Although Bangladesh has set a target of supplying safe water for all its people by 2011, a recent survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) showed that 12.6% of Bangladesh households, or about 20 million people, still drink water containing arsenic above the government's recommendation of no more than 50 micrograms per litre.
"Urgent action is needed to re-focus the attention of the nation towards an arsenic-safe environment," said Renata Lok Dessallien, U.N. resident coordinator in Bangladesh, as quoted by Reuters. "Concerted efforts by the government and all stakeholders are necessary to reinvigorate arsenic monitoring and mitigation efforts and conduct comprehensive research on emerging threats."
Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical introduced into water through the dissolution of minerals and ores. It is poisonous to humans and is known to cause skin lesions and cancers of the bladder, kidney, lungs and skin.
Organic carbon can trigger the release of arsenic from sediments into groundwater. Studies have recommended against using groundwater in man-made ponds and rice fields.
Showing posts with label clean water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean water. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Stakeholders critical of Jakarta's foreign water companies
PAM Jaya, the water board of Indonesia's capital city province, DKI Jakarta, is becoming increasingly critical of its two, foreign-owned water contractors, Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and Aetra Air Jakarta. Like an estimated 75% of Indonesia's local water boards, PAM Jaya is heavily indebted; last year its director, Haryadi Priyohutomo, reported that the company’s debts exceeded Rp 300 billion.
In 1997, when Palyja and PT Thames PAM Jaya (which was later taken over by Aetra) were appointed to supply water, PAM Jaya was in dire need of restructuring and funding to pay off debts and increase the supply and quality of water.
Half of the province's clean water supply is from Jatiluhur dam in West Java, 80 km from the city. It is channelled through West Tarum Barat canal into water treatment facilities owned by the two water operators. Under their contracts, PAM Jaya pays Palyja and Aetra water charges for the water they provide to customers.
The latest water charge PAM Jaya paid the contractors, however, was above the average water rate customers paid PAM Jaya, which was Rp 7,000 (around 70 cents) per cubic metre.
Based on their income brackets Jakartans pay different water rates to PAM Jaya, with the lowest rates just over Rp 1,000 per cubic metre and the highest at around Rp 14,000.This arrangement has continually caused PAM Jaya losses because most of its customers pay less than the standard water rate. “75% [of customers] pay less than the standard rates,” Riant Nugroho, a member of the province's water regulatory body, told The Jakarta Post.
Water quality
Continuing poor water quality is a major concern of the provincial government as large companies are turning to their own water treatment instead of paying top bracket prices to the water companies.
“Some companies have begun to plan ways to recycle their water using reverse osmosis technology,” said Nugroho. PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, which owns Ancol Dreamland Park, and PT Pelindo II, one of Indonesia’s seaport operators, had both begun researching this option, he said.
Firdaus Ali, an environmental expert of the University of Indonesia assigned to the independent water regulatory body by Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, is critical of the performance of both contractors. “If you ask me, I would agree to terminate Palyja and Aetra,” he told Arientha Primanita of The Jakarta Globe. "However, if [the province] cancels its contracts it would have to pay roughly Rp 5.7 trillion [$615.6 million] and,' he said, alluding to contracts written in favour of the contractors, "if the two companies cancelled the contract, the [province] will still have to pay Rp 3.7 trillion.”
Legal threat
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is currently planning to file both a civil and criminal suit against Palyja for allegedly providing poor service to residents of Muara Baru, North Jakarta and Tulus Abadi of the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) said his office will work with the YLBHI to support the actions.
In the past 10 years, he said, clean water and electricity were the top subjects of customer complaints submitted to the YLKI. "We receive hundreds of complaints every year. We received 450 complaints about [PAM Jaya] in 2008," he told Indah Setiawati of The Jakarta Post. He said complaints included poor water quality, inconsistency of water flow and changes to the customer category, which affected the water tariff.
However, according to PAM Jaya's latest report quoted by the newspaper, the two operators showed "satisfying" performances in 2009. The number of customers increased by 2.1% to 795,149 from the previous year. Palyja's non-revenue water (NRW), or water loss, reached 43.9%, a decrease of 1.4%, while Aetra's NRW reached 48.6%, a decline of 2.1%. The report said the two contractors sold 267.4 million cubic metres of water in 2009, an increase of 3.% from 2008.
In November last year, Governor Bowo announced that the province's clean water coverage stood at 63% and he was aiming to increase that to 70% within five years. He also foreshadowed a new cross-subsidy scheme for water rates. “We will charge the upper-middle customers with an additional tariff to fund the supply for the poor,” he said.
Cross-subsidies
The Governor said that since the majority of the customers served by the two water distributors were considered low income, the size of the subsidies to be paid by bigger earners would be significant. He said he'd also asked the water operators to reduce pipe leakage and waste but the saving measures had not yet gone far enough.
Meyritha Maryanie, a Palyja representative, said the company expected an increase in water rates because the price had been frozen for three years. She added that the upper-middle class customers the governor was referring to were those who paid water rates of between Rp 6,800 to Rp 12,550 (73 cents to $1.34) per cubic metre.
She declined to give details about the company’s recommendation to the city administration, but said that the increase would not exceed the charge to the groundwater tariff. The groundwater tariff was increased to Rp 8,000 to Rp 20,000 per cubic metre from Rp 525 to Rp 3,000 per cubic metre. “The increase is important for the cross-subsidy for low-income water consumers,” she said adding that the water tariff for those in the low income group was now Rp 1,050 to Rp.3,550 per cubic metre.
To widenlow-income access to clean water, Palyja has launched a water installation program funded by a World Bank grant. In the scheme, new water connection fees are reportedly set at Rp 120,000 compared to the regular fee of Rp 620,000.
Palyja said it has invested $2.5 million in the program with its expenditure to be reimbursed after accounts had been audited. Maryanie said the World Bank will not disburse the subsidy if usage is less than 10 cubic metres per month because that meant people were not using the clean water.
In 1997, when Palyja and PT Thames PAM Jaya (which was later taken over by Aetra) were appointed to supply water, PAM Jaya was in dire need of restructuring and funding to pay off debts and increase the supply and quality of water.
Half of the province's clean water supply is from Jatiluhur dam in West Java, 80 km from the city. It is channelled through West Tarum Barat canal into water treatment facilities owned by the two water operators. Under their contracts, PAM Jaya pays Palyja and Aetra water charges for the water they provide to customers.
The latest water charge PAM Jaya paid the contractors, however, was above the average water rate customers paid PAM Jaya, which was Rp 7,000 (around 70 cents) per cubic metre.
Based on their income brackets Jakartans pay different water rates to PAM Jaya, with the lowest rates just over Rp 1,000 per cubic metre and the highest at around Rp 14,000.This arrangement has continually caused PAM Jaya losses because most of its customers pay less than the standard water rate. “75% [of customers] pay less than the standard rates,” Riant Nugroho, a member of the province's water regulatory body, told The Jakarta Post.
Water quality
Continuing poor water quality is a major concern of the provincial government as large companies are turning to their own water treatment instead of paying top bracket prices to the water companies.
“Some companies have begun to plan ways to recycle their water using reverse osmosis technology,” said Nugroho. PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, which owns Ancol Dreamland Park, and PT Pelindo II, one of Indonesia’s seaport operators, had both begun researching this option, he said.
Firdaus Ali, an environmental expert of the University of Indonesia assigned to the independent water regulatory body by Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, is critical of the performance of both contractors. “If you ask me, I would agree to terminate Palyja and Aetra,” he told Arientha Primanita of The Jakarta Globe. "However, if [the province] cancels its contracts it would have to pay roughly Rp 5.7 trillion [$615.6 million] and,' he said, alluding to contracts written in favour of the contractors, "if the two companies cancelled the contract, the [province] will still have to pay Rp 3.7 trillion.”
Legal threat
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is currently planning to file both a civil and criminal suit against Palyja for allegedly providing poor service to residents of Muara Baru, North Jakarta and Tulus Abadi of the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) said his office will work with the YLBHI to support the actions.
In the past 10 years, he said, clean water and electricity were the top subjects of customer complaints submitted to the YLKI. "We receive hundreds of complaints every year. We received 450 complaints about [PAM Jaya] in 2008," he told Indah Setiawati of The Jakarta Post. He said complaints included poor water quality, inconsistency of water flow and changes to the customer category, which affected the water tariff.
However, according to PAM Jaya's latest report quoted by the newspaper, the two operators showed "satisfying" performances in 2009. The number of customers increased by 2.1% to 795,149 from the previous year. Palyja's non-revenue water (NRW), or water loss, reached 43.9%, a decrease of 1.4%, while Aetra's NRW reached 48.6%, a decline of 2.1%. The report said the two contractors sold 267.4 million cubic metres of water in 2009, an increase of 3.% from 2008.
In November last year, Governor Bowo announced that the province's clean water coverage stood at 63% and he was aiming to increase that to 70% within five years. He also foreshadowed a new cross-subsidy scheme for water rates. “We will charge the upper-middle customers with an additional tariff to fund the supply for the poor,” he said.
Cross-subsidies
The Governor said that since the majority of the customers served by the two water distributors were considered low income, the size of the subsidies to be paid by bigger earners would be significant. He said he'd also asked the water operators to reduce pipe leakage and waste but the saving measures had not yet gone far enough.
Meyritha Maryanie, a Palyja representative, said the company expected an increase in water rates because the price had been frozen for three years. She added that the upper-middle class customers the governor was referring to were those who paid water rates of between Rp 6,800 to Rp 12,550 (73 cents to $1.34) per cubic metre.
She declined to give details about the company’s recommendation to the city administration, but said that the increase would not exceed the charge to the groundwater tariff. The groundwater tariff was increased to Rp 8,000 to Rp 20,000 per cubic metre from Rp 525 to Rp 3,000 per cubic metre. “The increase is important for the cross-subsidy for low-income water consumers,” she said adding that the water tariff for those in the low income group was now Rp 1,050 to Rp.3,550 per cubic metre.
To widenlow-income access to clean water, Palyja has launched a water installation program funded by a World Bank grant. In the scheme, new water connection fees are reportedly set at Rp 120,000 compared to the regular fee of Rp 620,000.
Palyja said it has invested $2.5 million in the program with its expenditure to be reimbursed after accounts had been audited. Maryanie said the World Bank will not disburse the subsidy if usage is less than 10 cubic metres per month because that meant people were not using the clean water.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Water treatment products demand to hit $50 billion by 2013
According to a new market research report, demand for water treatment products worldwide is projected to exceed $50 billion by 2013. As the global population expands, and the developing world continues to industrialize, the need for clean safe water and suitable treatment of wastewater will boost demand for water treatment chemicals and equipment.
An estimated one billion people do not have access to a safe water supply, and a larger number yet do not have access to sanitation facilities. In some nations, such as in Eastern Europe and some industrialized Asian countries, the water infrastructure has expanded to reach a large share of the population, but water quality remains subpar after decades of disregard for proper water stewardship.
Rapidly industrializing nations, such as China and India, struggle with obtaining supplies of usable water, especially in fast-growing urban areas, and with the difficulties associated with treating and discharging wastewater. Wastewater treatment rates usually are well below official estimates, and even treated wastewater is often treated insufficiently.
Even developed, affluent nations confront water problems. Some countries, including the United States, have population centers where native water supplies are inadequate or inferior, or the country as a whole is lacking an adequate water supply. This has led to a renewed interest in desalination, which had generally been considered too costly when compared with water importation.
World Water Treatment Products (Forecasts for 2013 & 2018 in 23 countries) by Freedonia, is available from the Infoshop by Global Information. The report presents historical demand data (1998, 2003 and 2008) plus forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by product type and market for six regions and 23 countries. The $6,100 study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles global industry competitors.
An estimated one billion people do not have access to a safe water supply, and a larger number yet do not have access to sanitation facilities. In some nations, such as in Eastern Europe and some industrialized Asian countries, the water infrastructure has expanded to reach a large share of the population, but water quality remains subpar after decades of disregard for proper water stewardship.
Rapidly industrializing nations, such as China and India, struggle with obtaining supplies of usable water, especially in fast-growing urban areas, and with the difficulties associated with treating and discharging wastewater. Wastewater treatment rates usually are well below official estimates, and even treated wastewater is often treated insufficiently.
Even developed, affluent nations confront water problems. Some countries, including the United States, have population centers where native water supplies are inadequate or inferior, or the country as a whole is lacking an adequate water supply. This has led to a renewed interest in desalination, which had generally been considered too costly when compared with water importation.
World Water Treatment Products (Forecasts for 2013 & 2018 in 23 countries) by Freedonia, is available from the Infoshop by Global Information. The report presents historical demand data (1998, 2003 and 2008) plus forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by product type and market for six regions and 23 countries. The $6,100 study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles global industry competitors.
ADB funds Philippine river pollution study
The Asian Development Bank is jointly financing the study with Manila Water Company Inc to boost efforts to revive one of the Philippines' most polluted rivers. The Manila-based ADB is providing $300,000 for the six-month assessment of wastewater and sanitation needs along the Pasig River, the main waterway flowing through the capital city.
The bank said the study "should provide key information that will lead to the building of a wastewater treatment system" along the 27 km river, once a source of drinking water and fish, but now unable to support any life after receiving untreated municipal and industrial wastewater for decades, as well as solid waste.
"This study will assess what needs to be done to turn the Pasig River back into the healthy, thriving heart of the city that it once was,' said Philip Erquiaga, director general of ADB's private sector operations department.
The ADB said it was considering a loan to Manila Water for wastewater treatment system in the river, as part of its Pasig River Catchment Sewerage Project, once the study is completed. The bank said it is also providing $50,000 dollars for an education project to teach residents not to discharge waste in the river.
The bank has previously approved multimillion-dollar loans to help enhance water quality of tributaries and canals around the Pasig River and to promote redevelopment along its banks.
The bank said the study "should provide key information that will lead to the building of a wastewater treatment system" along the 27 km river, once a source of drinking water and fish, but now unable to support any life after receiving untreated municipal and industrial wastewater for decades, as well as solid waste.
"This study will assess what needs to be done to turn the Pasig River back into the healthy, thriving heart of the city that it once was,' said Philip Erquiaga, director general of ADB's private sector operations department.
The ADB said it was considering a loan to Manila Water for wastewater treatment system in the river, as part of its Pasig River Catchment Sewerage Project, once the study is completed. The bank said it is also providing $50,000 dollars for an education project to teach residents not to discharge waste in the river.
The bank has previously approved multimillion-dollar loans to help enhance water quality of tributaries and canals around the Pasig River and to promote redevelopment along its banks.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Disparities in Bangladesh district services
Despite the overall good progress made by Bangladesh towards achievement of the millennium development goals, a recent survey by the state-run Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, with UNICEF support, has found "huge disparities" among 64 districts of the South Asian country; particualrly between the best and worst performing districts for education, child health, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. These key findings were disseminated at a workshop in Dhaka chaired by the Minister for Planning, AK Khander.
While 97.8% of the public has access to "improved source of water", the report indicates that 12.6% of the households' drinking water exceeds Bangladesh standards for arsenic content. When taking arsenic contamination into consideration, access to safe drinking water is reduced to 85.2% of the population, Naim-Ul-Karim reported.
While 97.8% of the public has access to "improved source of water", the report indicates that 12.6% of the households' drinking water exceeds Bangladesh standards for arsenic content. When taking arsenic contamination into consideration, access to safe drinking water is reduced to 85.2% of the population, Naim-Ul-Karim reported.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Europeans, Australians aid Vietnam Clean Water Program
Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Embassy of Denmark and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 22 January signed an agreement for non-refundable aid from the UK worth 17 million pounds. The DFID’s chief representative in Vietnam, Fiona Lappin, expressed her hope that the program will continue to grow in the next three years, focusing on environmental hygiene for the poor.
The assistance supports the second phase of the National Program for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Hygiene (2005-2010) sponsored by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation, with a commitment worth $125 million.
The program has helped 79% of the rural population get access to clean water and 51% of households in the countryside to acquire hygienic toilets. To date, 75% of schools, 77% of medical stations, 67% of communal People’s Committee offices and 45% of public markets have used the program.
The assistance supports the second phase of the National Program for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Hygiene (2005-2010) sponsored by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation, with a commitment worth $125 million.
The program has helped 79% of the rural population get access to clean water and 51% of households in the countryside to acquire hygienic toilets. To date, 75% of schools, 77% of medical stations, 67% of communal People’s Committee offices and 45% of public markets have used the program.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
USA helped reduce diarrhea incidence in Indonesia through improving clean water and sanitation practices
The United States Agency for International Development has announced that is has helped Indonesia "dramatically reduce diarrhea incidence" in communities where clean water and sanitation practices were adopted. The number of people suffering from the water-borne disease dropped from 18.3% in February 2007 to 7.7% in June 2009, in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java/Yogyakarta, East Java, DKI Jakarta and Papua.
In preparing for a USAID workshop on clean water and sanitation, Mission Director Walter North noted that USAID’s Environmental Services Program (ESP) had made tremendous contributions to the improvement of better health through improved water resources management, and expanded access to clean water and sanitation services. ESP was a sixty-four month program that worked with government, private sector, NGOs, community groups and other stakeholders to promote better health through improved water resources management and expanded access to clean water and sanitation services.
“Unsafe drinking water is a major cause of diarrhea, the second leading killer of children under five. Three out of every ten Indonesians suffer from water-borne diseases,” said North. “Fortunately, in the last few years we have seen growing interest and support by all stakeholders to increase access to safe water for the people of Indonesia.”
The ESP also contributed to improvements in conservation management of 78,144 ha of forest area and rehabilitated 52,561 ha of degraded land to support the conservation of water resources. It helped more than 1.25 million people obtain access to clean water and 60,000 people to benefit from community sanitation services. Achieved in close collaboration with Indonesian government and civil society partners, ESP helped meet important Millennium Development Goals.
NFXW3HWH98YA
In preparing for a USAID workshop on clean water and sanitation, Mission Director Walter North noted that USAID’s Environmental Services Program (ESP) had made tremendous contributions to the improvement of better health through improved water resources management, and expanded access to clean water and sanitation services. ESP was a sixty-four month program that worked with government, private sector, NGOs, community groups and other stakeholders to promote better health through improved water resources management and expanded access to clean water and sanitation services.
“Unsafe drinking water is a major cause of diarrhea, the second leading killer of children under five. Three out of every ten Indonesians suffer from water-borne diseases,” said North. “Fortunately, in the last few years we have seen growing interest and support by all stakeholders to increase access to safe water for the people of Indonesia.”
The ESP also contributed to improvements in conservation management of 78,144 ha of forest area and rehabilitated 52,561 ha of degraded land to support the conservation of water resources. It helped more than 1.25 million people obtain access to clean water and 60,000 people to benefit from community sanitation services. Achieved in close collaboration with Indonesian government and civil society partners, ESP helped meet important Millennium Development Goals.
NFXW3HWH98YA
Friday, January 15, 2010
PRC to launch first national water conservancy
The Peoples Republic of China will carry out its first national water conservancy survey from 2010 to 2012, the State Council has announced. The project will cover rivers, lakes, water conservancy projects, water conservancy institutions and key water users in the Chinese mainland. The survey will focus on the numbers of lakes and rivers, the conditions of water conservancy projects and the protection of rivers and lakes.
Program planning, pilot projects and training will be made in 2010; field work will be carried out in 2011 and the survey will be published in 2012.
Program planning, pilot projects and training will be made in 2010; field work will be carried out in 2011 and the survey will be published in 2012.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Joint action urged for Indonesia's water woes
UNESCO has called for an integrated approach to Indonesia's problems of flooding and contamination of the water supply. During a workshop organized by the Sustainable Water Management Improves Tomorrow’s Cities Health group (Switch), Hubert Gijzen, director of Unesco’s Jakarta office, said the country had prioritized water crises in the past, but only “in an ad-hoc, incident-driven way. For instance, when it floods, suddenly everybody’s concerned about flooding. What we typically do is just channel the water as quickly as possible to the sea.”
“If we think of a clever solution, then it might be useful to keep water on the land and to retain it, allow it to recharge the aquifer so that we wouldn’t have land subsidence and we’d also have a sustainable water supply in the dry season,” he said, as quoted by The Jakarta Globe.
Indonesian cities regularly experience seasonal flooding during the rainy season and water shortages during the dry season. Reports of contamination by pathogens such as E. coli bacteria are also common.
Switch project manager Carol Howe said water issues were never discussed among different levels of government despite the fact that several different sectors were connected to the issue. She said different governmental departments never met to “really discuss water issues because, basically, they all have different goals.”
Agoes Widjanarko, secretary general of the Public Works Ministry, said the ministry worked with two major partners — the State Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Forestry — in conservation efforts such as protecting critical river. “We do not just deal with physical issues, but also with the ‘software,’ which is ensuring water sustainability, including ways to encourage people to preserve water themselves,” Agoes said.
“If we think of a clever solution, then it might be useful to keep water on the land and to retain it, allow it to recharge the aquifer so that we wouldn’t have land subsidence and we’d also have a sustainable water supply in the dry season,” he said, as quoted by The Jakarta Globe.
Indonesian cities regularly experience seasonal flooding during the rainy season and water shortages during the dry season. Reports of contamination by pathogens such as E. coli bacteria are also common.
Switch project manager Carol Howe said water issues were never discussed among different levels of government despite the fact that several different sectors were connected to the issue. She said different governmental departments never met to “really discuss water issues because, basically, they all have different goals.”
Agoes Widjanarko, secretary general of the Public Works Ministry, said the ministry worked with two major partners — the State Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Forestry — in conservation efforts such as protecting critical river. “We do not just deal with physical issues, but also with the ‘software,’ which is ensuring water sustainability, including ways to encourage people to preserve water themselves,” Agoes said.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
ASEAN focus on improving school health, water and sanitation
The Philippines Department of Education is hosting the 45th Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Council (SEAMEC) Conference and the 5th ASEAN Ministers of Education (ASED) Meeting on January 26-30, 2010 at Mactan Shangrila Hotel, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines.
The conference will discuss effective measures to provide access to quality education to Southeast Asians and attain the goals of Education for All (EFA). It will further discuss significant issues and concerns that would relate to the provision of basic education to the underprivileged children in Southeast Asian countries.
Strategies in improving school health, water and sanitation, setting up of new instructional delivery using the internet, and cooperation and quality assurance in higher education, will be focused on.
The conference will discuss effective measures to provide access to quality education to Southeast Asians and attain the goals of Education for All (EFA). It will further discuss significant issues and concerns that would relate to the provision of basic education to the underprivileged children in Southeast Asian countries.
Strategies in improving school health, water and sanitation, setting up of new instructional delivery using the internet, and cooperation and quality assurance in higher education, will be focused on.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Japan conference on beyond International Year of Sanitation
The Follow-up Conference of the International Year of Sanitation will be held on 26-27 January at the United Nations University, Tokyo.
Organised by the Government of Japan, the Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations University, the coneference's theme is “Beyond IYS – How can we deliver sustainable sanitation services to every citizen of the world?”
Attendees will include Ms Uschi Eid, Vice-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) as well as experts from the Government of Japan, international organizations and civil society.
Organised by the Government of Japan, the Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations University, the coneference's theme is “Beyond IYS – How can we deliver sustainable sanitation services to every citizen of the world?”
Attendees will include Ms Uschi Eid, Vice-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) as well as experts from the Government of Japan, international organizations and civil society.
Poor sanitation conditions throughout Indonesia
Poor sanitation habits have led to the large-scale contamination of Indonesia’s water supplies which, in turn, has led to massive financial losses for the nation, Nugroho Tri Utomo, head of the department overseeing drinking water and waste at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) has disclosed.
About 70 million people out of a population of 230 million defecate in the open, he told The Jakarta Globe, adding that many houses do not have septic tanks, or if they have a tank, it is not cleaned regularly.
This kind of behavior, Utomo said, has played a major role in the contamination of some 75% of the country’s drinking water, which is proving costly. “The worsening contamination means more [chemical] substances are needed to purify the water, which in turn forces water tariffs up,” he said.
The biggest cost is in terms of health; diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever, typhus and cholera are strongly correlated with low sanitation standards. “Indonesia lost Rp 57 trillion [$6 billion] in 2008 due to health problems brought about by poor sanitation ... Medical costs and losses due to time off work related to poor sanitation are costing our country,” he said.
Utomo said data from Bappenas showed that some 100 cities in the country had urban drainage management problems. However, provincial and municipal governments are now allocating more funds to the issue. “Some regions have increased their budgets for sanitation to 4% [of the total budget],” he said.
About 70 million people out of a population of 230 million defecate in the open, he told The Jakarta Globe, adding that many houses do not have septic tanks, or if they have a tank, it is not cleaned regularly.
This kind of behavior, Utomo said, has played a major role in the contamination of some 75% of the country’s drinking water, which is proving costly. “The worsening contamination means more [chemical] substances are needed to purify the water, which in turn forces water tariffs up,” he said.
The biggest cost is in terms of health; diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever, typhus and cholera are strongly correlated with low sanitation standards. “Indonesia lost Rp 57 trillion [$6 billion] in 2008 due to health problems brought about by poor sanitation ... Medical costs and losses due to time off work related to poor sanitation are costing our country,” he said.
Utomo said data from Bappenas showed that some 100 cities in the country had urban drainage management problems. However, provincial and municipal governments are now allocating more funds to the issue. “Some regions have increased their budgets for sanitation to 4% [of the total budget],” he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)