Water statistics, accounts and indicators

1. Water statistics, accounts and indicators United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Jeremy Webb African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), UNECA Part of the ClimDev-Africa Programme

2. Introduction • Water defined • Water and climate change • Organising water statistics, accounts and indicators • International Recommendations for Water Statistics • System of Environmental and Economic Accounts for Water (SEEA-W) • ECA, UNSD, UNEP Water indicators • The African Climate Policy Centre and the ClimDev-Africa Programme • Summary and conclusions

3. Why is water important A human can only live a few days at maximum without water Water is needed for sanitary purposes Plants and animals need water to grow and survive Many industries need water for industrial processes

4. Water definition Water is a colourless, tasteless and odourless chemical substance composed of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms with the chemical formula H2O. In most cases water contains other dissolved chemicals that affect the colour, taste, odour, acidity and conductivity of water. In water statistics, water refers to water and any dissolved, suspended or other chemicals or materials carried in the water (e.g. water includes saltwater and polluted water).

5. Water Water has a number of special properties that make it essential for life, sanitation, and many industrial processes. Water is a super solvent as it can dissolve many other chemicals for example salt, sugar and even stone. Because of this property water is essential for life on earth as all organisms use water to transport chemicals within their bodies. Water is also used in many industrial processes to dissolve, transport or remove soluble chemicals, and in households water is used for hygiene and sanitation as it can dissolve and remove waste and germs. Water has a high specific heat capacity which means water is able to absorb a lot more heat than most other chemicals. Water also has a high thermal conductivity meaning it can absorb and release heat very quickly, making water suitable for use as a coolant.

6. Water The abundance of water in the environment (mainly as salt water in seas and oceans) coupled with its high specific heat capacity and high thermal conductivity means water is an essential component for the regulation of energy and climate on earth. Water’s high specific heat capacity also makes water highly suitable for transporting energy for example by steam. Water has a high surface tension allowing it to move into soils, roots, and through very small blood vessels in animals. Water has many other physical and chemical properties. Information on these properties is available from the internet and other sources

7. Freshwater vs saltwater • The distinction between freshwater and saltwater is an important consideration in water statistics. • The International Glossary of Hydrology defines freshwater as naturally occurring water having a low concentration of salts, or generally accepted as suitable for abstraction and treatment to produce potable water. (ISO/6107). • However, an international standard for the definition of fresh water in terms of the salt content (e.g. in parts per million, grams per litre or electrolytic conductivity) is not available although there is a considerable body of practice (e.g. engineering, agricultural and other practices). • Different countries have different definitions regarding salinity. • For example the definition of freshwater in the USA and Canada is water with a concentration of salt of less than 1,000 parts per million, while in Australia it is water with a salt concentration of less than 500 parts per millionUNESCO-IHE, Freshwater http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~hubert/glu/HINDEN.HTM

8. African climate change water scenarios:there is a lot of uncertainty Small changes in temperature will see average river flows and water availability increase by 10-40% in some regions, while in others there will be a decrease of 10-30% Source: Maartin de Wit and Jacek Stankiewicz www.scienceexpress.org/2March2006/Page1/10.1126/science1119929 Changes in surface water supply across Africa with Predicted Climate Change Will there be increases or decreases in available water? Example: Blue Nile GCM downscaling Runoff Precipitation Potential ET Actual ET There is a need to monitor water resources along with water availability, access and use across Africa 10 models show likely decrease of runoff while 7 shows like increase of runoff

9. Energy balances Other water statistics Systems frameworks SEEA-W SEEA-E Output frameworks Intermediate frameworks e.g. IRWS e.g. IRES Input frameworks Compilation Material Compilation Material Cross functional frameworks ISIC, CPC, Asset Classification, Class. of Environmental Activities, Class. of Physical Flows etc Data Data Quality Assessment Frameworks Metadata and documentation (e.g. SDMX) The SEEA and supporting suite of publications SEEA

10. Water statistics and accounts • SEEA-W • The SEEA-W was developed by UNSD and the Water Subgroup of the London Group on Environmental Accounts • The SEEA-W was adopted as an Interim International Statistical Standard at the 38th Session of the UN Statistical Commission, 2007 • IRWS • The IRWS was developed by an Expert Group on Water Statistics • Part 1 of the IRWS was adopted as international recommendations at the 41st Session of the UN Statistical Commission, 2010 • Part 2 of the IRWS was endorsed as supplementary guidance at the same Statistical Commission

11. Water statistics and accounts: recommendations and standards • International Recommendations for Water Statistics (IRWS) • Classifies water data items (i.e. water variables) • Shows the link between these data items and: • the standard tables of the SEEA-W • international water indicators • System of Environmental and Economic Accounts for Water (SEEA-W) • Provides a framework for organising water statistics • Uses a systems approach and classifies data in terms of stocks and flows

12. Water Accounts

13. Linking flows with stocks Opening stocks • Natural processes • + Precipitation • + Inflows + stocks • Human activities • + Returns Flows • Natural processes • - Evapotranspiration • - Outflows - stocks • Human activities • - Abstraction Closing stocks

14. Precipitation (dew, mist, rain, sleet, hail, snow) Transpiration Evaporation Surface water (rivers, lakes, glaciers) Soilwater Sea/ocean Evaporation Groundwater (aquifers) Infiltration Physical water assets: Standard Table XII

15. To the environment (returns) From the environment (abstraction) Supply Use To another economic unit From another economic unit Basic concepts and definitions Evapotranspiration Consumption Economic activity/ Households Consumption

16. Physical water use: Standard Table I Water supply Sewerage Energy Services Mining and manufacture Agriculture Includes green water

17. Physical water supply: Standard Table II

18. Hybrid water use: Standard Table VI

19. SEEAW • The system defines what should be accounted for • By using the SEEAW: • Any gaps are obvious • Water data is integrated with economic data • Water data can by used with economic data and employment data for: • integrated water management purposes • policy analysis • policy monitoring • other

20. Individual environment statistics or indicators • Often developed to address individual issues or questions • Often not easy to relate to other issues • Often not able to be integrated with economic statistics • Difficult to be sure all relevant information is included

21. Environmental Accounts • Help to make sense of the entire picture

22. Information pyramid Audiences Increasing aggregation of information Water indicators e.g. Decision makers, and the general public, managers analysts and researchers Water accounts Otherstatistical compilations Macro data e.g. Managers, analysts and researchers e.g. Researchers and others conducting detailed analytical research Micro data Water statistics e.g. basic aggregates at the data item level, time series Amount of data e.g. data regarding water resources, water supply and sanitation, or economic activities and water Water statistics, accounts and audiences

23. Indicators Indicators are: • used to synthesise and present complex information • a means of summarizing, simplifying and communicating information to: • decision makers, • policy analysts, • researchers, • the business community • the general public. • used to make comparisons, e.g.: • over time • between areas - countries, river basins or provinces • between industries • used to identify and monitor factors that lead to the better management e.g. of water resources

24. Indicators Indicators flag problems Data capture and compilation Indicators Data products e.g. water indicators, tables, balances and accounts Data collection Statistics and other information Water resources, availability, access etc Action or inaction Other more detailed water statistics are required to analyze and understand the problem

25. Water accessibility Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

26. Water quantity Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

27. Water quality (pollution) Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

28. Water usage Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

29. Water borne diseases (bilharzias, river blindness, sleeping sickness, etc) Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

30. Water management issues Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

31. Water availability Source: the core list of environment indicators – ECA, UNSD, UNEP following ECOWAS

32. African Climate Policy Centre Our goal: • Making development more sustainable and managing associated climate risks, for the benefit of the majority of Africans What we do: • Undertake activities that inform decision making at various levels on how do achieve this The African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) is: • Based at UNECA in Addis Ababa • Part of the Climate for Development of Africa programme (ClimDev-Africa)

33. ClimDev-Africa Programme Meetings of the Chief Executives of the AUC, ECA and AfDB Programme Steering Committee (PSC) (AUC, UNECA, AfDB and others) Technical Advisory Panel ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) Climate Change and Desertification Unit (CCDU) Stakeholder forums e.g. Climate Change and Dev. Conf. & other forums/platforms Regional / sub-regional level RECs/SROs, Regional/Sub-Regional Climate Institutions, RBOs, Research Institutions National level NMHSs, Sectoral Actors (public sector, private sector, civil society)

34. Work programme The ACPC has three broad areas of activity: • Knowledge generation, sharing and networking • Advocacy and consensus building • Advisory services and technical cooperation

35. Knowledge generation… The ACPC is addressing: • African challenges and opportunities for climate finance, including: • Fast Start Finance • The Green Climate Fund • Long Term Financing • Mitigation in the context of Africa, including: • the development of national or sub-regional strategies on low carbon economy • Adaptation, including: • the implementation of AMCEN sub-regional and national adaptation strategies • the creation of an adaptation and vulnerability knowledge base, • an assessment of the economics of climate adaptation in Africa (AdaptCost) • Technology transfer, including: • a technology transfer needs assessment that maps out models of technology transfer for Africa • Its website, including: • the development of a knowledge management platform to: • support climate policy discussions • act as a hub for climate change and policy communities

36. Advocacy… The ACPC will: • Hold a Climate Change and Development Conference to: • enhance awareness on climate change in Africa • Prepare for, and participate in, the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Climate Change 17 (COP17) with the aim of ensuring: • Africa's key concerns in climate change are brought to the fore • Develop a communications strategy to ensure: • Climate and development information is targeted and makes it to all relevant audiences

37. Capacity mobilisation… The ACPC will: • Evaluate and enhance climate information systems across Africa, such as: • hydrological and meteorological data and information systems • Strengthen Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems across Africa • Establish a fellowship programme

38. Summary • For water indicators, accounts and statistics, there are international statistical standards, recommendations and guidance available • The SEEA-W applies a systems approach to organising water statistics including monetary data • The IRWS provides: • a list of data items with codes and definitions • formulas for calculation water indicators • the link to the SEEA-W standard tables and the data items • ECOWAS along with NEPAD, the ACS, UNSD and UNEP have proposed a set of water indicators • Indicators flag issues, more detailed data and information are required to analyse and understand these issues • Improvements in basic data coupled with the IRWS, SEEA-W and indicator frameworks afford the opportunity to better understand and monitor water

39. Thank you • Contact: • Jeremy Webb • jwebb@uneca.org • UNSD • Environmental Accounting • seea@un.org • Environment Statistics • envstats@un.org • For more information on water statistics, accounts and indicators please see: • The IRWS • http://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/irws/ • http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc10/BG-WaterStats.pdf • The SEEA-W • http://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/seeaw.asp