Expanded Water Monitoring A global framework for monitoring progress on wastewater, water quality and water resources management

Expanded Water Monitoring A global framework for monitoring progress on wastewater, water quality and water resources management

The need for coherent water monitoring At the conclusion of the MDG period water sector monitoring is uncertain and fragmented. Water is critical to many other development challenges and a more holistic water agenda, including water resources and wastewater management, is needed. Regardless of the outcome of the post-2015 process, water at large requires a coherent monitoring framework with improved data acquisition and analysis to track progress and provide a credible platform for action. Credible data will underpin sector advocacy, stimulate political commitment and trigger well-placed investment towards optimum health, environment and economic gains. The SDG debates are now focussing on a dedicated water goal and provide a great opportunity to also address inequalities. The model of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) has shown how good monitoring focusses global attention and significantly contributed to the achievement of the water and sanitation MGD target as well as leading to significant progress on sanitation. A new initiative will enable an analysis of wastewater, water quality and water resources management to provide global comparisons on progress. This can serve donors and Member States to target interventions in priority areas to maximize health, environment and economic gains.

A solid foundation Although the final formulation of a potential water goal is not known a starting point for developing the mechanism is the UN-Water recommendations and the draft goal and targets proposed by the OWG. Time is short - given the sparse availability of data and the need for baseline assessments early in the post-2015 period investigations on a monitoring mechanism need to start now. Key to the new approach is developing a monitoring framework that builds on the knowledge of existing monitoring efforts such as the JMP, GEMS-water, Aquastat, UIS and others. The past decade has seen rapid changes in the way data is collected and analyzed. In response the initiative will also incorporate new and novel sources of data including Remote Sensing and GIS. Critically, the framework must be grounded on what is measurable, affordable and applicable across a wide range of countries with differing capacities. The framework should be country-led as far as possible and avoid placing an unnecessary burden on Member States. The initiative will develop protocols to guide countries in their quest for useful water knowledge that enables them to better target action to where it is most needed.

A partnership to kick start new monitoring UN-HABITAT, UNEP and WHO have developed this initiative, with UN-Water, and it is expected that others will join. A collaborative approach is anticipated that will involve several UN entities and international actors many of them part of UN-Water. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has committed a significant investment over the coming nine years. The interest of other donor partners is being explored.

1. Harmonize monitoring mechanisms By guiding the development of post-2015 monitoring reports and harmonizing intended data collection methods for each report. Approaches will optimize use of traditional methods (e.g. national data, household surveys, utility and regulator-provided data) and new and novel approaches (e.g. earth observations and derived data).. 2. Establish and maintain a post-2015 global monitoring mechanism to establish baselines and track progress By developing monitoring protocols in partnership with Member States for wastewater, water quality and water resources management and supporting capacity development for data collection, quality assurance and analysis to inform baseline reports early in the post-2015 period as well as regular progress reports. An operational framework for inter-agency monitoring body/ies will also be established. 3. Extend monitoring to cover analysis of inputs and enabling environmental factors By additional analysis of findings and from 2018, produce regular reports covering inputs and enabling environment factors (drivers and bottlenecks) that influence progress in wastewater, water quality and water resources management (building on UN-Water GLAAS and on the UN-Water Status Report on the Application of Integrated Approaches to Water Resources Management). Objectives & Key activities for the initial phase June-December 2014 Activities Measurability investigations and development of possible post-2015 monitoring options for WWQM and WRM. Development of the full programme plan for proof of concept for the most feasible options and baseline assessment from 2015-17. Events Stockholm Water Week Room, Monday 1 Sept 2014 K2 New Approaches to Wastewater and Water Resource Management Monitoring in the Post-2015 Era Consensus building on the most promising options ratified at a global stakeholder consultation. Preparation of a partnership and alliance framework. Stakeholder Consultation, Geneva November 2014 5

Contact information: Graham Alabaster, Project Coordinator, UN Habitat; Alabaster.unhabitat@unog.ch Contact information: Thomas Chiramba, UNEP Thomas.Chiramba@unep.org Contact information: Kate Medlicott, WHO medlicottk@who.int