High Level Conference Water, Climate and Health Arezzo, Italy, Nov 23 rd 2012 Luciana Sinisi, ISPRA, Italy Chair Task Force Extreme Weather Events WHO/UNECE Protocol Water and Health to UNECE Water Convention Jos Timmerman, MoE, NL Chair Task Force Water and Climate UNECE Water Convention Water & Climate Strategy in UNECE Region: the case of water supply and sanitation under adverse weather events L.SINISI, ISPRA, Italy

UNECE STRATEGY ON WATER & CLIMATE ADOPTED COP 2009 ADOPTED MOP ADDED VALUE -Transboundary focus -Environment & health issues -water supply and sanitation in extremes with link to utilities management

Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change Guidance on Water and Adaptation to Climate Change Task Force Water and Climate UNECE Water Convention Leadership and support : NL, Germany, Italy Climate change impacts on water resources are visible – first adaptation efforts are starting none at the transboundary level Few countries have developed adaptation strategies, none at the transboundary level The UNECE Water Convention represents a strategic framework for cooperation on adaptation

Developing water & adaptation strategy Need for flexible agreements, possibly for revision of existing agreements and procedures Sharing of data, joint monitoring of climate change impacts Elaboration of common scenarios Basin-wide joint vulnerability assessment Agreement on adaptation strategy and measures likely to have transboundary impacts Sharing benefits and risks LINK TO EU GUIDANCE River basin management Water Framework Directive Floods Directive Strategy on Water Scarcity and Droughts.

Develop measures: safety chain and extremes Prevent Improve resilience Extreme event Respond Recover Prepare

Water supply and sanitation in extremes: old problems and new risks  Under critical meteoclimatic water supply and sanitation services aren’t anymore a healthy delivery services, but a significant source of contamination, sometimes irreversible and that goes beyond local and national border.  Health risk are not only related to direct damages, supply disruption but also to contamination of water and biota  Nevertheless there was a lack of “institutional” attention to E&H risks under recurrent extremes

Develop measures: safety chain the case of water supply and sanitation under adverse weather events Prevent Improve resilience Extreme event Respond Recover Prepare Guidance on Water Supply and Sanitation in Extreme Weather Events Task Force Extreme Weather events Protocol On Water And Health To The UNECE Water Convention LEADERSHIP : Italy Ministry of Environment Joint Secretariat: WHO & UNECE

Increased of direct impacts on people’s health & well being infrastructures & assets, safety of natural resource Increase in demand of safe water in emergencies Increase in demand of safe water in emergencies Increase in water/soil contamination from waste water services Increase in water/soil contamination from waste water services Higher demand of risk reduction strategies and recovery cost Higher demand of risk reduction strategies and recovery cost Resilience WSS Utilities Resilience WSS Utilities RISK MANAGEMENT IN EXTREMES

WSS utilities performance and E&H risks in extremes Contaminated discharge in environment and water bodies Contaminated discharge in environment and water bodies Lack of available safe water Lack of available safe water Higher pollutants concentrations Higher pollutants concentrations and/ or overload and/ or overload Impairment of waste water treatment performance Unsafe use of new water sources Unsafe use of new water sources ► Chemical and biological safety of Drinking water Bathing waters Irrigated crops Food and sea food ► Risk increase of vectors and rodents borne diseases ► (Costly) impairment of effectiveness of environmental protection of healthy water resources High vulnerability of WSS infrastructures in the Region High vulnerability of WSS infrastructures in the Region

Risk management  E&H risks connected to performance in extremes  Different settings (e.g. costal areas)  Adaptation measures for health, environment and utilities sectors GUIDANCE WSS as a starting tool for adaptation WSS «System» vulnerablities  Utilities standards, small suppliers  Preparedness to cope with risks  Communication,staff training, information RESILIENCE : improve what you’re doing STRUCTURAL INTERV : protect what you have NO- STRUCTURAL INTERV: manage what you don’t have

sea level rise DW supply: adaptation Courtesy by Jim Foster, UK Courtesy by Courtesy by UNDP, B.Beli PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE Improve what you’re doing

WWTP & sewerage: higher vulnerabilities Courtesy by D. Nedvedova, MoE Czech Rep Effectiveness of urban wastewater treatment policies in selected countries: an EEA pilot study “, EEA, 2005 Courtesy by C.Lasagna, IRIDE aquagas, Italy

WSS in extremes ( barriers to) risk mananagement GOVERNANCE AWARENESS water supply and sanitation (WSS) “just” as a costly service not health determinant. involvement of utility managers in adaptation and risk reduction strategies RISK CHARACTERIZATION/EXPOSURE/ IMPACTS KNOWLEDGE Resilience of surveillance & environmental monitoring lack of knowledge on exposure to chemical TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER & CAPACITY BUILDING Disaster preparedness and early warning Rapid assessment techniques (water, soil and food) LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL, APPROPRIATE MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERT TEAM SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT AND MEASURES IMPLEMENTATION

UNECE STRATEGY ON WATER & CLIMATE ADOPTED COP 2009 ADOPTED MOP Getting together is a beginning, Staying together is a progress, but working together is a success ( H. Ford)

Thank you