Using data and innovative solutions

to deliver on the Water SDGs

Peter G. McCornick & Julie van der Bliek

International Water Management Institute

19th October, Seattle

Water for Food Conference

Water SDG(final proposal OWG, 19 July 2014)

Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

6.1 by 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

6.2 by 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation, paying

special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

6.3 by 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and

materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse by x% globally

6.4 by 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and

supply of freshwater to address water scarcity, and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water

scarcity

6.5 by 2030 implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation

as appropriate

6.6 by 2020 protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

6.A by 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water and

sanitation related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment,

recycling and reuse technologies

6.B support and strengthen the participation of local communities for improving water and sanitation management

Links to other SDGs

Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote

sustainable agriculture

Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all

Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and

sustainable

Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Goal 15.Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,

sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land

degradation and halt biodiversity loss

How does the science community contribute to the SDG process

Next steps in the SDG process: setting national

targets, achieving those targets in countries,

measuring progress

Explore contributions of science community through

evidence-based support

Contextual realities in low- and middle-income

countries in Africa and Asia

Context is crucial

Context is crucial

Targets for countries at different stages of economic development

SDG targets Stage 1 – Fully

informal

Stage 2 – Largely

informal

Stage 3 – Rapidly

formalizing

Stage 4 – Fully formal

water industry

Target 1 Investment Invest in local

infrastructure to

improve water access

Invest in meso-level

infrastructure for

sustainable

development of water

resources

Invest in improving

water productivity and

waste recycling

Invest in 100%

coverage in high

quality water service

provision

Target 2 Institutional Make informal water

institutions equitable

Integrate informal

water institutions with

formal ones in private

or public sector

Create meso-level

participatory water

institutions

Create a full-fledged

water industry with

proactive regulator

Target 3 Policy and

legal regime

Establish basic water

information system

Establish water policy

and legal regime

Establish basin-level

water allocation

mechanism

Full-fledged basin

management

authorities

Target 4 Financial

sustainability

Establish the principle

of water as a social

and economic good

Provide a subsidy on

operational and

maintenance costs to

50%

Apply a 75% service

fee for recovery of

operational and

maintenance costs of

water infrastructure

Apply 100% water

service as well as

resource fee for

management,

operations and

maintenance costs

Context is crucial

Social inclusion: Consider women and disadvantaged groups

• Target the individuals and their needs in water management systems

• Including women in water management decisions, address land and water rights (target 5a), and support female farmers to increase agricultural productivity. Feminization of agriculture.

• Multiple Use Water Systems –integration at community level

Setting targets and water metrics for

monitoring

Water Metrics:

Suite of indicators

• A suite of indicators, rather than a single indicator such as water productivity, should be used for monitoring the progress towards the water SDG for all users, while also maintaining healthy ecosystems.

• Use of specific indicators (water use efficiency or water productivity) masks complexity and trade-offs required to achieve development outcomes

Water Metrics:

Water productivity

• Global target:

Improving water-use efficiency across all sectors

• Water productivity analysis at a basin scale: highlight trade-offs to help decision makers develop strategies where the benefits exceed the costs and where both are clearly assessed and quantified.

Water Metrics:

New data and tools

Low-cost opportunities:

• data collected through remote sensing and near sensing

• collect and disseminate data through mobile technologies

Challenge: Ownership and full integration within the national water monitoring & reporting mechanisms.

Water Metrics:

Water accounting

Water productivity is an indicator of the efficient use of water; water accounting is a monitoring tool.

Water Accounting Plus (WA+) –partnership: IWMI, UNESCO-IHE, FAO –uses global open access data and the development of an international standard to express complex water management issues.

WA+ presents the data in different sheets, allowing easy and quick access to particular topics, such as agricultural production, ecosystem services, useable flows and groundwater depletion.

Opportunities for growth

Further development of GW in SS Africa

Balancing the scales

Small Private Irrigation

Small Private Irrigation: • initiated and financed by farmers • operated and managed by individuals or in

small self-initiated groups; • small plots with relatively low-cost

technologies; • mostly high value crops for market• spontaneous and unregulated

In many African countries: more important than public irrigation -number of farmers and value of production.

In India: more than 50% of the irrigated area receives its water from pumps and tubewells owned and managed by smallholders

Suitability domains example: WLT

OR+

and

=

Up scaling - What are the most suitable solutions in different contexts?

One scenario for Individual motor pumps

Irrigated areas of Asia, 2010 @ 500 meterIrrigated and rainfed area map, South Asia

Mapping system: to regularly delineate boundaries and monitor change.

Key Questions:• Where is small-scale Agricultural Water

Management?• What is changing and where (e.g., irrigated

area, rainfed systems, water sources, cropping patterns?)

• What are the implications for food security, poverty alleviation, and ecosystems?

Impacts at an Ecosystem/Landscape Scale

How to revitalise large-scale irrigation systems for food, water, energy, economic and ecosystems security and services?

Rehabilitation

Revitalization is more than just rehabilitation

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Pehur High Level Canal, Pakistan

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SDGs emphasize integration

Aquifers of Fergana Valley have over 3000 Mm3 of free capacities which could be used for winter flow banking

Integration

Innovative solution to resolve hydropower and irrigation conflicts: Managed aquifer recharge in the Ferghana Valley

Integration

Targets for Wastewater reuse, Food security, Energy reduction, …

SDG targets on wastewater management, recycling & reuse: other nexus benefits → reduced energy for chemical fertilizers, recovery of nutrients

Pragmatic solutions

Sustainable use of groundwater: consider solutions outside the water sector

Jyotigam Yojana:

• Separation of electricity supply to villages and pumps

• Reduced electricity and groundwater use

• Improved power supply to domestic users.

State of Gujarat

• Agricultural production has been growing at nearly 10% per annum

• Only State in western India where groundwater levels are improving

Pragmatic Solutions

Pragmatic Solutions

Nigeria: Flood Mapping and Mobile Apps, http://dialogues.cgiar.org/blog/nigerian-flood-story/

AWM Nigeria (http://frdsan.iwmi.org/)

Targeting 1000s of farmers to gain access

to the right information at the right time on flood

risks and opportunities from flood recession

agriculture.

Flood risks and opportunity for increasing productivity in Nigeria

Overarching messages

• Partnerships: Achieving all water-related goals will require a broad partnership within the water sector and beyond –and including the science community

• Opportunities for Growth: The emphasis should be on facilitating a sustainable and equitable growth path.

• Balancing the Scales: large scale investments in water resources and agriculture need to complement, rather than undermine, small-scale producers

• Integration: thinking across sectors and out of the ‘sectoralboxes’ has produced practical solutions

How does the science community contribute to the SDG process

Finalize the SDGs

Next steps in the SDG process: setting national

targets, achieving those targets in countries,

measuring progress

Explore contributions of science community through

evidence-based support

Contextual realities in low- and middle-income

countries in Africa and Asia