Estimate suggests wastewater -related emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) could rise by 50% and 25% respectively by 2020

7. Economic impacts – billions of $$$$ !!!!! health, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, real estate and higher tariff (due to higher cost of producing drinking water) Global loss of ecosystem services due to eutrophication = USD 200 billions/year

8. UNEP wastewater management program – delivered through the GPA (Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities) GPA - adopted in 1995 to prevent, reduce and control land-based activities and sources of pollution that threaten the health and productivity of the world’s oceans Oceans, seas, islands and coastal areas form an integrated whole that is essential component of the Earth’s ecosystem and is critical for global food security and for sustaining economic prosperity and the well-being of many national economiesContribution of Coast and Ocean in Global GDP Other Pragmatic Considerations: 70% mega-cities are coastal 38% global population live on the coast Many more come to the coast as visitors, for economic opportunities …….

9. GPA Wastewater Management Program - Strategic Direction Strengthening capacities of the public authorities to address priority problems; consider alternative solutions This is achieved through: Normative Function: Key Principles, Guidelines A practical guide for decision-makers and professionals on how to plan, design, and finance appropriate and environmentally sound municipal wastewater discharge systems - Capacity Building Function - training Improving Municipal WW Management in Coastal Cities Training Course –jointly with UNESCO-IHE Delft The training focuses on four elements: Objective Oriented Planning Innovative Technological and Financial Approaches Stakeholder Involvement Presentation Techniques and feasibility reporting, Over 1800 trainees from 67 countries (+25% are women)

10. Demonstration Function – technology and management Demonstration of at least 80% nutrient removal and 70% nutrient recycling rates in a selected demonstration sites; Knowledge generations – Outreach, Awareness and Advocacy .

11. Overall Implementation Approach

12. Conclusions Targeted and sustained actions and investments are necessary They should be designed to: Reduce volume and extent of water pollution Capture water once polluted Treat polluted water for return to environment Safe reuse and recycle of wastewater for conserving water & nutrients Support and strengthen a platform for the development of new and innovative technologies & management practices to enable actors to demonstrate social, economic and environmental dividends of sustainable wastewater management

13. Economic and environmental models need to be integrated We need to find economic tools to better inform and drive changes to promote safe use of wastewater Effective wastewater management would call for new approaches and outreach to society We need to continue our collaborative efforts to create enabling condition for the development of right public policies “Meeting the wastewater challenge is not a luxury but a prudent, practical and transformative act, able to boost public health, secure the sustainability of natural resources and trigger employment in better, more intelligent water management”

14. 65 Governments in Manila on 26 January 2012 through adoption of Manila Declaration “decided to support development of a global partnership on wastewater and share among stakeholders information, lessons learned and best practices for wastewater management, including sound technologies that do not adversely affect the environment and biodiversity, and resource reduction, reuse and recycling approaches for the purposes of environmental protection, sanitation and human health, climate change and nutrient benefits so as to prompt coordinated action, and encourage new investments in wastewater management that meets these objectives

15. Let’s join to define a consolidated agenda to reduce the rate at which we alter the Earth system

16. Thank you