WATER and HEALTHTargets and Target Dates

Experiences with the implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health in Hungary

Mihály Kádár

Water and Health Workshop, 14-16 May 2008, Bucharest, Romania

Retrospection•Long history of the Protocol in Hungary:

•One of the founders of the Instrument

•On the lead for the implementation; initially

•stronger activity on the international scene

•less accent on the internal affairs

•Ratification: 4 Augustus, 2005

•Meeting of the Parties 1 – January, 2007

•Draft targets and target dates – not yet settled then

•Original deadline for target setting: August, 2007

A Responsible Body Formed• Special Committee on Water and Health

– initiated before the MOP1– founding of SCWH officially decided at the

regular meeting of the Interministerial Committee on Health on 24 January, 2007

– acts as a special (sub-)committee of the IMCH– Office holders; ToR, RoP, invited representa-

tives of several ministries and stakeholder organisations

– Working groups (3) to complete tasks

Invited organisations

• Min Health – two participants • Min. Environment and Water

nominated 5 participants bearing expertise in international environmental affairs, drinking water matters, water management affairs, environmental health, sanitation and sewage treatment

• Min. Local Government and Regional Developmentstate secretariat of the local governmentsstate secretariat of regional developmentstate secretariat of tourism

• Min. Economy and Transport • Min. Agriculture and Rural Development ()• Prime Minister’s Office

Invited organisations (cont’d)

• National Development Agency • National Centre of Epidemiology • Natl. Institute of Environmental Health: several

senior experts • National Inspectorate of Medicinal Spas• Non-Governmental Organisations

• MaVíz (Ass. of the Hungarian Water and Sanitation Utilities) – two experts

• Hungarian Ass. Of Sanitation Technology• Hungarian Spa Association • Hungarian Society of Swimming Pool

Technology

Recent proceedings

•WGs arranged according the subparagraphs of PWH Art. 6 (2):

•WG on drinking water and water management affairs

•WG on matters of sanitation and sewage

•WG on bathing waters (natural and enclosed), etc.

•Concluding the first term in January, 2008:

•WG meetings with targets and target dates proposals

•2. SCWH meeting to discuss, amend and adopt proposals

•Table on targets and target dates updated

•Delay of target-setting in several matters decided

•Final proposal submitted to the IMCH for adoption

Recent proceedings (2)

•ToR and RoP – final version adopted:•SCWH is the body (inter alia):

• to co-ordinate the implementation of the PWH•to co-ordinate the implementation of legal instruments in inter-ministerial competence•to inform IMCH, other policy makers and the government in the water-and-health related matters •to make informal arrangements for smoother co-operation of the relevant ministerial departments in the water-and-health related affairs•To promote and assist public access to information in matters of water-and-health relevance

•Targets and target dates have recently been published via:•Website of the SCWH (http://efrirk.antsz.hu/oki/vesejeg)•Electronic and paper newsletter of the SCWH

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) a

Subject matter The quality of the drinking water supplied

Targets set 1. 96 percent of the population supplied with public drinking water comply with the health relevant chemical limit values (interim target: 80 percent)

2. Targets to be set for microbiological compliance

target dates 1. End of 2015 (interim target date: end of 2010)2. To be set by the end of this year

main driving forces 1. Environment and Energy Operative Programme 3.1.0 to fund the Drinking Water Improvement Programme

1. & 2. Govt. ordinance implementing the Dir. 98/83/EC

adopted or draft indicators

Proportion of the population supplied with drinking water complying the legal quality requirements;

WatSan_S2

reporting context Reporting obligation to EU COM acc. CD 92/446/EC (new reporting format under development)

Indicator for PWH acc. ECOEHIS

Targets and target dates – drinking water

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) b

Subject matter The scale of the outbreaks and incidents of water related diseases

Targets set No direct quantifiable target is reasonable to apply;(Indirect targets relevant for surveillance and epidemio-logical education and training are necessary to adopt)

target dates No target date is possible until resources are explored

main driving forces Requirement set by PWH

adopted or draft indicators

WatSan_E1

reporting context HfA Database; ENHIS recommendation for monitoring CEHAPE Regional Priority Goals

Targets and target dates – Water related diseases

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) c

Subject matter The area of territory/population served by collective systems for the supply of drinking water

Targets set 1. Nation-wide survey on the population without access and exploration of the feasible solutions

2. Elaboration of a social subsidising system to implement the human right to water

target dates 1. End of 2008.2. End of 2010.

main driving forces 1. Requirement set by PWH2. Regulation under preparation on a new Water Utility Act3. Declaration of the UN High Commissioner on Human

Rights

adopted or draft indicators

WatSan_Ex1

reporting context Joint Eurostat/OECD questionnaire; WHO/UNICEF JMPHfA Database; Millenium Development Goals

Targets and target dates – Access to drinking water

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) d

Subject matter The area of territory/population served by collective systems of sanitation

Targets set 1. Sanitation and advanced (3-er) sewage treatment for settlements in sensitive areas & over PE 10000

2. Sanitation and biological ST for settlements over PE 15000

3. Sanitation and biological ST for settlements between PE 2000 - 15000

target dates 1. End of 20082. End of 20103. End of 2015

main driving forces 1. Govt. ordinance implementing the Dir. 91/271/EC2. National Sanitation and Sewage Treatment Programme

adopted or draft indicators

WatSan_Ex2; WatSan_P1;

reporting context Reporting obligation acc. Dir. 91/271/EC; Joint Eurostat/ /OECD questionnaire; WHO/UNICEF JMP; HfA Database; MDG; EIONET (EEA WATERBASE)

Targets and target dates – Access to sanitation

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) e

Subject matter The levels of performance to be achieved by collective systems

Targets set Targets to be set with the involvement of the relevant suppliers’ association

target dates End of 2008

main driving forces Requirement set by PWH

adopted or draft indicators

Several perfomance related indicators (e.g. unaccounted for water; pipe-breakage; non-compliance with chlorination requirements, etc.)

reporting context None

Targets and target dates – levels of performance of collective systems

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) f

Subject matter The application of recognised good practice to management of water supply and sanitation…

Targets set Targets to be set for drinking water suppliers with the involvement of the relevant suppliers’ association

target dates End of 2008

main driving forces Requirements of a ministerial decreeRequirement set by PWH

adopted or draft indicators

WatSan_A2

reporting context None

Targets and target dates – management of water supply and sanitation

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) g

Subject matter The occurrence of discharges of (i) untreated waste water; (ii) untreated stormwater overflow

Targets set 2. No new combined sewer systems shall be laid and the existing ones should be transformed into separated systems

target dates 1. After 20152. Continuous

main driving forces Requirements of several govt. and ministerial decreesRequirement set by WFD and Dir 91/271/EEC

adopted or draft indicators

Proportion of sewage dumped from systems without biological treatment?

reporting context Reporting obligations under Dir 91/271/EECEurostat report on the proportion of population supplied by sanitation systems without sewage treatment

Targets and target dates – untreated wastewater discharges

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) h

Subject matter The quality of discharges of waste water … to waters within the scope of this Protocol

Targets set Discharge limit values are to be met

target dates Continuous

main driving forces Requirement set by WFD and govt. & ministerial decrees

adopted or draft indicators

Several indicators used by EEA WaterbaseExceedance of the regulated pollution limits

reporting context Reporting obligations under WFD

Targets and target dates – quality of discharges to waters under the PWH

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) i

Subject matter The disposal or reuse of sewage sludge… and the quality of waste water used for irrigation purposes…

Targets set 1. 191.000 t and 128.000 t sewage sludge to be disposed of in agriculture and dumping sites, resp.2. 24.000 t and 119.000 t sewage sludge to be disposed of in agriculture and dumping sites, resp

target dates 2010 for the first and 2015 for the second stage

main driving forces Dir 91/692/EEC and several govt. & ministerial decrees

adopted or draft indicators

Several indicators used by EEA Waterbase

reporting context Reporting obligations acc. 94/741/EC

Targets and target dates – disposal of sewage sludge and wastewater for irrigation

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) j

Subject matter The quality of waters which are used as sources of drinking water, which are generally used for bathing or which are used for aquaculture…

Targets set 1. Detailed investigation of surface waters assigned as drinking water resources or fisheries to prepare protection measures for compliance with WFD-targets

2. Detailed protection plans to be prepared and implemented

3. Targets to be set for bathing water quality

target dates 1. End of 20092. End of 20153. End of 2009

main driving forces 1. & 2.: WFD and several govt. & ministerial decreesDir 75/440/EEC, Dir 78/659/EEC, etc.3.: Dir. 2006/7/EC

adopted or draft indicators

WatSan_S1

reporting context Reporting obligations acc. CD 92/446

Targets and target dates – quality of sources of drinking, bathing, etc. waters

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) k

Subject matter The application of recognised good practice to the management of enclosed waters generally available for bathing.

Targets set Targets to be set with the involvement of relevant associations

target dates End of 2008

main driving forces Govt. & ministerial decreesNational Strategy for the Development of Health-TourismWHO Guidelines on the Safe Recreational Water Environment Vol 2

adopted or draft indicators

none

reporting context National only

Targets and target dates – management of enclosed bathing waters

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) l

Subject matter The identification and remediation of particularly contaminated sites

Targets set 1. Remediation of 3.305.000 m3 contaminated soil2. Recultivation of 1500 dumping sites

target dates 1. & 2. both by 2015

main driving forces Govt. Decree on the protection of groundwaters;National Programme on Environmental Remediation

adopted or draft indicators

none

reporting context Reports acc. Dir 95/337/EC

Targets and target dates – remediation of contaminated sites

Reference to the PWH Art. 6 (2) m

Subject matter The effectiveness of systems for the management, development protection and use of water resources including the application of recognised good practice to the control of pollution from sources of all kinds

Targets set 1. Monitoring and vulnerability diagnostics of drinking water resources for 200 groundwater basins

2. Securing the protection of 100 groundwater basins3. Implementation of the Nitrate Action Programme II. for

securing the good practice of husbandry

target dates 1. & 2.: 2012; 3.: end of 2015

main driving forces Govt. Decree on the protection of groundwaters;Dir 75/442/EEC (Nitrate Directive)

adopted or draft indicators

None

reporting context Reporting obligations under Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD)

Targets and target dates – management of water resources/control of groundwater pollution

CONCLUSIONS

•Implementation proceeds favourably under legal control (PWH enacted)

•Target setting is the principal framework of implementation

•Must be coordinated and focussed

•Must be collective, conciliated and iterative

•Targets and target dates can be phased and conditional (engagement in next phase connected to pre-set conditions)

•Revision may be reasonable but relativisation is to beware of (better to set less ambitious but fail-safe targets)

Thank You For Your Kind Thank You For Your Kind Attention!Attention!