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Policy application of SEEAW Policy application of SEEAW (and indicators)(and indicators)

Technical Workshop on the Technical Workshop on the Preparation of Water Accounts in Latin AmericaPreparation of Water Accounts in Latin America

Chile, 1-4 June, 2009Chile, 1-4 June, 2009

Jeremy WebbJeremy WebbUnited Nations Statistics DivisionUnited Nations Statistics Division

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OutlineOutline

• Relationship between the environment and economy

• Data users for indicators and accounts

• The SEEAW and Indicators

• National examples

• Summary

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The environment and the economyThe environment and the economy

• The relationship between the environment and The relationship between the environment and the economy is complex – so is water datathe economy is complex – so is water data

• We need to find a way to communicate complex We need to find a way to communicate complex information, e.g.information, e.g.• TThe environment provides:

• Economic resources to production process (e.g. water and energy)

• Non-economic resources to production process as well as other uses for mankind

• Environment receives wastes from the economy

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A model of the relationships between the A model of the relationships between the environment and economy: environment and economy:

Pressure – State – Response Pressure – State – Response

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IndicatorsIndicators

• Indicators can be used to monitor:Indicators can be used to monitor:• Government goals, targets or benchmarksGovernment goals, targets or benchmarks• Pressure, state, responsePressure, state, response• Driving forces, pressure, state, impact, Driving forces, pressure, state, impact,

responseresponse• Outputs and outcomesOutputs and outcomes• Inputs, outputs, outcomes, impactsInputs, outputs, outcomes, impacts• etc…etc…

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Characteristics of indicatorsCharacteristics of indicators

• Focus on outcomes Focus on outcomes • Have an unambiguous 'good' direction Have an unambiguous 'good' direction • Be supported by timely data of good qualityBe supported by timely data of good quality• Be available as a time seriesBe available as a time series• Be sensitive to changes Be sensitive to changes • Be summary in natureBe summary in nature• Be capable of disaggregation Be capable of disaggregation • Be interpreted easily by the general readerBe interpreted easily by the general reader

Adapted from Measures of Australia’s Progress 2002, and Indicator Guidelines (Statistics NZ)Adapted from Measures of Australia’s Progress 2002, and Indicator Guidelines (Statistics NZ) http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/aa16f6e99c3078bfca256bdc001223f6!OpenDocumenthttp://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/aa16f6e99c3078bfca256bdc001223f6!OpenDocument

http://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/user-guides/indicator-guidelines/default.htmhttp://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/user-guides/indicator-guidelines/default.htm

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Information

Data users

Data users, indicators and Data users, indicators and accountsaccounts

Data items

SEEA-WStandard tables

Supplementary tables

Indicators

Decision makers & wider public

Managers and analysts

Researchers

Yes

Research

Advice

Headline indicators

Indicators on different subjects or industries

Is there an issue?

Data users have different areas of responsibility: •water in the environment,•water supply and sanitation•agriculture, electricity gen.•manufacturing, tourism

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Data users, indicators and Data users, indicators and accountsaccounts

Top level decision makers and the wider publicSummary information

Water in the environmente.g. Environment agency

Water supply and sanitatione.g. Utilities orhealth agencies

Industry specific water informatione.g. Farmers or electricity generators

Decisions makers, managers and analystsSummary information along with supporting tables, graphs and maps that allow further analysisResearchersDetailed tables and in some cases levels of access to microdata (taking into consideration confidentiality)

e.g. National e.g. National water water indicatorsindicators

e.g. MDG e.g. MDG WSS WSS indicatorsindicators

e.g. Efficiency e.g. Efficiency indicators by indicators by industryindustry

e.g. SEEA-W e.g. SEEA-W asset accountsasset accounts

e.g. SEEA-W e.g. SEEA-W Hydrid Hydrid accountsaccounts

e.g. PSUT and e.g. PSUT and hybrid accountshybrid accounts

e.g. Standard tables and in some cases e.g. Standard tables and in some cases microdatamicrodata

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Application of indicators and Application of indicators and accountsaccounts

• We have identified data usersWe have identified data users

• We have identified areas of We have identified areas of responsibilityresponsibility

• How to match data to users?How to match data to users?

• What will data be used for?What will data be used for?

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Application of indicators Application of indicators and accountsand accounts

• A lot of the information needed to address policy A lot of the information needed to address policy questions can be found in the SEEAW standard questions can be found in the SEEAW standard tablestables

• Some questions require additional information Some questions require additional information • In some cases the standard tables can be In some cases the standard tables can be

expanded to include:expanded to include:• more detailed industry breakdowns more detailed industry breakdowns • a lower level of geographic reference (e.g. a lower level of geographic reference (e.g.

province instead of state)province instead of state)• Some of additional data can be drawn from Some of additional data can be drawn from

supplementary tables supplementary tables

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The SEEAW and Indicators The SEEAW and Indicators (pages 169-183)(pages 169-183)

SEEAW provides an annex on indicators:

• Water availability

• Water intensity and productivity

• Opportunities to increase water supply

• Cost and price of water supply and wastewater treatment services

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Indicators of water Indicators of water availabilityavailability

• Per capita renewable resourcesPer capita renewable resources• Ratio between Total renewable water resources and Ratio between Total renewable water resources and

population size. (population size. (WWDR 2003, Margat 1996)WWDR 2003, Margat 1996)• Annual Withdrawals of Ground and Surface Water as a Annual Withdrawals of Ground and Surface Water as a

Percent of Total Renewable Water/Exploitation indexPercent of Total Renewable Water/Exploitation index• The total annual volume of ground and surface water The total annual volume of ground and surface water

abstracted for water uses as a percentage of the total abstracted for water uses as a percentage of the total annually renewable volume of freshwater. (annually renewable volume of freshwater. (UN, 2001)UN, 2001)

• Consumption Index Consumption Index • Ratio between Water Consumption and Total Ratio between Water Consumption and Total

Renewable Resources. (Margat, 1996)Renewable Resources. (Margat, 1996)

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Per capita renewable Per capita renewable resources from SEEAWresources from SEEAW

SEEAWAsset account

Total renewable water resources

2. Returns + 3. Precipitation + 4. Inflows – 6. Evaporation – 7.

Outflows________________

Population

________________=

Population

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Annual Withdrawals of Ground Annual Withdrawals of Ground and Surface Water as a and Surface Water as a Percent of Total Renewable Percent of Total Renewable from SEEAWfrom SEEAW

SEEAWAsset account

2. Returns + 3. Precipitation + 4. Inflows – 6. Evaporation – 7. Outflows

________________

Total renewable water resources

Withdrawals of ground and

surface water________________

=

SEEAWPhysical Use Table

1.i.1 Abstraction from surface water + 1.i.2 Abstraction from ground water

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Consumption Index from Consumption Index from SEEAWSEEAW

SEEAWAsset account

2. Returns + 3. Precipitation + 4. Inflows – 6. Evaporation –

7. Outflows

________________

Total renewable water resources

Water consumption

________________ =

SEEAWPhysical Supply Table

7. Consumption

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Indicators for water intensity and Indicators for water intensity and productivity from SEEAWproductivity from SEEAW

1. W ater use and pollu tion in tensity (ph ysical un its)

m 3 w ater/unit o f ph ysical output Water use or tons of pollution em itted per unit of output, such as

Tons of pollution/unit of ph ysical output --population,

--num ber of households, or

--tons of w heat, steel, etc. produced

2. W ater and pollu tion in tensity (m onetary un its) m 3 w ater/value of output

Tons of pollution/value o f output

Water use or tons of pollution em itted per unit of output m easured in currency units

3. W ater productiv ity ra tios

G DP/ m 3 w ater

Value-added b y sector/m 3 w ater

4. W ater ‘pollu tiv ity’ ratios

Sector share of pollution/sector share of G DP

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Indicators for opportunities to increase water Indicators for opportunities to increase water supply from SEEAsupply from SEEA

1. R eturn flo w s Q uan tity o f re tu rn flows by sou rce

M ay d is tinguish retu rn flows fro m treated return flows (fro m m unicipa l and industria l users) from un treated re turn flo ws such as agricu lture

2. W ater reuse R euse wa te r as sha re of to ta l industry wa ter use

M ay d istinguish reuse of wa te r w ith in a p lant fro m wa te r recycled by m unicipa l wa te r u tility

R ecycled wa ter as sha re of to ta l wa ter use by sector

3. L o sses Losses in abs trac tion and treatm en t as share o f to ta l wa te r p roduction

B o th the a m oun t and the reason fo r these losses are usually known by the wa te r u tility

U naccoun ted for losses as sha re o f to ta l wa ter use

These losses occu r for a varie ty o f causes and it is usually not ce rta in how m uch each cause con tributes

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Indicators for cost and price of water supply Indicators for cost and price of water supply and wastewater treatmentand wastewater treatment

1. Supply cost and price of w ater

Im p licit w ater p rice Vo lum e o f w ater p urchased d ivid ed b y supp ly cos t

Averag e w ater p rice p er m 3 b y ind ustry Vo lum e o f w ater p urchased d ivid ed b y

actua l paym ents b y that ind ustry

Averag e w ater supp ly cos t p er m 3 b y ind ustry

Vo lum e o f w ater p urchased d ivid ed b y co st o f sup ply to that ind ustry

S ub s id y p er m 3 b y ind ustry Averag e w ater p rice m in us average

w ater supp ly co st

2. Supply cost and price of w astew ater treatm ent services Im p licit w astew ater treatm ent p rice Vo lum e o f w ate r treated d ivid ed b y

supp ly cos t

Averag e w astew ater treatm ent co st p er m 3 b y ind ustry

Vo lum e of w astew ater d ivid ed b y trea tm ent co st fo r that ind ustry

Averag e w astew ater treatm ent p rice p er m 3 b y ind ustry

Vo lum e of w astew ater d ivid ed b y actua l paym ents fo r treatm ent b y that ind ustry

S ub s id y p er m 3 b y ind ustry Averag e w astew ater p rice m in us averag e w astew ater sup p ly co st

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Indicators Indicators of access to and affordability of of access to and affordability of water and sanitation serviceswater and sanitation services

1. Access to w ater and sanitation services

Average daily w ater consum ption by households, differentiating rural and urban households

Percent of urban households w ith access to safe drinking w ater

Percent of rural households w ith access to safe drinki ng w ater

Percent of urban households w ith access to sanitation services

Percent of rural households w ith access to sanita tion services

2. Affordability o f w ater

Household expenditures for w ater as % of to tal expenditures, differentiating rural and u rban

Average price of w ater to households, differentiating rural and urban

Average price of w ater for subsistence agriculture (irrigation and livestock w atering)

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Links between the World Water Links between the World Water Development Report Indicators Development Report Indicators and SEEAWand SEEAW

• World Water Assessment Programme 2006World Water Assessment Programme 2006• 21 of 38 Indicators can be directly derived from the water 21 of 38 Indicators can be directly derived from the water

accountsaccounts• An 5 indicators can be partially derived An 5 indicators can be partially derived • 12 cannot be derived but can be included as 12 cannot be derived but can be included as

supplementary information. Of thesesupplementary information. Of these• 4 are social indicators (e.g. urban and rural 4 are social indicators (e.g. urban and rural

population)population)• 3 are related to land areas and could be derived from 3 are related to land areas and could be derived from

land accountsland accounts• 3 are related to energy and could be derived from 3 are related to energy and could be derived from

energy accountsenergy accounts• Remaining 2 relate to ISO 14001 certificationRemaining 2 relate to ISO 14001 certification

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National examples of the National examples of the application of water accountsapplication of water accounts

• ChinaChina

• AustraliaAustralia

• BotswanaBotswana

• NetherlandsNetherlands

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Development of Water Accounting in ChinaDevelopment of Water Accounting in China

• Nov 2006 – Chinese delegation from the National Nov 2006 – Chinese delegation from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Ministry of Water Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) visit UN in New York for training Resources (MWR) visit UN in New York for training on SEEAWon SEEAW

• Jan-Mar 2007 Project committee formed – UNSD, Jan-Mar 2007 Project committee formed – UNSD, NBS and MWRNBS and MWR

• Apr-July 2007 Pilot tables for physical supply use and Apr-July 2007 Pilot tables for physical supply use and emissions completedemissions completed

• Aug 2007 UN Mission to China to review pilot workAug 2007 UN Mission to China to review pilot work• Sep-De 2007 Pilot tables for hybrid supply use and Sep-De 2007 Pilot tables for hybrid supply use and

assets accounts completed. assets accounts completed. • Jan 2008 – Chinese delegation visit UN in New York Jan 2008 – Chinese delegation visit UN in New York

for training on SEEAWfor training on SEEAW

In 14 months a great deal was achieved with existing data

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Asset accounts for 10 regions

Water resources regions in China at the first class

Northwest Rivers

Songhua

Liaohe

Haihe

Yellow

Yangtze

Huaihe

Southeast RiversSouthwest Rivers

Pearl

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Projecting future water demandsAustralia 2050

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AustraliaPercentage of mean annual rainfall

1998-99 to -2000-01

Percentage of mean annual rainfall2002-03 to -2004-05Water consumption

02000400060008000

10000120001400016000

ML

(1,0

00 m

3) 2000-01

2004-05

Water consumptionPercentage change 2000-01 to 2004-05

-30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Agriculture

Manufacturing

Water supply

Household

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Australia 2004-05: monetary vs. Australia 2004-05: monetary vs. physical use of distributed water (% of physical use of distributed water (% of

total use)total use)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Agriculture

Mining

Manufacturing

Water Supply

Electricity

All other Industries

Households

Volume of water

Value of

water

Source: ABS 2007. An Experimental Monetary Water Account for Australia 2004-05:Source: ABS 2007. An Experimental Monetary Water Account for Australia 2004-05:

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4610.0.55.005 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4610.0.55.005

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Botswana: water use and economic growth 1993-1998

0.90

0.95

1.00

1.05

1.10

1.15

1.20

1.25

1.30

1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99

Volume of water

Per capita water use

GDP per m3 water

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Netherlands: water pollution and economic growth, 1999-2001

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

120

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

nutrients

metals

wastewater

GDP

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SummarySummary

• Indicators and accounts communicate Indicators and accounts communicate complex informationcomplex information

• Indicators and accounts can be presented Indicators and accounts can be presented in many ways, e.g.in many ways, e.g.• GraphsGraphs• MapsMaps• TablesTables

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SummarySummary

• Indicators are important communication toolsIndicators are important communication tools• they summarise complex informationthey summarise complex information

• Indicators are only as good as the data and Indicators are only as good as the data and accounts that underpin themaccounts that underpin them• indicators need to be built on a solid foundation of indicators need to be built on a solid foundation of

datadata• Indicators flag possible issues but other Indicators flag possible issues but other

information is required to analyse issuesinformation is required to analyse issues• indicators need to be interpreted and analysed in indicators need to be interpreted and analysed in

the context of other datathe context of other data

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SummarySummary

• All of levels of information are needed to have a complete information system

• Because policy makers are not yet familiar with environment accounts, you may find it useful to conduct your own analysis of the accounts or to encourage others to do an analysis

• Indicators and accounts cover a range of subjects/industries

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• Water indicators and the SEEAW can provide information on:

• Macro trends (and decoupling) in:• total water use,• emissions, • water use by source and purpose, etc.

• Industry-level trends• indicators used for environmental-economic profiles

• Technology and driving forces• water intensity/productivity• total (domestic) water requirements to meet final

demand• International transport of water and pollution

SummarySummary80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

120

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

nutrients

metals

wastewater

GDP

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Contact detailsContact detailsJeremy WebbJeremy WebbStatistician (Environment Statistics)Statistician (Environment Statistics)United Nations Statistics DivisionUnited Nations Statistics DivisionNew York 10017, USANew York 10017, USARoom DC2 1410Room DC2 1410Phone: +1 212 963 8564Phone: +1 212 963 8564Fax: +1 212 963 0623Fax: +1 212 963 0623Email: webbj@un.orgEmail: webbj@un.org

Michael VardonMichael VardonAdviser on Environmental-Economic AccountingAdviser on Environmental-Economic AccountingUnited Nations Statistics DivisionUnited Nations Statistics DivisionNew York 10017, USANew York 10017, USARoom DC2 1532Room DC2 1532Phone: +1 917 367 5391Phone: +1 917 367 5391Fax: +1 212 963 1374Fax: +1 212 963 1374Email: vardon@un.orgEmail: vardon@un.org