UNSD Programme on Water Statistics and Accounts Jeremy Webb United Nations Statistics Division DESA

International Bodies involved in Water Statistics and Accounts United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) –Established in 1947 –Brings together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world –Apex entity of the global statistical system 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 United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) –Secretariat to the Statistical Commission –We work on: the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information; the standardization of statistical methods, classifications and definitions; the technical cooperation programme; and the coordination of international statistical programmes and activities United Nations Committee on Environmental and Economic Accounts (UNCEEA) –Established by Statistical Commission in March 2005 to mainstream environmental-economic accounting and related statistics to elevate the System of integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA) to an international statistical standard to advance the implementation of the SEEA in countries. London Group –City group working on environmental accounting established by the UNSC in 1994 –Subgroup on Water Accounts established at the 2003 meeting of the London Group (Rome) More than 20 experts participated in the Sub-group UNSD coordinated the group and prepared the various manuscripts Inter-secretariat Working Group on Environment Statistics (IWG-Env) (Est. 2003) –Subgroup on Water Statistics (SWS) (Est. 2005)

UNSD Programme of Water Statistics and Accounts Part 1: Programme of Water Statistics and Accounts –Milestones –Current activities Part 2: UNSD publications on water –System of Environmental and Economic Accounts for Water (SEEAW) –Manual of Water Statistics and Accounts (MoWSA) Part 3: Global Assessment of Environment Statistics and Environmental-Economic Accounting

Part 1: UNSD Water Statistics and Accounts Programme Water Statistics and Accounts are part of an integrated programme whereby the SEEAW provides the standard framework for measuring the interaction between the hydrological system and the economy and water statistics provides the list of variables and indicators for information related to water.

Milestones in Water Statistics and Accounts Programme Water Statistics data collection (biannual) –2008 Data collection (using questionnaire harmonised with SEEAW) –Work on a compilation manual on water statistics 2007 Integration of water statistics and water accounts programmes March 2007 the UN Statistical Commission adopts the SEEAW as an “interim” statistical standard and encourages its implementation in countries upon recommendation by the UNCEEA and the London Group on Environmental Accounting

SC decision on SEEAW (38/107) Environmental accounting The Statistical Commission: (b) Adopted part 1 of the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting for Water as an interim international statistical standard, recognizing significant demand from the users’ community, and encouraged its implementation in countries; (c) Requested that the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting for Water be re-evaluated by the Commission at the time the revised Handbook of National Accounting: Integrated Environmental-Economic Accounting is submitted to the Commission for adoption as an international statistical standard; (d) Requested the United Nations Statistics Division to develop and submit to the next Statistical Commission an implementation strategy for the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting for Water, taking into account the fact that countries were at different stages of development of environment statistics and environmental- economic accounting;

SEEAW Global Implementation Strategy Elements to the strategy –Practical guidelines –Training and promotion material –Technical cooperation programme –Harmonisation of data collection activities Implementation strategy will be linked to the national policy frameworks (e.g. IWRM and Water Master Plans)

Practical guidelines on water statistics and accounts The Manual on Water Statistics and Accounts (MOWSA) will cover: –Agreed list of variables (physical and monetary) related to water –Definitions for the variables fully harmonized with those of the SEEAW where there is overlap –Practical guidelines on how to compile the variables including data sources, methods and country practices –Guidelines for countries to establish a programme on water statistics and accounts

Training and promotion Training Training workshops on the SEEAW and water statistics carried out in all regions of the world in cooperation with various partners (Regional Commissions, regional programmes, etc.) Training programme with UNESCO-IHE as part of regular training of hydrologists on IWRM

Training and promotion (Cont’ed) Promotion Raise awareness in the users community –Through UN-Water –Working with partners at the country level (e.g. UNDP, World Bank, GWP, IUCN, etc.) –Develop promotion material

Technical assistance programme Regional workshops –Phase 1- Brings together users and producers of water information to raise awareness of the usefulness of the SEEAW –Phase 2 – Training on the compilation of the tables –Phase 3 – Sharing experience on implementation Pilot country projects Regional networks of compilers and users of SEEAW in countries

UNSD activities in Workshops –Medstat II (February 2007) –Expert Group Meeting in ESCWA (June 2007) –ECLAC ( Dominican Republic, July 2007) –Training in cooperation with UNESCO-IHE (Netherlands, September 2007) –SADC Region (2008) –ESCWA (2008) Country assistance –China, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Namibia, South Africa (These activities are harmonized and go parallel with the general environment statistics technical cooperation programme)

Harmonization of international data collection activities UNSD/UNEP and OECD/Eurostat questionnaire are broadly consistent with the SEEAW Fine-tuning of the questionnaires is needed for complete harmonization (SWS) FAO questionnaire on water use needs some work to harmonize (SWS)

Harmonisation of Data Collections Session 3: Implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water The UNCEEA encouraged harmonization of data collection activities with the SEEAW with the objective of obtaining comparable information which would enhance the analytical capabilities of the information. In terms of time frame, it noted that harmonization of international questionnaires with the SEEAW may not be feasible in the next round of data collection (2008), but it should be the aim for The analysis of integrating different data sources, currently being undertaken by Eurostat and EEA will be an input in the harmonization process.

Harmonize data collections Harmonize international questionnaires with SEEAW (already mostly the case for OECD/Eurostat and UNSD questionnaires) With the agreement of countries reduce the need for duplicate reporting by sharing data between international organizations

Meetings Workshop on Environment-Economic Approaches for Medstat II countries (Luxembourg, February 2007) London Group on Environmental Accounting (South Africa. March 2007) Expert Group Meeting on Environmental Accounts for ESCWA region (Egypt. June 2007) Workshop on Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water for ELAC region (Dominican Republic. July 2007) Course on SEEAW at the UNESCO-IHE (The Netherlands, September 2007) Expert Group Meeting on Water Accounting and Statistics (USA. December) Workshop on Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water for ESCAP region (2008) Workshop on Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water for SADC region (2008) Workshop on Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water for Eastern Europe/Western Asia (2008)

Part 2: Water Statistics and Accounts – UNSD publications System of Economic and Environmental Accounts for Water (SEEAW) and what is environmental accounting Manual of Water Statistics and Accounts (MoWSA)

Environmental accounting Introduces accounting concepts to environment statistics Improves both economic and environment statistics by encouraging consistency Implicitly defines ownership and hence responsibility for environmental impacts Encourages the development of comprehensive data sets Facilitates international comparisons

The System of Environmental- Economic Accounting for Water (SEEAW) Part 1 of SEEAW was adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission in March 2007 as an interim statistical standard Part 2 contains the elements of SEEAW for which a consensus on best practices did not emerge SEEAW has been recognized as “the much needed framework” for measuring the interaction between the hydrological system and the economy by the users community

SEEW - Structure Part I –Ch 1. Introduction –Ch. 2 Water Accounting Framework –Ch. 3 Physical Supply and Use Tables –Ch. 4 Emission Accounts –Ch. 5 Hybrid and Economic Accounts –Ch. 6 Asset Account Part II –Ch. 7 Quality Account –Ch. 8 Valuation –Ch. 9 Policy use

Water Accounts StocksFlows Volume (e.g. m 3 ) Value (e.g. $, £, ¥, €)

Water Accounts

SEEAW The system defines what should be accounted for By using the SEEAW: –Any gaps are obvious –Water data is integrated with economic data –Water data can by used with economic data and employment data for: integrated water management purposes policy analysis policy monitoring other

Environment statistics Often developed to address individual issues or questions Often not easy to relate to other issues Often not able to be integrated with economic statistics Difficult to be sure all relevant information is included

Environmental Accounts Help to make sense of the entire picture

SEEAW is especially useful for policy and IWRM because: Organised body of information facilitates integrated economic-environmental analysis (complements sustainable development indicators, modelling) Provides a system into which monetary valuations of environmental costs can be incorporated Allows trade-offs between the environment and the economy (and within the economy), overtime and between locations to be described and analysed Accounts can be used for very powerful analyses because they integrate information from different sources, which are normally used independently

SEEAW - Terminology Terminology is not always consistent among: –economists –environmental statisticians –scientists –policy makers Need to use a clear, agreed terminology –one of the SEEA main contribution is the standardisation of terms and definitions

Water Statistics and Accounts Share many concepts –Share many variables (and definitions) –Share most indicators Share the same data sources Share most methods

Manual of Water Statistics and Accounts - MoWSA Concepts –Main concepts (classifications, statistical units, etc) –Water variables (a list and definitions) –Water indicators (a list and definitions) Sources –Data sources (types of data sources) –Data collection strategies Methods –Practical (how to) advice on compiling water variables and indicators

Manual of Water Statistic and Accounts - MoWSA Supports Water Statistics and Accounts –Those variables that are in the SEEAW are fully consistent with those in the SEEAW –Supplementary and other variables outside of the SEEAW are defined according to international practice

Part 3 – Global Assessment of Environment Statistics and Environmental Accounting Carried out under the auspices of the UNCEEA Objectives: –To assess the current status of national implementation of environment statistics, environmental-economic accounting and related statistics; –To identify priorities and future plans in the programmes above; and –To assess the impeding factors in the collection, compilation and dissemination of environment statistics, environmental-economic accounting and related statistics.

Phase 1 – General Survey Phase 1 in collaboration with the Inter- Secretariat Working Group on Environment Statistics has been completed (results reported to UNSC) It covered –Institutional infrastructure –Subject areas –Constraints in implementation –Future plans

Phase 2: ongoing Follow-up questionnaires focusing on specific subject areas Objectives: –Identify role of NSOs in the national statistical system in collecting, compiling and disseminating statistics and accounts; –Assess scope of statistics and accounts in NSOs by identifying their coverage, data collection practices and use; –Assess use of international standards, recommendations, guidelines and classifications; –Assess impeding factors in the collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics and accounts

Phase 2 – Future activities Energy Statistics and Balances –received replied from countries, analysis is under preparation) Energy accounts (flows and stocks, including emission accounts) –Will be dispatched shortly Water statistics and accounts –To be prepared and dispatched shortly Questionnaires on other subject matters will be prepared in

Useful web links UNSD Environmental Accounting website UNSD Environment Statistics website SEEAW (as accepted at UNSD prior to official editing) Report to UNCEEA on SEEAW Implementation Report to UNCEEA on Global Assessment of Environmental Accounting and Statistics Links between Water Accounts and Questionnaires Water Accounts and the Water Framework Directive

Contact details Michael Vardon Adviser Environmental Accounting United Nations Statistics Division New York USA Room DC Phone: Fax: Jeremy Webb Environmental Statistician United Nations Statistics Division New York USA Room DC Phone: Fax: