17 July 201117 July 2011

Water Accounts and Statistics(SEEA-Water and IRWS)

Water Accounts and Statistics(SEEA-Water and IRWS)

UN Statistics Division

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In general, water policy objectives can be grouped in the following four quadrants:

SEEA-Water and IRWS provide the concepts and methods for measuring progress towards the attainment of the objectives in each of the four quadrants, as well as higher level indicators linking water security with human well being.

Water Security

I.Improving drinking water and sanitation services

II.Managing water

supply and demand

III. Mitigating water resources degradation/ Improving quality of water resources

IV.Adapting to extreme

hydro-meteorological events

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The four quadrants in plain English:

Sustainable development requires good water and sanitation services for all, sharing water to maximize benefits, making sure we don’t exceed water’s carrying capacity, and getting ready for wet and dry years. The four quadrants are interconnected.

Water Security

I.Nature provides water,but not the pipes

II.Water is enough,

if it is well managed

III. Water cleanses, but cannot absorb all our wastes

IV.Too much, too little,

better be prepared

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Quadrant I: Water and Sanitation

Key information required:

• Number of people with access to improved water and sanitation (MDG, from JMP)

• Tariffs, taxes and transfers• All costs associated to the provision of the

services• Investments in infrastructure and value of

infrastructure• Volume of water abstracted, distributed

and lost (unaccounted for water)

Key indicators for this quadrant can be derived from the standardized information collected according to SEEA-Water and IRWS concepts and definitions. The indicators can therefore be consistent and comparable over time and space.

I.Improving drinking

water and sanitation services

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Quadrant II: Water Supply and Demand

• Renewable inland water resources• Water abstracted/consumed/returned by

economic activities (including households). • Water productivity by economic activity • Trade off when allocating water• Investments in hydraulic infrastructure and

value of existing infrastructure

Key indicators for this quadrant can be derived from the standardized information collected according to SEEA-Water and IRWS concepts and definitions. The indicators can therefore be consistent and comparable over time and space.

II.Managing water

supply and demand

Key information required:

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Quadrant III: Water Quality and Water Health

• Waterborne pollutants emitted by economic activity

• Pollutants removed as a result of treatment• Water quality assessments in watercourses• Regulatory services provided by ecosystems in

terms of assimilation of waterborne pollution (water purification and disease control)

• Measures of the health of the water ecosystems

Key indicators for this quadrant can be derived from the standardized information collected according to SEEA-Water and IRWS concepts and definitions. The indicators can therefore be consistent and comparable across time and space

III.Mitigating water

resources degradation/

Improving quality of water resources

Key information required:

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Quadrant IV: Extreme Hydro-Meteorological Events

• Water stocks and variations through time (surface and groundwater).

• Investments for the storage and control of water

• Disturbance prevention• Regulatory services provided by the

ecosystems in terms of water flows

Key indicators for this quadrant can be derived from the standardized information collected according to SEEA-Water and IRWS concepts and definitions. The indicators can therefore be consistent and comparable across time and space

IV.Adapting to extreme

hydro-meteorological

events

Key information required:

8

Economic policies are monitored using indicators which are widely accepted and comparable between countries and through time. Most of the indicators are derived from the standard concepts and definitions prescribed in the System of National Accounts (SNA).

The environmental–economic accounts were developed from the SNA concepts and definitions. The process to approve the system of environmental economic accounts is as strict as the one followed for the approval of SNA.

• The first version of SNA was adopted in 1953.

• The SNA has become a standard for policy analysis throughout the world.

• There is a lot of capacity developed in the use of the SNA.

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The UNSC is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is the highest decision making body for international statistical activities, especially the setting of statistical standards, the development of concepts and methods and their implementation at the national and international level.

SEEA-Water and IRWS are key ingredients for the development of information systems for the design and evaluation of water policies.

Recently, the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) adopted the System of Environmental Economic Accounts for Water (SEEA-Water) and the International Recommendations for Water Statistics (IRWS).

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In 2007 the UNSC adopted the SEEA-Water. It covers all the physical and economic stocks and flows associated with water. It also covers emissions of pollutants and water quality.

The SEEA-Water and the IRWS provide the framework for developing indicators that are comparable through time and space.

In 2010 the UNSC adopted the IRWS, designed to assist countries in the collection, compilation and dissemination of internationally comparable water statistics.

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More than fifty countries around the world are doing or planning to do water accounts.

Countries doing significant progress are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Jordan, Mexico, Netherlands, Oman and South Africa, among others.

Traducción libre

   “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”    “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”    “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master      that’s all.”    

We speak the language of our particular discipline, our specific field of expertise. Inter-disciplinary work is sometimes similar to building the Babel tower.

This presentation concentrates on concepts, rather than words. It reviews the basic building blocks of water accounts from a system’s perspective.

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Esperanto was developed hoping (Mr. Hope) to increase understanding between nations and cultures. Perhaps there is a need for practical approaches that promote common understanding with small training investments.

The solution of environmental problems requires simple intuitive languages that can help build shared visions. Correct coding and standardization is also required.

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With these simple elements it is possible to describe the dynamics of complex systems.

The language of “stocks” and “flows” is useful to talk about dynamic processes. A sentence has a noun and a verb. The “stocks” are like the nouns and the “flows” are like the verbs. For example, by saving I increase money saved.

The example above can be expressed as follows in mathematical terms.𝜕𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦𝜕𝑡 = 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔ሺ𝑡ሻ− 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔(𝑡)

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The equations shown above can be solved by integration of the function that describes the movement. Everything has to be expressed in the same measuring units.

The following example refers to a closed system (there are no clouds). The example tells us that by moving the energy stored is depleted, but at the same time the position is changed.

The example above can be expressed as follows in mathematical terms.𝜕𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦𝜕𝑡 = −𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔ሺ𝑡ሻ 𝜕𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝜕𝑡 = 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔(𝑡)

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All the flows and stocks have to be expressed in the same measuring units. One way of achieving this is using monetary units calculated with uniform criteria.

In a similar way the transactions in a society can be described. Even though the example is very simple, more detail can be added to communicate useful information for decision making.

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The following diagram shows a simplified natural water cycle.

The diagram represents a closed system in which the mass has to be conserved.

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Due to the complexities associated with measuring the atmospheric and oceanic stocks, it is more practical to use an open system model (with clouds showing the boundaries)

The economy can be included in the water cycle. For simplicity not all the flows are shown.

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The following diagram shows a simplified open model. The sea and atmosphere are left out.

The diagram represents a closed system in which the mass has to be conserved.

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The Inland Water Resources can be divided into surface water, groundwater and soil water.

The diagram represents a closed system in which the mass has to be conserved.

21

Flows of water being used by the economy.

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All the flows and stocks can be presented in a “hypermatrix.”

Each element in the “hypermatrix” has a corresponding concept in SEEA-Water

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The following “hypermatrix” shows the relationships with IRWS.

Each element in the “hypermatrix” has a corresponding element in the IRWS.

Atm

osph

ere

Surfa

ce w

ater

Artifi

cial r

eser

voirs La

kes

Rive

rs an

d st

ream

s

Wet

land

s

Snow

, ice

and

glac

iers

Grou

ndw

ater

Soil

Wat

er

Sea

Rest

of t

he w

orld

Indu

strie

s & H

ouse

hold

s

Wat

er co

nsum

ption

Stoc

ks at

the

begi

nnin

g of

the

year

SUBT

RACT

IONS

TO ST

OCKS

: to

tal o

utflo

w in

the

year

ADDI

TION

S TO

STOC

KS:

Tota

l infl

ow in

the

year

Stoc

ks at

the

end

of th

e ye

ar

Atmosphere

C.1.

Evap

otra

nspi

ratio

nf fr

om in

land

wat

ers

E.2

Surface water A.1

Artificial reservoirs A.1.1

Lakes A.1.2

Rivers and streams A.1.3

Wetlands A.1.4

Snow, ice and glaciers A.1.5

Groundwater D.4 E.1.2 A.2

Soil Water E.1.3

Sea E.3

Rest of the world F.3 &G.3

Industries H.1.2, I.1 & I.2

H.3, I.1 & I.2

H.2, I.1 & I.2

F.2, F.5, I.1 & I.2

F.1 & F.4, G.1 & G.4

Comple-ment

H.1.1 Returns to surface water, I.1 & I.2

E.1.

1 Fr

om su

rface

wat

er

Addi

tion

of ro

ws

Addi

tion

of co

lum

ns

Not i

n IR

WS

C.2.

2 Ou

tflow

of w

ater

to th

e se

a

C.2.

1 Ou

tflow

of w

ater

to d

owns

tream

terri

torie

s

B.2 Inflow of water from upstream territories

Initi

al st

ocks

- SU

BTRA

CTIO

NS +

AD

DITI

ONS

D.2 From surface water to groundwater

Not in IRWS

FLOWS STOCKS

B.1 Precipitation

C.1.

Evap

otra

nspi

ratio

nf fr

om in

land

wat

ers

D.3. Between surface water resources

D.1

From

surfa

ce to

grou

ndw

ater

waterflows

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The following diagram shows a simplified natural water cycle.

The diagram represents a closed system in which the mass has to be conserved.

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Indicators can be derived from the “hypermatrix”

The indicators are therefore comparable through space and time.

E.1.1 + E.1.2

B.1 + C.1+B.2-C.2.1

Example:

Water stress =

It is important to use the data provided by countries through the UNSD/UNEP questionnaire, which is sent every two years.

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EECCA Indicators:1. Total water use: consider the MDG 7.5 indicator. It might be better to

measure or estimate abstractions of water by agriculture (ISIC 1-3), water supply industry (ISIC 36), cooling for electricity (ISIC 35 without hydroelectricity) and all other industries.

2. Water supply industry: consider abstractions per capita by water supply industry (ISIC 36), losses and the amount of water that is actually supplied to households.

3. Population connected to wastewater treatment. Consider MDG 7.9 indicator, included in the International Recommendations for Water Statistics (IRWS), table 4.16 of data items.

4. Wastewater treatment facilities. Consider waterborne gross emissions and the emissions removed by wastewater treatment facilities. Emissions can be measured in terms of BOD and COD, among others.

5. Concentration of pollutants in seawater and sediments. Consider waterborne emissions discharged to the sea in terms of BOD and COD, among others.

Thank you!

Ricardo Martinez-Lagunes (martinezr@un.org)