UN-HABITAT
1
Statement
Monitoring of Water and Sanitation in Cities and Slums
UN-HABITAT
CSD 13, 13 April 2005
It is widely accepted within the Inter Agency and Expert Group on monitoring the MDGs,
that monitoring of water and sanitation coverage, within the framework of Target 10 is
closely linked to monitoring of slums, under Target 11.
The interface of the two targets is rooted in the operational definition of slums. The Expert
Group on monitoring Target 11, coordinated by UN-HABITAT, in its first meeting in 2002,
concluded that slum households suffer from one or multitude of the following conditions:
· Low or no improved drinking water
· Low or no improved latrine
· Overcrowding
· Makeshift/temporary housing
· Insecure housing tenure
In the aftermath of the consens us reached on the operational definition of slums, UNHABITAT,
together with the African Population and Health Research Center, estimated the
proportion of slums among the urban population, based on the existing data base of close to
300 household surveys of the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Multiple Indicator
Cluster Surveys of UNICEF, for the reference years of 1990 and 2000. Similar activities will
continue when the new generation household surveys are implemented.
Water and sanitation coverage also falls within the remit of the Urban Inequities Surveys
(UIS), initiated by UN-HABITAT, embracing a multitude of MDG-related indicators, as well
as aspects related to the Habitat Agenda goals, mainly, governance, transportation, energy,
income and security of tenure of housing. While the first UIS was completed in 2004 in
Addis Ababa, and the second one is ongoing in Lagos.
UN-HABITAT, already a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Joint
Monitoring Programme (JMP), adhered to the definitions and methods accepted therein,
while, exercising a margin of interpretation, to suit the urban slum context.
Since January 2005, JMP and UN-HABITAT initiated the process of harmonizing
definitions and methods on the monitoring of the water and sanitation coverage, in view of
the need to disaggregate cities further, as urban and slum neighborhoods. It was agreed that:
· the JMP- TAG would create a Task Force on Urban Slums aimed to focus on
methodological issues related to estimating water and sanitation indicators in urban
slums.
· A joint study on urban sanitation and its implications on the definition
2
· Taking the human settlements dimension and the unique situation of slums into
consideration, the future household surveys of the DHS and MICS would adopt more
detailed response categories for sanitation facilities which will allow a more
elaborate assessment of coverage and the possibility of developing adjustment
factors
The harmonization efforts already yielded results, as the chapter on Target 10 draws attention
to the slums, in the upcoming MDG publication produced by the Interagency and Expert
Group on Monitoring the MDGs.
UN-HABITAT also belongs to the UN Water, the United Nations Inter Agency Coordination
body, and plays an active role in the Water The UN World Water Assessment Programme
(WWAP).
Work is also in progress on collaborating more effectively on the production of flagship
reports including the World Water Report, Water and Sanitation in the World Cities Report,
and the State of the World Cities Report. In the second edition of the World Water
Development Report (WWDR) to be published in 2006, UN-HABITAT is the coordinating
agency for the Water and Human Settlements Chapter (in the first volume published in 2003,
UNHABITAT was responsible for Chapter 6 on Water and Cities). This Chapter is included
in the first section of WWDR II on ?Setting the Scene?. The focus of this chapter is on Water
provision in human settlements ranging form rural villages to megacities arguing that the
application of good water governance differs amongst the varying sizes of settlements. A
particular attention is placed on slums and the role of slum upgrading as a means for
improving water and sanitation provision. A draft of the report is attached herein and the final
version will be submitted on 1st May as requested by the WWAPP Secretariat. The Second
WWDR report will be launched in 2006.
UN-HABITAT has participated, since 2003 throughout the entire draft process of the second
report, attending all the meetings organised by the Secretariat in Geneva and Paris. UNHABITAT
is also developing indicator profiles for the Water and Human Settlements
Chapter on i) Water and Slum, ii) Pro-poor Urban Water Governance and iii)monitoring of
water consumption and provision within cities. These profiles will be available on the
WWDR website.
In view of the harmonizing activities as depicted above, and the strong link between human
settlements and the access to improved water and sanitation, we request the CSD 13 to
recommend that UN-HABITAT should be considered as an effective partner in matters
related to monitoring water and sanitation. Taking note of the reference made to the Inter
Agency Group on Monitoring the MDGs, we request the CSD 13 to recommend that the Joint
Monitoring Programme embraces a wider set of partners, including UN-HABITAT.
Intervention by UN-HABITAT to CSD13
on Global Water and Sanitation Follow-up
UN-HABITAT, 13 April 2005
The global water and sanitation follow-up in indeed a very daunting challenge, especially
if we wish to meet the MDG water and sanitation goals in a timely manner.
A major follow-up challenge is to translate the policies into actions which will reach the
poor at the grasss roots and impact their lives positively.
In support of global follow-up actions and policies for water and sanitation I am pleased
to inform CSD13, that UN-HABITAT has established a Water and Sanitation Trust Fund
some three years ago. This is a multi-donor programme facility supported by four
countries, Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden and benefiting some 14 countries in
Africa and 9 countries in Asia. The Trust Fund supports capacity-building for pro-poor
governance in delivery and management of urban water and sanitation. These pro-poor
governance frameworks, which strongly build on incorporating the voices of poor women,
enable increased pro-poor financing and resource mobilization. UN-HABITAT is
currently applying this model, linking capacity building for pro-poor governance
frameworks and increased pro-poor investments for WATSAN, through cooperation
agreements developed with the Asian Development Bank and under development with
the African Development Bank. The resources allocated to the application of this model
over the next few years in Africa and Asia exceed nearly 1 billion US$.
In African and Asian cities the Trust Fund supports pro-poor water and sanitation
services which will reach more than 2 million people through its Water for Asian and
African Cities programmes. Specialized regional initiatives, such as the Lake Victoria
Water and Sanitation Initiative and the Mekong Water and Sanitation Initiative will
benefit nearly 2 million people in small towns and settlements.
Thank you.
Statement
Monitoring of Water and Sanitation in Cities and Slums
UN-HABITAT
CSD 13, 13 April 2005
It is widely accepted within the Inter Agency and Expert Group on monitoring the MDGs,
that monitoring of water and sanitation coverage, within the framework of Target 10 is
closely linked to monitoring of slums, under Target 11.
The interface of the two targets is rooted in the operational definition of slums. The Expert
Group on monitoring Target 11, coordinated by UN-HABITAT, in its first meeting in 2002,
concluded that slum households suffer from one or multitude of the following conditions:
· Low or no improved drinking water
· Low or no improved latrine
· Overcrowding
· Makeshift/temporary housing
· Insecure housing tenure
In the aftermath of the consens us reached on the operational definition of slums, UNHABITAT,
together with the African Population and Health Research Center, estimated the
proportion of slums among the urban population, based on the existing data base of close to
300 household surveys of the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Multiple Indicator
Cluster Surveys of UNICEF, for the reference years of 1990 and 2000. Similar activities will
continue when the new generation household surveys are implemented.
Water and sanitation coverage also falls within the remit of the Urban Inequities Surveys
(UIS), initiated by UN-HABITAT, embracing a multitude of MDG-related indicators, as well
as aspects related to the Habitat Agenda goals, mainly, governance, transportation, energy,
income and security of tenure of housing. While the first UIS was completed in 2004 in
Addis Ababa, and the second one is ongoing in Lagos.
UN-HABITAT, already a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Joint
Monitoring Programme (JMP), adhered to the definitions and methods accepted therein,
while, exercising a margin of interpretation, to suit the urban slum context.
Since January 2005, JMP and UN-HABITAT initiated the process of harmonizing
definitions and methods on the monitoring of the water and sanitation coverage, in view of
the need to disaggregate cities further, as urban and slum neighborhoods. It was agreed that:
· the JMP- TAG would create a Task Force on Urban Slums aimed to focus on
methodological issues related to estimating water and sanitation indicators in urban
slums.
· A joint study on urban sanitation and its implications on the definition
2
· Taking the human settlements dimension and the unique situation of slums into
consideration, the future household surveys of the DHS and MICS would adopt more
detailed response categories for sanitation facilities which will allow a more
elaborate assessment of coverage and the possibility of developing adjustment
factors
The harmonization efforts already yielded results, as the chapter on Target 10 draws attention
to the slums, in the upcoming MDG publication produced by the Interagency and Expert
Group on Monitoring the MDGs.
UN-HABITAT also belongs to the UN Water, the United Nations Inter Agency Coordination
body, and plays an active role in the Water The UN World Water Assessment Programme
(WWAP).
Work is also in progress on collaborating more effectively on the production of flagship
reports including the World Water Report, Water and Sanitation in the World Cities Report,
and the State of the World Cities Report. In the second edition of the World Water
Development Report (WWDR) to be published in 2006, UN-HABITAT is the coordinating
agency for the Water and Human Settlements Chapter (in the first volume published in 2003,
UNHABITAT was responsible for Chapter 6 on Water and Cities). This Chapter is included
in the first section of WWDR II on ?Setting the Scene?. The focus of this chapter is on Water
provision in human settlements ranging form rural villages to megacities arguing that the
application of good water governance differs amongst the varying sizes of settlements. A
particular attention is placed on slums and the role of slum upgrading as a means for
improving water and sanitation provision. A draft of the report is attached herein and the final
version will be submitted on 1st May as requested by the WWAPP Secretariat. The Second
WWDR report will be launched in 2006.
UN-HABITAT has participated, since 2003 throughout the entire draft process of the second
report, attending all the meetings organised by the Secretariat in Geneva and Paris. UNHABITAT
is also developing indicator profiles for the Water and Human Settlements
Chapter on i) Water and Slum, ii) Pro-poor Urban Water Governance and iii)monitoring of
water consumption and provision within cities. These profiles will be available on the
WWDR website.
In view of the harmonizing activities as depicted above, and the strong link between human
settlements and the access to improved water and sanitation, we request the CSD 13 to
recommend that UN-HABITAT should be considered as an effective partner in matters
related to monitoring water and sanitation. Taking note of the reference made to the Inter
Agency Group on Monitoring the MDGs, we request the CSD 13 to recommend that the Joint
Monitoring Programme embraces a wider set of partners, including UN-HABITAT.
Intervention by UN-HABITAT to CSD13
on Global Water and Sanitation Follow-up
UN-HABITAT, 13 April 2005
The global water and sanitation follow-up in indeed a very daunting challenge, especially
if we wish to meet the MDG water and sanitation goals in a timely manner.
A major follow-up challenge is to translate the policies into actions which will reach the
poor at the grasss roots and impact their lives positively.
In support of global follow-up actions and policies for water and sanitation I am pleased
to inform CSD13, that UN-HABITAT has established a Water and Sanitation Trust Fund
some three years ago. This is a multi-donor programme facility supported by four
countries, Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden and benefiting some 14 countries in
Africa and 9 countries in Asia. The Trust Fund supports capacity-building for pro-poor
governance in delivery and management of urban water and sanitation. These pro-poor
governance frameworks, which strongly build on incorporating the voices of poor women,
enable increased pro-poor financing and resource mobilization. UN-HABITAT is
currently applying this model, linking capacity building for pro-poor governance
frameworks and increased pro-poor investments for WATSAN, through cooperation
agreements developed with the Asian Development Bank and under development with
the African Development Bank. The resources allocated to the application of this model
over the next few years in Africa and Asia exceed nearly 1 billion US$.
In African and Asian cities the Trust Fund supports pro-poor water and sanitation
services which will reach more than 2 million people through its Water for Asian and
African Cities programmes. Specialized regional initiatives, such as the Lake Victoria
Water and Sanitation Initiative and the Mekong Water and Sanitation Initiative will
benefit nearly 2 million people in small towns and settlements.
Thank you.