Integrated Urban Water Management. Case Study Asuncion

Transcription

1 Integrated Urban Water Management Case Study Asuncion

2 2012 The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC Telephone: Acknowledgments This work was made possible by the financial contribution of the Water Partnership Program (WPP) The production of this document was made thanks to the support of the World Bank s Water and Sanitation Program. This work is a product of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: ; pubrights@worldbank.org. View of Asuncion from the town of Chaco-i, by queulat00.

3 Asuncion s Interconnected Water Challenges Metropolitan Asuncion, a sprawling city of 2.3 million accounting for more than 30% of Paraguay s population, is one of the 10 largest urban agglomerations in South America, encompassing an area of 1,000 km 2 and a total of 10 municipalities. 1 Asuncion has a privileged position in terms of water availability as it sits on the banks of one of the largest rivers of South America, the Paraguay River. The city also receives groundwater resources from the Patiño aquifer. However, serious problems related to water management, such as the lack of wastewater treatment, the low efficiency in the collection and treatment of solid waste and the problems associated with urban drainage impact the quality of the water bodies that supply Asuncion, putting the city s population health at risk. Gran Asuncion, by Felipe Mendez. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Rapid urbanization and deficient urban services in Metropolitan Asuncion have resulted in environmental degradation Rapid unplanned urban population growth in Metropolitan Asuncion over the past 40 years has resulted in a substantial increase of informal occupation of public spaces, flood plains and environmentally sensitive areas bringing with it the associated negative impacts to the environment that result from the lack of adequate stormwater drainage systems and solid waste collection and disposal, as well as water supply and sanitation infrastructure or services. Urban services in Metropolitan Asuncion are deficient. Water supply coverage rates vary widely with the municipality of Asuncion having 96.3%, while other municipalities such as Luque have coverage rates as low as 64%. Sewerage coverage is around 75% in the municipality of Asuncion (which accounts for only 25% of the population in the metropolitan area), with the collected effluent being directly discharged into the Paraguay River without treatment. In other cities of Metropolitan Asuncion sewerage coverage is very low or virtually nonexistent, with the majority of the population using latrines, septic tanks, 1 Asuncion, Mariano R. Alonso, Luque, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Limpio, San Lorenzo, Ñemby, Villa Elisa and San Antonio.

4 4 Integrated Urban Water Management Case Study Asuncion include: (i) lack of compliance with the existing Sector Legal Framework (Law 1.614/00), (ii) lack of an integrated and comprehensive water and sanitation sector policy that would establish coverage, while quality and efficiency objectives have yet to be developed, and (iii) dealing with the established strict and overambitious environmental standards that constrain investments in sewerage. The Way Forward: A More Integrated Approach to Water Management Metropolitan Asuncion urban footprint growth. Source: Bernardo Bozzano, Third Paraguayan Population Congress, technically inappropriate solutions or discharging its wastewater directly into the surrounding environment, contributing to the pollution of ground and surface waters. Inadequate solid waste services probably constitute one of the most important and visible problems that affect the quality of surface water and public spaces in the city. On average, solid waste collection covers only 63% of the population in Metropolitan Asuncion (1,500 tons/day) with the remaining waste being burned or thrown in public spaces or creeks. This, coupled with absent stormwater management as well as the increase in impervious areas, resulting from unplanned urban and population growth, have overburdened the drainage systems causing recurrent floods that disproportionately affect the poor living in informal settlements. Traditional Water Management Approaches are Insufficient to Face These Challenges Experience suggests that current water management practices in Asuncion are highly inadequate given the scale of challenges facing the sector. Water use is inefficient, tariffs are inappropriate, urban planning is deficient and there is no stormwater management or financing mechanisms. In an effort to better address water sector challenges, in 1999 the Government initiated sector reforms that included a new regulatory framework with the approval of Law 1.614/2000. The Law reorganized the sector, created a regulator for the water supply and sanitation sector (ERSSAN), and separated regulatory and control functions from operational functions. Over the years, a series of institutional challenges have emerged in the management of the water sector which In an urban context, policymaking, regulation, and service provision in water and the environment are interconnected processes that must bring a number of actors on board. This entails not only enhancing communication between sectors (including energy production, agriculture, industry, water supply and sanitation, urban planning, and environmental protection), but also between different actors. In 2008, the government demonstrated interest in implementing a modernization strategy for the sector and to increase service coverage in a sustainable manner. In order to move this agenda forward, it decided to partner with the World Bank on the design of a Water and Sanitation Sector Modernization Project (approved in March 2009), aimed at improving sector governance, improving water services and access to sewerage services in Metropolitan Asuncion and increasing access to sustainable water and sanitation services in rural areas. This partnership in 2009 led to the creation of a Water Supply and Sanitation Department (DAPSAN) within the Ministry of Public Works and Communication in charge of defining sector policies and strategy,

5 Integrated Urban Water Management Case Study Asuncion 5 Paraguari Creek in Asuncion. Source: World Bank. an important step towards the implementation of the legal framework approved in Since its creation, DAPSAN has taken a keen interest in pursuing a more integrated approach to water management and in developing and/or strengthening partnerships with sector stakeholders and financiers in order to further this agenda. Subsequently, Metropolitan Asuncion was selected to participate as a pilot in the Blue Water Green Cities initiative, which aims to document, validate and disseminate approaches to support urban areas in the Latin America and Caribbean region in developing integrated urban water management strategies and planning their implementation. The objective of the pilot was to provide Metropolitan Asuncion with a clearly defined framework and an integrated strategy for urban water management, which will mitigate the existing environmental impacts and promote improvement in the population s quality of life with the added goal of having a balanced and sustainable development for the metropolitan region. The strategy was elaborated through a participatory approach with local governments and key sector institutions aimed at nurturing and catalyzing the process of coordination among sectors and actors. In a series of workshops, these different stakeholders worked together to develop a common understanding of the key integrated urban water management issues facing Metropolitan Asuncion and, based on this diagnostic, build an integrated strategy for urban water management in Metropolitan Asuncion. The figure bellow provides a snapshot summary of the diagnostic and elements of a strategy developed through this process. The strategy developed jointly by all stakeholders provides a roadmap for future actions and investments as well as general guidance on how these should be sequenced and coordinated in the short-, medium- and long-term for Metropolitan Asuncion. This strategy can and should be used to structure a financing plan that will enable the implementation of the proposed actions/investments.

6 6 Integrated Urban Water Management Case Study Asuncion PROBLEMS CAUSES STRATEGIES Disorganized land occupation Absence of a Master Plan for Urban Development Prepare an Urban Development Master Plan Insufficient water supply infrastructure Insufficient infrastructure and low system efficiency Expand water supply infrastructure; reduce water losses Water contamination Low coverage of sewerage collection; absence of treatment Invest in the collection and treatment of sewage Urban floods and storm water contamination Insufficient infrastructure, lack of plans and preventive measures Develop a drainage master plan Contamination by solid waste Lack of solid waste master plan and investments in collection and final disposition Develop a solid waste master plan Deficient institutional framework / lack of integration mechanisms Weak institutions, lack of regulation, lack of adequate human resources Institutional strengthening DAPSAN has been coordinating efforts between local governments and sector financiers in order to push this agenda forward. In this regard, it has partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank for the development of a drainage master plan for Metropolitan Asuncion, in which priority investments could be financed by this institution. In addition, it has mobilized financiers, such as the Japanese International Cooperation, the Panamerican Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program, Unicef and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation in order to build a robust institutional strengthening program for the sector. In addition, the National Water Utility (ESSAP) is working with the Japanese International Cooperation on a water loss reduction program, which the Bankfinanced Water Sector Modernization Project is also supporting. However, there is still a long road ahead. The process of jointly collaborating to develop a common understanding of integrated urban water issues and strategy must be sustained, and building strong institutions and coordination mechanisms remain a key challenge in this process. Going forward, adequate urban water management depends heavily on implementation of integrated planning and actions between key stakeholders, across local governments in Metropolitan Asuncion and the national government. Local leadership and vision is essential in galvanizing the process of implementing long-term solutions, particularly given the complex political economy dynamics of Paraguay.

7 This case study was prepared by Lizmara Kirchner, Water and Sanitation Specialist; with support from Michael Murphy, Knowledge Management Coordinator. Significant technical contributions and background material were provided by Monica Porto; Professor, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Carlos Tucci, Professor, University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Cristian Escobar, Water Resources Specialist, Consultant; and Roger Monte-Domecq, Director of the Water and Sanitation Department in the Ministry of Public Works and Communication in Paraguay. This document was made possible through financing from the Water Partnership Program, a partnership for improved water resources management and water service delivery. This text is part of a set of case studies carried out by the World Bank and part of the Integrated Urban Water Management Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean. For further information, click

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