Raising the Bar for the Arab Region: Monitoring Access to Water and Sanitation ( MDG+ Initiative)

1. Raising the Bar for the Arab Region: Monitoring Access to Water and Sanitation (MDG+ Initiative) Mohamed Al-Hamdi First Economic Affairs Officer Sustainable Development and Productivity Division (SDPD) United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

2. Outline • Background • Water in the MDGs • Progress achieved (access to water & sanitation) • MDG+ initiative • Objectives and Expected Accomplishments • Level of implementation • Water and Sanitation in the Global Development Agenda Beyond 2015 • Water and sanitation as a human right • Post 2015 water and sanitation targets and indicators • Reflections

3. Background – Water in the MDGs

4. Background – Indicator of Access to Water • Access to improved drinking water source • Definition of “improved water source” “By the nature of their construction or through active intervention, are protected from outside contamination, particularly from faecal matter.”

5. Background – Indicator of Access to Sanitation Observation Protection of public health from water born and water related diseases is the main rationale behind the water and sanitation MDG. • Access to improved Sanitation facility • Definition of “Improved sanitation facility” “Facilities that ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.”

6. Background –Shortcomings of the Use of the Proxy Indicator “improved” • Water Quality • Reliability • Affordability • Sustainability • Accessibility • Equality • Environmental impacts(wastewater disposal)

7. Background – Progress in Access to Water & Sanitation • At the Global Level • “ The MDG drinking water target, which…….. , was met in 2010, five years ahead of schedule.” ……….”the world is unlikely to meet the MDG sanitation target.” (JMP 2012 biennial progress report) • 2 billion gained access to improved water sources and 1.8 billion gained access to improved sanitation facilities (1990-2010). • BUT, • Regional “hot spots” i.e. Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. • Large urban-rural disparities and inequalities. • Water quality.

8. Unimprovedsources Percentage of population Other improved sources Piped on premises Open defection Percentage of population Other unimproved Shared Improved facilities Background – Progress in Access to Water & Sanitation • At the Arab “Regional” level • Significant inequalities in the use of improved sanitation facilities between urban and rural areas in Arab countries • 92% vs. 73% for access to improved water sources • 91% vs. 65% for access to improved sanitation facilities Over 100 million people Over 130 million people

9. On track Off track Target On track Off track Target Percentage of population Percentage of population Missing Data Missing Data Background – Progress in Access to Water & Sanitation

10. MDG+ Initiative – Mandate, Objectives and Outcome Resolutions of the Arab Ministerial Water Council (AMWC) • Implementation type resolutions • Approval of unified template (additional indicators) • Naming national focal points • Seek funds for implementation • Issue biennial progress reports • Preparatory type Resolutions • Unified criteria and indicators • Unified template (forms) • Main Objectives of the MDG+ project • Establish a regional monitoring mechanism (basis and additional indicators) • Unify definitions and indicators • Develop a data management system • Contribute to informed decision making on needs and priorities • Support the regional debate on the post 2015 development agenda • ….. • Main Activities of the MDG+ project • Capacity building • Establish a regional data management system • Establish the MDG+ unit at ACWUA • Support the national monitoring Teams • Conduct a number of pilot field surveys • ….. • Main Expected Accomplishments of the MDG+ project • Enhanced Capacity in the area of data management • An information system to manage, analyze and report on progress • A regional monitoring program with strong links to the national level • Enhanced coordination among Arab countries for a unified position on the post 2015 development agenda Progress Reports

11. MDG+ Initiative – Scope, Timeframe & Indicators • Scope of the MDG+ initiative • Level and quality of access and services (availability, reliability, water quality, and affordability). • Environmental protection. • within the current water and sanitation MDG related target • Timeframe of MDGs • What happens beyond 2015. • Implications of the global trend towards a human rights approach for water and sanitation. • Indicators • Expand on current indicators to include issues like water consumption, water quality, affordability, and environmental protection. • Data availability and measurability. • Efficiency (maximum additional information in relation to needed efforts). • Phasing.

12. MDG+ Initiative – Additional Indicators

13. MDG+ Initiative – Project Goal and Expected Accomplishments • Development Goal • Establish and institutionalize a regional mechanism for monitoring and reporting on access to water supply and sanitation services in the Arab region. • Specific Objectives / Expected Accomplishments • Enhance the regional and national monitoring capacity. • Establish a regional data management platform. • Institutionalize a regional monitoring program. • Support regional dialogue and contribute to the global policy debate. • Funding • Project agreement between SIDA and ESCWA

14. MDG+ Initiative – Project Implementation • Enhance the regional and national monitoring capacity • Institutional component • Naming National Focal Points (NFP) and forming National Monitoring Teams • Advisory Board of the project (ESCWA, ACWUA, AWC, CEDARE, and RAED) • Capacity building component • Preparation of training material • Data collection and indicator calculation guideline • An e-tool to facilitate data entry and indicators’ calculations • Training workshops • Launching “training” workshop (Beirut, May 2013) • Technical support component • Coordination and backstopping • National workshops (Qatar, Bahrain, Tunisia, UAE, Algeria,...)

15. MDG+ Initiative – Project Implementation • Establish a regional data management platform • Regional database at ACWUA • Unified data entry and indicator computation system at national level • Pilot field surveys in selected areas of some countries • Institutionalize a regional monitoring program • Establishment of MDG+ Unit at ACUWA • Support regional dialogue • Initiated in the launching workshop • To continue in planed meetings (experts and high level policy makers)

16. Water and Sanitation in the Post 2015 Agenda • Water and sanitation as a Human Right • General Assembly Resolution 64/292 (July 2010): “1. Recognizes the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights” • Human Rights Council resolution 15/9 (October 2010): “3. Affirms that the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity;” • Human Rights Council resolution 18/1 (October 2011): “7. Calls uponStates: a) To continuouslymonitorand regularly analyze the status of the realizationof the right to safe drinking water and sanitationon the basis of the criteria of availability, quality, acceptability, accessibility and affordability; c) To develop comprehensive plans and strategies, including the definition of responsibilities for all water and sanitation sector actors, to achieve progressively the full realization of the right to safe drinking water and sanitation for all, or re-examine and revise them where necessary to ensure consistency with human rights standards and principles;”

17. Water and Sanitation in the Post 2015 Agenda

18. Water and Sanitation in the Post 2015 Agenda • Common elements between the MDG+ indicators and proposed post 2015 indicators on access to water and sanitation • Quality of access to water and sanitation services • Distance to improved water source • Continuity of piped water supply • Water quality • Affordability of water and sanitation services • Wastewater collection, treatment and reuse • BUT, • Per capita water consumption ???? • Different approach to measure water quality • With national and regional institutional arrangements in place (National Focal Points, National Monitoring Teams, MDG+ unit), the MDG+ monitoring mechanism can constitute the core component for monitoring the progress in achieving the water targets in the post 2015 era.

19. Reflections • A conceptual framework of the post 2015 water & sanitation MDG/SDG is underway and will probably be governed by: • The official global recognition of water and sanitation as a human right (universal access), and, • The crosscutting nature and role of water in achieving sustainable development. • Evidence indicate that the current proxy indicator “improved” will probably loose some of its presumptions in favor for more tangible, but costly to monitor, indicators of reliability, water quality, and, affordability. • Overly ambitious targets and extensive list of indicators may prove to be difficult and costly to monitor. • The MDG+ initiative/project is an opportunity to harmonize national monitoring systems with the global trend and assist to enhance capacities at the national level. • The MDG+ monitoring mechanism is suitable to monitor water and sanitation services in the Arab region. Its institutional setting at the regional and national levels makes it adequate to expand into a regional monitoring mechanism for all proposed water targets in the post 2015 development agenda.

20. Thanks for your attention … Mohamed Al-Hamdi Sustainable Development and Productivity Division UN-ESCWA Tel: +961 1 978 524 Fax: +961 1 981 510 Email: al-hamdi@un.org Web: www.escwa.un.org