Transcript High Level Conference - Regional Environmental Center

Water & Climate Strategy in UNECE Region:
the case of water supply and sanitation
under adverse weather events
L.SINISI, ISPRA, Italy
High Level Conference
Water, Climate and Health
Arezzo, Italy, Nov 23rd 2012
Luciana Sinisi, ISPRA, Italy
Chair Task Force Extreme Weather Events
WHO/UNECE Protocol Water and Health to
UNECE Water Convention
Jos Timmerman, MoE, NL
Chair Task Force Water and Climate
UNECE Water Convention
UNECE STRATEGY ON WATER & CLIMATE
ADDED VALUE
- Transboundary
focus
- Environment &
health issues
- water supply and
sanitation in
extremes with link
to utilities
management
http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=11658
http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=29338
Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change
Task Force Water and Climate UNECE Water Convention
Leadership and support : NL, Germany, Italy
•
Climate change impacts on water
resources are visible – first
adaptation efforts are starting
•
Few countries have developed
adaptation strategies, none at
the transboundary level
•
The UNECE Water Convention
represents a strategic framework
for cooperation on adaptation
Developing water & adaptation
strategy
LINK TO EU
GUIDANCE
Need for flexible agreements,
possibly for revision of existing
agreements and procedures
River basin
management
Sharing of data, joint monitoring
of climate change impacts
Water
Framework
Directive
Floods Directive
Strategy on
Water Scarcity
and Droughts.
Elaboration of common
scenarios
Basin-wide joint vulnerability
assessment
Agreement on adaptation
strategy and measures likely to
have transboundary impacts
Sharing benefits and risks
Develop measures: safety chain and extremes
Prevent
Improve
resilience
Prepare
Extreme event Respond
Recover
Water supply and sanitation in extremes:
old problems and new risks
 Under critical meteoclimatic water supply and sanitation services
aren’t anymore a healthy delivery services, but a significant source of
contamination, sometimes irreversible and that goes beyond local and
national border.
 Health risk
are not only related to direct damages, supply disruption
but also to contamination of water and biota
 Nevertheless there was a lack of
risks under recurrent extremes
“institutional” attention to E&H
Develop measures: safety chain
the case of water supply and sanitation
under adverse weather events
Prevent
Improve
resilience
Prepare
Extreme event Respond
Recover
Guidance on Water Supply and Sanitation
in Extreme Weather Events
Task Force Extreme Weather events
Protocol On Water And Health To The UNECE Water Convention
LEADERSHIP : Italy Ministry of Environment
Joint Secretariat: WHO & UNECE
RISK MANAGEMENT IN EXTREMES
•
Increased of direct impacts on people’s health
& well being infrastructures & assets, safety
of natural resource
• Increase in demand of safe water
in emergencies
• Increase in water/soil
contamination from waste water
services
• Higher demand of risk reduction
strategies and recovery cost
• Resilience WSS Utilities
WSS utilities performance and E&H risks in extremes
•
Contaminated
discharge in
environment and
water bodies
Lack of available safe
water
Higher pollutants
concentrations
and/ or overload
Impairment of waste
water treatment
performance
Unsafe use of
new water
sources
►Chemical and biological
safety of
• Drinking water
• Bathing waters
• Irrigated crops
• Food and sea food
► Risk increase of vectors
and rodents borne diseases
►(Costly) impairment of
effectiveness of
environmental protection
of healthy water resources
High vulnerability of
WSS infrastructures
in the Region
GUIDANCE WSS as a starting tool for adaptation
Risk management
WSS «System» vulnerablities
 E&H risks connected to
performance in extremes
 Utilities standards , small suppliers
 Different settings (e.g. costal
areas)
 Communication,staff training,
information
 Preparedness to cope with risks
 Adaptation measures for health ,
environment and utilities sectors
RESILIENCE: improve what you’re doing
STRUCTURAL INTERV: protect what you have
NO- STRUCTURAL INTERV: manage what you don’t have
sea level rise
Courtesy by Jim Foster, UK
Courtesy by
DW
supply:
adaptation
PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE
Courtesy by UNDP, B.Beli
Improve what you’re doing
WWTP & sewerage:
higher vulnerabilities
Courtesy by C.Lasagna, IRIDE aquagas, Italy
Effectiveness of urban wastewater treatment
policies in selected countries: an EEA pilot study “,
EEA, 2005
Courtesy by D. Nedvedova, MoE Czech Rep
WSS in extremes ( barriers to) risk mananagement
GOVERNANCE AWARENESS
•
•
water supply and sanitation (WSS) “just” as a costly service not health determinant.
involvement of utility managers in adaptation and risk reduction strategies
RISK CHARACTERIZATION/EXPOSURE/ IMPACTS KNOWLEDGE
•
•
Resilience of surveillance & environmental monitoring
lack of knowledge on exposure to chemical
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER & CAPACITY BUILDING
•
•
Disaster preparedness and early warning
Rapid assessment techniques (water, soil and food)
LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL , APPROPRIATE MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERT TEAM
SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT AND MEASURES IMPLEMENTATION
UNECE STRATEGY ON WATER & CLIMATE
Getting together is
a beginning,
Staying together
is a progress,
but working
together is a
success
( H. Ford)
http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=11658
http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=29338
Thank you
[email protected]