Panel 3: Strategies For Managing Water Resources

Wednesday, April 19th (11:45am-12:45pm)

13th Symposium on

Development and Social Transformation

Rural Water Sector Decentralization In India

Atheeq Khan

Panel 3: Strategies For Managing Water Resources

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation

Rural Water Supply Sector Reforms in India: An Assessment

Atheeq Khan

Current Status

• 96 % rural habitations have access

• Yet, Investment in the sector is increasing

1996-2001 US $ 1911 millions

2002-2007 US $ 5511 millions

• Indicating unsustainability

• Access does not translate to quality of service (WB, 2006)

Traditional RWS Policy – Supply driven & Top down

• Government to provide adequate water to all

• State Agencies to plan and build and maintain

• Joint Central & State Govt. financing

• Projects based on supply side calculations

• Water rate not collected • Non - participative

Sector Reforms

• Decentralization

• Demand driven

• Bottoms up

• Participative

Decentralization: A Theoretical Perspective

• Efficiency through decentralization – Information– Heterogeneity of services– Local supervision– Accountability to local

citizens

Decentralization: A theoretical perspective

• Equity through Decentralization– Local information on

poor– Local Governments in

better position to target

– Local decisions favor pro-poor decisions

Conditions for Decentralization to succeed - Theory

• Local Decisions fully transparent

• Cost of local decision fully borne locally

• Benefits do not spill over jurisdictions» R. M. Bird (1994)

• Empowerment of local actors

• Accountability Mechanisms » Bardhan (2002) & Agarwal & Ribot (2002)

Accountability Mechanisms

• Institutions• Fiscal autonomy

at local level• Dependence on

Hierarchical relationship with higher level of Government

Sector Reforms: Policy Analysis

• Direction – Step in right

direction?

• Adequacy– Not adequate

• Success so far– Poor

Inadequacy of decentralization

• Local Governments – PRIs in India– Relatively young institutions– Developments of PRIs not uniform among

states

• Capacity building of local Governments– Local Governments have poor capacities– Fiscal autonomy poor

Inadequacy of decentralization

• Empowerment– Poor fiscal and administrative decentralization

• Accountability– Citizen participation by way of fiscal

contribution poor– PRIs accountable to distant central

Government bureaucrats– Elite capture and poor local accountability

mechanisms

Policy Alternatives

• Create incentives for local actors to respond to

• Empower local Governments and hold them responsible

• Participative processes for information gather and use from local citizens

• Institutional mechanisms for stakeholder participation

Policy Alternatives - Continued

• Adequate fiscal and administrative decentralization

• Techno-managerial capacities for Village governments

• Monitoring, evaluation, policy advice and technical supervision capacities for intermediate and state level Governments

• Local fiscal Autonomy

Conclusion

• Reform is in right direction, but not adequate

• Decentralization not effective without adequate fiscal and administrative decentralization

Conclusions – Contd…

• Downward accountability mechanisms need strengthening

• Greater attention to institutional strengthening and community participation

End Note

Invest in local Governments for Better Governance

Thank you

Atheeq Khanalkhan@maxwell.syr.edu

Urban Water Resource Management In Indonesia

Dan Wilder

Panel 3: Strategies For Managing Water Resources

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation

Urban Water Resource Urban Water Resource Management in IndonesiaManagement in Indonesia

Dan WilderDan Wilder

OutlineOutline

BackgroundBackground

Water NeedsWater Needs

SanitationSanitation

DecentralizationDecentralization

ChallengesChallenges

RecommendationsRecommendations

““Tanah Air Kita”Tanah Air Kita”

World’s largest archipelagoWorld’s largest archipelago 13,000 islands, 13,000 islands, 6,000 inhabited6,000 inhabited

World’s 4World’s 4thth most populous country after most populous country after China, India, & the U.S.China, India, & the U.S. 242 million people 242 million people 2/32/3rdsrds live on the island of Java live on the island of Java Jakarta ~9.5 millionJakarta ~9.5 million

Water NeedsWater Needs

Largely rural, agriculture plays an important role, Largely rural, agriculture plays an important role, but….but….

45%45% of Indonesia’s population currently lives in of Indonesia’s population currently lives in urban areas (~109 million)urban areas (~109 million) Expected to increase to Expected to increase to 60%60% by 2025, an estimated by 2025, an estimated

160 million160 million peoplepeople

Growth in manufacturingGrowth in manufacturing Over-pumping leads to Over-pumping leads to shrinking aquifersshrinking aquifers and and

saltwater intrusionsaltwater intrusion

SanitationSanitation

Affects wealthy and poor alike Affects wealthy and poor alike

Public health problemsPublic health problems ~~30%30% of Indonesians suffer from of Indonesians suffer from

waterborne illnesses each year waterborne illnesses each year Diarrhea the 2Diarrhea the 2ndnd largest killer of children largest killer of children

• ~~100,000100,000 children under age 5 each year children under age 5 each year

Highest incidence of Highest incidence of typhoid fevertyphoid fever in Asia in Asia

Urban sewerage coverage ~3%Urban sewerage coverage ~3%

Context: DecentralizationContext: Decentralization

1980s – District level responsible for 1980s – District level responsible for providing water servicesproviding water services Control still highly centralizedControl still highly centralized

Asian financial crisis – fall of SuhartoAsian financial crisis – fall of Suharto Central government lacks capacityCentral government lacks capacity

1999 regional autonomy laws1999 regional autonomy laws

Structural ChallengesStructural Challenges

InfrastructureInfrastructure Aging systemsAging systems

FinancingFinancing PDAMs in debt from PDAMs in debt from

Financial CrisisFinancial Crisis Tariffs set too lowTariffs set too low

Structural Challenges (Cont’d)Structural Challenges (Cont’d)

Administrative CapacityAdministrative Capacity Illegal pumping Illegal pumping loss of 40% of revenues loss of 40% of revenues Ambiguous pollution oversight responsibilitiesAmbiguous pollution oversight responsibilities Governors responsible for prosecutionGovernors responsible for prosecution

Adverse IncentivesAdverse Incentives Over-consumption Over-consumption Illegal marketsIllegal markets Creative revenue schemes Creative revenue schemes

RecommendationsRecommendations

Give local governments Give local governments the power to prosecute the power to prosecute

Monitor wastewater Monitor wastewater instead of the amount of instead of the amount of water pumpedwater pumped

Water And Healthcare In Urban China

Xiaodong Chen

Panel 3: Strategies For Managing Water Resources

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation

Presentation

•

• Water policy development in urban China

• Xiaodong Chen

• 2006-4-19

Introduction

• Water is a prime natural resource, a basic human need and a precious asset for human being . Most of the developing countries face a serious problem not only to meet the rapidly growing demand for water resources but also to sustain water quality .

• Since the adoption of the reform and opening up policy in China , Chinese national economy has gained rapid development and people's living standard enhanced quickly. However, with the economic development, the environment of water is faced with much pressure .

• The magnitude of China’s water problems is under increasingly stressful conditions of water shortages, and temporal variations in water surplus and deficit, the rapid deterioration of surface and groundwater quality.

Background

• For China , rapid economic growth is imperative to alleviate poverty ,raise income levels and improve the citizens’quality life . Water pollution in urban China did not receive much official attention until the mid-1970s . Economic growth has always had higher priority than environmental pollution control issues on China's development agenda .

• Most water pollution in urban China is caused by inadequate treatment of municipal sewage , only 5 % of the total sewage discharged annually treated. Water sources in 50 percent of the major cities and towns cannot meet drinking water standards .

• Great efforts should be made to further promote the water environmental protection work in China .

Water issue and health

• Water is a prime natural resource, a basic human need and a precious asset for human being . Water sources include surface water ,ground water and rainwater.

• Water related disease is devided by four types .

• Keeping the environment clean from pollution is not only good for the environment, but also good for our health . In other words, health is best protected by the provision of an environmental service and benefits from having a clean water supply.

Water sources pollution

• The sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity .

• Water pollution is determined by mainly two factors: the number of people and the amount of consumption and production by human activities.

• Population growth brings environment deterioration through development, such as large scale farming, urbanization and industrialization.

Water quality effect factors

• The effectiveness of pollution control mechanisms mostly depends on government actions. The efficiency of implemented wastewater treatment management is the key to improve water quality .

• Population and human activities affect water quality; however, appropriate treatment can help to avoid the deterioration of water quality .

• Whether countries try to improve environmental quality depends on their income level . Furthermore, investment into the projects to control wastewater is also an important factor to control water pollution.

• Water quality is affected by other factors, such as government efforts for water treatment and the social and economic environment .

The current situation in urban China---Challenge

• Environment-related public health problems are yet another challenge China’s leaders must address . The most serious problem is unsafe drinking water.

• More than three-quarters of the water flowing through China’s urban areas is considered unsuitable for drinking or fishing.

• Overall, China’s capacity to address environmental challenges need to be enhanced . Now, The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has only 300 full time professional staff in Beijing, and China devotes only 1.3% of its GDP to environmental protection.

Tha analysis of the water pollution control in urban China

• China promotes the idea of “sustainable” water use as a key policy goal. The emission of wastes from the industrial pollution sources of the whole country should meet the standards at national and local levels.

• Boiling water is effective in destroying all kinds of waterborne pathogens, and can be applied to all waters .

• Solar Radiation is an accessible, low cost method of household water treatment that is also technologically feasible. Chlorine is the most common and the most affordable of the chemical disinfectants .

• Conclusion

Panel 3: Strategies For Managing Water Resources

Wednesday, April 19th (11:45am-12:45pm)

Atheeq Khan Rural Water Sector Decentralization In India

Dan Wilder Urban Water Resource Management In Indonesia

Xiadong Chen Water And Healthcare In Urban China

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation