Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change

Economic Commission for Europe - UNECE
Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary
Watercourses and International Lakes
November 2009

UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change. The main points of the Guidance are:

• Water resources are extremely vulnerable to the climate change.
• Many countries in UNECE region has been negatively affected by "severe impacts from extreme events and disasters".
• Transboundary nature of water resources in the region presents shared risks and challenges thus solutions in adaptation need to be coordinated between all states in a transboundary basin.

The Guidance provides step-by-step advice for development of adaptation strategies, which would support implemenation by countries of the Water Convention and its Protocol on Water and Health in the context of climate change.

Access the document

National water program research strategy 2009-2014

EPA
September 2009

The National Water Program Research Strategy (hereafter referred to as the Water Research Strategy) was developed to more completely define the Water Program’s research needs, organize them around EPA’s Strategic Goals and Sub-objectives (see Exhibit 1), and communicate them to potential research partners. The development, goals, and organization of this document are described in more detail in later sections.

Acceder al documento

Política Ambiental para la Gestión Integral de Residuos o Desechos Peligrosos

Ministerio de Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial
Dirección de Desarrollo Sectorial Sostenible

Acceder al documento

Enlace Relacionado: Nodo Web Colombia, Sustancias Químicas y Residuos Peligrosos

Natural Solutions: Protected areas helping people cope with climate change

Protected areas – natural solutions to climate change crisis

IUCN
WWF
December 2009

Copenhagen, Denmark, 8 December 2009 – Protected Areas offer a cost effective solution to the impacts of climate change, according to a new book from IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, the United Nations Development Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society, the World Bank and WWF. “This book, Natural Solutions: protected areas helping people cope with climate change, clearly articulates for the first time how protected areas contribute significantly to reducing the impacts of climate change and what’s needed for them to achieve even more,” says Lord Nicholas Stern, who wrote a foreword for the report.

Press release


Access the pdf

Sanitation in India: Progress, differences, correlates, and challenges

Sekhar Bonu and Hun Kim
South Asia
Occasional Paper Series 2
Asian Development Bank
2009

Poor sanitation is responsible for the spread of a number of communicable diseases, resulting in lost productivity, reduced quality of life, and improvishment. Sanitation is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve public health. Using nationally representative data sets, the report presents analyses of progress, differentials, correlates, and challenges of sanitation in India, and discusses the policy implications of the findings. While significant progress has been achieved in the last decade, the scale of unmet need for sanitation in India is huge. Greater attention on the disadvantaged- households from the poorest quintile and scheduled tribes - and the states that have consistently underperformed could help accelerate further progress.

Access the pdf

Summary and policy implications Vision 2030 : the resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change

World Health Organization
December 2009

This document summarizes the evidence for the impact of climate change on water and sanitation technologies in the near to medium term. It aims to help policy-makers, planners, operators and communities in making practical decisions based on clear criteria, to improve the resilience of their water and sanitation services. It is part of a larger set of materials, including a full technical report and a set of background reports and guidance notes.

WHO and DFID have collaborated to carry out this study which has brought together our joint knowledge and expertise in water, sanitation, health and development. Ensuring optimal resilience of water and sanitation services in a globally changing climate context will be crucial to maintaining the momentum of making progress in health and development.

Access the pdf

La economía del cambio climático en América Latina y el Caribe: Síntesis 2009

Luis Miguel Galindo y Carlos de Miguel
CEPAL
Noviembre 2009

Informe CEPAL ante Cumbre de Copenhague:
Cambio climático costaría 137% del PIB actual de América Latina y el Caribe para 2100

Sin acciones internacionales de mitigación, la región podría sufrir pérdidas importantes en el sector agrícola y en la biodiversidad, fuertes presiones sobre la infraestructura y aumento en la intensidad de eventos extremos.

Acceder al documento

The global corporate water footprint: Risks, opportunities and management options

McKinsey & Company
November 2009

This paper explores global water challenges that are of particular relevance to large corporate users, presents analytical approaches that can help companies make better decisions about water, and outlines  recommendations for the years ahead

Acceder al documento

Assessing the economic viability of alternative water resources in water-scarce regions: Combining Economic Valuation, Cost-Benefit Analysis and Discounting

Ekin Birol
Phoebe Koundouri
Yiannis Kountouris
IFPRI Discussion paper 00908
October 2009

This paper demonstrates a comprehensive methodology for assessing the viability of an environmental management plan that has long-run economic and ecological impacts. The case study under consideration is the implementation of a water resource management plan in a water-scarce region of the world, namely Cyprus. Specifically, this plan proposes to replenish a depleting aquifer with treated wastewater. The proposed methodology first identifies the key stakeholder groups (farmers and the general public) who are hypothesized to derive economic values (benefits) from implementation of this plan, and then uses stated-preference methods to capture the total economic value of these benefits. Benefits are aggregated over the relevant populations of these stakeholder groups and weighed against the total costs of implementing the plan in a long-run cost-benefit analysis (CBA). An econometrically estimated time-declining trajectory of discount rates is used for the CBA in order to assess the long-run sustainability of the plan. The results reveal that the net benefit trajectory estimated with the time-declining discount rate takes one and a half to three times as long to come to a plateau compared to the constant discount rates of 3.5 and 6 percent, emphasizing the importance of using declining discount rates and capturing the entirety of the benefits generated by such plans. This methodology is particularly recommended for providing much needed information to support the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, which advocates the use of CBA with consideration of the notion of sustainability for achieving the “good water status” for all European waters.

Acceder al documento

Tackling climate change on the ground: Corporate case studies on land use and climate change

World Business Council for Sustainable Development
December 2009

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development(WBCSD) recognizes the critical linkages that exist between land use and climate change (including agricultural and forestry activities). Indeed, changes in the Earth’s climate system affect how our land is managed, and how our businesses operate. Over the years, the WBCSD has been the leading business voice at climate negotiations. The organization has traditionally focused on energy rather than land use and climate change, therefore this report is a first step in providing some content to these important discussions.

This document is an attempt to demonstrate how business is tackling these linkages through a series of best practice case studies from a broad range of its member companies. It is an information piece for policy-makers, business and civil society who might see value in leveraging these efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change – indeed a number of these cases could potentially be replicated elsewhere. The publication is an online living document that will hopefully include more cases in the future. Business can help to overcome the challenge of managing land while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change by developing innovative technologies and approaches and creating measurement and planning tools. But business is only part of the solution. It must collaborate with governments, the scientific community, civil society and others to also develop land-use practices that address climate change. This version of the report consists of the following case studies, categorized under three broad headings: Technology and innovation; Practices and approaches and Tools and measurement.

Access the document

Water related migration, changing land use and human settlements

Topic 1.2 of the 5th World Water Forum, “Bridging Divides for Water”
17-18 March 2009, Istanbul, Turkey
UNWATER

Conveners:
United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Southeastern Anatolia Project, Regional Development Administration (GAP)
UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC)

Access the pdf

Waste Not, Want Not: Economic and Legal Challenges of Regulation-Induced Changes in Waste Technology and Management

Resources for the Future
June 2009

Beginning in the early 1990s, stricter government regulation to protect public health and the environment led to radical changes in waste technology and management in the United States. More stringent regulation induced wholly new technologies, including the lining of landfills, the control of their gas emissions, and changes in the economic scale and geographic location of operation. Economic integration of waste management transformed “the local dump” into a nationwide and modernized industry. These changes led to unprecedented intervention by local government in attempts to control price, quantity, and location-specific attributes of the $40 billion waste market. Regulatory-induced changes in markets have long been a topic of academic and policy interest, but unique in this case was the emergence of legal challenges—under the dormant commerce clause—concerning public governance and the private sector. This paper reviews the regulation-induced changes in the market, its subnational governmental interventions, and protection of interstate commerce when new technology restructures a local service into a national business.

Access the pdf

Sergipe Water Project

World Bank
December 2009

The proposed project development objective is to promote the efficient and sustainable use of water in the Sergipe River Basin, by strengthening sector governance, enhancing land management practices and improving water quality. This objective will be measured through the following indicators tied to: (i) the establishment of integrated procedures and tools for environmental licensing and water rights; (ii) the improvement in efficiency and water productivity in targeted irrigation perimeters; and (iii) the reduction of pollution discharged into the Sergipe river basin.

Sector: Sewerage (50%);Water supply (25%);Irrigation and drainage (20%);Solid waste management (5%)
Theme: Water resource management (40%);Access to urban services and housing (40%);Pollution management and environmental health (20%)

Acceder al documento

Public-Private Partnerships for Urban Water Utilities: A review of experiences in developing countries

Philippe Marin
Trends and policy options No 8
PPIAF
2009

This book analyzes the access, service quality, operational efficiency, and tariff levels of more than 65 large water PPP projects (representing more than 100 million people) over 15 years in different regions. Its goal is to contribute to a better understanding of how to tackle the many challenges of providing water and sanitation services to urban populations in the developing world.The book is directed at policy makers in governments as well as donors and other stakeholders.

Acceder al documento

Organization of water management in France

International Office for Water
2009

Content:

• French water policy and its overall organization
• Large developments and water control
• Municipal drinking water supply and sanitation utilities
• French experience at the service of international action

Acceder al documento

IWRM Guidelines at River Basin Level

UNESCO
March 2009

Contents:
Brochure Presentation
Part 1 Principles
Part 2-1 Guidelines for IWRM Coordination
Part 2-2 Guidelines for Flood Management
Part 2-3 Invitation to IWRM for Irrigation Practitioners

INBO Newsletter #17

International Network of Basin Organizations
December 2008/January 2009

p.20 Latin America

Access the newsletter

A Handbook for Integrated Water Resources Management in Basins

Global Water Partnership
2009

This handbook is written primarily for basin managers and government officials who need to take decisions related to water management. Together, they have to put in place management systems that will mitigate the impacts of natural hazards, supply water for productive purposes (agriculture, industry, energy, transport, tourism, fishing, etc.), supply water for social purposes (health and domestic services) and protect the environment. They must, therefore, manage conflicts on water resource issues between many different users. The handbook is also aimed at non-governmental actors who are involved in basin activities. It provides guidance for integrated water resources management that can be applied in basins regardless of the context (developed or developing countries, humid or arid conditions) or the current state of water governance.

Acceder al documento

Climate Change and Water

IPCC Technical Paper VI
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
June 2008

Contents:
1. Introduction to climate change and water
2. Observed and projected changes in climate as they relate to water
3. Linking climate change and water resources: impacts and responses
4. Climate change and water resources in systems and sectors
5. Analysing regional aspects of climate change and water resources
6. Climate change mitigation measures and water
7. Implications for policy and sustainable development
8. Gaps in knowledge and suggestions for further work

Access the document

Aquí versión en español

Water Knowledge Center - Project Terms of Reference (TORs) on Water Supply and Sanitation

Asian Development Bank

ADB’s Project Terms of Reference serve as guides for undertaking key activities in developing water supply and sanitation projects.

Project Terms of Reference:

• Diagnostic City Water Assessments
• Mainstreaming Small Scale Private Water Piped Network Providers
• Planning Urban Sanitation and Wastewater Management Improvements
• Implementing Zonal Management Approach to Urban Water Supplies

Access the TORS

Panama - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

PA-Water & Sanitation in Low-Income Comm. (P082419)
p.14

Acceder al documento

Peru - Lima Water Rehabilitation and Management Project

Implementation completion and results report (ibrd-38110) on a loan in the amount of US$150 million to the Republic of Peru for the Lima water rehabilitation and management project
World Bank
September 2009

Ratings for the Lima Water Rehabilitation and Management Project for Peru were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was low, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also satisfactory. Some lessons learned included: global experience demonstrates that projects that build significant and complex infrastructure such as this one take on average almost ten years to implement successfully. The Bank should take this into consideration when designing operations in the sector, as shorter execution periods could impede the achievement of desired outcomes. The presentation of the condominial system to the potential beneficiaries by the social promoters was very important for a successful implementation since this system represented a new way of doing business for Lima Water and Sewerage Public Company (SEDAPAL), so there were many doubts about its quality and costs from both the company and the beneficiaries at the beginning of each civil work package. The involvement of the beneficiaries during the design and implementation phases through the formation of Water and Sanitation Committee (WSC) as well as through workshops organized by social promoters was a key feature in the development of this system, as it helped to empower the beneficiaries and will contribute to sustain an adequate operation and maintenance of the system in the long-term. SEDAPAL formal legal recognition of the WSC once the civil works are completed and the systems are in operation will help them further fulfill their role during the operation phase and prevent the disappearance or dismantling of this important community structure.

Acceder al documento

Peru - Additional Financing for the Lima Water Rehabilitation and Management Project

Implementation Completion and Results Report on a loan in the amount of US$ 20 million to the Republic of Peru for the additional financing- Lima Water rehabilitation and management project
World Bank
September 2009

Ratings for the Additional Financing of the Lima Water Rehabilitation and Management Project for Peru were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was low, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also satisfactory. Some lessons learned included: global experience demonstrates that projects that build significant and complex infrastructure such as this one take on average almost ten years to implement successfully. The Bank should take this into consideration when designing operations in the sector, as shorter execution periods could impede the achievement of desired outcomes. The presentation of the condominial system to the potential beneficiaries by the social promoters was very important for a successful implementation since this system represented a new way of doing business for Lima Water and Sewerage Public Company (SEDAPAL), so there were many doubts about its quality and costs from both the company and the beneficiaries at the beginning of each civil work package. The involvement of the beneficiaries during the design and implementation phases through the formation of Water and Sanitation Committee (WSC) as well as through workshops organized by social promoters was a key feature in the development of this system, as it helped to empower the beneficiaries and will contribute to sustain an adequate operation and maintenance of the system in the long-term. SEDAPAL formal legal recognition of the WSC once the civil works are completed and the systems are in operation will help them further fulfill their role during the operation phase and prevent the disappearance or dismantling of this important community structure.

Access the PDF

Paraguay - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

PY Water & Sanit. Sector Modernization (P095235)
p.4

Acceder al documento

Nicaragua - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

NI Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (P106283)
p.13

NI Greater Managua Water and Sanitation (P110092)
p.18

Acceder al documento

Haiti - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

HT Rural Water and Sanitation (P089839)
p.9

HT Urban CDD / PRODEPUR (P106699)
p.14

HT Emerg Bridge Reconst & Vulnerab Reduc (P114292)
p.24

Acceder al documento

Dominican Republic - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

DO(APL1)Water&Sanitation in Tourist Areas (P054221)
p.7

DO Emergency Recovery & Disaster Mgmt (P109932)
p.10

Acceder al documento

Costa Rica - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

CR CAT DDO (P111926)
p.3

CR (CRL)City-Port Integrated Infra. (P085539)
p.7

CR -Mainstreaming Market-Based Instrumnt (P093384)
p.8

Acceder al documento

Colombia - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

CO Bogota Urban Services Project (P074726)
p.3

CO Sustainable Development Inv Project (P082520)
p.19

CO WATER SECTOR REF ASSISTANCE PROJECT (P065937)
p.20

CO (APL1) La Guajira Water and Sanit. (P096965)
p.22

CO-(APL1)Disaster VulnerabilityReduction (P082429)
p.23

CO Disaster Risk Mgmt CAT DDO (P113084)
p.29

Acceder al documento

Bolivia - Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

BO-Emergency Rec and Disaster Management (P106449)
p.6

BO Participatory Rural Investment II (P101298)
p.17

BO Urban Infrastructure Project (P083979)
p.19

BO Lake Titicaca Local Sust Dev (P101426)
p.23

Acceder al documento

Argentina - Status of projects in execution (SOPE): Latin America and the Caribbean region

World Bank
October 2009

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Projects with water and sanitation components:

AR APL2 Buenos Aires Infrastructure (P105288)
p.3

AR Basic Municipal Services Project (P060484)
p.6

AR (APL2)Urban Flood Prev.&Drainage (P093491)
p.8

AR 2nd Prov Agric Dev (P106684)
p.12

AR PROV AG DEVT I (P006010)
p.16

AR SMALL FARMER DV. (P006041)
p.21

AR (APL1)Urban Flood Preven&Drainage (P088220)
p.23

AR Solid Waste Management Project (P089926)
p.26

AR(APL1) Matanza-Riachuelo Development (P105680)
p.43

AR(CRL1)Buenos Aires Infrastr SIDP(1APL) (P088032)
p.56

Acceder al documento

Blue Carbon: The Role of Healthy Oceans in Binding Carbon

GRID-Arendal
October 2009

A new Rapid Response Assessment report released 14 October 2009 at the Diversitas Conference, Cape Town Conference Centre, South Africa. Compiled by experts at GRID-Arendal and UNEP in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UNESCO International Oceanographic Commissions and other institutions, the report highlights the critical role of the oceans and ocean ecosystems in maintaining our climate and in assisting policy makers to mainstream an oceans agenda into national and international climate change initiatives.

Interactive E-Book

Graphics from the report

Full report PDF (14 MB)

Charting our water future: Economic frameworks to inform decision-making

McKinsey & Company
2030 Water Resources Group
2009

Charting our water future is a report of the 2030 Water Resources Group, which was formed in 2008 to contribute new insights to the increasingly critical issue of water resource scarcity. Members include McKinsey & Company, the World Bank Group, and a consortium of business partners: The Barilla Group, The Coca Cola Company, Nestlé SA, New Holland Agriculture, SAB Miller PLC, Standard Chartered and Syngenta AG.

Executive Summary
Full Report

Water utility management international - Special issue: Benchmarking

June 2008
Volume 3 Issue 2
IWA

Contents:

5
Benchmarking in the water industry: a mature practice?
By Enrique Cabrera Jr.
8
IBNET - a global database of the water sector's performance
By Caroline van den Berg and Alexander Danilenko
11
North European Benchmarking Co-operation: taking the next step on the learning curve
By Peter Dane and Theo Schmitz
14
The evolution of monitoring in the water supply, sewerage and solid waste sectors in Brazil
By Nyedja da Silva Marinho
17
A sharp improvement in the efficiency of Dutch water utilities: benchmarking of water supply in the Netherlands, 1997-2007
By Theo Schmitz and Peter Dane
20
Performance monitoring and benchmarking for urban water supply and sanitation in Tanzania
By Elizabeth Kingu and Dirk Schaefer
24
The Benchmarking Club of the Hungarian Waterworks Association
By Andras Kis
27
Benchmarking in China's Shandong Province
By Guan Wang
30
Benchmarking brings attention to Moldova's struggling water sector
By Iurie Nistor

Access the issue

Water, sanitation, hygiene and habitat in prisons

International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC
2005

The handbook provides a summary of the technical expertise gained by ICRC engineers when dealing with environmental engineering problems commonly found in places of detention. Detailed drawings are used to outline solutions on a range of related issues such as water supply, sewage and waste disposal, food preparation, vector control, general hygiene and health. This handbook is intended for all those who work in prisons and who can contribute to the improvement of the conditions of detention for persons deprived of their freedom.

Acceder al documento

El estado del saneamiento en Nicaragua

Resultados de una evaluación en comunidades rurales, pequeñas localidades y zonas periurbanas
WSP
Mayo 2008

La Red de Agua y Saneamiento de Nicaragua (RAS-NIC) con la asistencia del Programa de Agua y Saneamiento (WSP) realizaron el presente estudio con los objetivos siguientes: i) conocer los avances del saneamiento básico en áreas rurales, pequeñas localidades y áreas periurbanas en Nicaragua, ii) disponer de información sobre saneamiento y prácticas de higiene para el desarrollo de políticas y estrategias orientadas al logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio y iii) elaborar las bases para una propuesta de hoja de ruta y desarrollo de una estrategia de saneamiento para Nicaragua

Acceder al documento

The Costs to Developing Countries of Adapting to Climate Change: New Methods and Estimates

The Global Report of the Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change Study
World Bank
September 2009

The World Bank is working with seven pilot countries—Bangladesh, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Samoa and Vietnam on a new study—the Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change. The study is funded by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Switzerland and will help inform the international community’s efforts to provide new and additional resources to developing countries through a better understanding of the global costs of adapting to climate change. It will also help decision makers at the national level to better cost, prioritize, sequence and integrate robust adaptation strategies into their development plans and budgets in a context of high uncertainty, competing needs and limited financial resources.

While national governments have to protect their most vulnerable people and identify financing mechanisms to make their countries resilient to climate change, these costs of adapting to climate change are not known.

Acceder al documento

Access the website

Mecanismo nacional de adaptación al cambio climático

Ministerio de Planificación del Desarrollo

Viceministerio de Planificación Territorial y Ambiental

Bolivia

2007

El Mecanismo Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático (MNACC), responde en esencia al Plan Nacional de Desarrollo (PND), como una estrategia a largo plazo orientada a estabilizar las acciones y resultados esperados del mismo, como una herramienta de formulación de respuesta estructural al calentamiento global a través de la adaptación. En este sentido, el Gobierno Nacional, pone en consideración de los distintos actores sociales e institucionales, comprometidos con el desarrollo, un documento que articula actividades multisectoriales en respuesta al cambio climático.

La estructura del MNACC comprende cinco programas sectoriales: a) Adaptación de la seguridad alimentaria al cambio climático; b) Adaptación sanitaria al cambio climático; c) Adaptación de los recursos hídricos al cambio climático; d) Adaptación de los ecosistemas al cambio climático e) Adaptación de los asentamiento humanos y gestión de riesgos. Estos programas responden a proyectos identificados a través de un proceso participativo que incluyen programas transversales que se articulan con los programas sectoriales que son: a) Investigación científica; b) Capacitación, difusión, educación y c) Aspectos antropológicos y conocimientos ancestrales.

El MNACC, se inscribe en el proceso de implementación de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático en Bolivia; mereciendo especial agradecimiento el equipo encargado de su elaboración y al Gobierno del Reino de los Países Bajos que apoyó el proceso de formulación.

Acceder al documento

Water Issues Research

Circle of Blue
Globescan
August 2009

A comprehensive Circle of Blue | GlobeScan international public opinion survey on attitudes about fresh water sustainability, management and conservation finds that people around the world view water issues as the planet’s top environmental problem, greater than air pollution, depletion of natural resources, loss of habitat and even climate change.

The poll, funded by the Molson Coors Brewing Company, surveyed 1,000 people in each of 15 countries, and probed 500 in each of the following countries on specific questions: Canada, China, India, Mexico, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The survey was made public in Stockholm, Sweden, on 18 August 2009 during World Water Week.


Acceder al documento

Introducing SaniFOAM: A Framework to Analyze Sanitation Behaviors to Design Effective Sanitation Programs

WSP
October 2009

SaniFOAM is a conceptual framework whose objective is to provide water and sanitation program managers with tools to work towards changing sanitation behaviours.

Acceder al documento

Asian Sanitation Data Book 2008: Achieving Sanitation for All

Asian Development Bank
October 2009



Achieving Sanitation for All features raw data and analyses on the sanitation situation in 27 cities in the Asia and Pacific region and calls for actions to ensure improved access to sanitation in more rapid and efficient ways.

Acceder al documento

Comparing sanitation systems using sustainability criteria

Maria Lennartsson, Elisabeth Kvarnström,Tommy Lundberg, Jacinto Buenfil and Ron Sawyer
Stockholm Environment Institute
ECOSANRES
EcoSanRes Series, 2009-1
September 2009



This report presents how criteria-based comparison of sanitation systems can be used to guide decisionmakers and planners to take strategic decisions based on sustainability when planning for sanitation. The report uses three examples from three different countries, from a municipal perspective, to illustrate the use of the criteria. Due to the fact that sustainability is a context-specific matter, no sanitation system can be considered universally sustainable; therefore each needs to be assessed in a specific context

Acceder al documento

WaterAid Global Strategy 2009-2015

Wateraid
October 2009



English
Portuguese
French


Press release
The new strategy has been launched with a companion video

World Urban Forum 5

UN-HABITAT
Rio de Janeiro, March 2010



Más información

PPP and irrigation in Brasil

Clementino de Souza Coêlho
Infrastructure Director
Companhia de desenvolvimento dos vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba
CODEVASF

World Bank water week 2009
Day III

Access the presentation

Brazil – Framework for Irrigation Development

World Bank water week 2009
Day III

Access the presentation

Participation of Water Users Associations in Modernization of Irrigation Districts

Luis Rendón Pimentel
Comisión Nacional del Agua - CONAGUA
World Bank water week 2009
Day III

Acceder a la presentación

Video: Water was a dream

IIED
2009



'Water was a Dream' is a film describing IIED-America Latina's involvement in the improvement of water supply and sanitation services in three low-income urban settlements of Buenos Aires. It illustrates the challenges and strategies, and examines the key issues related to working in collaboration, using information as a driver for change, finance mechanisms, and scaling up.

The film is an output of a Sida, DANIDA and DFID funded project: Improving water and sanitation provision globally through information and action driven locally.

Access the video

Public–Private Partneships in Peru and Water Rights

Pedro Guerrero Salazar
Coordinator
Programa Nacional de Formalización de Derechos de Uso de Agua - PROFODUA
Autoridad Nacional del Agua - ANA
Peru
World Bank water week 2009
Day II

Acceder al documento

Bolivian Urban Wastewater Gas Capture Project

SAGUAPAC
World Bank water week 2009
Day II

Acceder al documento

Climate change impacts on water regulation of paramo and glacier systems in the andes

Daniel Ruiz Carrascal
International Research Institute for Climate and Society
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University

Session 25: Disaster in the melting: The implications of rapid warming in mountain ecosystems
World Bank water week 2009
Día II

Acceder a la presentación

Disaster in the melting

What is being done to assess and respond to climate change. Impacts on the Water Regulation function of Paramo and Glacier Systems in the Andes
World Bank water week 2009
Day II

Acceder al documento

Com + Agua Project

Ernani Ciríaco de Miranda
Coordinator of PMSS (Water and Sanitation Modernization Program - Programa de modernização do setor saneamento)
Ministry of the Cities (MCIDADES)
World Bank water week 2009
Day II

Acceder a la presentación

Turning around water utilities in Mexico: the cases of Puerto Vallarta & San Luis Potosí

Eduardo Ibáñez Mariño
Gerente de Fortalecimiento de Organismos Operadores
Comisión Nacional del Agua - CONAGUA
World Bank water week 2009
Day II

Acceder a la presentación

An Institutionalized Approach to Integrated Urban Water Management in Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil

Monica Porto
University of São Paulo, Brazil
World Bank water week 2009
Day II

Acceder a la presentación

Tackling urban water management in São Paulo State: Past experience and prospects for the future

Ricardo Toledo Silva
Secretaria de Saneamento e Energia
Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo
World Bank water week 2009
Día II

Acceder a la presentación

Empresas Públicas de Medellin: Public-to-Public Partnerships in utility businesses for small towns

Federico Restrepo
CEO
Empresas Públicas de Medellín
World Bank water week 2009
Día II

The objective is to present the Public-to-Public Partnerships’ experience undergone by EPM, that have been implemented in some of small towns in the region of Antioquia. They aim to solve in a sustainable, participative and structured way, the deficiency in
potable water supply, sanitation and waste water management.

Acceder a la presentación

Challenges and opportunities of the new brazilian regulatory framework for water and sanitation: The Sabesp case

World Bank water week 2009
Día II

Acceder al documento

Switch Project: Reuse of wastewater in urban agriculture in metropolitan Lima, Peru

Julio Moscoso Cavallini
Wastewater Management Specialist
World Bank water week 2009
Día II

For more information visit:
www.ipes.org/au/switch

Acceder a la presentación

Rega: Revista de de gestión de agua de América Latina V.6 No 1 2009

Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos
Vol 6 No 1
Jan/Jun 2009

Contenido:
Viabilidade econômica da irrigaçao do feijão no Planalto Médio do Rio Grande do Sul / 5
Carmen Ilse Jobim, Juvir Mattuella e José Antônio Louzada

Avaliação do processo de gestão de seca: estudo de caso no Rio Grande do Sul / 17
Tatiana Máximo Almeida Albuquerque e Carlos André Bulhões Mendes

Avaliação multicritério de sistemas de drenagem urbana / 31
Priscilla Macedo Moura, Márcio Benedito Baptista e Sylvie Barraud

Valor económico del control de inundaciones en el Partido de Tres Arroyos, Pcia. de Buenos Aires, Argentina / 43
Adolfo O. N. Villanueva, Georgina Cazenave e Graciela Bilello

O custo da garantia da água bruta: o caso dos rios intermitentes do Ceará. / 55
José Nilson B. Campos, Vanessa Ribeiro Campos e Francisco Antônio Mota

Risco econômico do feijão irrigado no Rio Grande do Sul / 67
Carmen Ilse Jobim, Juvir Mattuella e José Antônio Louzada

Acceder al documento

Water Policy and Strategy of UNEP

United Nations Environment Program - UNEP
2009



To address new and emerging challenges in water resources management UNEP has significantly revised its Water Policy and Strategy .The main purpose of the UNEP Water Policy and Strategy is to facilitate a coordinated, effective and expeditious implementation of UNEP mandated freshwater functions. The overall goal of the UNEP water policy and strategy is to contribute substantively to environmental sustainability in the management of all water resources, utilizing integrated ecosystems approaches, as a contribution to the internationally agreed targets and goals relevant to water and socio-economic development.

Acceder al documento

World Bank Water Week 2009: Tackling Global Water Challenges

World Bank Water Week 2009 presentations online
World Bank



Water Week took place at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC from February 17-20, 2009. The event was organized by the Water Anchor in partnership with the Water Sector Board.

This year's Water Week was an event that brought together the whole water community, including external participants. Titled "Tackling Global Water Challenges", the discussions focused on the urgent challenges currently faced by the water community including inter alia:adapting to climate change, responding to the food crisis, keeping the momentum for the MDGs, and dealing with the potential impact of the global economic crisis.

Ir a las presentaciones:
Día I
Día II
Día III

Primer coloquio jurídico internacional sobre regulación y manejo integral de los recursos hídricos: Síntesis de Ponencias

CONAGUA
México, D. F.
Diciembre de 2008

Mesa 1: El Agua en la Preservación del Medio Ambiente
Mesa 2: Distribución de Funciones para el Manejo del Agua
Mesa 3: Instrumentos Económicos y Financieros para el Manejo del Agua
Mesa 4: Manejo del Agua en Cuencas y Acuíferos Transfronterizos
Mesa 5: El Agua en el Desarrollo Urbano
Mesa 6: El Agua en el Desarrollo Agrícola
Mesa 7: La Participación Social en el Manejo del Agua

Acceder al documento

Diagnóstico del nivel de contaminación de los recursos hídricos del Lago Titicaca

Autoridad Binacional Autónoma del Sistema Hídrico del LAgo Titicacaca, Rio Desaguadero, Lago Poopo y Salar de Coipasa - ALT



Los objetivos del Estudio son:

Objetivos generales

· Determinar la contaminación existente en el Lago Titicaca.
· Permitir al Gobierno Boliviano elaborar políticas y planes de descontaminación, priorizando los principales problemas detectados.
· Permitir la planificación y ejecución de proyectos binacionales de descontaminación del Lago Titicaca, que incluyan medidas destinadas a reducir o eliminar las causas que generan la contaminación, a través de la introducción de tecnologías limpias y prácticas ambientales adecuadas.
· Constituir la base para elaborar estrategias que permitan mejorar la calidad del recurso hídrico e incentiven un aprovechamiento sostenible de los recursos naturales existentes.

Objetivos específicos

· Evaluar la carga contaminante de todos y cada uno de sus afluentes.
· Evaluar la carga contaminante de las actividades antrópicas.
· Desarrollar metodologías de medición de caudal de descarga y métodos de análisis para determinar su carga contaminante.
· Desarrollar metodologías de muestreo y análisis de lodos y sedimentos.
· Desarrollar programas de educación ambiental que promuevan la participación de los habitantes en la conservación y preservación del ambiente.

Acceder al estudio

Rega: Revista de de gestión de agua de América Latina

Vol 5 No 2
Jul/Dez 2008
Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos

Rega es una revista propuesta por la GWP-Global Water Partnership de América del Sur, y cuenta con el apoyo de varias entidades nacionales y regionales en el área de
recursos hídricos, entre ellas: CEPAL, BID, Banco Mundial, ABRH - Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, IARH - Instituto Argentino de Recursos Hidricos, Red
Cap-Net Argentina, APRH - Asociación Paraguaya de Recursos Hidricos, Sociedade Brasileira de Limnologia, Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación,
da Ciencia y la Cultura, Organización de los Estados Americanos y RIGA - Red de Investigación y Gestión Ambiental de la Cuenca del Plata.

El objetivo de la revista es divulgar el conocimiento adquirido en las Americas sobre la Gestión Integrada de Recursos Hídricos. Se considera importante el intercambio
de información entre los diferentes actores en el área de Recursos Hídricos: técnicos, tomadores de decisiones del gobierno y de instituciones privadas, miembros de comités y agencias de cuenca, usuarios de recursos hídricos, etc.

Los principales aspectos enfatizados son los siguientes:
- resultados comparativos y experiencias sobre políticas públicas en recursos hídricos;
- influencia económica de los recursos hídricos sobre las cadenas productivas;
- gestión y gerenciamiento integrado de recursos hídricos dentro de una visión interdisciplinaria;
- aspectos institucionales y de gestión de recursos hídricos y medio ambiente;
- sectores usuarios del agua e impactos sobre la sociedad.

Contenido:

A efetividade dos Instrumentos de política urbana nos dilemas ambientais com águas urbanas / 5
Celmar C. de Oliveira, Carlos A. B. Mendes

Tratamento de águas cinzas claras para reúso não potável em edificações / 15
Simone May, Ivanildo Hespanhol

Análise crítica da calibração do modelo de qualidade de água qual 2e – estudo de caso da bacia do Alto Iguaçu / 25
Heloise Garcia Knapik, Marianne Schaefer França, Cristovão Vicente Scapulatempo Fernandes, Letícia Santos Masini, Maria Cristina Frisch Carvalho Marin, Monica Ferreira do Amaral Porto

Agricultores familiares e participação na gestão das águas na bacia do Itajaí/SC / 39
Cíntia Uller-Gómez, Luiz Fernando Scheibe, Maria José Reis

La reforma de la gestión del agua en el estado de Río Grande del Sur (Brasil), 1979-2006 / 53
Janine F. Haase, Ricardo A. Gutiérrez

Gestão integrada das águas urbanas / 71
Carlos E. M. Tucci

Acceder al documento

Water for People: Monitoring Report Honduras 2009

Water for people
2009



Seven volunteers from the World Water Corps joined four members of the Water For People Honduras in-country staff in late May 2009 to conduct monitoring in 17 communities within the municipalities of San Antonio in the department of Cortés, Chinda and Concepción del Norte within the department of Santa Bárbara, and El Negrito in the department of Yoro in the interior highlands of Honduras. Of the 17 communities visited, 13 involved both water and sanitation projects, three involved only water projects, and one involved only latrines. Hygiene practices were evaluated in all communities visited. Water committee members were interviewed in 16 of the communities visited and 84 resident surveys were administered. The majority of water projects consisted of private household taps from gravity-fed systems fed from either capped springs or surface water sources. As noted above, most communities with water projects also had sanitation projects consisting of resident latrines separated from the home. One village visited was also the beneficiary of a new ecological sanitation (ECOSAN) latrine pilot project intended to provide sanitation support where water projects are not currently present

Acceder al documento

Tratos justos para servicios hidrológicos en Bolivia

Niguel Asquith
María Teresa Vargas
Natura Bolivia
International Institute for Environment and Development
2007

A pesar de numerosos intentos de manejo integrado de cuencas (MIC) en Bolivia, han habido muy pocos casos exitosos. Los proyectos MIC se han enfocado en incrementar o manejar la oferta a través de represas, construcción de infraestructura y pocas veces se han enfocado en mejorar la eficiencia o el manejo de la demanda. A nivel nacional, el manejo generalmente ha sido a través de leyes y regulaciones impuestas de arriba hacia abajo, pocas de éstas han tenido éxito. A pesar que Bolivia es uno de los países con mayor agua per capita del mundo, y la demanda es aproximadamente el 1% de la oferta, la escasez de agua localizada continua generando conflictos.

Como parte de un proyecto multi-nacional coordinado por el Instituto Internacional
de Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo, en el 2004 la Fundación Natura Bolivia inició un
análisis para conocer si los mecanismos de mercado para el manejo de cuencas
pueden mejorar las condiciones de vida en áreas rurales de Bolivia. Este análisis
se diseñó para analizar la historia del país en relacion al manejo de sus recursos
naturales, el contexto social, político, económico y biofísico y a partir de ello,
evaluar cuándo y cómo, dado el contexto, las herramientas de mercado o incentivos
similares a los del mercado, pueden ser utilizados para mejorar la gestión hídrica,
mejorar los ingresos y medios de vida de los residentes de las cuencas.

Acceder al documento

Pagos por servicios hídricos: Las conversaciones de Bellagio

Fundación Natura
2009



Del 12 al 17 de marzo del 2007, 24 personas de 13 países se encontraron en el Bellagio Center de la Fundación Rockefeller en el Lago Como (Italia) para debatir lecciones aprendidas de experiencias recientes a nivel global con los pagos por servicios hídricos (PSH). El objetivo de la reunión de Bellagio fue considerar cómo se podría utilizar estas experiencias y conocimientos para mejorar la eficiencia del manejo de cuencas. Creemos que el resultado—las “Conversaciones de Bellagio”—puede iluminar unos de los temas de PSH más importantes, apremiantes, complejos y poco debatidos. Nuestra esperanza es que estas conversaciones inspiren a otros a enfrentar las oportunidades y retos de los pagos por servicios hídricos.

Acceder al documento

Plan Federal de Control de Inundaciones: Area pampeana central

Unidad de Coordinación de Fideicomisos de Infraestructura - UCOFIN
Subsecretaría de Recursos Hídricos - Argentina

Acceder a la presentación

Plan Hidráulico Provincial

Dirección provincial de Saneamiento y Obras Hidráulicas
Ministerio de Infraestructura, Vivienda y Servicios Públicos
Diciembre 2007



Plan
Texto de la Norma
Anexo A (I)
Anexo B (II)

V Jornada del Agua "Convención Ramsar"

Instituto para la Conservación de Ecosistemas Acuáticos - ICEA Bolivia
Marzo 2009



El Instituto para la Conservación de Ecosistemas Acuáticos-ICEA, con el apoyo de AVINA, la Red Nueva Cultura del Agua Bolivia y las Carreras de Biología y Ciencias Ambientales de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas de la Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Romero - U.A.G.R.M., organizaron el día 26 de marzo del 2009, la V Jornada del Agua. El Taller estuvo enfocado en conocer la Convención Ramsar y su aplicación en Bolivia además de destacar los avances realizados en algunos Sitios Ramsar de Bolivia.

Acceder a los documentos de la jornada (Saltar Intro e ir a Ponencias)

Guía para la Elaboración de Planes de Manejo de Microcuencas

IUCN
Basada en la sistematización de la experiencia del Proyecto Tacaná desarrollada en San Marcos, Guatemala.
Primera edición.
2009



*La presente Guía para la Elaboración de Planes de Manejo de Microcuencas surge en el marco de los procesos desarrollados por la Comisión Nacional de Microcuencas de Guatemala. Instancia creada para contribuir con el desarrollo rural del país, mediante el enfoque de cuencas como base para la planificación de acciones para el uso de los recursos naturales.

De manera sintética, amena y de fácil comprensión da a conocer técnicas, elementos conceptuales y metodológicos. Se ha enriquecido especialmente con las experiencias de campo del Proyecto Tacaná de Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza –UICN– que se desarrolla en el departamento de San Marcos y con los aportes técnicos de profesionales e instituciones que trabajan en la temática, entre ellas la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación –FAO–, la Unidad Especial de Ejecución de Desarrollo Integral de Cuencas Hidrográficas/Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación –UEEDICH/MAGA–, el Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales –MARN–, Unidad de Recursos Hídricos y Cuencas –URHYC–, Dirección de Gestión Ambiental y Recursos Naturales –DIGARN–, Centro de Cooperación International para la Pre inversión Agrícola –CIPREDA– y el Programa Nacional de Desarrollo Rural –PRORURAL–.

Está diseñada como documento de consulta para implementar procesos participativos de desarrollo local, en los cuales se involucre directamente a las comunidades, por medio de los Consejos Comunitarios de Desarrollo –COCODE– u otras formas de organización social. Se recomienda que los usuarios y facilitadores participen en un proceso de capacitación antes de implementarla.

Estimados comunitarios, técnicos y lectores en general: les invitamos a conocer y a poner en práctica esta guía, principalmente para involucrar a las comunidades en el manejo adecuado de los recursos de la microcuenca.
*De la introducción del documento

Acceder al documento

Reunión internacional de competitividad del sector agua: Los servicios de agua potable y saneamiento en zonas urbanas

Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua
Octubre 2009



Listado de conferencistas y ponencias de la 1° Reunión Internacional de Competitividad del Sector Agua: "Los Servicios de Agua Potable y Saneamiento en Zonas Urbanas" que se llevó a cabo del 2 al 4 de setiembre, la cual tuvo como propósito buscar mejores alternativas para promover la eficiencia y la competitividad.

Enlace principal

Presentaciones y ponencias I

Presentaciones y ponencias II

Presentaciones y ponencias III

Videos-Presentaciones

In the Pipeline: Water for the Poor - Investing in Small Piped Water Networks

Asian Development Bank
February 2009



DB's new toolkit on investing in small piped water networks (SPWNs) offers guidance to governments, development agencies, utilities, and civil society in putting up or implementing piped water projects using the SPWN concept for urban poor or rural communities without access to piped water systems.

The tool kit was conceived and developed as a result of the lessons and experiences from an ADB study on Implementing Pilot Projects for Small Piped Water Networks, as well as from the experiences of professionals and development agencies in implementing similar projects.

Content

PDF

Water Safety Plan Manual: Step-by-step risk management for drinking-water suppliers

World Health Organization
2009.



“The most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water supply is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer. In these Guidelines, such approaches are called water safety plans (WSPs)”.

Purpose of the Manual
The words above open Chapter 4 of the Third Edition of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (2004) and capture the philosophy of the WSP approach. The chapter describes the principles of the WSP approach rather than being a guide to their practical application. The aim of this Manual is to provide that practical guidance to facilitate WSP development focusing
particularly on organized water supplies managed by a water utility or similar entity.

English document

Acceder al documento en español
Manual para el desarrollo de planes de seguridad del agua: metodología pormenorizada de gestión de riesgos para proveedores de agua de consumo.

(UN) Bundling Infrastructure Procurement: Evidence from Water Supply and Sewage Projects

Antonio Estache
Atsushi Iimi
World Bank
Policy Research Working Paper 4854
March 2009

Competition in public procurement auctions in the water supply and sanitation sector is largely limited. This is partly because of high technical complexity and partly because of auction design flaws. The division of lot contracts is an important policy choice for auctioneers to achieve efficiency. In general, there is a tradeoff between competition in auctions and size of contracts. Larger works could benefit from economies of scale and scope, but large contracts might undermine competition. Using data on public procurement auctions for water and sewage projects in developing countries, this paper shows that bidder entry is crucially endogenous, especially because it is determined by the auctioneer's bundling and unbundling strategy. If water treatment plant and distribution network works are bundled in a single lot package, competition would be significantly reduced, and this adverse entry effect would in turn raise the public procurement costs of infrastructure. There is no evidence of positive scope economies in the bidder cost structure. It is important to account for the underlying cost structure for designing efficient auction mechanisms.

Acceder al documento

Guatemala: Towards IWRM in the Basin of Lake Atitlán

Case study #9
Global Water Partnership Toolbox

The Lake Atitlán basin is a closed watershed located in the volcanic highlands of Guatemala, Central America with competing uses and serious problems of water pollution, soil erosion and forest and biodiversity losses. In 1996 the Authority for the Sustainable Management of the Atitlán Basin (AMSCLAE) was established; it produced a Master Plan in 2000. However, the plan is still under revision; only a few measures are being undertaken, in a fragmented manner. Thus so far the impact of any water resources management measures taken in the Lake Atitlán basin has been limited.

The main barriers to success are the lack of public participation, institutional coordination, investment funds and funding for AMSCLAE. Legislation establishing AMSCLAE failed to specify a source for funding its operations. The major beneficiaries of the lake (e.g. hotels and wealthy homeowners) contribute nothing to lake conservation costs.

The Master Plan itself is controversial, which had delayed approval. Review by government agencies suggests that some projects have been inappropriately assigned to agencies without the proper implementation mandate. There is no overall coordination among relevant agencies, most of which are hampered by inadequate financial resources and are staffed with technical people, rather than decision-makers.

Acceder al documento

Panama: The management of the Panama canal watershed

Case study #5
Global Water Partnership Toolbox

The Panama Canal Watershed (PCW) was developed when the Panama Canal was constructed (1904-1914). The PCW unites the basins of the Chagres and Grande Rivers into a single hydraulic system. The Chagres and Grande Rivers drain into the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, respectively. Damming the Chagres River provides water to operate the canal locks. By the mid 1930’s, an additional lake had been created in the upper basin of the Chagres River to increase the water storage capacity of the system. In 1999, the formal limits of the PCW were established by law and segments of the Indio, Caño Sucio and Coclé del Norte River Basins were added. All these rivers drain separately into the Atlantic Ocean to the north-west of the PCW. Under the Panama Canal Treaty (1977) the Republic of Panama was obliged to provide sufficient water for the operation of the Canal and for cities in the area. This led to the creation of several national parks, the promotion of sustainable development activities, and the implementation of base-line studies, all with support from USAID (United States Agency for International Development). A Panama Canal Authority (PCA) was created by Constitutional reform in 1994 which granted legal obligations and rights to manage the PCW. A land use plan and an Organic Law for the PCA were approved in 1997, though the former has yet to be implemented.

Acceder al documento

Costa Rica: Introducing water use charges to pay for environmental services

Case study #1
Global Water Partnership Toolbox

This case describes the process, and presents the main problems faced in levying, collecting and distributing funds from the water sector (hydro electricity and water users) for use in protection of the environmental services. In the framework of laws that allow for payment for environmental services, Costa Rica has introduced several cases of pricing water to pay for services provided by forests in watershed areas. The first catchment programs financed through cost recovery were started in 2002. As a result, Costa Rica’s watershed owners, both public and private, are beginning to be rewarded for providing water, whether for drinking or for generating electricity. The problem now is to ensure that these rewards are indeed spent in the catchments, to maintain environmental services.

Acceder al documento