Only
20% of global wastewater is currently being treated, leaving low-income
countries hardest hit by contaminated water supplies and disease,
according to a UN report which encourages governments to see treated
wastewater as a valuable resource, and a priority for the post-2015
development agenda.
With urban populations estimated to double in
the next four decades, and low-income countries possessing only 8% of
the required capacity to treat wastewater effectively, Wastewater
Management, A UN-Water Analytical Brief, produced by the World Health
Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and
UN-Habitat, on behalf of UN-Water, describes the damage being done to
ecosystems and biodiversity as 'dire' and warns of the threat wastewater
will increasingly pose to human health, economic activity, and water
security if left unaddressed.
The report argues that wastewater
management has been neglected in the rush to commercialize drinking
water production, a situation exacerbated by a fragmented water
management system in many countries, and the use of different
technologies that are often designed separately and retrofitted to
existing systems. The Chair of UN-Water, Michel Jarraud said, "Wastewater
has featured heavily in the discussions on the Post-2015 Development
Agenda. Countries have recognized that economic and sustainable
development must incorporate water resources, wastewater and water
quality. This publication contributes to the ongoing discussions and
will hopefully serve to inform policymakers."
UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, "Wastewater
management has been neglected in the rush to commercialize drinking
water production, a situation exacerbated by a fragmented water
management system in many countries, and the use of different
technologies that are often designed separately and retrofitted to
existing systems." "Around 70% of industrial discharge in
developing countries goes untreated. And eutrophication - from
wastewater and agricultural run-off - has, according to recent
estimates, reduced biodiversity in rivers, lakes and wetlands by about
one-third globally." "It is time to turn this environmental and human
health challenge into an opportunity. Agriculture consumes 70% of global
water withdrawal, but agricultural irrigation from reclaimed wastewater
is on the rise, and is being used to irrigate 20 to 45 million hectares
worldwide. This is just a fraction of what is possible if policy and
available technologies converge to ensure that wastewater and water
quality are fully integrated into a more holistic water agenda as part
of the post-2015 process," he added.
Dr. Joan Clos, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat said, "To
be successful and sustainable, wastewater management must be an
integral part of the critical levers of urban planning and legislation
resulting in productive, healthy and livable cities. The upcoming UN
Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, Habitat III,
will be an opportunity to underscore the importance of effective
wastewater management and highlight the role of wastewater in the new
urban agenda." Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health,
Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, highlighted how
informal and unsafe use of wastewater can jeopardize the health of
farmers, local communities and consumers. With increasing water
scarcity, sound health-based risk management needs to be progressively
applied to safeguard health while increasing agricultural productivity.
The health sector has an important role to play in coordinating and
guiding efforts.
Africa is heavily impacted by the problem of
untreated wastewater. Of the thousands of people that die each day of
preventable water and sanitation diseases, a significant number are from
Africa. According to the 2014 Africa Water and Sanitation Report, more
than 547 million Africans lack access to basic sanitation, a situation
that, due to illness, premature deaths and school absenteeism is costing
the continent billions annually in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
including US$ 347 million in Kenya alone – or 0.9% of GDP, according to
the Economics of Sanitation Initiative. The UN report provides many
examples of low-tech, low-cost, on-site solutions that are now available
in low-income countries where infrastructure to support centralized
water treatment systems is lacking. For example, in 2010, in Africa's
largest slum settlement in Kibera, Nairobi, a personal, single-use,
self-sanitizing biodegradable toilet was introduced. The product is now
being used daily by 2,000 people living in Kibera, as well as 18,000
students who have access to it through a special school programme. The
product breaks down urine and faeces to form ammonia which inactivates
microorganisms. The used bag is odour free for at least 24 hours and the
contents are fully sanitized after only four weeks. The bags are sold
to the community via kiosks and local entrepreneurs and returned to
drop-in points by female micro-entrepreneurs where a part-refund is
provided per bag. The fertilizer used in direct form – with the toilet
bags buried in the ground and crops grown alongside – has been shown to
be very effective. Innovations like this one – previously only used
in humanitarian crises – exemplify the scale of the worsening crisis in
informal settlements where wastewater infrastructure is often
non-existent.
The Rapid Assessment Report on Wastewater Management
(Sick Water), co-authored by UN-Habitat and UNEP, notes that 21 of the
world's 33 megacities are on the coast, placing fragile ecosystems at
risk. And without urgent action to better manage wastewater, the
situation is likely to get worse. UN-Habitat contends that effective
urban planning, legislation and financing lie at the core of addressing
the wastewater challenge. As countries prepare to finalize the next
development agenda, which includes a proposed goal to ensure sustainable
water and sanitation for all, it is hoped that the report will serve as
strong evidence that treated wastewater can have an important role to
play in social, environmental and economic development.