Freshwater

From Wikiprogress.org

Introduction

Freshwater resources are of major environmental and economic importance. Their distribution varies widely among and within countries. In arid regions, freshwater resources may at times be limited to the extent that demand for water can be met only by going beyond sustainable use in terms of quantity.

Freshwater abstractions, particularly for public water supplies, irrigation, industrial processes and cooling of electric power plants, exert a major pressure on water resources, with significant implications for the quantity and quality of water resources. Main concerns relate to the inefficient use of water and to its environmental and socio-economic consequences: low river flows, water shortages, salinisation of freshwater bodies in coastal areas, human health problems, loss of wetlands, desertification and reduced food production.

Related definition: Water abstractions refer to freshwater taken from ground or surface water sources, either permanently or temporarily, and conveyed to the place of use. If the water is returned to a surface water source, abstraction of the same water by the downstream user is counted again in compiling total abstractions.

Mine water and drainage water are included. Water used for hydroelectricity generation is an in situ use and is excluded.

(OECD Factbook 2008)

Water scarcity

The OECD predicts that on current trends, 47% of the world’s population will live in areas of high water stress in 2030, and the Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation will not be met.^[1]

Media

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria says water is a precious resource and must be priced accordingly.

Studies and articles

Key issues and recommendations for consumer protection: Affordability, Social Protection, and Public Participation in Urban Water Sector Reform in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia [1]

Pricing water - OECD Observer article (2003) [2]

Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation in Africa - OECD Development Centre [3]

Keeping water safe to drink, OECD Observer - Policy Brief, March 2006 [4]

Forthcoming OECD publications on water

The current work programme on water has broadened its scope to address issues of multi-level governance in the water sector, in addition to continued analysis of the financing aspects of water management and the issues emanating from agricultural sector’s impact on water. A number of major reports will be released in the first half of 2011 that will continue to expand the information base and provide governments with policy guidance in critical areas. These forthcoming reports include:

• Financing Integrated Water Resources Management. This report reviews how governments are addressing the funding challenges inherent in taking a holistic, integrated perspective on water management.
• Policy Coherence Between Water, Energy and Agriculture. The policy linkages between these three key areas are becoming increasingly important and this report analyses how governments can ensure that the policies governing each are mutually supportive rather than pulling in different directions.
• Water Governance in OECD Countries: From Theory to Implementation. The report addresses governance obstacles undermining the efficient, coherent and sustainable implementation of water policies. It provides an institutional mapping of the allocation of roles and responsibilities at central and sub-national level in a series of OECD countries, identifies the major multilevel governance challenges linked to coordination and capacity of public actors in charge of water policy, and reviews existing governance instruments to meet them.
• Water Quality in the Agriculture Sector. This companion report to an earlier report on water quantity and agriculture addresses the issue of how to address the impact of the agriculture sector on water quality, especially with respect to diffuse source pollution from agriculture.
  
• The Benefits of Water Supply and Sanitation Services. This report provides an economic analysis of the benefits that are derived from the provision of water supply and sanitation services.
  
• Synthesis Report on Water Supply and Sanitation. This report provides policy guidance on the financing of water and sanitation, as well as insights on how major OECD tools have been used and lessons that have been learnt from their implementation. This includes information on the implementation of the Checklist for Public Action in Russia, Egypt and Lebanon, the use of OECD’s strategic financial planning methodology, and a range of other tools.
• Summary Report of an OECD Workshop on Water Information for Policy Makers. The OECD Workshop (held in Zaragoza, Spain, March 2010) considered the information needs to assist and improve policy decision making across the water sector.
• Financing water and sanitation in developing countries: the contribution of external aid. This brochure will update statistics on Official Development Assistance extended with the purpose of assisting developing countries to finance water supply and sanitation investments.
  

Work being undertaken in 2011-12

The OECD work on water will continue in 2011-12 and will expand into a number of key areas of current and emerging policy priority. These areas include:

• The Economics and Governance of Water Security – A major initiative to highlight the challenges of and policy responses to ensuring water security for all in terms of both the quality and quantity of water.
• Water and Green Growth – Water plays a key role in supporting a shift toward a green growth framework based on achieving economic growth while increasing resource efficiency and shifting to a low carbon society.
• Water and Climate Change – Adaptation to climate change is mainly about better water management and this project will focus on the economic and governance issues in linkages between water and climate change adaptation, including consideration of the agriculture sector.
• The Outlook for Water - Water is one of the four “red light” environmental issues that will form the focus of the OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050 that will be published in 2012.

The OECD will hold a Global Forum on the Environment, focusing on Water, on 24-26 October 2011, which will bring together representatives from governments, business, NGOs and academia, from both OECD and non-OECD countries, to address key issues in the water sector. The OECD will also contribute new findings and lessons learnt over the years to the World Water Forum of March 2012.

Environmental progress blogs

• Climate Progress Blog
• Science Progress Blog
• Global Climate Change Blog
• Climate Feedback Blog
• Climate of our Future Blog
• It's Getting Hot In Here Blog
• Climate Ark Blog
• De-Smog Blog
• Celsias Blog
• A Few Things Ill Considered Blog
• Real Climate Blog

Papers and Publications

Water, Sanitation and Children's Health: Evidence from 172 DHS Surveys, 2010, I.Günther and G. Fink, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper

See also

• Statistics and Freshwater
• Resource extraction and consumption
• Access to Services
• Land
• Ecosystems Condition
• Oceans and Seas
• Atmosphere

References

1. ↑ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. OECD Work on Environment. Paris: OECD PUBLICATIONS, 2011.

Links 

World Water Council

5th World Water Forum

OECD Water Statistics

WaterWiki. The fast-growing "knowledge map" and on-line collaboration platform for Water Practitioners 

Columbia Water Center - The Earth Institute at Columbia University