XV Congreso nacional de ciencia y tecnología

BRIDGING SCIENCE AND POLICY TO ENHANCE WATER SECURITY IN AFRICA AND THE AMERICAS

INTERAMERICAN NETWORK OF ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE (IANAS)&

NETWORK OF AFRICAN ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE (NASAC)

URBAN WATER in tHE AMERICAS

Water PROGRAM

New Publication with Participation of 20 countries In the Americas

INTER-AMERICAN NETWORK OF ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES Science Academies working together to promote science and technology for development, prosperity and equity in the Americas

Chapters of Urban Water of 20 countries

• Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Peru, Panamá, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Cuba, México, USA and Canada.

North AmericaCaribbean Mexico Central America South America

• Participation of 93 authors all professionals in water sciences with different specialties

INTER-AMERICAN NETWORK OF ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES Science Academies working together to promote science and

technology for development, prosperity and equity in the Americas

Editorial Committee

• Katherine Vammen -Nicaragua• Gabriel Roldán-Colombia• Claudia Campuzano-Colombia• Ernesto González-Venezuela• María Luisa Torregrosa-México• Hugo Hidalgo-Costa Rica

Support for PublicationUrban Waters in the Americas

Topics of Chapters• Water sources and problems caused by the

urbanization process• Water supply services in urban areas• Treatment of wastewater in urban areas• Water and health in cities• Variability and change in climate and consequent

influence on water resources in cities.• Special themes according to focus of interest of

experts in focal point countries, Model Solutions

Region 2010 2050

World 51 70 More developed 75 86 North America 82 90 Europe 73 84 Less developed 45 67 Latin America 79 89 Asia 43 66Africa 40 62

UNHABITAT 2010

Percentage of urban population

Developing countries are projected to have urban growth rates roughly double those of OECD countries between 2005-2030

Jiménez, 2011

Urbanization of Buenos Aires

Origin of urban areasWater has always played a determining roll in the formation of

cities being both a source for use of the population for consume but also for deposition of wastes. Chapter Uruguay

The structural crisis begins in the decade of the 1960’s (after many decades of growth) with the irregular increase in sectors without services occupying the peripheral zones of urban areas when the

capacity for public investment was strongly reduced causing problems associated with inadequate infrastructure, problems with the construction of new works and the failure to integrate water in

the design of integral urban solutions.

Most Prominent Problems found in urban areas with water resources

Water sources and problems caused by the urbanization process

Factors associated with urbanization such as bad management of solid wastes, absence or not sufficient distribution of drainage systems for storm water, absence of appropriate watershed management surrounding urban centers affecting ground and surface waters and contamination due to deficient infrastructure of sanitation and drainage.


Water supply services in urban areas

The coverage in urban areas in the great majority of urban areas of the Americas is > 95%.

There are problems with continuity of services which can cause health problems as domestic water must be stored in containers which can convert into media for vectors such as mosquitos.

Ruptures in the distribution system in most cities of Latin America and lack of renovations.

Problems with Continuity of Access to Water

Example of Managua, Nicaragua


Water supply services in urban areasAll cities of South America, Central America and Caribbean Islands are affected by the informal growth of periurban areas which have little or no water coverage or sanitation. Usually caused by migration from rural areas. These are the areas with highest rate of water borne diseases and contamination of irregular water sources. Failure to control illegal connections.


Treatment of wastewater in urban areasLatin-American countries are not all on track to reach the Millennium Development Goals for sanitation. The Central American countries studied have a sanitation coverage of 63 to 95%. South America from 57 to 100%.Source:Improved Sanitation according to Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation Update 2014, WHO, UNICEF.

Nota:Improved sanitation coverage does not always mean that contamination does not occur to water sources. Case of Dominican Republic with vertical septic tanks and Central America with massive use of septic tanks in new urbanizations which contaminant groundwater used for human consume.

Use of Drinking Water Sources and Sanitation Facilities% Population in 2012

Urban population

%

Country Improved Sanitation

%

Use of Improved Drinking

Water Sources %

Use of Piped on Premises

%

Central America 65 Costa Rica 95 100 100 65 El Salvador 80 95 86 50 Guatemala 88 99 98 53 Honduras 85 98 97 58 Nicaragua 63 98 89 76 Panama 80 97 96

Mexico 78 Mexico 87 96 95

South America 93 Argentina, 97 99 99 67 Bolivia 57 96 95 85 Brazil 87 100 97 89 Chile 100 100 100 76 Colombia 85 97 94 78 Peru 81 91 87 93 Uruguay 96 100 100 94 Venezuela 93 (year 2000) 94 (year 2000) 89 (year 2000)

Caribbean 75 Cuba 94 96 83 39 Grenada 70 Dominican

Republic 86 82 74

Source:Progress on

Drinking Water and Sanitation2014 Update

UNICEF, WHO

Latin America and the Caribbean has highest

drinking water coverage of

developing world


Treatment of wastewater in urban areas• In South America, the coverage of sewage system is around 80% in

most countries but a high percentage of waste waters are discharged into rivers and the ocean without treatment. It is a fact that 15% of waste waters do no receive any primary treatment.

• In Central America equally waste waters from Oxidation Lagoons treating domestic waste waters are discharged to surface water bodies which undergo strong eutrophication and lose water quality for human consumption. In most countries today exist many efforts to increase the coverage of sewage systems in cities. Example: In the city of Managua, Nicaragua a large treatment plant was installed in 2009 which has greatly improved environmental sanitation of the city.


Water and health in cities• In most countries water transmitted diseases are reported with

higher register of cases in the most underdeveloped parts of the cities dominantly in peripheral poor population. Acute diarrhea disease and those caused by vectors such as mosquitos, Malaria and Dengue and recently Chikungunya. Also health problems observed due to heavy metals in water from agriculture, industry and natural sources. o mention Arsenic, Mercury and others.

• In the last decade there has been an improvement in both Latin America and Caribbean countries in cities due to better access to water and increasing installation of sanitation. Also progress in development of public health surveillance systems

Outbreaks of Dengue in Cities of Latin America

Dengue in Capital City of VenezuelaCaracas

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Casos de dengue en la ciudad de Managua,2000-2012

Casos de Dengue (N° Absolutos)

Años

Caso

s de

den

gue

Dengue in Capital City of NicaraguaManagua

Analysis in cities: Outbreaks in part fornecessity to store water domestically due to failure of continuity of access to water and appearanceof different serotypes of virus. Cases concentratedin periurban areas and a proximity to surface watersor urban open canal systems.


Variability and change in climate and consequent influence on water resources in cities.

Floods in cities of Argentina

Variability and change in climate and consequent influence on water resources in cities.

Cities under pressure due to extreme events of

drought and floods.

Cities are more vulnerable to extreme climate events due to failures in planning of growth and extension, lack of modernization of water distribution systems as well as development of drainage systems adapted to intense precipitation events.

All countries have reported changes in precipitation patterns accompanied by changes in soil use in surrounding urban watersheds, deforestation which cause increase in erosion bringing heavier sedimentation into cities.

Results of Climate Change study of Costa Rica for Central America.

In San José, Costa Rica and in Tegucigalpa, Honduras observed reductions in surface runoff since the 1980´s associated with

higher evapotranspiration rates due to gradual increase in temperatures. Projections of climate change: Central America

will have less precipitation in the future especially problematic in the northern part where agriculture is dominant.

%

%

%

%

%

%

Panamá

Managua

San J osé

Guatemala Tegucigalpa

San Salvador

SIMBOLOGIAArbustales de coníferasArbustales de latifoliadasArbustales mixtosAreas con escasa vegetaciónArrecifes coralinosBosques decíduos de latifoliadasBosques manglaresBosques semidecíduos de latifoliadasBosques semidecíduos mixtosBosques siempreverdes de coníferasBosques siempreverdes y semisiempreverdes de latifoliadasBosques siempreverdes y semisiempreverdes mixtosCuerpos de aguaOtrosPantanos y humedalesPáramosPlantaciones forestalesSabanasSin datosSistemas agropecuariosSistemas productivos acuáticos (camaroneras, salineras)Urbano

Dominance of Agriculture in Central America

Drought Example: Dominican Republic

• Drought has caused a severe crisis in provision of potable water which has forced authorities to ration water use for irrigation and give priority to human consumption. This has also caused inter-municipal conflicts for access to the scarce available water.

Problems with Drainage System in Urban Areas under High Precipitations Example:Montevideo, Uruguay

Due to several factors:• Insufficient quantity of drainage collector canals causing floods in

streets and houses. Design of drainage system from the 1950´s not absorbing quantity of water.

• Increase in impermeability of soils in watersheds causes increase in input flow to cities

• Frequent floods due to overflow of urban ditches close to housing.

• High levels of Río de la Plata.

Planning for better Drainage Systems in CitiesExample of Montivideo, Uruguay

From different sources of information, urban census and other sources, elaboration of maps to project areas of conflicts which

identify problems of storm water, interaction with other subsystems and complementary proposals.


Other Factors mentioned in book

Institutional and Legal: In most countries there are existing Water Authorities and specific legislation for water management and supervision. Some countries mentioned that the effectiveness of the institutions is not yet adequate and the laws are not being enforced.

Different Characteristics by Region• South America has dominantly water sources from surface

waters at the present and dams which suffer from eutrophication processes.

• Central America has dominantly water sources from groundwater which is under impact from climate change (lowering of water table levels) and contamination from pesticides and hydrocarbons.

United States of America• “The urban water problems of the United States are problems of

maintenance and renewal of water systems, continuing deterioration of source water quality and water scarcity which impedes the development of new supplies to support urban growth. These problems are technological, institutional and political. “

• “Although current water supplies are largely adequate and waterborne illness is quite rare, the U.S. is a good example of the “water paradox of developed nations” because without substantial new, innovative and costly efforts its urban water supply systems will be in jeopardy. “

• “Demand management strategies include actions to manage water consumption more carefully, reduce wastage and maintain levels of reliability”

• Henry Vaux, Chapter USA

Principal Conclusions and Recommendations• Assure better economic measures that benefit investment programs

for water and sanitation. And also reform of drainage systems in cities.

• Strengthen regulation and control in water services.

• Improve capacities for planning, design and installation of water services in cities. Better infrastructure to deal with climate change in urban areas both flooding, droughts and contaminant control.

• Strengthen and amplify monitoring of water quality which include new contaminants.

• Improve education and technical capacity for water sanitation and hygiene in all levels (community, city and district government levels, profesionals working in watershed management and water services).

• “The national government needs to authorize and provide funding support for programs of evaluation and regulation of contaminants and potential contaminants. Failure to accomplish this task will adversely impact both the safety and reliability of the urban water supplies in the future.” USA

• Prepare risk evaluations and alert systems to confront problems: climate change events, water quality problems, water access, sanitation and health supervision to diminish vulnerability of population.

• Strengthen Institutional Water Authorities and Enforcement of Water Laws to improve effectiveness. In some countries legal reform of water legislation.

• Improve Water Management in Watersheds surrounding urban areas.

• Improve sanitation systems which assure no further contamination of water resources.

• Establish reuse of waste waters that involve water quality monitoring for adequate use. Especially important in adaptation for climate change impacts.

Principal Conclusions and Recommendations

XV Congreso nacional de ciencia y tecnología

Environment

Transcript of XV Congreso nacional de ciencia y tecnología