Smart Water Magazine Bimonthly 2 by Smart Water Magazine

Water Solutions

For some, it’s water. For us, it’s possibility. Possibility Flows With Us.

FROM THE EDITOR

LESSONS LEARNED Since the first issue of Smart Water Magazine Monthly was published, the current news continues to focus on the coronavirus. Fortunately, and after some difficult weeks of struggle, most countries are evolving positively in the management of the pandemic, and are headed to the new normal. The water sector can be truly satisfied as it has maintained drinking water and sanitation services to the population with top marks. Thanks to the protocols put in place by the different entities involved in integrated water cycle management, operations could continue with excellence, protecting the health of workers and providing a vital resource to prevent the transmission of disease. In addition, the water industry is key to monitor COVID-19. Wastewater is an excellent epidemiological indicator providing an early warning of disease spread. Operators all over the world are PUBLISHER iAgua Conocimiento, S.L. C/ Asunción Castell, 5 (Bee Lab Coworking) 28020. Madrid info@iagua.es MANAGEMENT Alejandro Maceira Rozados David Escobar Gutiérrez EDITOR Alejandro Maceira Rozados

collaborating with health authorities to detect future disease outbreaks. As expected, water demand has decreased during this time due to lower use by industry and tourism. However, as different economic activities rebound in this new phase, water consumption will return to the usual. Hence, in spite of current uncertainties, the water industry positions itself as a safe haven for international investment. This issue of SWM Monthly identifies, through the voices of key players, an important lesson we are learning from this major crisis: water management requires a firm commitment to accelerate the digital transformation and foster public-private participation in order to harness the numerous opportunities that are emerging in relation

to the achievement of the SDGs and the circular economy. Let me invite you to read at your leisure the more than one hundred pages of this second issue of SWM Monthly, where you can find interviews, opinion pieces, features, news and other sections with world class players from the five continents. And, as you may have noticed, this issue comes back with our hallmark: a sector leader on the cover page. Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar Water Solutions and President of the IDA, on the cover of this SWM Monthly issue, is one of the key water industry leaders. A sharp mind to identify and harness the opportunities out there. David Escobar - Partner at SWM

D @davizescobar - E @DavidEscobariAgua

EDITORIAL STAFF Águeda García de Durango Caveda Laura Fernández Zarza Paula Sánchez Almendros Olivia Tempest Prados Cristina Novo Pérez ART AND GRAPHIC DESIGN Pablo González-Cebrián PHOTOGRAPHY Pablo González-Cebrián

ADVERTISING Javier de los Reyes

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CONTENTS NUMBER 02 - JUN 2020 FEATURE

COVER STORY

INTERVIEW

RECLAIMED WATER IN EUROPE: OPPORTUNITIES

ALMAR WATER SOLUTIONS: PAST AND FUTURE

EMPHASIS ON DIGITALISATION

EMPOWERING THE MOST VULNERABLE

Pg. 32 In the face of water scarcity, the recent water reuse regulation approved by the European Union opens many doors, including job creation.

Pg. 14 Carlos Cosín speaks about the current economic crisis derived from COVID-19 and the business opportunities that derive from it.

Pg. 40 Frost & Sullivan identifies trends in the digital transformation of water and wastewater services in the wake of the health pandemic.

Pg. 84 Access to clean water and adequate sanitation is more important than ever. Rich Thorsten tells us about Water. org’s work in this field.

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CONTENTS NUMBER 02 - JUN 2020

INTERVIEW

OPINION

INTERVIEW

PROTECTING FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

QSTONE FINDS OPPORTUNITIES IN SDG6

INNOVATION IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC

A NEW IMPETUS FOR DIGITALISATION

Pg. 100 The EU WFD is critical to halt the decline of Europe’s freshwater biodiversity. Claire Baffert from WWF explains why.

Pg. 74 Jeroen Tielman speaks about converting water re-use technologies into cost savings for project owners and attractive return for investors.

Pg. 64 When there’s a will, there’s a way. South African water utilities with limited resources must become innovative to tackle the health crisis.

Pg. 46 KWR’s Dragan Savic speaks to the potential of sewage monitoring data and digitalisation as a water sector priority in times of crisis.

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CONTENTS NUMBER 02 - JUN 2020

OPINION

FEATURE

INTERVIEW

DATA SCIENCE AND THE HOUSE OF WATER

WATER REGULATION IN PORTUGAL

DROUGHT MITIGATION IN EUROPE

Pg. 45 John Robinson discusses the benefits of data science and DSTs for the water industry, assuring the sector will never be the same.

Pg. 62 In the 1980s, Portugal’s water and wastewater sector was unsustainable. Ana Albuquerque underlines ERSAR’s work in the last decades.

Pg. 106 Most countries in Europe have so far tackled drought hazards in a reactive way. We analyse why good water management is key.

A DAVID AND GOLIATH STRUGGLE Pg. 66 Australia is a continent of extreme weather. We speak with Adam Lovell to learn how Australian cities are tackling climate change.

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CONTENTS NUMBER 02 - JUN 2020

OPINION

FEATURE

PHOTORAPHY

A TRULY TRANSFORMATIONAL PHASE

NOT SO PRISTINE NEW ZEALAND

WATER STRESS AND HUMAN MIGRATION

INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE MONTH

Pg. 44 A few months into the pandemic, it is possible to draw some conclusions and look at how to ensure resiliency in the future.

Pg. 38 Agricultural intensification is having an impact on freshwater ecosystems: a call for a change to sustainable farming approaches.

Pg. 80 A new report published by the UNU-INWEH sheds light on the relationships between water and migration. We review it in depth.

Pg. 95 A crew of employees locked down at this desalination plant to ensure the continuity of operations and the water supply to San Diego.

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CONTENTS NUMBER 02 - JUN 2020 THE MAGAZINE FOR THE KEY PLAYERS OF THE WATER SECTOR

#SWMM2 SPONSORED BY SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC. . . . . . 116

INTERVIEW

COMMUNICATING ABOUT WATER Pg.112 We speak to Henrika Thomasson, the Head of Communications of SIWI, on the challenges of communicating about the water sector. FEATURE

HIDROCONTA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 Pg. 92 More than 785 million people live without access to clean water. DuPont and charity: water partner to tackle COVID-19 in vulnerable areas.

ALMAR WATER SOLUTIONS . . 115 RANKING

SMART WATER MAGAZINE RANKING BARMATEC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

AQUALIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

MINSAIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Pg. 10 We launch a tool that will measure and order the influence of organizations in the water sector according to transparent criteria.

PEOPLE

PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE Pg. 65 Anna-Luisa Beserra has a clear goal and that is to provide people living in remote and water-scarce areas with clean drinking water.

INTERVIEW

IDRICA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

WE ARE WATER. . . . . . . . . . . . 111

ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE Pg. 54 Hong Kong has managed to ensure water security for its 7.5 million inhabitants. Mr CL Wong tells us how this was achieved.

OPINION

MEASURING PROGRESS TOWARDS SDG 6

DUPONT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Pg. 94 Countries must review the progress towards the SDG 6. Raha Hakimdavar explains how satellite-based EO could narrow these data gaps.

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SWM RANKING Smart Water Magazine (SWM) launches a Ranking to measure the inďŹ&#x201A;uence of organizations and professionals in the water industry. The SWM Ranking is a tool that allows the influence of organizations in the water sector to be measured and ordered according to transparent criteria. The factors considered for the calculation are the page views on the web, the number of SWM Likes and the contents in Smart Water Magazine Monthly. The ranking order is established by a unit of measurement created for this purpose: SWM Points. This metric is calculated through a mathematical algorithm that takes into account the content published during the 365 days prior to the calculation date and will be updated every month, coinciding with the publication of each issue of SWM Monthly. The data of the visits to the web are extracted from Google Analytics, while the amount of SWM Likes are directly counted and can be seen in the different contents of the web.

particular content can obtain a maximum of 1,000 points. This is done to prevent the distortion of the entire classification in case a specific content goes viral.

How are SWM points earned? Each content published on the web by an entity or blogger gets 1 point for every 10 page views; also, for each SWM Like it gets 2 points, which become 5 in the event that the user who grants it is a verified user. On the other hand, if the content appears in SWM Monthly, it gets 250 points. This amount is fixed and corresponds to an estimation of the average audience generated by the monthly magazines. It should also be mentioned that

SWM Likes and Verified Users Registered users of SWM can click on the blue heart of any content on the web that they like. The number of SWM Likes appears beside the blue heart. The number of likes of a content is used for the calculation, having a different value if the user is verified (5 points) or not (2 points). Verified users are easy to distinguish as a white "check" icon appears on their profile next to their name on a blue circle.

Classification categories SWM publishes content of all kinds: by companies, public administrations, international organizations, associations, foundations, etc. In addition, SWM bloggers publish their articles in a personal capacity on a wide variety of topics. For all these reasons, the Ranking has several classifications depending on the category of the entity. The most important ones are: >> Companies >> Blogs In addition, a general classification can be consulted in which all the participating entities are compared regardless of their type.

How are SWM points earned?

SWM Points

SWM Like

Page views

Verified users

SWM Points

SWM Point

Page views

Non-verified users

SWM Alliances A blog that is linked to an entity will contribute only 50% of its points to that entity

250 SWM Points

50%

*The ranking order is established by a unit of measurement created for this purpose: SWM Points. *A specific content piece can obtain a maximum of 1,000 SWM Points. *The maximum number of content pieces in SWM Monthly that will be considered for the calculation is 16.

TOP 10 - COMPANIES RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

COMPANY

SWM POINTS

Schneider Electric ACCIONA Membracon SUEZ Idrica PUB Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Water Agency Almar Water Water Solutions Miya Isle Utilities Bentley Systems

TOP 5 - PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONS

NASA

114 points 112 points

DEWA

108 points

RIVM GOV.UK

TOP 5 - BLOGS 148 points

U.S. EPA

70 points

1.431 points 924 points 484 points 408 points 399 points 397 points 394 points 315 points 314 points 307 points

Robert Brears

511 points

Karl-Uwe Schmitz

474 points

Madhukar Swayambhu

301 points

Graham Mann

277 points

Kristin Savage

273 points

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Who is behind the water we use at home?

Jaime and Pablo doing cleaning and disinfection tasks eo d Mat n a o r Ped

Teresa monitoring the quality of water There are people like Pablo, Juan, Teresa, Pedro... Aqualiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workers who, now that we have to stay at home, continue to work so that every time you turn on a tap you have quality water in your home. For all this, and much more, we do not rest, even now. This is our way of taking care of you.

People who work for people

aqualia.com

#StayAtHome

Your water company

BUSINESS

ON THE COVER

COSÍN CARLOS

CEO OF ALMAR WATER SOLUTIONS

“The core business of Almar Water Solutions, what we want to use our equity for, is to become a services company” Consolidated as one of the great leaders of the water industry worldwide, Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar Water Solutions and President of the International Desalination Association (IDA), gives us an exclusive interview as we transit to the new normal after the outbreak of COVID-19.

Alejandro Maceira -

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Pablo González-Cebrián

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ON THE COVER

CosĂn reviews the first three years of the company he leads and analyses with precision (and some optimism) the prospects to overcome the economic crisis and the business opportunities that derive from it. It would seem that 2019 was the year Almar Water Solutions truly consolidated its position after its creation in 2017. What is the company's current situation? Has it met the expected milestones in terms of business development? 2019 has been the result of two years of intense work. The awarding of the Shuqaiq III desalination project in Saudi Arabia and the Mombasa desalination project in Kenya provided us with the opportunity to tell the market our value proposition. Afterwards, with the acquisition of a stake in the Muharraq wastewater treatment plant, we have been able to consolidate our portfolio of assets via greenfield and brownfield investments, something that enables Almar Water Solutions to have stable cash flows in the long term to continue growing. Our company develops innovative water projects, while at the same time investing in third party assets. 2019 also allowed us to create our regional O&M services platform, among others, to grow organically in the industrial sector. Our decision to buy Osmoflo SpA meant the birth of the second line of business for our company: O&M services for our own and third-party projects. Therefore, we consider that in this short period we have met the objectives we had set, and we have laid the foundation to replicate the model in other regions of the world and continue to progress. The Shuqaiq III desalination project, developed by Almar Water Solutions through Abdul Latif Jameel CDC, is a flagship project. As well, it received iAgua's "Contract of the Year" Award. Can you describe its singularities? Shuqaiq III is a flagship project for us, firstly, because it was the first large-capacity project awarded to Almar Water Solutions, and secondly, because it happened at a time when several large scope desalination projects were on the table. Large international companies were doing an excellent job and competition was very high.

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ON THE COVER

However, we believe our great accomplishment was to achieve financial closure in just a few months, taking into account the large number of parties involved and the size of the project. Our team worked intensely to make it possible. Shuqaiq III will supply water to 1.8 million people, contributing to the economic and industrial development of Saudi Arabia, and project development continues positively, in spite of the drawbacks in the past few months. Another significant project is the Mombasa desalination plant in Kenya. What is the project status at this point? Mombasa is a PPP project to develop a desalination plant with a capacity of 100,000 m3/day in Kenya. Almar Water Solutions has been the project's developer from scratch: everything has been done within our company. To date numerous pieces of work have been completed, including engineering work, studies on feasibility, marine currents and input water quality, geotechnical and topographical surveys, the environmental impact assessment, etc. In addition, water purchase contracts have been drafted and negotiated. The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled some approvals and we are waiting for the sovereign guarantee and letter of support by institutions, to continue with the financial closure phase. The regional and central governments strongly support the development of this project, and there is a great appetite by commercial and multilateral banks. We expect to achieve financial closure before the end of this year and to continue with the following phases of the project. The Mombasa desalination plant is a strategic project in Sub-Saharan Africa which will also help increase the confidence and willingness of international companies to develop similar projects in the region, where they are very needed. Almar Water Solutions has stood out for its acquisitions, both assets and companies. Can you tell us about operations such as the stake in the Muharraq wastewater treatment plant or the Chilean company Osmoflo? The development of greenfield opportunities takes time, several years from the time a proposal is submitted until implementation. However,

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ON THE COVER

when a company has equity, it can quickly expand its portfolio and gain a foothold on markets in those regions where it is difficult to enter, by investing in brownfield projects. This is the case of wastewater treatment for Almar Water Solutions. We are well known in the area of desalination in the international water market, but we also have extensive experience in wastewater treatment and reuse, even with fewer project references. With the Muharraq project, we aim to enter the market and continue growing in the wastewater treatment industry. Nevertheless, the core business of Almar Water Solutions, what we want to use our equity for, is to become a services company. We have vast knowledge in this area and can contribute extensive experience and value to the international sector. We have established our services platform in another region to be able to grow and expand O&M and services contracts in Latin America, both for the municipal and the industrial sector. We believe the region has great potential and very real water and service needs. The MENA region and Latin America appear to be priority regions in your strategy. What is your assessment of their evolution in the past few years? To be honest, they are not priority regions, rather they are regions where we have been successful in the short term. We also want to be present in other regions such as Africa, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The effort we are making to replicate our model in other regions is a collective, team effort, and we hope to see the results very soon. Up to now, we have talked about the situation before the COVID-19 crisis, but our world has changed a lot in the past months. What do you think will be the impact of the pandemic on the water industry? Since the COVID-19 health crisis started, we have drawn several conclusions concerning the water sector. First of all, we think that the water market, specially the municipal market, has not suffered the effects of the crisis and can be considered a safe haven. Moreover, we have ob-

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"WITH THE ACQUISITION OF A STAKE IN THE MUHARRAQ WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE OUR PORTFOLIO OF ASSETS"

"SHUQAIQ III WILL SUPPLY WATER TO 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE, CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA"

" THE EFFORT WE ARE MAKING TO REPLICATE OUR MODEL IN OTHER REGIONS IS A COLLECTIVE, TEAM EFFORT, AND WE HOPE TO SEE THE RESULTS VERY SOON"

served very good performance and resilience in asset holding companies, which have responded in a very solid and stable manner. On the other hand, leverage in many companies is requiring the rotation of a portion of their assets in operation, in order to relieve very strict cash situations, something which will boost company mergers and acquisitions a lot more than before. Finally, as governments focus on things like health, pensions and unemployment, PPPs and private financing position themselves as the only alternative to improve and develop the water infrastructure required. The fiscal outlook in many countries is worrisome. The deficit, debt, unemployment, etc. But water services and infrastructure are more necessary than ever. Are public-private participation models a potential solution? Does the private sector have the financial willingness to invest in water? Private companies, as we have indicated for years, want to be in the front line and help develop the entire network of infrastructure required for citizens and industry. We have the knowledge, experience and liquidity to tackle this challenge. However, we need the other side â&#x20AC;&#x201D; governments and institutions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to embrace this debate and recognise that it is a win-win solution for everyone, and especially the final user who needs the resource. In many countries, it is still believed that a public-private partnership is a nationalisation, instead of a solution that provides experience, technology and development. In this situation, there could be new and important opportunities to purchase assets or companies. What are the interests of Almar Water Solutions? It is, without a doubt, a growth path for the company. Although currently, we cannot comment on any news in this regard, we hope to have some news in the coming months. We are working hard towards it. Besides being the CEO of Almar Water Solutions, you are the President of the

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ON THE COVER

International Desalination Association (IDA). What do you think about the development of desalination techniques in the past few years, and what can we expect in the coming years? Desalination has reached a degree of technical maturity where we do not expect disruptive improvements, but we do expect qualitative improvements. It is scaling, with large size plants

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"THE WATER MARKET, SPECIALLY THE MUNICIPAL MARKET, HAS NOT SUFFERED THE EFFECTS OF THE CRISIS AND CAN BE CONSIDERED A SAFE HAVEN"

that allows us to say that desalination is today an affordable commodity and a well-established technology to produce quality water in regions with water scarcity. Therefore, the IDA is currently making a great effort towards the development of similar technologies in the area of water reuse and its regulation, so it can be as well known and accepted as desalination.

ON THE COVER

I became president of the organisation after many years of work, with a very active role on the board over the past four years. From the board, we have implemented the changes the IDA needed (regarding financial, investment, image and communications aspects, etc.) and now we are embarked on a new plan to give visibility to the high degree of technological expertise of its members and

"WATER REUSE IS AN OUTSTANDING ISSUE FOR THE COMING DECADE; THERE IS A CLEAR INTENTION TO EXPAND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARKET"

open the door to discussions with new stakeholders interested in desalination, such as the financial sector, utilities, the legal sector, etc. Desalination is a mature value, with a 10% growth rate, which besides being a technology necessary in many regions, is quite interesting for other players that to date were not participating in the sector.

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ON THE COVER

Another area of expertise of Almar Water Solutions is water reuse. Do you believe recent measures such as the one adopted by the European Union will contribute to driving up as expected the percentage of water that is reclaimed? Certainly, water reuse is an outstanding issue for the coming decade. There is a clear intention to expand its development and progress in the market, and thus reach the reuse levels necessary for all countries. This new European regulation will enable increasing the use of reuse technologies, thereby helping to fight water stress and scarcity. To date, legislation had not been of much help, but now there is an appropriate framework for its uses and technologies in some regions, thus enabling a greater reach for agriculture, urban uses and industry. Greater reuse of treated wastewater will decrease withdrawals from surface water bodies and groundwater, promoting water savings and ensuring a high degree of environmental protection. Access to water and sanitation, as defined in UN SDG 6, takes on a new dimension given this health emergency. How can we work to reach this goal as soon as possible? Financial crises have never been good allies to make progress towards environmental objectives; however, I personally think that thanks to the level of commitment of our society there will be no backsliding concerning the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Citizens are well aware and will demand the measures needed to achieve the goals, together with the impetus from companies. So I am quite optimistic on this issue. Climate change is a reality, and when we have given the planet a break, we have been able to see it. We must foster sustainable businesses and initiatives, that allow caring for the environment and natural resources. As I have said more than once, water plays an essential role in this regard, being part of the solution to this problem. The use of non-conventional water sources, such as desalination or reuse technologies, will help to preserve natural water sources while improving the lives of millions of people. From international organisations as well as from companies, we must support the solutions and mechanisms that help achieve the United Nations SDGs.

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ON THE COVER

Water reuse is an outstanding issue for the coming decade; there is a clear intention to expand its development in the market

From international organisations as well as from companies, we must support the solutions and mechanisms that help achieve the UN SDGs

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WATER & NEWS

BUSINESS

SWPC AND METITO CONSORTIUM CLOSE $245 MILLION SAUDI SEWAGE PLANT FINANCE DEAL SWPC and the consortium led by the Metito Group reaches the financial closing of Saudi Arabia’s first ISTP

Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) and the consortium led by the Metito Group and comprising the companies; “Metito”, “Mowah”, and “Orascom Construction” confirmed the successful financial closing of the Kingdom’s first independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) to be awarded to the private sector under the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) concession model with a tenor of 25 years, in Dammam West. The project is worth US$245M with the investment made up of a combination of equity and debt. The financial close of this ‘first of its kind’ project comes in spite of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which has frozen many large-scale projects around the world. The Dammam ISTP has a designed capacity of 350,000 cubic meters per day and an initial capacity of 200,000 cubic meters per day and will

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serve the western region of Dammam. Khaled Alqureshi, Chief Executive Officer Saudi Water Partnership Company, said: “Despite global volatility and liquidity issues, and ever-changing market conditions, SWPC and the Consortium were able to successfully reach financial closing, in close cooperation with the lenders group.” “This is a testament of SWPC’s commitment to support and encourage private sector participation in sustainable development by providing lucrative opportunities for local and foreign investors to participate in the implementation of lifeline water projects. This will achieve sustainable development, provide job opportunities for young people, and support local output and balanced development, in line with the strategic goals of the Kingdom’s “Vision 2030”, added Alqureshi.

The Consortium scope of work covers the entire investment and includes the EPC and O&M which will be executed by a wholly owned Saudi-based company established by the Consortium to serve the project – the Dammam West Company for Water. The total project costs approx. $245m (SAR920m), with funding sourced from a combination of senior project finance loans in addition to equity contributions from shareholders. Non-recourse project financing is provided by a group of local and international banks, including The National Commercial Bank (NCB), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Limited (SMBC), and Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (APICORP), worth a total of $160m (SAR601m). On behalf of the Consortium, Rami Ghandour, Metito Managing Director, said: ‘While the world is navigating unprecedented and testing times due to the fast evolving COVID-19 pandemic, we are delighted to share a strategic milestone for the water and wastewater industry in MENASA region. Today marks the successful financial close of the Dammam ISTP, a pioneering project in the Kingdom and the region.” The successful financial closing marks a significant achievement for the Saudi Government and the wider region, demonstrating sustained commitment to development in the water sector. Since breaking ground on the Dammam West site in February this year, work has continued without interruption and the project remains on track.

IDE TECHNOLOGIES WINS CONTRACT TO BUILD ISRAEL’S LARGEST DESALINATION PLANT

DEWA RETENDERS ITS 120 MIGD HASSYAN SEA WATER REVERSE OSMOSIS IWP

Amid U.S. pressure, Israeli IDE Technologies wins a contract to construct the Sorek B Plant, a 200 million m3/year SWRO facility

Interested parties are invited to partake in the tendering process

Israel has selected local IDE Technologies to construct the country’s biggest desalination plant, Sorek B Plant, to help combat water scarcity in a land which suffers from chronic water shortages. IDE Technologies and Hutchison Water, whose key investor is Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, were both competing for the tender. At the beginning of May, US officials, apprehensive about the involvement of China in Israel’s strategic infrastructure, expressed concerns over the possibility of Hutchison Water winning the tender. According to The Jerusalem Post, an Israeli official said: "The Americans have been delivering messages gently and politely but obviously they want us to reexamine the participation of the Chinese company in the tender."

During a visit to Israel this month, Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, said to public broadcaster Kan that the support of China in Israeli infrastructure and communications systems could compromise cooperation with the United States, without mentioning the desalination plant. The 200 million m3/year reverse osmosis plant, set to be the largest desalination facility in the world, is to be financed by a consortium of banks including Bank Leumi, Germany’s KfW and the European Investment Bank. In a statement, the Israeli government said that it will boost the country’s desalination capacity by 35% and lower water costs. The facility is to be constructed in Sorek, in the centre of Israel.

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) has retendered its 120 Million Gallons Per Day (MIGD) Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Plant (SWRO) Project using the Independent Water Producer model and is inviting bids for the process. The project is DEWA’s first Independent Water Producer (IWP) model project. DEWA has adopted the IWP procurement model for the Hassyan desalination plant following the success of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park projects. The plant will use the latest and most efficient and reliable technologies. "The project supports the vision of the wise leadership, to promote sustainable development. We are building production plants based on Reverse Osmosis (RO) which requires less energy than the Multi-stage Flash Distillation based plants, making it a more sustainable choice for water desalination. DEWA aims to produce 100% of desalinated water by a mix of clean energy and waste heat,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. “The project is part of DEWA’s strategy to increase the water desalination capacity in Dubai. DEWA is currently desalinating water through the joint production of energy and water using efficient MSF distillation technology, which depends on waste heat created by the production of electricity for water desalination. DEWA also uses RO to desalinate water, a proven technology that is also used around the world, to absorb a considerable amount of generated power by clean energy,” added Al Tayer.

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WATER & NEWS

BUSINESS

STANTEC TO LEAD MAJOR €456 MILLION WASTEWATER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN EGYPT

NEW REPORT COMPARES WATER RISK TOOLS FOR COMPANIES AND INVESTORS

The project will improve access to sanitation services for 940,000 people in the rural areas of Fayoum, in Egypt

The report was published by WWF and WBCSD

The Egyptian Holding Company for Water and Wastewater has selected a consortium led by Stantec to improve access to sanitation services through wastewater infrastructure for communities in the Fayoum governorate in Egypt. Stantec will act as the Project Implementation Support and Contract Supervision Consultant to manage the large-scale construction program to expand wastewater treatment, water reuse capabilities and the system sewerage network. The governorate of Fayoum is in a rural, developing region about 90 kilometres (55 miles) southwest of Cairo. The area is in close proximity to Lake Qarun–the third largest lake in Egypt. In lesser populated areas of the region, coverage of sanitation services is low, and more than half of the communities are

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not connected to a centralized wastewater network. This lack of access results in raw sewage being discharged directly to the agricultural drains and Lake Qarun–which is the area’s main freshwater resource–causing significant environmental, economic, and social harm. The program, with a value of 456.5 million euros, is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and co-financed by the European Investment Bank, the European Union’s Neighbourhood Investment Facility, and the Egyptian government. It is part of a wider set of measures by the Egyptian government to address the challenges the country faces in sanitation coverage. The overarching goal of the project is to increase access to sanitation to 86 percent in rural areas of the Fayoum governorate.

Faced with worsening water security across the globe, companies and investors are increasingly concerned about the water risks faced by their operations, supply chains and investments – and looking for tools to help to assess these risks. Over the past decade, many water tools have emerged but this has created some confusion around both the concept of water risk assessment and the differences/similarities between these water tools. To clarify the situation, WWF and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) have published a new report in consultation with WRI. Right tool for the right job: Tools & Approaches for Companies and Investors to Assess Water Risks & Shared Water Challenges compares the three leading corporate water tools – WBCSD’s India Water Tool, WRI’s Aqueduct and WWF’s Water Risk Filter – and provides guidance on the approaches companies and investors should adopt to assess water risks and shared water challenges. Businesses face physical, reputational and regulatory risks driven by water, which will only increase with climate change. Incorporating these risks into the business strategy is critical for companies to secure their license to operate as well as ensure business profitability. Understanding of business risks related to water is also critical for investors to make sound investment decisions. The report explores the specifics of three water tools and provides guidance to companies on the use of the various tools in relation to their needs and priorities.

SUEZ CLOSES €98 MILLION CONTRACT TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER IN LUANDA, ANGOLA SUEZ supports Angola in its challenge to facilitate access to drinking water As part of a consortium, EPAL, a public water management company in Luanda, has signed a contract with SUEZ Group and its partners, Mota Engil and Soares da Costa. The contract is aimed at developing Bita drinking water plant in Luanda, the capital city of Angola. The contract, worth €98 million for SUEZ, includes pumping of raw water from the Kwanza river, the development of a water treatment plant over a 39-month period and 9 months of operational support.

The plant will meet the drinking water needs of the fast-growing population of Luanda, which has reached 7.5 million inhabitants, while supporting the capital city’s economic development. The contract is part of a larger-scale developmental project that benefits from secure financing of the IBRD, the World Bank and BPI France. With a capacity of 260,000 m3 per day, the plant will be one of the largest drinking water production plants built by the Group in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within the consortium, Mota Engil and Soares da

Costa will manage the civil works. In addition to conducting engineering studies, providing equipment and assembling and commissioning the plant, SUEZ will be responsible for training the local teams from EPAL to ensure long-term operations. The plant will integrate SUEZ technologies such as PulsatubeTM and Aquazur® V in order to guarantee excellent water quality production. Those technologies reduce the footprint due to their compactness, optimize the treatment of micropollutants and organic matter, and are easy to operate.

EGYPT INAUGURATES THE WORLD'S LARGEST AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE TREATMENT, RECYCLING AND REUSE PLANT The new plant will contribute to the cultivation of 70,000 acres in the Sinai The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El Sisi officially inaugurated Al Mahsamma agricultural drainage treatment, recycling and reuse plant in Ismailia Governorate. The project has a capacity of 1 million cubic m/day and is built over an area of 42,000 square meters. Al Mahsamma is considered the largest plant of its kind in the world. The USD100 million has been developed by the JV comprised of Metito, the multinational global provider of intelligent water management and alternative

energy solutions, and Hassan Allam Construction, Egypt’s leading engineering, construction and infrastructure company, under the supervision of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. The JV scope of work for this flagship project includes the engineering, construction, operations (EC&O), commissioning and O&M for a period of five years. Al Mahsama forms part of Egypt’s progressive and multi-pronged approach to ensuring the country’s water security through wastewater treatment,

desalination, and the preservation of natural water resources. The plant’s daily capacity will contribute to the preservation of the natural ecology of the Al Temsah Lake, located west of the Suez Canal, which has been impacted by wastewater disposal. The plant will contribute to the irrigation of 70,000 acres of land in the Sinai, as part of the government’s efforts to develop the region by creating sustainable urban communities and job opportunities in the area.

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www.hidroconta.com

WATER TREATMENT

FEATURE

Z Paula Sรกnchez Almendros In the face of water shortage and a growing population who needs to grow its food, water reuse for irrigation purposes emerges as a solution to mitigate water resource scarcity and adapt to the consequences of climate change, but also as an opportunity to create green jobs and enable companies, governments and users to nurture together a more resilient Europe. Water stress, combined with the relentless effects of climate change, is an increasingly noticeable problem in Europe. These problems are even more palpable in southern countries, where drought, together with overexploitation of water resources, means that countries like Italy, Greece, Spain or Cyprus need real solutions to provide water for agricultural purposes and ensure food production. This situation calls on governments and companies to find solutions that must support the circular economy and water reuse, in a safe manner and with a firm commitment to protecting human health and the environment. In this regard, the European Commission has been working since 2014 to create a common regulation to drive water reuse in all European Union countries, in order to ensure a broader use of treated wastewater and limit the overexploitation of water bodies. This commitment is now a reality, and last May the European Parliament approved the new regulation to promote water reuse for agricultural purposes, a practice

The new regulation proposed by the EU intends to increase the flexibility in the legislation on water reuse for irrigation purposes 30

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that is currently well established in very few Member States. The decision adopted by the European Parliament will relieve pressure on the freshwater supply, allocating more water for irrigation purposes in a region, Europe, with more than 10 million hectares under irrigation and which only reuses a sixth part of the

40,000 million cubic meters of wastewater treated every year. But the new legislation on water reuse does not only have ecological benefits, it also provides an opportunity for change and professional development in the agricultural sector, which uses 70% of the water consumed worldwide.

WATER REUSE

tions. Copernicus also warned that one of the major threats Europe faces in the near future is an increase in the frequency and duration of periods of drought, something that the European Union had already pointed out; as indicated in the "Report on the Review of the European Water Scarcity and Droughts Policy", at least 11% of the continent's population had been affected by water scarcity in the past few years. Water management and environmental protection are European competences, and the European Commission is committed to protecting Europe's waters, given that more than 50% of river basins in the European Union are cross-boundary, shared by several Member States. The European Union considers that harmonising current legislation dealing with water reuse will increase the confidence of users and individuals on this practice, serving to establish common requirements to ensure water quality and control. This new regulation intends, in addition to provide a solution to scarcity issues, to allow for more flexibility in water reuse legislation, so that the competent authorities in each country can make choices regarding the use of reclaimed water, and each Member State can decide whether to use reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation throughout its territory, or only in certain areas. European flexibility for water reuse Contrary to popular belief, low water availability does not only occur in areas with little rainfall, but also in areas that are densely populated or have significant industrial or irrigation activity. Not only do intensive industrial or agricultural activities lead to issues with water availability; poor water quality, due to pollution

sources or an excess of nitrates, also may result in low freshwater availability. The satellite observation system of the European Union and the European Space Agency, Copernicus, warned that heat waves in the spring and summer of 2018 and 2019 in western Europe caused drier and warmer weather than usual, leading to severe drought condi-

Water reuse represents the most viable alternative to guarantee agricultural development without compromising water quality

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FEATURE The need to invest in the circular economy The world's water market is growing rapidly and the water sector is fortunate to be a very much needed sector. Its critical nature has been well demonstrated during the coronavirus crisis: the water sector has been an essential service to ensure the well-being of people. In fact, it is estimated that by 2030, the global water demand will grow by up to 50%. Parallel to water demand growth, so will grow wastewater streams from a population which is also increasing exponentially, demanding more food and in need of a sustainable agriculture. Faced with this scenario, water reuse represents the most viable alternative to guarantee agricultural development without compromising water quality and quantity, and therefore this practice has broad potential in terms of green job creation. Water reuse can be an important source of benefits, not only social or environmental, but also economic ones. In addition to improving the state of the environment, it also results in savings when compared with other water treatment processes such as desalination, since water reuse has lower investment and energy costs, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A good example of circular economy. Although it is widely recognised that water reuse has a low environmental impact, its use in the European Union is limited, with Spain being the leading country in the European water reuse market since 2010. The European Commission thinks the low uptake could be due to financial rea-

The European Commission has been working since 2014 to create a common regulation to drive water reuse in all European Union countries 32

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES WATER REUSE To prevent water shortages across the EU, the European Parliament approves a resolution allowing increased levels of water reuse The European Parliament voted last May to approve the Water Reuse Regulation. This new law defines for the first time at European level the minimum requirements for all Member States for reclaimed water to be used for irrigation purposes in a safe way, protecting the population and the environment. Reclaimed water is urban

wastewater that has been treated in a reclamation plant. To prevent water shortages across the European Union, water can be treated correctly and be safely reused in irrigation. The new Water Reuse Regulation sets the standards for this practise, to ensure the significant environmental, social and economic benefits are correctly met. The new rule aims to ensure that

sons. Two of the main reasons include the investment needs to improve urban wastewater treatment plants and a lack of financial incentives to implement water reuse for agricultural purposes.

and professionals according to the technical specifications of treatment. A large portion of them should be qualified workers. Moreover, current technology allows the production of different qualities of reclaimed water. The purpose is to obtain water that can be put to different uses, and therefore expand the useful life of water that had already been used for do-

Wastewater generates jobs To expand this practice in Member States, the water sector would need infrastructure

WATER REUSE

treated wastewater is more broadly reused in order to limit withdrawals from surface water bodies and groundwater. The fall in groundwater levels, due in particular to agricultural irrigation, but also industrial use and urban development, is one of the main threats to the EU water environment. "This marks another important milestone towards the transition to a circular economy for water resources. In this way, step by step, we are bringing concrete results for the environment", said lead MEP Simona Bonafè. "We could potentially reuse 6.6 billion cubic metres of water by 2025, compared to the current 1.1 billion cubic metres per year. That would require an investment of less than EUR 700

million and would enable us to reuse more than half of the current volume of water coming from EU wastewater treatment plants theoretically available for irrigation, avoiding more than 5 % of direct extraction from water bodies and groundwater”, she added. Bertrand Vallet from the EurEau secretariat said that he was pleased to see that the responsibilities of all actors along the chain were defined to ensure that the quality of treated waste water is preserved after the water leaves the reclamation plant. Presently, at least 11% of the European population and 17% of its territory have been affected by water scarcity, says the European Commission.

the main driver of new technologies for this practice, fostering lower energy use and lowering process costs. But this is not possible without an initial investment by states. The implementation of these systems entails an important initial investment, but the profit margin is quite positive, because the investment pays back in a few years, with noticeable savings. Even so, water reuse continues to be an outstanding issue in many countries. Investments by integrated water cycle actors will come after there is social awareness and much needed public education to make the benefits of water reuse known, encouraging us all to build a green and much more sustainable Europe. mestic or industrial purposes. However, we should make clear that, to reuse water for agricultural purposes, the resource must undergo advanced tertiary treatment, and it is here where there could be new employment opportunities. Wastewater generates jobs. If we encourage water reuse, with a commitment to sustainability, we are directly support-

ing job creation. New water practices and uses will drive the creation of new companies and green developments in many others, creating new jobs. Also, research is not exempt from this opportunity. Now more than ever, research plays a crucial role to do away with fears and reluctance to use reclaimed water. Besides, science must be

If we encourage water reuse, with a firm commitment to sustainability, we are directly supporting job creation in all Member States

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WATER & NEWS

WATER TREATMENT

PURIFICATION OF WASTEWATER MAY LEAD TO AN IMBALANCE BETWEEN NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS Globally, differences in the efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus removal have led to algae blooms The amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface water has been reduced through the purification of wastewater. Nonetheless, toxic algae blooms still occur. Because the purification plants are better at removing phosphorus than nitrogen, the balance between these two elements is shifting on a global scale. This results in a comparatively high level of nitrogen in the purified water, which causes abundant growth of algae with a preference for nitrogen, concludes an international team of researchers in a publication in PNAS. Like humans, nature needs a balanced diet: not too much, and the right balance in nutrients. While humans need a diet with sufficient fresh fruits and vegetables, and a moderate amount of fat, the balance between nitrogen and phosphorus is essential to nature. Purification plants prevent too many nutrients from being deposited in nature. The Netherlands has been better at removing phosphorus than nitrogen for many years, says Annette Janssen, a researcher at the Wageningen Water Systems and Global Change group. “This may cause an imbalance in the natural ratio between nitrogen and phosphorus. Even if the total level of nitrogen and phosphorus is lowered, this imbalance facilitates the growth of toxic blue-green algae”, she and the other researchers state. “We see a global shift in the balance between phosphorus and nitrogen in favour of nitrogen”, states Janssen. In China, the proportion of nitrogen –

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phosphorus increased from 20 to approximately 31 between 2008 and 2017, thus surpassing the European levels. This means that, while water is becoming cleaner, it contains relatively more nitrogen than phosphorus. Each organism has its own preference for nutrients. Even between different algae, there is a large variation in their preference for nitrogen or phosphorus. Fairly harmless algae thrive on relatively more phosphorus and less nitrogen. In contrast, toxic blue-green algae flourish with by comparison higher levels of nitrogen. Thus, the global increase in the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio may hamper further improvement in water quality, the researchers state. The researchers took the water quality in China, which is greatly affected by blue-green algae, as an example. “There

has already been an incident where a plague of blue-green algae blocked the water supply of millions of people”, Janssen states. In the PNAS publication, the researchers show that the differences in the efficiency with which phosphorus and nitrogen are removed from wastewater has caused an increase in the nitrogen – phosphorus ratio in Chinese lakes. This could explain why blue-green algae persist, despite the efforts to stop them. “In addition to reducing the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, their ratio is also a critical factor in the growth of toxic algae”, Annette Janssen states. The researchers conclude that the focus on water quality improvement should lie not just with reducing nutrients, but also with the ratio between nitrogen and phosphorus.

COMPANIES UNDERESTIMATE THE RISKS OF WATER POLLUTION Business can size the benefits of managing water pollution and harnessing energy and nutrient resources from wastewater

Water pollution is an ‘invisible crisis’ threatening societies and economies, but companies are not taking the issue seriously enough. The CDP Global Water Report 2019 analyses the data disclosed through CDP by 2,433 companies in 2019. It finds that companies are not doing enough to tackle water pollution - and reveals the tangible business case for immediate action. The analysis shows that less than half of the disclosing companies regularly measure and monitor their water discharges, and only 12% have set a pollution reduction target and/ or goal. Many companies underestimate the associated risks of water pollution, with only 10% reporting it a top risk. Companies across industrial sectors are contributing to water pollution problems. The obligations to act are not only ethical, but also legal and financial.

Regulators and consumers are ratchetting up the pressure on companies to eliminate waste. Yet companies are still underestimating the economic, ecological and health implications of water pollution. Companies that get ahead of the trend for tighter environmental protection and mounting consumer concern will be those that reap the rewards. There are many opportunities for companies to act and seize the benefits of the transition to a water-secure future. The economic imperatives are clear. A combined value at risk of US$425 billion was reported through CDP in 2019; this is likely to be an underestimate as financial estimates were given for only half of the risks reported. Many companies are realizing this, and 329 more companies disclosed their water security data through CDP

in 2019 than in 2018. However, over 2,500 companies still failed to meet the request for data. Reporting on water impacts allows companies, investors and governments to make smarter decisions, and a boost to consumer and investor confidence may offer financial returns. By monitoring their water impacts, companies can begin to manage associated risks involving regulation, reputation and potential litigation. As COVID-19 presents new and critical global challenges, it is more important than ever that companies protect our vital resources, seize the related business opportunities, and measure and manage long-term risks to ensure resilience to future shocks. The transition to a water-secure, zero carbon future is a source of opportunity for innovation, market differentiation and brand value. To succeed, companies will need to look beyond the “business-as-usual” responses to pollution management and pursue plans to grow differently. Harnessing wastewater – a vast resource of heat, power and high-value products - is an untapped business opportunity. While there are seeds of best practice, we have a long way to go before the effective elimination and management of corporate water pollution moves to the mainstream. A critical starting point is monitoring and reporting water risks and impacts through CDP, to enable companies to set and make progress against ambitious targets.

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WATER & NEWS

WATER TREATMENT

EIB INVESTS €11 MILLION FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN GJILAN, KOSOVO

MOROCCO LAUNCHES ITS ‘GREEN WATERS’ PROJECT

The project will provide improved access to water and wastewater services, reduce water pollution, and increase resilience to disasters

The new project will study the current status of wastewater treatment

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will invest €11 million to improve wastewater management and provide affordable access to water and wastewater services for more than 90,000 people in the municipality of Gjilan/Gnjilane in Kosovo. Investment from the EU bank will enable construction of a wastewater treatment plant and sewerage network, and the revitalisation of key infrastructure in the environmental protection sector. The investment will reduce the pollution of local waters. New sanitary infrastructure will also improve the quality and efficiency of public health and increase municipal resilience to natural disasters such as COVID-19. The investment comes under the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative, which aims to improve vital infrastructure in the

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Western Balkans and foster social and economic progress in the region. EIB Vice-President Dario Scannapieco said the project will contribute to socio-economic progress and regional connections, improve preparedness for emergencies, bring Kosovo closer to EU environmental requirements and support the transition of the Western Balkan countries towards the SDGs. Besnik Beslimi, Minister of Finance and Transfer in Kosovo, added that they intend to finance the transformation of the wastewater sector to improve the life of citizens and the environment. The project is co-financed by EBRD (€10 million), and will benefit from a €3.1 million EU grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) to support project implementation.

In May, the Observatory for the Protection of the Environment and Historic Monuments of Tangier (OPEMH) released two calls for tenders as part of a new project to reduce the negative impacts of untreated wastewater in the city of Tangier, in northern Morocco, and across the country. The project, called “Eaux Vertes” (Green Waters) is financed by the European Union via the Musharaka Mouwatina (meaning “Citizen Participation” in Arabic) programme. As well as sensitizing residents about water conservation, Green Waters will also create a multi-stakeholder committee to monitor water pollution. The first part of the project will be a study on wastewater treatment facilities in Tangier. The report will focus on the legal framework and strategy for wastewater treatment, the inventory and skills of local actors, and the impacts of untreated wastewater discharges on the environment, the economy, and residents. Finally, it will establish proposals to develop wastewater treatment capacities and rationalize the use of drinking water. During that time, the OPEMH will launch an awareness-raising campaign that will be directed at the media and public and private institutions involved in the water sector. Tangier has two sewage treatment plants that treat 20% of its wastewater. However, over 400,000 cubic metres remain untreated and are dumped directly into the sea. The importance of reusing wastewater recently gained prominence with a prolonged drought affecting Morocco.

EPA RESEARCH PILOT PROJECT WILL MONITOR CORONAVIRUS IN WASTEWATER The project will study procedures for coronavirus testing in wastewater The EPA is involved in a pilot project that looks into sewage testing as an indicator of the presence of coronavirus infections in communities, informed Bloomberg. Carried out with the city of Cincinnati in Ohio, the project will last six months. The EPA aims to develop a method to test for the coronavirus while the pilot project gets going, said Jay Garland, a scientist in the Office of Research and Development of the EPA. Knowledge requirements include how long the virus can survive in wastewater,

procedures for consistent testing, as well as how to handle wastewater systems with combined sewers, where domestic wastewater is mixed with industrial wastewater or stormwater. In this regard, Cincinatti has both combined and separate sewer systems, so it is a useful location for the research. The EPA’s work will be done in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other ongoing work. Garland said the agency is “trying to build networks for monitoring on a broader scale”.

Furthermore, the EPA is involved in several research projects related to the coronavirus, specifically dealing with disinfection and with wastewater treatment methods and their effectiveness against the coronavirus. The agency plans to make the final reports public. At the beginning of May, the EPA Science Advisory Board completed a draft report to Andrew Wheeler on priorities for research related to the coronavirus. For instance, on protocols for coronavirus sampling in the environment.

EU WARNS BELGIUM, GREECE AND SWEDEN TO COMPLY WITH RULES FOR TREATING URBAN WASTEWATER The EC has sent the three countries a formal notice for non-compliance The European Commission has urged Belgium, Greece, and Sweden to ensure that urban wastewater is adequately collected and treated, as required by Directive 91/271/EEC on the treatment of urban wastewater. The directive protects water quality and human health by requiring that Member States collect and treat their urban wastewater before it is discharged into the environment. For agglomerations of 2,000 people or more, it requires not only elimination of solids but also the

breaking down of organic substances by bacteria. The latest information received from Belgium revealed that not all water was treated properly in 12 agglomerations. Belgium is asked to ensure full compliance with the directive. The data provided by Greece reveals that in 289 agglomerations urban waste waters are not properly collected and treated prior to discharge. Eight of them are discharging into sensitive areas. Greece is also relying to a great extent on ‘Individual and Appropriate Systems' (e.g. septic

tanks) without, however, fulfilling the requirements of the directive for those. During the investigation of another case against Sweden for non-compliance with the directive which is pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union, it became clear that Sweden had transposed incorrectly several rules of the Directive. Therefore, the EC is issuing a letter of formal notice to all three countries. The countries have four months to reply. Otherwise, the EC may decide to send a reasoned opinion.

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OPINION

MIKE JOY SENIOR RESEARCHER AT THE INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNANCE AND POLICY STUDIES. VICTORIA UNIVERSITY WELLINGTON

FRESHWATER CRISIS IN 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND New Zealand has a freshwater crisis in lowland rivers, lakes recent decades is agricultural intensification. From the 1990s and groundwaters. In the conservation estate and undeveloped while sheep numbers halved, the number of dairy cattle more mostly mountainous areas, waterways are pristine, but the low- than doubled. Milk production trebled and now New Zealand reaches are degraded and rapidly declining. land is the world's 8th largest dairy producer, and biggest dairy The most comprehensive indicator of the freshwater ecosystem exporter. This increased production was however, achieved deterioration is the decline in aquatic biodiversity. Three quarters through a massive increase in external inputs of water, fertiliser, of the mostly endemic native fish species are listed as threatened or imported animal feed and energy. at risk of extinction up from one fifth in the 1990s. This proporAs well as the environmental impacts of intensification there tion of threatened fish species ranks with the worst in the world. are also increased risks to human health. Evidence linking exIn the last three decades since national water quality moni- posure to nitrate in drinking water to multiple negative health toring of rivers began water quality has declined, especially at outcomes, including colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and pasture and urban catchment sites. Eighty-five percent of water- neural tube defects is growing. ways in pasture catchments now exceed nitrate limit guidelines. It is obvious that the high-input agriculture sectors globally Swimming in most rivers in farmed areas in New Zealand and in New Zealand are in a negative spiral of land use intennow poses a risk to human health sification and environmental degfrom the ingestion of pathogens. radation dependant on a model of The primary driver of declines Apart from nutrients and pathoprivatisation of profits and socialigens other emerging contaminants sation of costs. in freshwaters in New are now showing up in waterways The New Zealand situation is a Zealand by volume and river and aquifers, their impacts yet to be microcosm of a failed global agriquantified. Climate change is anculture system that is driving biodilength in recent decades is other risk to human health driven versity loss, nitrogen pollution and agricultural intensification by intensification, in New Zealand climate change far beyond planetary agriculture is responsible for around boundaries. As an alternative to behalf of greenhouse gas emissions and this has increased by 13.5 ing a version in miniature of this mess, New Zealand could and percent since 1990 predominantly from dairy farming growth. should be a global showcase for sustainable agriculture, blessed Groundwater quality is also on the decline, 62 percent of as it is with many natural advantages like nutrient rich soils, monitored bores showed significant increases in nitrate, 59 abundant rainfall and low human population. Clearly change is needed in the way land is used to grow food percent had faecal bacterial indicator (E. coli) concentrations that did not meet drinking water standards and 64 percent had in New Zealand and globally. Urgently needed is a move away from intensive agricultural systems to innovative regenerative sysincreasing trends in E. coli. Urban waterways are even worse than waterways in farm- tems that protect and enhance natural resources. A transformaing catchments, but these urban waterways make up less than tion towards ‘holistic’ farming approaches, such as regenerative one percent of the national waterway length. Urban declines agriculture, agroecology, agro-forestry, climate-smart agriculture, are mainly due to wastewater discharges to freshwaters and the conservation agriculture and building all these on indigenous and traditional knowledge is imperative. Such a transformation would degradation of waste and stormwater infrastructure. The evidence is clear that the primary driver of declines in put New Zealand where it should be, a global leader in sustainfreshwaters in New Zealand by volume and river length in able food production instead of a follower in a race to the bottom.

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DIGITAL

INTERVIEW

FREDRICK

ROYAN

VICE PRESIDENT – GLOBAL LEADER, SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULAR RESOURCE ECONOMY ATLAS AT FROST & SULLIVAN.

“The health pandemic has accentuated the much-needed digital transformation in water utilities” Before the global health pandemic, the water industry had already embarked on a journey towards digitalization; however, the enforced lockdowns and ‘new’ normal life in the time of the coronavirus seem to have accelerated this move towards adopting advanced digital solutions. Z Olivia Tempest

For decades, Frost & Sullivan has helped corporate leaders and governments navigate and identify disruptive technologies and trends, including for the water sector. Now, in these unprecedented times, we speak with Fredrick Royan, the company’s Vice President – Global Leader, Sustainability and Circular Resource Economy ATLAS, to find out how the pandemic will affect digitalization in the water sector. Frost & Sullivan recently published a paper saying water and wastewa-

"Water utilities are looking to operate in a new normal in the prevailing scenario of COVID-19 at least for the next 12 to 18 months" 40

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ter utilities are actively exploring the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). How do you think the current health pandemic is going to affect the implementation of new technologies in these types of utilities? The future of the water industry is shaped by three key influential factors – Sustainability Development Goals & Circular Economy, Risk & Resilience and finally, Digital Transformation. The current health pandemic has brought in a new dimension of risk and resilience preparedness and also accentuated the much-needed digital transformation in water utilities. We published our first report on the Global Smart Water Grid Market back in 2012 and estimated the market size to be around $5.8 Bn and forecast to reach $22 Bn by 2020 with a CAGR of 14.4%. The report highlighted that smart water grids offered the opportunity to realise tangible benefits in operational efficiencies. We had also highlighted that industrial con-

vergence was driving innovation in the smart water sector; however, there was a strong need for innovative business models that unlock the value of smart solutions for water utilities. Water utilities are looking to operate in a new normal in the prevailing scenario of COVID-19 at least for the next 12 to 18 months of a limited workforce and possible supply chain disruptions. We expect an increased urgency for digital transformation with the convergence of IT and OT in utilities, and to identify key processes and areas for deployment of smart solutions for customer service improvement, billing revenue and accuracy, ensuring sustainability in operation as well as enhancing workplace safety and keeping pace with regulatory and technological changes. We will also expect an accelerated focus on the smart city transformation with a greater impetus on water, with its addition to other key smart infrastructure services such as mobility and energy.

FROST & SULLIVAN

To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, most water utilities have a continuity plan in place. How do you think digitalization is helping companies continue to deliver water and wastewater services? Most utilities in the developed world have invested in digitising parts of their water and wastewater infrastructure, operations and customer services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these utilities will certainly be realising the value of the investment in digitalisation of the infrastructure during the current lockdown measures in most parts of the world. Especially with a limited workforce, it could have been a significant challenge for water utilities had it not been for the investment in smart automation and remote monitoring for parts of the operations and services. Water utilities could be faced with a wide range of breakdowns and failures associated with leaks & bursts, breakdown of faulty assets or even water quality-related issues

that are now supported by smart water solutions. IIoT based asset management enhances both economic and environmental sustainability of water infrastructure with a holistic approach covering event/alarm management, process control, customer data/billing management, NRW/leak management, quality control, resource optimisation, calibration & control and efficiency tracking. The Central Event Management product of TaKaDu is pioneering in this respect as it aims to bridge the silos with an integrated solution that provides the data analytics combined with the core function of central event management supported by a cloud-based service. There has also been an evolution in the digitalisation of operational monitoring in water utilities as we have witnessed in leading utilities such as United Utilities in the UK. There has been an evolutionary process built on system thinking started with manually operated analytic platforms, through dashboards, machine-led monitoring to the next stage where we will witness a significant push: machine-led predictive analytics. In our report, we have highlighted the use case of the EMAGINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AI technology, Hybrid Adaptive Realtime Virtual Intelligence (HARVI) platform implemented by UU, which has clearly highlighted the value of enhancing process efficiency as well as contributing to tangible benefits of energy savings. We are certainly witnessing a greater push of artificial intelligence-driven by initiatives such as Earth AI by Microsoft as well as the launch of its Planetary Computer which is aiming to harness the technological advancements in tackling issues around four areas of climate change, biodiversity, agriculture and water. One of the other key fundamental drivers of digitalisation in the water industry will be communication protocols. These play an essential role in the relay and transmission of data in an effective and efficient manner. We have seen that

in the smart water meter sector, utilities are still evaluating the various communication protocols to support the smart water meters being deployed in the rollouts. The communication protocols will also play an even more significant role as we witness even more investment in sensors in the broader water and wastewater infrastructure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; particularly in the treatment processes. LPWAN communication technologies such as LoRa and SigFox have been prominent, and we will also see an increasing role of NB-IoT, both in the metering sector, as well as in the broader water infrastructure. Vodafone and Huawei have certainly had a pioneering role in pursuing the NB-IoT solution and its deployment in select regions of APAC and Europe while Verizon has played a similar role in North America. Grundfos has certainly been successful with the start of its IoT journey following the key strategic alliance with Ericsson leveraging the connectivity solutions of the latter to enhance the efficiency of its pumping solutions. Its recent partnership with Siemens further highlights the strong need for collaboration and building of a strong ecosystem of key partners in putting together an effective digitalisation solution and service. The broader form of digital transformation, especially in cities, is also encompassing the aspects of environmental resilience which has driven the interest and investments in solutions such as the digital twin. One of the leaders in this space is Jacobs with its Replica Digital Twin Solution which has already

"The communication protocols will play an even more significant role as we witness even more investment in sensors in the broader water"

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INTERVIEW

COVID-19 has highlighted that digitalisation in the water sector is set to be a key focus in developed and emerging markets been leveraged to support more than 200 facilities globally. Jacobs is certainly reaping the benefits of its investment in the five innovation hubs focused on automated design, Internet of Things, applied geo-spatial sciences, predictive analytics and cyber-security. Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis found that the predictive and prescriptive intelligence not only improves the resilience of the infrastructure but also minimizes the damage to the environment. After the pandemic, will water companies devote fewer resources to environmental strategies due to the economic crisis? After the pandemic, the key challenges that water utilities could be faced with is lack of revenues from the non-household sectors comprising of industry and retail. Secondly, a high cost incurred in meeting the increased supply to households with the majority of the population in lock-

"The challenges that water utilities could be faced with is lack of revenues from the non-household sectors comprising of industry and retail" 42

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down, and paying in many cases a standard and relatively low tariff compared to the relatively higher volume of water consumed and wastewater discharged. This will certainly have to accelerate the metering rollout for water utilities, and we will witness an increased urgency in the smart water meter rollout programmes. As for the water companies devoting fewer resources to environmental strategies – I feel they still must make necessary investments in predictive intelligence solutions that can reduce damages to the environment. Extreme wet weather events are another example that has laid bare the resilience of cities and water utilities, as we recently witnessed with the winter flooding in the UK. Digital solutions can be harnessed in a broader resilience strategy. For example, it is encouraging to see the recent announcement of the Met Office, which will make a significant investment of around £1 billion for a new supercomputer and its operation over the next ten years. However, water utilities will benefit from the investments that are also being made by the IT industry, as well as the open innovation framework for the accelerated use of AI and the benefits in predictive analytics to enhance resilience and minimise damage to the environment.

How do you think the COVID-19 crisis will affect the emerging Asia-Pacific (APAC) Water and Wastewater Services market, which was predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5.82 per cent between 2017 and 2022? Safe and continuous provision of water and wastewater services are even more important in the current environment of the pandemic. This concern is especially prominent in parts of the emerging markets of South Asia, Africa and Latin America, as the pandemic is expected to impact these regions in the coming months. The coronavirus crisis will hopefully push forward the agenda for 24/7 water supply in these regions. It will also be important for the funding agencies that finance water service infrastructure projects in these emerging markets, mandating the need for digital-enabled solutions and services to ensure that the water services are resilient. Data as a Service can be a strong lever of growth for the deployment of smart water solutions and services, particularly in the emerging market. With most, if not all, utilities and regulatory agencies lacking the financial muscle, as well as the skills and expertise in their workforce – DaaS is an excellent business model that can deliver both a high level of value and service. One of the key drivers that will facilitate local authorities to embrace the benefit of DaaS is the IT/OT convergence that will break down the silos and bring the much-needed systems thinking approach in pursuing efficiency improvements and the value-added benefits linked to key sustainability targets. There are some excellent use cases of business models across various applications of smart water solutions. For example, Utilis and its satellite imaging service for leakage detection and management. Kando is an example for wastewater monitoring. Smart water metering companies like Sensus, Kamstrup and Itron, and sensor companies such as Hach and Endress are also witness-

FROST & SULLIVAN ing stronger growth on the value-driven segments of their businesses. One of the best examples for the emerging markets is the DaaS project being delivered by s::can for the Central Pollution Control Board of India. Last year, Frost & Sullivan outlined that modular water systems and strategic financial plans were key to leaving no one behind in terms of access to safe water. Do you think that this pandemic has been a wake-up call to what is normally called the silent water crisis? And if so, are modular water systems still the best way to achieve this ambitious goal? As I mentioned in the introduction, the Sustainable Development Goals are some of the key influential factors that are set to shape the future of the water industry, especially SDG 6 that looks to ensure universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation. We have also highlighted in earlier research papers the role of decentralised systems as they have an important role to play over the next 10 years in meeting the SDG 6 goal. This pandemic has further highlighted the critical importance of not just safe drinking water but also of sanitation. Decentralised systems have strong sustainability credentials in comparison to centralised systems, and there is certainly an excellent opportunity for digital sustainability to shape the future form and role of decentralised systems in achieving the ambitious SDG 6 objective of universal access to drinking water and sanitation by 2030. Is Frost & Sullivan currently working on a new study in relation to the digitalization of the water and wastewater market? It is nearly 10 years since at Frost & Sullivan we started focusing on the smart water sector in the water research program. We have consistently tracked and reported on the key growth opportunities as the market has evolved. In recent years,

we have focused on specific but important segments of the smart water grid market, such as sensors. COVID-19 has certainly highlighted that digitalisation in the water sector is set to be a key focus not just in developed markets, but also in the emerging markets. Leading players in specific parts of the digital ecosystem, like consulting engineering, treatment technology, pumps & other hardware, sensors, process automation and control, telecommunication and software and analytics, are partnering and collaborating in developing innovative solutions and business models for customers. We have just begun to consolidate our market in-

telligence of published research over the last 10 years on the topic of the smart water grid market. We are also looking to publish a new report on the Growth Opportunities for Digital Sustainability in the Global Water Industry.

"Data as a Service can be a lever of growth for the deployment of smart water solutions and services, particularly in the emerging market"

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OPINION

WILL SARNI WATER FOUNDRY, FOUNDER AND CEO

DIGITAL WATER: THE END OF THE BEGINNING After a few months of processing the impact of the COVID-19 providers must be crystal clear in their value proposition when fapandemic, the global economy and business, it is now a bit cing the reality of the negative financial impacts of the pandemic. easier to start to draw conclusions and pose questions on what The challenges identified in the International Water Association the future may hold for digital water. One my favorite quotes Xylem Digital Water Report remain as relevant as ever and reis from William Gibson, author of Neuromancer and credited quire investment and a strategy to overcome them: systems intewith creating the cyberpunk genre, “The future is already here gration and interoperability, human resources impact, financing – it's just not evenly distributed, yet.” For me it framed the state solutions without a clear value proposition and cybersecurity. of digital water technology adoption pre-pandemic. I believe it still holds even while digital water technology solutions have The human resources dimension is the most critical garnered recognition as essential to keep water and wastewater To better understand the HR challenges and opportunities with diutilities and industries operating. Digital technologies to mo- gital transformation, I recommend reading The Technology Fallacy: nitor infrastructure asset performance and support workforces How People Are the Real Key to Digital Transformation. The book operating remotely are no longer optional. lays out why an organization's response to digital disruption should The recent report by Bluefield Research, Covid-19 Water focus on people and processes and not necessarily on technology. Industry Impact - Navigating Based upon my experience, the most Toward Resiliency, clearly frames important conclusions from the Digital technologies to the impact of the pandemic on the research are: 1) digital disruption is water industry and the accelerated primarily about people and that efmonitor infrastructure asset demand for digital technologies. fective digital transformation involves performance and support It states, “The shelter-in-place orchanges to organizational dynamics ders highlighted utilities’ lack of and how work gets done; and 2) every workforces operating remotely preparedness to manage a remote organization needs to understand its are no longer optional workforce and monitor and opera“digital DNA” in order to stop “doing te assets from a distance. Utilities digital” and start “being digital.” managers have abruptly come face-to-face with the need to inThe key strategies in overcoming these challenges include; vest in these systems going forward to be truly resilient in the creating a digital roadmap and a clear business strategy, builface of unpredictable disaster situations.” ding an innovation culture and cultivating a digital ecosystem However, while we acknowledge that the pandemic has ac- of stakeholders. Developing and executing these strategies is celerated the digital transformation of the water sector, we need now urgent if we are to learn lessons from the pandemic and to also double down on investing in the human aspect of digi- build a sustainable and resilient water sector and to achieve the tal technologies. There was a recent quote from a management goals of SDG 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable manageconsulting firm that said, “We are seeing three years of digital ment of water and sanitation for all.” transformation in three months.” It is catchy but likely not really capturing the ongoing challenges in bringing digital water The reality for solution providers and customers is that technologies to market and ensuring that a workforce has the technologies don’t sell themselves capabilities to translate these technologies to enterprise value. While these challenges remain, I believe we are at the end of the These challenges not only remain but have become more acu- beginning of the digital transformation of water. This new phase te – workforces need to get up to speed quickly and technology will truly be transformational.

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OPINION

JOHN ROBINSON PARTNER, MAZARINE VENTURES

THE RISE OF DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS IN WATER/WASTEWATER Our firm’s point of view is that ‘digital water’ has now joined the ranks of nebulous corporate strategy, and therefore something hard to calculate ROI on, and thus translates into an endless string of ‘digital transformation’ consulting engagements to help roadmap so-called ‘digital water technologies’. While we of course support digitization, we’ve noticed that the most progressive thought-leaders in water/wastewater are increasingly pointing the need to think in terms of tools that enable smarter decisionmaking with a clear vision of the ROI, rather than wallowing in C-suite strategy and nice sounding ‘digital water’ press-releases.

quantity risk. By leveraging data science, geospatial mapping and ML-derived insights, financial executives and investors in real estate and agriculture can now easily visualize near and long-term water risk in their portfolio related to scarcity and flooding, down to individual parcels of land. J Conservation Labs offers building owners, operators, and occupants a DST that non-invasively collects water flow data from a pipe by leveraging breakthroughs in acoustic sensing and AI. The platform delivers actionable insights by providing goal setting, benchmarking, anomaly detection, leak alerts and custom conservation recommendations. So, what is a Decision Support Tool? J Froglabs is delivering a DST to enable customers to make Decision Support Tools (DSTs) are designed to help owners, more informed business and operational decisions by leveraging operators, and end-users at all levels make more effective deci- their climate-powered machine intelligence. Knowledge of clisions by leading them through clear mate transformation, or even next decision stages and presenting the week’s weather, is ultimately a tool Recent breakthroughs likelihood of various outcomes refor managing water-related risks. sulting from different options. In J SimpleLab offers unique DSTs at in data science and connectivity plain English, these are tools to help any scale of water quality improveare accelerating adoption you know when the best time to do ment - at the watershed, for indussomething is, what the status of sotry, or just at home. Combining of decision support science, mething is, and what options you ultra-fast lab testing with exogenous systems, and tools have to get an optimal result. One data and modern statistical methods, executive we know refers to DSTs SimpleLab offers clients the first easy, as his dedicated analyst who tells him what he needs to know be- nuanced look at their water health, taste, and plumbing risk data. fore he knows he needs it by bringing in data, transforming data into knowledge, and developing insights that he can then act on. What is the value prop offered by DSTs? 1) DST’s are almost entirely subscription-based, enabling Decision Support Tools that address water/wastewater? you, the owner, operator, or end-user, to test-drive the tool Whether you are facing a water quality or quantity decision, and understand the ROI, before committing. 2) Integrating a CapEx or OpEx decision, DSTs now exist to enable you to DST’s into your work processes does not require a large data make a more informed decision, mostly without the need of infrastructure project. 3) DST’s bring value at all levels of an expensive outside advice. While the phrase ‘decision support organization, from helping the service tech trouble shoot and tool’ may not appear on their marketing collaterals, here are 4 repair something to supporting the CFO in big capex decicompanies who are delivering DSTs to support their customers sions, and 4) DSTs empower owners, operators, and end-users manage decisions relating to water/wastewater. to become more self-reliant, and while consultants are still neJ AQUAOSO developed a DST that enables customers im- eded for more complex projects, many day-to-day firefights proved ability to understand, monitor and mitigate water can be handled without them.

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INTERVIEW Necessity drives change. Before the global health pandemic, the water industry had come a long way in terms of adopting new technologies, but still had far to go. However, the coronavirus has obliged many companies to rethink their business model for the future, fast-tracking digital transformation to adequately respond to the new requirements of social distancing, travel bans and remote working. We speak with Dragan Savic, CEO of KWR Water Research Institute, as well as the Chair of the IWA Digital Water Programme Committee, on how the current crisis will influence the digitalization of the water sector.

DRAGAN SAVIC CEO OF KWR WATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND CHAIR OF IWA DIGITAL WATER PROGRAMME’S STEERING COMMITTEE

“The COVID-19 outbreak has given impetus to the water industry”

Digital technology offerings have the potential to revolutionize water operations, but what role can they play to help water managers in these The Dutch water research institute unimaginable times? KWR, which you are CEO of, was one of the first entities to detect the virus gene fragments of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. What possibilities do you think this opens for the water industry? In general, wastewater (sewage) monitoring has the potential to become a useful tool for observing societal trends, since it is a direct reflection of the human microbiome and hence of the health of a community. This is not entirely new as wastewater monitoring has been used previously to, for example, track polio viruses, assess illegal drug use, human exposure to pesticides or even for comparison of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption in different countries. This is pushing future research towards the limits of what can be detected by wastewater monitoring but also opens new avenues

"The COVID-19 outbreak has given impetus to the water industry and their research providers worldwide to collaborate on these issues" 46

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Z Olivia Tempest for improved processing, analysis and presentation of results. The COVID-19 outbreak has given impetus to the water industry and their research providers worldwide to collaborate on these issues and use all of their creativity to develop new tools and solutions. In the end, this will be to the benefit of the industry and wider society. What sewer surveillance data do you recommend for the detection of SARSCoV-2? Can you tell us a bit more about MEDiLOO® Smart Toilet Data? With much lower costs when compared to clinical testing of individuals and assuming logistics and privacy issues could be resolved, wastewater surveillance data could be collected at basically all levels of spatial and temporal resolution, from individual households or companies, to street or city levels, to country level and at annual, seasonal, monthly, weekly or daily basis. In addition to sewer monitoring data anywhere in the system, it is useful to collect data before treatment of wastewater (i.e., influent) and after sewage treatment plant and compare those re-

sults with surface or drinking water. With tracking epidemics such as COVID-19, it is appropriate to collect sewer data at least on a weekly or biweekly basis for cities larger than a few hundred thousand inhabitants. In locations with central sewage treatment plants (STPs), this is most easily achieved by influent sampling at STPs. The sampling frequency can be reduced when there are clear signs that the number of new infections over time has decreased to a post-peak/ post-pandemic level. Conversely, the frequency can be increased again when there are indications of increasing numbers of new infections over time. My understanding is that MEDILOO is a ‘smart toilet’ that has non-invasive infection screening capabilities by using an array of sensors (Brdjanovic D. (2020). Smart toilets for urine and stool analysis. Nature Biomedical Engineering). This could be a good complement to sewage/wastewater monitoring in low and medium-income countries. The ability to integrate MEDILOO and sewage monitoring data and store it in the cloud could provide better information for

IWA

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INTERVIEW

Like all sectors, ours has found out that working at a distance using digital tools works for almost all roles in our organizations

raising an early warning, for providing informed decisions about the infection rates in the population, how best to intervene and when to relax the epidemic mitigation measures. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many water companies to turn to digitalization to better respond to the health crisis. What progress in terms of digitalization do you see in the near future? Of course, like all sectors, ours has found out that working at a distance using digital tools works for almost all roles in our organizations. Laggards have become believers. This will make it easier for utility employees to accept additional tooling to support their work. The importance of the availability, accessibility and sharing of data, tooling and computational

"Water utilities have been aware of cybersecurity concerns and have gone a long way towards reducing risks to increasing security levels" 48

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resources have become more evident as well. This crisis will surely give a boost to data FAIRness (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability), open sourcing analytical tools and open science. Dashboard and other visualizations will make it easier for operators, decision makers and the general public to see and understand what is going on. But just as importantly, the further development of digital crisis scenario exploration tools will help to be prepared for future crises, allowing the rapid evaluation of responses and their effectiveness. However, we shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the human side of digitalization in the water sector and the need for training to allow everybody to take advantage of digital technologies. What recommendations would you give utility decision makers that are accelerating their adoption of digital solutions in these challenging times? I would suggest that they have a look at what the IWA digital water report has to say about digitalization in the water sector. The report was published last year! It provides an in-depth analysis, clear actions for moving up the adoption curve and many illustrations from utilities

around the world at different stages of the digital transformation. In your first interview with SWM, you mentioned climate change is one the biggest challenges the water sector is currently facing. Do you think COVID-19 will change companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; priorities regarding this issue?

IWA Cybersecurity was a priority concern before the crisis, but now it takes on a new dimension. Is the water industry prepared to deal with digital threats? Water utilities have been aware of cybersecurity concerns and have gone a long way towards reducing risks to increasing security levels. Remote working as a result of COVID-19 and the push for digitalization will inevitably increase their activities in providing appropriate protection for their cyber and physical infrastructure. Many countries have been or are still in lockdown and certain water companies put in place remote work for their employees. Once the pandemic is under control, do you think companies will continue to apply these measures? How can digital tools help in this case? I believe that the consequence of the pandemic will be felt in the industry over a prolonged period, at least for a couple of years, probably even longer. Now that we have all experienced the advantages and disadvantages of remote working, I think there will be a balanced change in how utilities organise their work. For example, there will be more working from home, but there are still people who will not be able to do that, either due to the type of work they do or due to their home situation. Therefore, a flexible approach will probably prevail where individual employees will have more say in how do they work. I believe that would not help maintain the level of service provided by utilities, but possibly improve it. Exciting times are ahead of us! The climate change issue is here to stay with utilities, governments and population in general. However, this whole COVID-19 situation made me wonder how can the world move so quickly for mitigating one disaster and, in my opinion, move so slow with another, i.e., climate change. At the same time, it also gives me hope now that countries have

learned from each other how to deal with COVID-19 and adapt mitigation measures to our own local conditions (environmental, economic and cultural), we should be able to take decisive steps in the direction of mitigating climate change impact. Therefore, the issue of climate change will stay high on the list of priorities for each water utility director.

"I believe that the consequence of the pandemic will be felt in the industry over a prolonged period, at least for a couple of years"

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WATER & NEWS

DIGITAL

DIGITALIZATION UNLOCKS EFFICIENCY, PROFITABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN THE WATER SECTOR Water utilities must always stay at the forefront. Schneider Electric analyses the role ‘Smart Water’ plays to achieve this goal Since in 2015 the World Economic Forum in Davos described the water crisis as the world's main risk, this sector has been considered a strategic one. Subject to strong regulations, companies dedicated to the management and supply of water are forced to constantly invest in new technologies and treatment processes, not forgetting that they must guarantee the continuity of the service and the security - and cybersecurity - of their systems and facilities. Staying at the forefront involves having systems that reduce operating costs, provide predictive analysis capabilities and support decision-making. This is where the Smart Water comes into play. It is not new, but it has been in recent years when this concept has come to light on a global scale. It focuses on the collection and interpretation of data to carry out all the processes that make up the water cycle. Thus, more and more companies in the water sector are improving the efficiency, profitability and resilience of their plants thanks to integrated solutions that provide them with real-time information, proactive recommendations or even predictions about the behaviour of the different elements of installation. A good example of this is found in the wastewater treatment plant built by Veolia Water Technologies in Punta Gradelle, Italy. The plant presented significant challenges, starting with its location within a tunnel and continuing with the great variability in the amount of water treated - from 2,500 to 8,500

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m3/h - due to seasonality. To solve these challenges; reduce CAPEX and OPEX expenses; guaranteeing continuity of service, reliability and safety, and complying with regulations, managers required a particularly sophisticated and flexible solution. The Schneider Electric EcoStruxure platform and architecture proved to be the most appropriate, as it offered the required availability and flexibility. In addition, the proposed integrated medium voltage, low voltage and automation system improved the efficiency of the plant and provided high level control to its managers. Thus, the project consisted of a combination of Control System and Connected Products within EcoStruxure for Water and Wastewater architecture:

distributed control system EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS, medium voltage and low voltage equipment, power meters and Altivar Process speed drives. In turn, Apps, Analytics and Services oriented to the energy and operational management of the plant were installed. Specifically, the distributed control system EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS was one of the key points of the implementation, since it allowed to improve the management of the plant through powerful control and diagnosis. In addition, it reduced energy consumption and improved control of the treatment plant. Clearly, the future of the water sector goes through digitalization. Fully integrated, transverse and interoperable systems and predictive capabilities will transform the way companies in this field work.

ABB LAUNCHES ABB ABILITY™ AUGMENTED FIELD PROCEDURES TO DRIVE WORKER SAFETY ACROSS ENERGY SECTOR

IWMI PROJECT ENABLES FAST ACCESS TO PETABYTES OF ANALYSIS-READY WATER DATA IN AFRICA

The solution is an example of ABB’s support of workforce management enterprise applications designed to allow workers to work anywhere

The project will leverage advanced data acquisition

ABB has developed an innovative augmenting technology aimed at digitalizing the field operator experience and improving interaction between field and control room operations. The technology will empower seamless integration between the field and the plant distributed control system offering improved safety, reducing the risk for human error and making field operations more efficient. With more than 20 per cent of industrial downtime reportedly due to human error, ABB Ability™ Augmented Field Procedures will enable consistency when executing manual procedures, standardizing operating procedures and maintenance or repair techniques in the field, tightening field to control room integration and digitally recording notes to ensure opera-

tional knowledge is captured and utilized. Unlike traditional paper-based operating procedures, the technology enables interactive execution of procedures using a mobile device to guide operators through each step in a consistent, effective and safe way. Chris Naunheimer, Digital Lead, Energy Industries, ABB said: “Engineers spend considerable time using and interpreting data. With this solution, we intend to address these challenges and truly transform the future of work.” Operatives will be able to access handsfree, real-time data related to plant assets, processes or procedures using industrial tablets, smart phones and Microsoft HoloLens glasses, increasing real-time collaboration and enabling immediate data entry from the user interface in the field.

A new IWMI partnership with Digital Earth Africa (DEA) will leverage state of the art remote-sensing and data management technologies to enhance the ability of African Governments, communities and companies to better manage their water. Water management is vital to Africa’s future, but limited water data makes it challenging. Earth observation satellites collect vast amounts of data over Africa every day, some of which can be used to measure and monitor water. The DEA partnership organizes decades of satellite data – updated daily – into an analysis-ready Open Data Cube (ODC), and IWMI will work with them to develop tools to translate this data into decision-ready information for water resource management. “Actionable information on water is essential for charting Africa’s pathway to a sustainable and prosperous future. But today, Africa is one of the most data-poor regions of the world.” said Claudia Sadoff, Director General, IWMI. Through WASA, IWMI will work with the DEA Program to develop applications for the ODC that can generate timely and quality information to better understand water use and availability, water risks, water quality, and water values and efficiency. The first application that IWMI will develop is for water accounting, which is a means to take stock of available water resources in order to arrive at better informed water management decisions, for example balancing water allocations across different sectors, or understanding the downstream implications of new irrigation schemes.

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UTILITIES

INTERVIEW

MR CL WONG DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

“We have been using seawater for flushing in Hong Kong since the late 1950s” Hong Kong's water supply is an indispensable part of the livelihood of its residents and critical to the territory's sustainable development. The Water Supplies Department provides a reliable supply of quality water to about 7.5 million people.

Z With careful long-term planning and a balance of demand management and supply management initiatives, Hong Kong has overcome numerous challenges and ensured water security, despite having no natural lakes, major rivers or significant groundwater sources. We interview Mr CL Wong, Director of Water Supplies at Hong Kong’s Water Supplies Department, to learn about some of the innovative schemes they have applied throughout the years and what their plans are into the future. Firstly, we would like to know briefly your career path and your current role in the Hong Kong Water Supplies Department. After graduating from the University, I worked in an engineering consultant for six years before joining the Water Supplies Department (WSD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) in 1989 as a waterworks engineer. I have worked in

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Cristina Novo Pérez

different divisions in WSD on all facets of water supply including water resources planning (including importation of Dongjiang raw water), planning, design and construction of water infrastructures, consultants and contract management, asset management, operation and maintenance of water supply and distribution systems, water loss management, etc. In 2013, I was seconded to the Development Bureau of the HKSARG to work as Principal Assistant Secretary to oversee various works policies covering inter alia water supply and flood prevention. I was then promoted to the Deputy Director of Water Supplies in 2015 and subsequently appointed as the Director of Water Supplies in 2017. As the head of WSD, I am responsible for overseeing the operation of WSD and in particular driving its excellence in providing a safe, adequate and reliable water supply to a cosmopolitan city with a population of about 7.5 million. To this end, we are determined to take forward several

major initiatives on drinking water safety, water security by developing new water resources such as seawater desalination and recycled water, water conservation by the implementation of various education/ publicity programmes, water loss management and use of lower grade water (seawater and recycled water) for non-potable purposes, and system reliability through asset management. Hong Kong is implementing a water supply structure using different sources: local yield, seawater for flushing, Dongjiang water, seawater desalination, reclaimed water, greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting. How much does each one of them contribute to the drinking water supply and to non-potable uses? To what extent does the Total Water Management strategy consider the carbon footprint of different sources? In 2008, the HKSARG promulgated the Total Water Management Strategy (the

HONG KONG WSD

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INTERVIEW

"Key initiatives are the use of lower grade water for nonpotable purposes and the construction of the Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant" Strategy) with a view to ensuring water sustainability in Hong Kong. In 2019, we completed a review and updated the Strategy (namely Strategy 2019) to adopt a two-pronged approach, with emphasis on containing water demand growth and building resilience in the water supply to cater for the extreme effects of climate change with diversified water resources. The key initiatives of the Strategy 2019 regarding water resources include expansion of the use of lower grade water (seawater and recycled water) for non-potable purposes and construction of the first stage of Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant to build resilience in the water supply. The water resources in Hong Kong will comprise: J Dongjiang (DJ) water imported from Guangdong in Mainland China (~45% 60% depending on the amount of local yield) J Local yield (~10% - 25%) J Desalinated water (~5%) J Seawater and recycled water (including reclaimed water, treated greywater and harvested rainwater) for non-potable uses (~25%) In the process of reviewing the Strategy, our consultants have set up a panel of international experts to evaluate carefully the different water supply and demand management options including the development of different water resources using an approach of "Multi-Criteria Evaluation" under three sets of criteria: resilience, economics and sustainability with details as follows: J Resilience refers to the degree of dependency of an option on future uncertainties and the extent of its contribution to the diversity of water resources.

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J Economics refers to capital and recurrent costs, and life-cycle unit cost of an option and the extent to which it can be implemented progressively. J Sustainability refers to environmental impacts such as air quality, marine water quality, biodiversity and atmospheric pollution through greenhouse gas emissions of an option.

The carbon footprints of the different management options have been evaluated under the “Sustainability” criterion in the formulation of the updated Strategy 2019. We will review the Strategy 2019 in a timely manner and update it including the proportions of different water resources when appropriate to cope with the changes of different factors,

HONG KONG WSD including water demand, the effect of climate change on local yield, as well as the cost-effectiveness, technology development, reliability and impacts on the environment of various water resources, etc. How effective do you think are your efforts to raise awareness about water

conservation among domestic, commercial, and industrial users? How has the average per capita water consumption evolved in the past few years? With our sustained publicity and public education programmes, people in Hong Kong are now more aware of the importance of water conservation as revealed by the public opinion survey in

Cherish Water Ambassador Appointment Ceremony

"People in Hong Kong are now more aware of the importance of water conservation as revealed by the public opinion survey in 2015/16" 2015/16. From the survey, 98.2% of the interviewees have implemented one or more water conservation measures (e.g. taking showers instead of baths, shortening the showering time and reducing the flow of shower for bathing and water tap, etc.). Moreover, we continue to strengthen the culture of water conservation in Hong Kong through proactive promotion, education and engagement with the community. So far, we have launched the “Cherish Water Campus” Integrated Education Programme for primary schools and kindergartens aiming at broadening students’ knowledge about water resources, and raising awareness of water conservation and water sustainability via integrating theory with practice, such as school water audit, home water audit and education camp on water conservation. We have also launched a Cherish Water Ambassador Scheme for youngsters. An array of events is tailor-made for these Ambassadors, including Water Treatment Works Guided Tours, short film production workshop and training camp, video competition and in-school promotional activities to educate the Ambassadors on the importance of cherishing water resources and fulfilling and publicising the habits of cherishing water. We have also commissioned a water resources education centre in Tin Shui Wai to enhance public understanding of water resources and water conservation. Since 2014, we launched a territory-wide public activity, “Let’s Save 10L Water” Campaign, to encourage the public to pledge to save 10 litres of water every

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INTERVIEW

day and implement water-saving practices in daily lives. For businesses and industries, we continue to promote the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Practice Guidelines on Water Usageâ&#x20AC;? to high water consumption indus-

"280 mcm per annum of seawater is supplied for flushing, conserving an equivalent amount of freshwater, 20% of total consumption" 58

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tries including catering and hotel sectors in order to enhance water efficiency. We believe the above initiatives will further raise awareness about water conservation among domestic, commercial and industrial users. The per capita freshwater consumption (pcc) in Hong Kong was contained at 132.6m3 in 2019 as compared to 133.4 m3 in 2016. We have set our goal to reduce the pcc to about 120 m3 by 2030 (i.e. 10% reduction as compared to the baseline in 2016). We aim to achieve the goal through water demand manage-

ment measures, namely water conservation, water loss management and expansion of the use of lower grade water for non-potable purposes. You have implemented innovative schemes to allocate lower grade water to non-potable uses. To what extent are initiatives such as the use of seawater for toilet flushing or greywater reuse cost-effective in comparison with other strategies? Thanks to the innovative idea of our predecessors to save the precious freshwater

HONG KONG WSD

Supply of seawater for flushing only requires pumping and minimal treatment, and thus its cost is much lower than that of the freshwater

High Island Reservoir

resource, we have been using seawater for flushing in Hong Kong since the late 1950s. Up till now, Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world extensively applying seawater for flushing. The use of such a sustainable water resource plays an important role in Hong Kong’s water resource management. Currently, a total of 280 million cubic metres (mcm) per annum of seawater is supplied for flushing, conserving an equivalent amount of freshwater which is about 20% of the total water consumption in Hong Kong. It also helps keep the domestic pcc at a

relatively low level of around 130 litres per day as compared to other places in the world. Supply of seawater for flushing only requires pumping and minimal treatment, and thus its cost is much lower than that of the freshwater. Currently, the existing seawater supply network has already covered 85% of the population in Hong Kong. For the remaining areas which are mostly far away from the seashore, it is generally not cost-effective to extend the seawater supply network to these areas. Notwithstanding this, we continue to look for other options to tackle these situations. Anderson Road Quarry Site development is one of such areas situated at high altitude and far away from the seashore, which makes the supply of seawater for flushing not favourable in terms of pumping requirement and cost-effectiveness. After evaluation, we have decided to pilot the application of a centralised recycling system for collecting grey water in the development for treatment and supplying the treated grey water back to the development for flushing and other non-potable uses to save precious freshwater resource. As one of our missions, we will continue to review the expansion of the supply

of lower grade water (seawater and recycled water) to other areas that still use freshwater for flushing where it is technically feasible and cost-effective to do so. You have pioneered water demand management: water conservation, water loss management, and use of lower grade water for non-potable purposes to an extent right now unthinkable in other developed regions of the world. To what extent have these different strategies been successful? Do you think in the future you will reach a ceiling in water efficiency? The freshwater consumption in Hong Kong has been contained at around 1,000 mcm over the past ten years notwithstanding the continuous growth of population at a rate of 0.7% per annum as well as the economic growth, demonstrating the effectiveness of the water

"Freshwater use has been contained at 1,000 mcm over 10 years notwithstanding a 0.7% population growth rate per annum and economic growth" - MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW demand management measures implemented in Hong Kong. We believe the following series of water demand management measures have achieved significant results: J The sustained publicity and public education programmes have made people more aware of the importance of water conservation as revealed by the public opinion survey in 2015/16. J We launched a voluntary Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme in phases since 2009, and; it now covers six major plumbing fixtures and devices. Besides, we have taken one-step further to mandate the use of plumbing products of certain water efficiency grade(s) in new plumbing installations since February 2017. J We commenced the Replacement and Rehabilitation (R&R) of Water Mains Programme in 2000 and have substantially completed it in 2015. About 3,000 kilometres of aged water mains (out of the total 8,000 kilometres water mains in Hong Kong) have been replaced and rehabilitated. It brought about a significant reduction in the number of water mains bursts by 96%, from the peak of about 2,500 in 2000 to less than 100 in 2019 and the leakage rate in government water mains from about 25% in 2000 to about 15% in 2019. J With the improvement of the water supply network achieved by R&R and making use of sensors, telemetry, network management software and data analysis, we are implementing Water Intelligent Network (WIN) for monitoring the water loss of the freshwater distribution network for follow up action. The WIN strategy was formulated in 2014

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and the associated works for its progressive establishment are in progress. J We have been expanding the supply of lower grade water (seawater and recycled water) to replace freshwater for non-potable purposes. J We have also taken a host of measures to tackle the water loss in private communal water mains under the responsibility of the property owners or property management agents. These measures include installing master meters for housing estates to monitor their water losses and request the property owners and property management agents of those housing estates identified with water loss to take rectification actions, with technical advice provided to them regarding leak detection and repair of the leaking water mains. We are also exploring imposing water charges on property owners for the water loss in their housing estates to provide an economic incentive for them to take prompt rectification action to curb the water loss. Despite our above achievements up to now, we are not complacent. Instead, we believe there is still room for further reduction of the pcc in Hong Kong. As mentioned in the reply to Question (3) above, we have set our goal to reduce the pcc to about 120 m3 by 2030 (i.e. 10% reduction as compared to the baseline in 2016) through various water demand management measures. The risk of water main leakage is high in Hong Kong due to the hilly terrain and other factors. Can you tell us about the use of advanced technology to manage water losses? We are establishing WIN for monitoring and managing the water loss in our freshwater distribution network in a smart manner. The concept of WIN is basically “Divide & Conquer”. It monitors the network performance in a holistic and continuous manner. Discrete District Metering Areas (DMAs) of manageable size are established in the freshwater distribu-

tion network with monitoring and sensing equipment installed in each DMA. Through the continuous monitoring of the flow, pressure and consumption in the DMAs, we could identify those DMAs with water loss and prioritise them for follow up actions according to their amount of water loss. Follow up actions could include active leakage detection, pressure management, speedy repair of water main leaks as well as replacement and rehabilitation of water mains, etc. according to the water loss situation in the DMA. As for DMA where there is room for pressure management without affecting the normal supply, it will also serve as Pressure Management Area (PMA) by the installation of pressure reducing valve(s) to reduce the water supply pressure, and hence the water loss in the area. We will establish about 2,400 DMAs in our freshwater distribution network over the territory. As of end 2019, WSD has already set up about 1,350 DMAs. In addition, we are installing a Water Intelligent Network Management System (INMS) to assist in consolidating the vast amount of network data from the DMAs and analysing their water loss to identify those DMAs with water loss and prioritise them for follow up actions. The INMS will be commissioned this year while the establishment of the entire WIN will be completed in 2024. While the WIN is still being established and the INMS is being installed, WSD has made use of some of the established DMAs and detected some major leaks in the freshwater distribution mains for repair to curb the water loss. You have turned to desalination as a way to build resilience in the freshwater supply. Can you explain a bit your plans to address the challenges brought by climate change such as changes in water resource availability and sea-level rise? To enhance water security in adapting to climate change, the review of the Strategy has evaluated the possible impact

HONG KONG WSD under the effect of climate change and recommended building resilience in the freshwater supply in Hong Kong. Under the climate change effect on mean rainfall of the medium-low and medium-high greenhouse gas concentration scenarios, the current supply arrangement with local yield, Dongjiang water and seawater for flushing will be able to cope with the demand up to 2040 provided that water demand management measures are effective to reduce the average freshwater pcc by 10%. However, there is uncertainty about the impact of climate change. The rainfall in Hong Kong may deviate from the above predicted mean rainfall under the climate change effect. Besides, other greenhouse gas concentration scenarios may also occur. There is thus the possibility that the local yield may decrease substantially due to climate change. The Strategy 2019, therefore, recommends building resilience in our freshwater supply. To cater to the lower bound of the envelope of projected effect on local rainfall due to climate change, we are building the resilience through the first stage of Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant. In the construction of the seawall and associated marine facilities and structures for the desalination plant, the contractor is required to provide adequate preventive measures to avoid any adverse effects on the plant from wave overtopping taking into account the effect of climate change. If the situation deviates from the present projections due to reasons such as higher-than-expected population growth, the worse-than-projected impact of climate change on rainfall or less-than-anticipated effect of containing water demand growth, we still have the capabilities to overcome the challenges by the implementation of a list of backup options to ensure water security in Hong Kong. They include implementation of the second stage of Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant, reactivation of mothballed water treatment works, expansion of storage capacity of the Plover Cove Reservoir and

We must manage our water resources in a sustainable way through looking at the two sides of the balance on both the demand and supply

water gathering grounds, implementation of other desalination plants and increase of Dongjiang water supply. Many territories across the world are implementing water supply management initiatives, but few are as advanced as Hong Kong regarding water demand management. Why do you think this is? What is your advice to other jurisdictions considering a variety of strategies to ensure water security in terms of prioritising these two different sides of the water balance? Hong Kong does not have natural lakes, major rivers or substantial underground water sources. With its large population, the per capita water resources in Hong Kong is very low by any standards. Hong Kong has been striving to tackle the water shortage problem. With the great work and innovation of our predecessors including the construction of impounding reservoirs with the two large scale Plover Cove and High Island Reservoir built in the sea, use of seawater for flushing and importation of Dongjiang water from Guangdong in Mainland China, Hong Kong has been enjoying a stable and reliable water supply in the past several decades. While our work

on water resources has never stopped, we considered that the continuous increase in water supply to meet the demand was not sustainable. We, therefore, promulgated the Total Water Management Strategy in 2008 aiming to use the precious water resources wisely and in a sustainable manner. The Strategy put emphasis on containing the growth of water demand through the introduction of a host of water demand initiatives which we have been actively implemented in the past decade. Freshwater resources are limited on earth and could be dwindling due to pollution by human activities. The situation is further stressed with the exponential growth in population. We must manage our water resources in a sustainable way through looking at the two sides of the balance on both the demand and supply for the continuous well-being of mankind.

"We promulgated the Total Water Management Strategy in 2008 aiming to use the precious water resources wisely and in a sustainable manner" - MAGAZINE

OPINION

ANA BARRETO ALBUQUERQUE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER AT ERSAR (WATER AND WASTE SERVICES REGULATION AUTHORITY). SARA ISMAIL, COMMUNICATION MANAGER AT ERSAR

PORTUGUESE EXPERIENCE ON THE AGGREGATION OF WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION AND SOLID WASTE UTILITIES Background for bulk water and wastewater management activities. The muniThe state of affairs in the Portuguese water and wastewater sec- cipalities kept responsibility for retail operations (i.e. distribution tor in the late 1980s was unsustainable. For instance, 20% of of drinking water, drainage of wastewater and interface with the the population did not have access to public water services and end-user). These models proved to be stable and allowed for an only 50% of the drinking water complied with European stan- increase in investments in a collaborative manner while delivering dards. A much-needed reorganization of the sector started in the a sustained increase in service coverage and quality standards. early 1990s and the results were quite successful, leading to a significant improvement on key indicators. This success was only Achievements and challenges possible due to political commitment, correct identification and Portugal witnessed a significant improvement in the sector with implementation of a set of global, integrated and stable public very positive results in key indicators, in particular, access to water policies, involvement of all stakeholders and availability of funds. supply services (above 96%), drinking water quality (above 99%) The preservation of stable policies over the last 30 years, des- and access to wastewater services (above 80%). Moreover, the pite the necessary adjustments based on the achieved results, quality of water resources, as well as the quality of coastal water proved to be crucial. In this regard, the development of broad improved considerably, whereas new cases of Hepatitis A decreastrategic plans outlining the strased sharply, enabling the country to tegy for the water and wastewater comply with the EU water directive In the early 90s, an sector, at a national level, was an standards. This favourable trajectory essential tool since it promoted the has been consistent resulting in wide agreement between the central definition of medium/ long-term international recognition. government and most municipalities goals in a clear and precise way. However, when extending the Elaborated in stages, the strategic evaluation of the sector to the unienacted a split between bulk plan benefits from the collaboraverse of the operating entities and and retail operations tion of different stakeholders whotheir performance, the issues that se contributions are fundamental arise are far more complex and harto ensure the robustness and quality of the plan. The plans have der to tackle. Finding the optimal scale of operation, ensuring been adjusted over time; currently, we are heading towards the the adequate maintenance of infrastructures (through monitofourth plan. However, overall guidelines have been consistent ring and incentive programs) and finding an adequate cost recoallowing for stability and providing direction and vision. very policy are some of the challenges that lay ahead. At the beginning of the 1990s, the sector was composed of small operating entities that did not have the financial resources Policy drivers and regulatory goals or the HR/ technical capabilities required to carry out the neces- With the successful reorganization in terms of bulk operations, sary changes and investments. At the time, the only way to scale where the investments are practically completed, the focus shifand gather the necessary conditions to move forward with the re- ted to small operators, with low financial and technical capacity quired investments was to separate high and low (bulk and retail) to carry out the necessary investments. services. An agreement between the central government and most A diverse range of entities in terms of size, structure, managemunicipalities enacted a split between bulk and retail operations ment models and technical capabilities make up the fabric of and the creation of the company AdP- Ă guas de Portugal, respon- the sector (around 400 operators, distributed between different sible for bulk operations, along with several regional companies management models).

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This diversity has been an obstacle for the development of the garding legal models, draft contracts for the constitution of new sector and for regulation. Recognizing the importance of ad- aggregated operators and economic and financial models. dressing this issue, in 2015, ERSAR created a technical supConcurrently, a broad study was made to cover around two hunport unit with three strategic goals: i) offer technical support dred municipalities (the ones that showed problems of economic to small-scale operators including updating and improving sustainability) highlighting the advantages of aggregation with retheir technical and managerial knowledge, ii) evaluate alter- ferences drawn from the Pilots. Different alternatives were analysed native management models for municipal operators (retail) to and the tariffs that ensure cost coverage and economic sustainability facilitate and promote the aggregation process iii) and analyse were compared. Within the scope of this study, for each operator, municipal concession contracts. the respective sustainability tariff was calculated based on a model Operating entities have been encouraged to promote the ag- that allows simulating the impact of a set of corrective measures on gregation of the systems at a technical and economical level the income and expenses (reported annually to ERSAR). Through and look for the convenient regional scale and for economies the comparison between sustainability tariffs, considered indiviof scope, where relevant. dually and jointly, the advantage of pursuing the aggregation was Simultaneously, a specific EU line of funding (Poseur) of widely demonstrated. Furthermore, this allows for standardized â&#x201A;Ź75M was made available by the rates, optimized budgets, normalized government and to be able to accounts, better information systems At the time, this model apply operators needed to serve a and finally, yet importantly, the certain size of the population and engineering capabilities required to was the only way to scale and apply jointly, hence, pushing the provide a high-quality service. gather the necessary conditions aggregation's agenda forward. Each entity has total flexibility to decide if it wishes to move forward to implement the required Main results of the technical supand chose the aggregation model investments port unit that better suits its needs. Although The support unit started the fieldthe decisions are mainly political, work in 2016 and, as a first step, focused on a group of exis- with the responsibility lying in the hands of the municipal executing "Intermunicipal Communities" (IMC), evolving around tives, ERSAR issues an opinion on these processes by analysing an anchor municipality/ county (and therefore operating with the technical and economic viability of the model and verifying some degree of collaboration), analysing it thoroughly. Based on its benefits. Aggregations are an overly complex matter involving this analysis, Pilot projects were carried out enabling the identi- a thorough analysis of infrastructure, investment and tough negofication of opportunities and encouraging the discussion with a tiations between municipalities, which often belong to different supported basis. political parties; however, the overall balance has been positive. Presentations were made at these IMCs identifying advanSo far, ERSAR received ten aggregation processes for analysis, tages and difficulties based on a benchmark of best practices, involving seventy-five municipalities. Five of these processes mooffering support for the development of existing solutions or the ved forward and are complete (mainly in the northern and central identification of alternatives, including integration and exchan- region) and the remaining ones are being set-up. It is expected that ge of services and municipal powers, as well as guidelines for these numbers will increase because firstly, during the first phase, the integration and exchange of services between municipalities. only some of the municipalities of the same IMC joined in and, Additionally, several support tools were shared â&#x20AC;&#x201C; information re- secondly, there has been an extension of the process to other IMC.

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OPINION

SAMISTA JUGWANTH ZUTARI: ETHEKWINI WATER LEAD

THE UPSIDE OF A PANDEMIC It feels as though the world has lived the last seven months conducted in the Netherlands, Australia and USA. The benefits with bated breath – waiting to see what new COVID-19 rela- of this approach include reduced costs and broader monitoring ted consequence comes our way. In the South African water- range in comparison to coronavirus testing in people. infrastructure space, the pandemic has created opportunity for The pandemic has highlighted the need to improve the longengineers to become innovative in addressing the array of cha- term resiliency of our infrastructure. Among the many resilienllenges that have arisen as a result. cy measures that the South African public sector has considered Water utilities in South Africa have numerous limitations implementing, embracing technology and the impetus to build on resources. Prioritisation is key. The nationwide approach and/or improve the Digital Strategy within each organisation has been to address the immediate impacts of the virus by has gained the most buy-in and traction during this time. reducing the risks facing operational staff in order to mainThis strategy examines how digital technology can address tain service delivery and, in parallel, increasing the coverage the requirements of the water utility’s business model and its of service delivery. organisational structure, how it interacts with its stakeholders In Ethekwini, senior management personally visited opera- – as well as the digitising of internal processes and systems. The tional depots in order to ensure that sufficient protective wear WhatsApp reporting tool mentioned above is an example of and sanitisers were available for this in a microcosm. Moving away their staff. This engagement imfrom paper-based administrative In a country where a proved awareness and motivational methods is a further example. levels within teams. Shifts were alNeeren Govender (Water Client significant portion of the so rescheduled to allow for greater Director at Zutari) and the Zupopulation resides in informal standby capacity in anticipation of tari team have been working with teams potentially requiring isolamunicipal water clients in order to settlements, the provision tion at some point in the future. develop a web-based reporting dasof clean water is critical In a country where a significant hboard that collects, processes and portion of the population resides analyses data collected throughout in informal settlements, the provision of clean water and access the water pipeline: at source, water treatment works, bulk disto sanitation is critical. Bhavna Soni (Deputy Director at eThe- tribution, reticulation, wastewater treatment works and at the kwini Water and Sanitation) indicated that there was an im- discharge environment. The trends and results of the automamediate reallocation of internal budgets and prioritisation of ted analysis can then be used as a decision support tool in order fast-tracked procurement channels to improve service delivery to effectively plan, manage and operate the complete water and within compromised communities, as well as other measures. sanitation system in a specified area. Innovative solutions have been encouraged. WhatsApp has During this pandemic, the foremost concern of our municipal been used by eThekwini to allow users to remotely report pipe engineers in water utilities has been the welfare of their staff and breakages, leaks and meter readings using GPS tagged photo- the communities that they serve. This speaks to a very South graphs. Public response has proved this to be an effective tool. African principle of Ubuntu: I am because we are. It is a NguRonald Brown (Wastewater Manager at Drakenstein Munici- ni word that celebrates our humanity, empathy and kindness. pality) and his team have been collaborating with engineering With this premise governing our actions – coupled with the deand advisory consultancy Zutari to pilot the testing of monstrated innovation and creativity – I am certain that South wastewater for the COVID-19 virus - similar to studies being Africa will emerge from this crisis as a more resilient nation.

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PERSON OF THE MONTH

ANNA-LUISA BESERRA CEO OF SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR ALL

Twenty-one-year-old Brazilian Anna-Luisa Beserra always wanted to be a scientist. However, it wasn’t until she visited a vulnerable and isolated community living in the water-scarce northeast of Brazil that she realized that this love of science could truly change lives. Pushed by the desire to provide people living in rural and remote areas with access to safe drinking water, she founded Aqualuz. This solution is an innovative filter which purifies rainwater collected in a cistern installed in rural areas where running water is not accessible. The water in the cistern is purified using rays from the sun, and when the water is safe to drink, an indicator changes colour.

“My purpose is to bring the basic right of clean water to disadvantaged communities in rural areas,” said Beserra. “We want to help make people’s lives better and potentially save lives.” Low-cost and easy to maintain, Anna-Luisa’s invention can last up to 20 years. Her new apparatus was so innovative, she was awarded last year with the prestigious Young Champions of the Earth Prize in Latin America and the Caribbean, a forward-looking UN prize designed to breathe life into the ambitions of brilliant young environmentalists.

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INTERVIEW Australia’s urban water industry is facing increasing challenges due to population growth, ageing assets, and the impacts of global warming, such as prolonged dry periods and sea-level rise. We speak with Adam Lovell, Executive Director of the Water Service Association of Australia (WSAA), the peak industry body representing the nation’s urban water industry, to discover how the sector is confronting these threats. The WSAA is part of Australia’s National COVID-19 Coordination Commission in the Utilities Work Stream. What are the organization’s main objectives and what has been achieved so far? WSAA has been involved in a number of working groups at a national level as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. The National Covid19 Coordination Commission coordinates advice to the Australian Government on actions to anticipate and mitigate the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. WSAA’s involvement has included reporting through the Utilities Work Stream on the preparedness and response of the urban water industry to COVID-19, as well as providing information on urban water’s role in the recovery phase. Investment in water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is an effective way to stimulate the economy in the short-term while providing lasting benefits to the community and economy in the longer term. The WSAA is working with Water Research Australia to develop a project that aims to provide COVID-19 wastewater testing results to help inform and optimize COVID-19 control programs

"WSAA is working with the Monash Institute of Sustainable Futures to progress understanding of the impact of water utilities on the SDGs" 66

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at local and national scales. Could you tell us a bit more about this project? What entities is WSAA working with? The ColoSSoS – Collaboration on Sewage Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 coronavirus) is an innovative, collaborative Australian investigation to test sewage for evidence of the COVID-19 virus. WSAA is pleased to support the work being led by Water Research Australia that brings together major water utilities, health departments and experts in this field within Australia and internationally. Sewage testing is an important tool to complement existing measures such as clinical testing and restrictions to help provide a clearer picture of the presence of COVID-19 in the community. Current ColoSSoS project efforts are around ensuring detection methods are robust, sensitive, specific, and comparable across the nation. In 2017, the WSAA launched the ‘Global Goals for Local Communities: Urban water advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals’. What results have you achieved so far? What are the goals for the following years? A year after the release of our Global Goals paper we released a report on how the urban water industry was progressing. The Report is supported by nine case studies and demonstrates the progress by the industry to support and promote the SDGs in partnership with other utilities, customers and stakeholders, and shows the industry’s contribution to achieving national and global SDG commitment. Importantly we now have 25 WSAA members signed up to the Industry commitment to SDG 6 and the promotion of all 17 Goals. Earlier this year WSAA submitted its first Communication on Engagement to the United National Global Compact. The document describes the actions taken to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals Global Compact and its principles. WSAA is now working with the Monash Institute of Sustainable Futures

to progress understanding of the impact of water utilities on the SDGs, including developing indicators to measure and monitor our impact. We will also use this work to inform our response to the review of the Bureau of Meteorology’s National Performance Report. In recent years, several of our members have used

WSAA Last year, Australia faced the worst drought on record affecting major cities like Sydney. What actions would you propose to build resilience to urban drought? The urban water industry in Australia has a strong reputation for contributing to the liveability of Australians by providing safe, secure, and affordable drinking water and wastewater services. However, the industry still faces risks and challenges including drought, population growth, urbanisation, and climate change. To meet these challenges WSAA recommends: J A new National Water Initiative that recognises the future challenges of climate change and extreme events, urban growth (including population growth) and liveability of our cities and regions across the urban water cycle. J All water supply options on the table including desalination, dams, water efficiency and all forms of water recycling. J Integrating stormwater into the urban water cycle to reflect the role it can play in creating and maintaining liveable cities and communities. J Improved collaboration between Federal, State, and local government agencies, water utilities and other stakeholders for long term water security planning that includes the latest science for climate change.

the SDG Framework as a strategic lens to develop their strategic business plans. Moving forward, WSAA will continue to lead the urban water industry in using all 17 Goals as a lens to frame the broader contribution urban water makes to a prosperous, sustainable, and equitable society.

Many cities around the world are turning to green infrastructure solutions to mitigate climatic extremes. What are Australian cities doing in this respect? Water utilities in cities around Australia enable broader liveability outcomes including contributing to green and blue infrastructure to deliver benefits to physical and mental health by making our communities cooler, healthier and more attractive places to live, work and play. Specific examples to mitigate climatic extremes include: J Greening the west - Melbourne’s western suburbs are some of the fastest-growing in Australia. They receive less rainfall than other parts of Melbourne meaning

they are drier and can experience warmer daytime temperatures. Water utilities and other organisations have formed an alliance with City West Water facilitating a Steering Committee. Through collaboration the following targets are set to be achieved: - 25% increase in alternative water for green space by 2030 - Double tree canopy cover in the west by 2050 - Green space to be increased by 25% by 2030 J Irrigating Adelaide’s airport - With increased summer and autumn temperatures in Adelaide expected to occur as a result of climate change, SA Water commenced a trial to quantify the benefits that could be achieved through the irrigation of a 4-hectare parcel of the airside area. The trial has been underway for more than 2 years, with the monitoring showing a reduction in air temperature within the 4-hectare irrigation area of over 2 degrees Celsius on average, and above 3 degrees on warmer days (i.e. days above 30 degrees). The benefits include those directly derived from the cropping, as well as the secondary benefits of cooling on other aspects of the airport operations, including passenger terminal energy use and aircraft performance. J SA Water’s Smart Irrigation program – a collaboration with Greater Adelaide metro councils to deploy over 240 air temperature sensors in parks to provide live data to the community to help inform choices about which park they visit on hot days. To help manage the increased water needed for open space irrigation, SA Water has

"In recent years, several of our members have used the SDG Framework as a strategic lens to develop their strategic business plans" - MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW a smart irrigation package at over 20 parks to help councils optimise their water use. Australia’s coastal communities, like other parts of the world, are facing the impacts of sea level rise. What is being done to tackle this growing challenge? The urban water industry is working towards managing these challenges in many ways, and WSAAs Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines, as well as a number of other reports produced by WSAA, include a broad range of tools and processes to help address sea-level rise: J The use of adaptive planning techniques to monitor and assess changes, and revise adaption options should triggers or signposts be reached. J Defining key variables that need to be monitored (if not defined as part of the planning process). J Interdependencies, for example between built assets and peak demands. J Collaboration and joint strategy development, particularly with local governments and other utilities. J Understanding and building into strategy: - changes in climate science, including new projections based on improved climate modelling - changes in regulatory and policy drivers published and unpublished work relevant to climate change adaptation (e.g. revision of the Australian Rainfall and Runoff Guidelines) - experiences and lessons learnt, including maladaptation and over-adaptation, by other water utilities and by other industry sectors. Examples of changes as a result of sea-level rise that may be triggered by the monitoring process include:

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Built assets: A ‘retreat’ decision for coastal assets may be needed once the rate of sea level rise accelerates, or when a particular threshold sea level is reached. Aquifer recharge rates and state of key systems: Indicators such as groundwater levels and salinity in extraction bores may trigger decisions to switch to other supply options. What role does digitalization play in Australia’s urban water utilities regarding improving customer services? Customer service can be improved by offering multiple channels to connect with the customer: personalised and itemised smart-bills, social media, email, online chats, peer-to-peer discussions, mobile phone, and tablet apps. By integrating data from all aspects of the business including billing, faults and emergencies, asset management and internal business processes, water

utilities can set up new ways of creating customer value. Customer issues can be recognised more quickly through having the data on hand, potentially even before the customer calls to report a disruption. Customers will no longer need to repeat their story each time they call. Their issues can be resolved more quickly, and dealings will be more consistent and transparent.Some specific examples include: J Sydney Water’s Customer Hub was established to improve the customer experience for anyone experiencing a Sydney Water service fault or affected by a service interruption. It considers and minimises customer impact, provides proactive SMS/email communications and case management for customers, and seeks and acts on customer feedback in real-time. Technologies in use include: -a geo-spatial situational awareness tool (Spatial Hub)

WSAA

The urban water industry still faces risks and challenges including drought, population growth, urbanisation, and climate change

-new on-line channels of choice for customers -an SMS/email customer notification and feedback platform -integration with existing systems, -and initiation of an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor pilot. Digital metering is being trialled across Melbourne by City West Water, South East Water, and Yarra Valley Water. The biggest benefit of digital meters is having real-time information on what’s happening on a customer’s property. Instead of getting “bill shock” when customers receive their quarterly bills, the water utility can contact a customer proactively and help them when it might look like they have a leak on the property. Many digital metering schemes have dashboards for customers to access themselves. If customers can see their use on an hourly basis it can help them

to identify where and when water is being used, save water, and save on their bills. Digital metering is just one aspect of a broader digital utility offering where utilities start to put digital technologies into our sewer mains, water mains and at treatment plants and get real-time information on the performance of their assets. This means water utilities can start to proactively intervene before we see large scale water main bursts or sewer spills in the environment. Adelaide’s Smart Water Network - In July 2017, SA Water implemented the first stage of its smart water network, integrating more than 400 sensors across the Adelaide CBD. The sensors are paired with a world-leading analytics platform, providing a detailed picture of the water network. At a cost of $4 million, it was the largest of its kind in Australia. The technology has enabled SA Water to identify and proactively fix leaks before they impact customers. i.e. work is scheduled to have minimal impact (often at night – while the city sleeps) on customers and commuters. In the first year, it pre-empted over 20 water main incidents, reduced reactive work by 70%. Severe drought has fuelled a series of massive bushfires across Australia put-

ting water supply infrastructure in danger. What measures do you think are necessary to improve resilience to bushfire risk? The devastating fires in Australia over the 2019-2020 period highlighted the need for the water industry to have practical guidance ready at hand for the management of drinking water supplies during such events. WSAA has developed case studies based on the experiences of water utilities and is developing a good practice guide operational guideline. A new report by Moody’s showed drought and water-related stress will pose long-term credit challenge for Australia’s New South Wales. How is the state dealing with this challenge? Climate change is one of the challenges facing all states in Australia, along with strong population growth and the need to maintain and renew an ageing assets base. The drought highlighted these challenges in NSW. Balance sheets across Australia are already showing the effects of meeting these challenges while minimising the impacts on customers. WSAA considers a national response is required to ensure that the industry retains a strong degree of financial resilience in order to ensure operational resilience in the face of climate change impacts and the like.

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WATER & NEWS

UTILITIES

US$69 BILLION SHOCK TO MUNICIPAL WATER UTILITIES SPARKS RETHINK The financial impact of the pandemic on water utilities will trigger changes in investments and operations into the future

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic fallout pose considerable threats to water & wastewater service providers and their stakeholders. Public utilities are now being forced to confront the impacts of revenue declines, shifting customer demand, and remote asset and workforce management. Recent analysis by Bluefield Research not only underscores the financial implications for utility capital (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) expenditures but also highlights the pandemic’s role as a catalyst to realizing needed step-changes in municipal infrastructure investment and utility operations going forward. Historically, recessionary impacts on utility infrastructure spend have a lag of 18-to-24 months. In the absence of a meaningful stimulus package, annual

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CAPEX for new water & wastewater infrastructure is forecasted to decline by as much as 21% in 2024, alone, and US$69 billion through 2029. In contrast, OPEX for ongoing operations & maintenance of existing systems will prove to be more resilient by growing at approximately 2% over the next decade. “We can infer from the last four recessions that the financial impacts will stretch into the latter part of this decade, and the lion’s share of cuts will occur over the next three to four years”, says Reese Tisdale, President of Bluefield Research. According to Bluefield, four key areas are poised for change: remote management, affordability measures, utility customer communications, and dedicated resiliency planning are expected to accelerate.

The shelter-in-place orders highlighted utilities’ lack of preparedness to manage a remote workforce and monitor and operate assets from a distance. Utilities managers have abruptly come face-to-face with the need to invest in these systems. Addressing customer affordability for water & wastewater services, a number of states and utilities have implemented shut-off moratoriums to protect end users. Utilities will have to take measures to equitably recover operating expenses as businesses disappear and unemployment soars. Public skepticism about the safety and availability of tap water, and unawareness of the impact of disposable wipes on wastewater collection systems, is forcing utilities to increase stakeholder education and engagement. Operational improvements toward greater resiliency are now imperative and must be accelerated with more robust planning processes that include digital transformation and workforce management. A potential federal stimulus package would be critical to reversing the sector’s trajectory. Governments and utilities face massive revenues shortfalls and rising costs that will influence service provider’s decisions going forward. “It is still too early to evaluate the fallout, but it is clear that Washington will need to step in to support faltering state and local authorities”, says Tisdale. “Of all the things that should be invested in, water is one that comes to mind because of the benefits lasting decades, including employment opportunities.”

THE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SOLVENCY OF WATER UTILITIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS AT RISK

WATER SECTOR MEETING PANDEMIC CHALLENGE; FACE MASKS, REVENUE AMONG KEY CONCERNS

Decreased revenues and increased costs as a result of the pandemic are affecting the finances of utilities in low and middle income countries

A survey reveals PPE shortages and revenue declines

The global health emergency is driving water utilities in developing countries into financial distress, as revenues drops and costs rise because of the pandemic, informed Circle of Blue. The deficit could have detrimental consequences even after the health crisis eases off. Progress made in terms of access to drinking water over the past few years may be at risk, jeopardising the achievement of SDGs. Joel Kolker, lead specialist in the area of water supply and sanitation at the World Bank Water Global Practice, noted he has observed utility revenue declines between 10 to 50%, while a survey conducted by the Water Service Providers Association in Kenya reported a 70% drop in revenue collection. The lockdown caused a drop in water consumption in the commercial sector.

In parallel, the authorities in Kenya, Ghana, and other countries mandated a moratorium on water shut-offs for residents who cannot pay their bills, and asked utilities to provide water using tankers and other means to those that need it. Finally, operational costs have increased with the need for additional disinfection, protective equipment and other occupational safety measures. Options for those that need help include help assistance from governments, as well as aid agencies and international lenders. USAID is adapting their annual funds for water and sanitation programs - $400 million - to its coronavirus relief measures, while the World Bank has committed $160 billion in grant and loan money in the coming 15 months.

Water utilities are successfully overcoming challenges to continue water and wastewater service without disruption, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Conducted from April 1722, this is the third in a series of surveys of how AWWA member organizations are adapting to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a real-time assessment of how they are managing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey indicated the primary challenges facing utilities are procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) – particularly N95 face masks -- and either current or future revenue reductions resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More than half (56 percent) of the utilities surveyed indicate they are experiencing PPE supply chain issues due to the pandemic. Another 23 percent expect to experience these issues soon. About 75 percent of utilities surveyed indicate they are either already experiencing or anticipating revenue reductions. More than 95 percent of utilities have suspended water shut-offs and some are taking other actions to assist customers unable to pay their bills. These actions help protect public health but can also lead to a loss of revenue. Financial impacts are resulting in changes to maintenance/repair schedules and capital construction. For the service providers who provide critical support to the water sector, almost 30 percent surveyed are already seeing revenue loss with another 50 percent expecting to soon.

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SDGs

INTERVIEW

JEROEN M. TIELMAN FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER OF QSTONE CAPITAL

“SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) provides a scalable and rewarding investment opportunity for investors" QStone Capital develops wastewater treatment projects (SDG 6) and converts selected innovative water reuse technologies into cost savings for project owners and attractive returns for investors.

Z Water reuse is an increasingly important measure for industries, cities, and societies at large to secure a continuous supply of water. This provides a solid and expanding market for wastewater treatment technology companies. QStone Capital acts as a long-term finance partner to provide these companies with growth capital in the format of corporate finance as well as project finance. We interview its Founder and Managing Partner Jeroen M. Tielman, to learn about the work his firm is engaged in and how it can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Firstly, we would like to know briefly your career path and your current role in QStone capital.

"Of the global asset management market of US$80 trillion, about $30 trillion is managed according to some form of sustainable standards" 74

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Cristina Novo Pérez

I worked with ABN AMRO Bank in Amsterdam and New York during the first 14 years of my career covering capital markets, corporate finance M&A and asset management. Next, in 2000 I founded and ran FundPartners, which designed and developed (pension) investment solutions and was backed by PGGM as a financier and launching customer. After this company was acquired by NIBC, I joined the management board of a pension asset manager, which later was taken over by APG. Subsequently, I founded and ran IMQubator, a hedge (and private equity) seeding fund, and backed with €250mln by APG for a 7-year term. In 2016 I founded QStone Capital, which develops and manages SDG 6 water re-use investment projects and converts selected innovative water re-use technologies into cost savings for project owners (mainly in India and Europe) and attractive returns for investors. QStone capital connects investors with wastewater treatment technology companies and projects, which deliver

on SDG 6. To what extent is there an appetite for investment opportunities that are SDG compliant? There is a clear momentum with institutional investors embracing sustainability not only as one of their main criteria for investing but increasingly also for performance measurement. The belief that adopting sustainability would reduce financial return is mostly behind us and is being replaced by a belief that the combination of solid financial and sustainable performance is mutually reinforcing as a consequence of common re-pricing of investments associated with environmental risks. Out of the total global asset management market of US$ 80 trillion, about US$ 30 trillion is managed according to some form of sustainable standards. However, sustainable investing is a broadly used term in the investment management industry and it often is limited to the exclusion of companies which are being considered as clearly in conflict with generally accepted Environmental (e.g. no coal mining industry), Social (e.g. no child labour) and/or Governance norms, together referred as “ESG”. Targeted in-

QSTONE CAPITAL

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INTERVIEW

"The current health crisis underlines that individual basic health is even more important than before to increase one’s resilience" vestments specifically addressing the UN defined Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) are a still relatively small – but strongly growing – part within the overall area of sustainability investing. These investments specifically addressing one or more SDGs are referred to as “impact investments”. However, not all SDGs provide an attractive risk/return profile. Most of the ‘bankable’ SDGs, however, can be implemented via private capital investments as opposed to mainstream public equity and bond markets. Some professional investors, however, lack the skills to allocate private capital (sometimes related to special project companies only) and allocate through specialized asset managers. Investing directly in projects allows investors to provide the most impact while enabling them to control risks and returns in a more controlled fashion. Finally, we see a tremendous opportunity for asset managers and other professional investors to co-develop scalable SDG projects. Again, this requires the commitment and determination of investors to develop both the skills and the network required to implement this. It is the clear belief of QStone Capital that SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) provides a scalable and rewarding investment opportunity for investors willing to have an active role in actively guiding innovative water tech companies in co-developing water re-use projects. You consider the SDGs an opportunity to identify technology-driven investment proposals, such as in the area of wastewater processing. What do you think will be the future in this area in developing and developed countries?

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Treating waste water for re-use in some cases in combination with the “mining” of specific ‘pollutants’ for re-use, provide a deep and widely replicable investment opportunity for professional investors. We put a clear emphasis on connecting innovative (but commercially proven) water ‘re-use’ technologies developed by SME’s within selected water re-use themes, sometimes serving other themes as well like for example clean energy. Obviously growing economies where growth goes hand in hand with increased water demand - and water stress - is an area of interest to apply innovative water re-use technologies. This is especially the case

when it is accompanied with increased environmental scrutiny and supervision. One example is the textile industry in India where a tightened regulatory regime requires zero liquid discharge and hence closed-loop water re-use cycles as the overall norm. Investing in technologies that enable ZLD would make these investments fully SDG compliant. QStone has recently co-founded a JV in India with local production of water treatment installations based on Dutch technology combined with local sales. At the same time, we observed that regulations and supervision on the discharge of wastewater produced by a specialty textile

QSTONE CAPITAL producer in a European country were less strict than in India. Another example is the decentralized treatment of sewage water into re-usable water for industries like for example the construction (for concrete) or power industry (cooling water). Water re-use here has a two-sided economic base: avoiding costs of expanding infrastructure for traditional end-of-pipe STP’s and generating revenues of selling water to third parties. Depending on the technology used, the integrated costs per M3 water treated are considerably less than the sum of pollution charges & revenues of water sales. We are currently developing and comparing business cases

Typical set up of a textile dyeing plant

of a few different technologies. The business case depends on several local factors, where for example the reliability of the technology in providing an uninterrupted provision of re-usable water has value as well. A third example we are exploring is a combination of two technologies to treat sewage sludge in subsequent steps into forms of bio-fuel. This business case in Europe depends to a large extent on local CO2 emission charges or ‘gate fees’ for discharging sewage sludge, which vary from country to country in the EU. Furthermore, the business case can be expanded to include the avoidance of early closure of modern coal fired power plants where

"Treating wastewater for reuse and mining specific ‘pollutants’ for reuse provide an investment opportunity for professional investors" even the current use of the controversial use of biomass can be replaced by CO2 neutral ‘bio-coal’ produced from sewage sludge. The latter is often being disposed via waste incinerators most of which are already operating at maximum capacity.

Jeroen Tielman with Mr. Suresh Kumar, responsible for QStone in India

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INTERVIEW Governments and development organisations have identified the need to engage the private sector to embrace sustainability. What is needed to create enabling environments for SDG compliant investments? Governments and development organisations seem to think on quite an abstract level and might apply different criteria based on political objectives. At QStone Capital we only apply two criteria when assessing water-related investment opportunities at the grass-root level: risk-return and unambiguous SDG 6 compliance. Here the financial merits in itself already should be able to justify an investment, with on top of that an undisputed ‘impact’. We have been confronted with quite some red tape, lengthy engagement processes with development agencies without much result. Also, we noticed that some of the development agencies look at projects from a traditional banking loan point of view with an overall emphasis that risks are to be minimized. We think that more risk-bearing investment capital should be available for the development stage of an investable project as a kind of seed capital. This seed capital can be paid back with a premium to the development agency if and when the project gets into the next “capital acceleration phase”, i.e. when receiving capital from private investors. What do you see as the role of PPP business models in achieving SDG 6? We argue that water projects need to have a strong economic base enabling it to pay market-rate returns to investors. Public entities can provide guarantees on risks that cannot be hedged in private markets at reasonable rates like off-take risks and political risks. Projects with long pay-back periods are obviously more in need of getting these guarantees. Other than that, public entities could provide seed capital for developing water projects with solid economics partly based on the use of innovative and efficient technologies. Other than this, public entities could provide ‘first-loss capital’ to accommodate private capital for projects with a less solid business case.

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Public entities can provide guarantees on risks that cannot be hedged in private markets at reasonable rates like off-take and political risks Do you think the water sector could harness a larger share of financing targeted for climate adaptation and mitigation? Yes, I certainly do. For this to materialize we need both active development of investable projects and we need to identify specific ‘water & climate’ themes to be addressed with climate-related financing. Two main chapters could be distinguished for climate adaptation and mitigation: a) protection against flooding and b) protection against water stress. At QStone we have a focus on the latter, where scalable innovative technology for re-use (i.e. circular economy) is key. How do you think the current global health crisis might affect investments in wastewater treatment solutions? The current health crisis underlines that individual basic health is even more important than before to increase one’s resilience. The availability of clean water and good sanitation is an important element for this. According to the WHO more than 800,000 people in low to middle-income countries die each year as a consequence of inadequate water and sanitation. In addition to possible food shortages in low-income countries because of disrupted supply lines, the need for waste water treatment solutions to reduce health hazards will increase.

What is the most effective way to scale new water treatment technologies? It starts with identifying scalable water re-use themes preferably related to industrial parties. This could be for example either an internal re-use of water at a textile plant confronted with ZLD requirements or for example a power plant taking in sewage water to convert it into cooling water and using the sludge for additional energy production. Second, for each theme innovative (but proven) technologies would need to be identified not only based on their technical merits but also based on their cost-effectiveness. Thirdly, we need more seed capital to translate these technologies into concrete economic and impact merits. Fourth, early interaction with capital providers should result in an optimal finance structure where capital would be used to finance one or more of the different elements of what is commonly referred to as a ‘Build Own Operate Transfer’ (BOOT) structure. Finally, all of the above require active involvement of private capital right from the beginning. This should be provided by investors willing to redefine their role from being a ‘selector’ of investment opportunities developed by others, towards being a ‘producer’ of their own investments delivering premium returns and solid impact.

QSTONE CAPITAL

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FEATURE

THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND MIGRATION As climate change impacts become more severe, as many as one billion people could become environmental migrants by 2050

Z Olivia Tempest - G Pablo González-Cebrián “Many farmer families have already left, saying life has become too difficult,” said Zahra Tawakole, farmer in the small Afghan village of Raquel. This hamlet located in Bamiyan province, in central Afghanistan, has witnessed periods of increased flooding and water scarcity over the past two decades. Stories like Zahra’s are taking place more and more frequently, as human migration has been on the rise since the 1990s. However, this movement of people is no longer motivated solely by economics or political conflicts. Climate and water are becoming migration drivers for many around the world. And this number is projected to increase. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) calculates that by 2050, 200 million additional people will be displaced due to environmental factors, including water crises. Other forecasts estimate that this number could rise to 1 billion after 2050, which would mean 1 in 9 human beings would be environmental migrants and on the move. Historically, migration and water were generally linked in the case of certain The IOM calculates that by 2050, 200 million additional people will be displaced due to environmental factors, including water crises 80

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communities. In Africa, the Middle East and Asia, for example, nomads and pastoralists moved looking for water and food for their herds. However, in the past decades, this water-driven migration is no longer episodic or localized and the major reason for this is climate change. Stanford University, as well as many other academic institutions, warn that if global temperatures continue to rise, rainfall patterns could potentially be altered and give rise to more extreme weather, such as long dry spells, dangerous flooding, and in some parts of the world, intense water shortages. Other international organizations, such as The World Health Organization, estimate that half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed regions by 2025. A report ‘Water, migration and how they are interlinked,’ published by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) a few years ago, highlights that the environmental migration is increasingly seen as one of the foremost crises of our times. “The sheer assumed size has now brought them to the fore as one of the most important issues on the global political agenda." The report went on to say that this phenomenon was a growing worry for the international community as mass migration produces safety concerns for nation states. Food insecurity Rainfall declines induced by global warming can have extensive consequenc-

es. From a shortage of clean drinking water, to not having enough safe water for sanitation and handwashing, which can lead to respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses spreading more easily; food security is also threatened. Currently, irrigation claims nearly 70 per cent of all freshwater appropriated for human use, according to UN-Water. In already water-poor nations, especially parts of Africa or the Middle East, increasing water scarcity and variability due to global climate change can cause severe humanitarian crises. The World Resource Institute (WRI) warns that people who depend

CLIMATE CRISIS & MIGRATION

on subsistence agriculture or those who are underprivileged and particularly vulnerable to rising food prices are the most affected by prolonged dry seasons. An example of the effects of food insecurity and migration were seen in Syria a decade ago. From 2006-2011, a disastrous drought in the country drove more than 1 million people into food insecurity. This situation bolstered people living in rural areas of Syria, approximately 1.5 million, to move to the cities. Syria’s poor economic conditions at the time combined with mass migration and a brutal uprising against a repressive polit-

ical regime contributed to ignite Syria’s ongoing civil war. The propensity of changing precipitation patterns that could lead to prolonged dry spells and less water availability will likely increase as the planet’s temperature rises. This phenomenon combined with a growing population and a rise in the demand for resources, could potentially lead to lower agricultural output and livestock productivity, which in turn will affect local food security and increase global food prices. Food insecurity could then influence mass migrations, especially from rural to urban areas. The World Resources Insti-

tute cautions that no country is immune to these risks but says that correct analysis of data using specific tools are essential to create early warning systems. Last year, WRI designed a tool that maps current

The World Health Organization estimates that half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed regions by 2025

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FEATURE and future water risks to crop production using data from WRI’s Aqueduct platform and the International Food Policy Research Institute. The latest findings by the Institute show that nowadays, one-third of all irrigated crops face extremely high-water stress. This worrying figure could, in the future, if not already, lead to food insecurity in several parts of the world. Water, migration, and gender A recently published report by the UNU’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, ‘Water and Migration: A Global Overview’ analyses the impact of water-driven migration on gender. Numerous studies have already shown how extreme weather, including droughts and flooding, disproportionally affect women living in low-income agricultural societies. In the case of migration, women are also overly affected, as men are more likely to migrate than women in crises related to food, water, and climate. The women, left behind at home, must take on the same responsibilities of the men; however, they are faced with unequal access to financial and social resources. This means that they gain an increase in responsibilities, but with fewer rights and accessibility, as well as having to continue with their household chores and the upbringing of their children. The report also highlights that when women do migrate due to environmental factors, they tend to go to urban centers, where they find it difficult to find employment, and are susceptible to prejudice, thus “they can fall into a poverty trap as they face long hours and low-paying jobs especially in low- and middle-income countries.”

The relationship between water stress, climate change, and migration is complex and cannot be easily separated from other factors 82

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The Water and Migration: A Global Overview analysis concludes by saying that even though interlinkages between water, migration, and gender are intricate and many-sided, “migration impacts women in a different aspect due to their role of acting as water purveyors.” This is without mentioning the challenges women migrants face regarding water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Women who move to urban areas in developing countries can find it difficult to access safe drinking water and toilets. Limited understanding of migration Although there is a growing interest to study water and migration interlinkages, worldwide institutions, including SIWI

and the recently published report by the UNU’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, alert that data is still scarce on the multiple causes, or “push” and “pull” factors that cause people to leave their homes and migrate. “It seems easy to blame drought and climate change, as has increasingly been the case,” points out the Stockholm International Water Institute. This lack of quantitative information and understanding of direct and indirect water and climate-related drivers of migration limits effective management options at local, national, regional, and global scales, warn the UN University researchers. Furthermore, SIWI stresses that it is imperative to understand the linkages between conflict, water scarcity,

CLIMATE CRISIS & MIGRATION global warming, droughts, and migration to put in place policies that address these causes. In a recent article, Nidhi Nagabhatla, Principal Researcher, Water Security at the UN Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, explained that global policies and agreements on migration are mostly concerned with response mechanisms, yet a balanced approach that addresses water, climate, and other environmental drivers of migration are needed. Furthermore, she stresses that unregulated migration could lead to rapid, unplanned, and unsustainable settlements and urbanization, causing pressure on water demand and increasing the health risks and burdens for migrants as well as

Regarding migration, women are disproportionately affected, as men are more likely to migrate than women in crises related to water hosting states and communities. These, in turn, must address these challenges, although there are no clear and simple solutions to mass migration, but that the cost of no decisions would exceed the cost of responses to this rising phenomenon. Although the relationship between water stress, climate change, and migration is complex and cannot be easily quantified or separated from other contributing and driving factors, a lack of access to water, poor water quality and the current inadequacy to support those most impacted by extreme weather events, create obstacles to a sustainable future for the most vulnerable. Reliable data, more research into climate-driven migration, and adequate policies and adaptation strategies are fundamental to help the millions of people facing harsh climate change impacts who must flee their homes to survive.

In already water-poor nations, increasing water scarcity and variability due to climate change can cause severe humanitarian crises

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INTERVIEW

DR. RICHARD THORSTEN CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER, WATER.ORG

“Wherever we can empower people to solve their own water and sanitation problems, they can break the poverty cycle” Water.org has been working to provide access to water and sanitation to the world for more than 25 years. Now more than ever, their work is critical to curb disease spread and build resiliency for the future.

Z The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to accelerate access to safe water and sanitation for all, to reduce the impact of this and future pandemics. The global nonprofit Water.org helps people get access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, such as small loans. They provide life-changing resources, bringing hope, health, and a bright future to families. We interview Richard Thorsten, Chief Impact Officer, who leads the team responsible for working with financial institutions, water and sanitation enterprises, and other sector leaders, to learn about the approach they use to empower millions of people in need with access to safe water and sanitation. What is your assessment of the progress made worldwide regarding SDG 6 on access to water and sanitation?

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Cristina Novo Pérez

The SDGs were designed to be ambitious and push the global community to take unprecedented actions. We raised the bar significantly – what would have been considered “A” achievement under the Millennium Development Goals would be considered a “C” under the new standards. In 2018, the United Nations conducted an assessment of progress towards SDG 6 targets. Given the intentional ambition of these goals, their findings were not a huge surprise – the world is not on track. Billions of people still lack safe water, sanitation, and handwashing facilities: 844 million lack basic water services, 1.2 billion lack safely managed water, 5.4 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation and 892 million still practice open defecation. Only 27 percent of the population in least-developed countries has access to soap and water for handwashing on-premises – a

shortcoming with consequences that have never been so widely apparent as they are now amidst our global struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a glass-half-full perspective to the facts, however. In the period between 2016 till March 31, 2020, 25,349,376 people accessed household water and/ or sanitation through the efforts of Water.org and its finance partners on the ground across 13 countries. Since 2016, more organizations have seen the data and embraced similar financing approaches to water and sanitation access in their solutions to the challenge. Moreover, the water and sanitation community now talks extensively about innovative finance that blends donor contributions with commercial capital as part of the solution, something that was rarely happening before. We’re getting smarter as a group and we’re working more collabora-

WATER.ORG

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INTERVIEW

"The water and sanitation community talks extensively about innovative finance that blends donor contributions with commercial capital" tively towards these ambitious goals. We see the numbers are catching up to and reflecting these critical evolutions, and the coming decade will see accelerated impact at greater scale. How did Water.org decide to concentrate efforts on small loans for water and sanitation? We observed that people, despite abject poverty, were making huge financial sacrifices to try and change their water situation, turning to informal credit markets—loan sharks—to do so. We learned that people earning as little as $1.25 a day were willing to access financing for water and sanitation if they could overcome the obstacles that stood in their path. We asked: what if we could facilitate small, affordable loans for water and sanitation access? Microfinance was enabling poor people to generate income by creating their own micro businesses. Could we add microfinance to the tools we had available to provide the poor access to safe water and sanitation? The answer was yes. Our organization, Water.org, now works with microfinance providers to extend affordable financing solutions for safe water and sanitation to the poor. We use our capital to offset start-up costs and provide technical assistance to help microfinance institutions build water-based loan portfolios. Our microfinance partners leverage financing from banks and capital markets so that they can disburse loans to their clients, who include both individuals and small communities. Their clients then hire contractors and use retailers to improve their own water and sanitation.

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Wherever we can empower people to solve their own water and sanitation problems, they can break the poverty cycle. People are not just investing in clean water and toilets; they are buying back time so that they can spend it caring for family, going to school, and earning more money. This latter point is significant: Only 53 percent of WaterCredit borrowers in India were earning $47 per month or more before they took out a loan, but after financing their own water solutions, 97 percent of borrowers were achieving this level of income. You use a market-driven, financial approach to help change the lives of people in need, given the right utility

infrastructure, economic demographics, and political environment. Could you explain further the conditions that have to be met for the success of your interventions? What can be done to support regions that are currently not ready for this type of interventions? Water.org implements a variety of different approaches to improve people’s lives through better access to water and sanitation solutions. We partner with financial institutions which provide household loans to millions of people for water and sanitation improvements as well as loans to water and sanitation enterprises. We work with service providers and associations to enhance their ability to obtain and direct financing to improve and ex-

WATER.ORG tend services. We catalyse capital from markets and from development financial institutions for water and sanitation solutions. And we operate at a systems level – seeking ways to influence water and sanitation sector financing through policy and practice change. All of these different approaches first require shared value with committed, effective partner organizations – whether these are financial institutions, utilities, governments, or other NGOs. We have been most successful in markets like India, which features a robust domestic financial services sector, government commitment to water and sanitation services, significant demand for water and sanitation among those living in poverty, and

Water.org works with microfinance providers to extend affordable financing solutions for safe water and sanitation to the poor the availability of affordable financing. Every market is different, and therefore our approaches to financing are tailored to specific conditions in these markets. Water.org recognizes that water and sanitation financing solutions are more conducive in some areas over others. Our mission is to promote universal access to water and sanitation. Those living in extreme poverty may not be able to participate in financing; this is an example of an area in which we encourage public investment to cover those costs. The importance of water and sanitation access is especially paramount across developing countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We strongly support efforts that immediately address this public health crisis, cushion its effects on people and institutions, and bolster countries’ abilities to prevent future pandemics through better hygiene and water and sanitation solutions. What do you think is the best value for money in terms of governments’ investments in access to water and sanitation? Does it depend on the region? Context is critical, as needs are highly dependent upon the resources available, as well as the local culture. That said, it is safe to say that most governments have

limited resources (as in budget) and need options that allow them to maximize those budgets. There are different ways that governments can and should think about this. First, I observed earlier that the water and sanitation community has started to embrace the inclusion of commercial capital into the system, and many of the larger water and sanitation utilities are becoming capable of securing this commercial capital for their operations. Governments should celebrate and encourage this practice, as it allows them to allocate more of their money to support the smaller utilities or water service providers that serve lower-income or harder-to-reach communities – outfits that are unlikely to ever be appealing for commercial capital. They could also stimulate more domestic investment by providing guarantees to lenders for water and sanitation – we’ve been seeing this approach grow in India and it continues to be very effective. This leads me to a second critical point – governments need to focus efforts on connecting all of their people to sources of water and sanitation. COVID-19 is again demonstrating that we and our economies are only as strong as the weakest link. But even aside from that

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INTERVIEW timely reflection, our work repeatedly demonstrates that access to water and sanitation directly benefits the economy. In 2018, Water.org reached the milestone of having catalysed one billion USD of private capital for water and sanitation through microloans. Contrary to popular belief, there is money at the base of the economic pyramid. People are willing to pay for their water and sanitation, and the benefits that they gain from that access have impacts on their ability to educate themselves and their family, work and consume. Their success and quality of life can improve national output. Investing in its people is a smart decision. I would be remiss, however, to not also highlight a final reality that we all already knew but which has become more glaringly apparent in the time of COVID-19, and that is the importance of digitalization. Investments in upgrading infrastructure could lead to rapid declines in Non-Revenue Water (leakage or stolen) by enabling utilities to rapidly identify and repair leaks. Smart meters can reduce the transactions costs of dealing with issues of untimely payment, and electronic payment innovations can facilitate timely payment – perhaps at different frequencies depending on the assorted cash flows of clients. Finally, investments in integrated national-level data platforms for all water and sanitation providers to report into would allow governments to easily understand how any budget allocations they make to these providers are being used so that they can hold providers accountable

"People are willing to pay for water and sanitation, and the benefits impact their ability to educate themselves, work and consume" 88

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Washing at the river. Haiti.

for underperformance, which frankly doesn’t happen at the moment (and that lack of transparency is one reason that commercial lenders are reluctant to invest). Governments could also use that information to adjust budgeting as needed or make the best-informed decisions when they look to multilateral development banks for loans. We all

know that our future is digital, and investment now can be harnessed to make our systems more efficient across several criteria. Do you monitor the sustainability of the solutions you make possible? Is long term maintenance an issue?

WATER.ORG ments have been found to be functional at the time of the household visits. On average the water and sanitation improvements have a lifespan of around 20 years but overtime the improvements will need maintenance, repair, or upgrades. This is where a sustained financial system - our partner business operations - come into play.Â It enables a household to access affordable water and sanitation capital multiple times to maintain their improvement as needed. What do you think are the barriers for public sector actors to provide water and sanitation services in the regions where you work? Financing is a major barrier for sure. Often, public sector institutions lack enough investment from governments to deliver improved services to customers. In some countries, public utilities either do not cover enough of their operational and capital costs from tariffs and fees, while in other cases they are not incentivized to do so because those funds they do collect may be repurposed by government entities for other activities. In some countries, public sector providers are prohibited from obtaining financing from private sector financial institutions. There are other barriers as well. Public service providers may not be required to serve all their potential customers in their catchment areas. For example, in certain types of informal urban settlements where large populations of low-income people live, public service providers may not be allowed to provide services to these families even if they live within their service areas. Public and priYes, as a data and evidence driven organization, we are committed to a rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning process. We track our impact by analyzing monthly partner reports and progress, conducting household visits and viability assessments, and rigorous research.Â Key performance indicators are collected on a regular basis and used to

measure and inform our work. Specific to sustainability we track: J Business operations and how our partners are developing sustainable water and sanitation portfolios J Water and sanitation functionality and usage Based on household visits, more than 90% of water and sanitation improve-

"Based on household visits, more than 90% of water and sanitation improvements have been found to be functional at the time of the visits"

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INTERVIEW vate water service providers may also lack understanding regarding the demand for service improvements among those living in poverty. Our experience and multiple independent studies have confirmed that low income families pay several times more per litre of water when they are not connected to water systems. Yet some providers continue to believe that this customer segment represents a greater risk to serve. Do you think there is a role for private water companies in securing access to water and sanitation? We see private water companies provide access to water and sanitation for millions of customers across our markets. We believe there are roles both for public and private sector institutions in service delivery. More importantly for us, we believe in financing partnerships that draw from and blend public and private resources. Globally we are not investing enough in water and sanitation access despite its numerous benefits – especially in the Covid-19 environment. Achieving universal and sustained water and sanitation coverage for all will require significantly greater investments from the public sector and the private sector. This in turn will depend both on effective financial markets and a favourable policy and regulatory environment that can translate these funds into improved service delivery – especially among those living in poverty. These foundations are critical, regardless of whether public institutions or private water companies are delivering services.

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Climate change will undermine progress toward the SDGs and worsen poverty and current inequities in access to water and sanitation

What do you think will be the impact of climate change and water scarcity on access to water and sanitation in the coming years? As human-caused climate change accelerates, it is destabilizing all aspects of water supply and sanitation, including the goal of universal access. Climate change raises grave considerations for WSS systems, and most urgently for the needs of people living in poverty. The degree of impact will vary depending on the local context. We know that water resources are changing. Shifting precipitation patterns are generating both floods and droughts, and rising seas threaten to spill into freshwater sources. Our research with Pacific Institute estimated that hundreds of millions of people will be displaced by extreme storms, sea-level rise, and water scarcity by 2050. Climate change – especially impacts on water availability, water quality, and water and sanitation infrastructure – will undermine broad progress toward the SDGs and specifically SDG 6 and worsen poverty and current inequities in access to water and sanitation. Poorer, disadvantaged regions and communities are especially vulnerable to climate impacts. For example, one criterion

for safely managed water is that water is available when needed. Households whose primary water sources are no longer available due to shortage, contamination, or infrastructure failure may need to turn to water collection, and increased travel time to collect water could lead communities and countries to move down to basic or limited service. For sanitation systems, most of the direct impacts of climate change are associated with extreme events. As the world strives to simultaneously achieve SDG6 and reduce human impacts on the climate, it is critical to finance the spread of WSS technologies that expand access to safely managed water and sanitation while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Examples can be as simple as fixing leaky pipes, or as innovative as generating energy from the greenhouse gases released in wastewater treatment plants. Innovative financing is needed to: J upgrade WSS systems to withstand local changes and extreme events J raise energy efficiencies and reducing emissions in the water sector J bring affordable financing to people living in poverty so they can invest in their own climate-smart solutions.

WATER.ORG

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FEATURE

DUPONT PARTNERS WITH CHARITY: WATER TO HELP PREVENT SPREAD OF COVID-19 DuPont announces a partnership with charity: water to help hinder the spread of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities around the world DuPont, a global science and innovation leader, has announced a partnership with charity: water to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities through the deployment of hand-washing stations, hygiene and sanitation training and community health messaging. DuPont is the first brand partner to contribute to charity: water’s special COVID-19 Relief Fund, launched on Giving Tuesday Now — a global day of giving and unity for COVID-19 response efforts. Currently, more than 785 million people around the world live without access to clean water, and more than 3 billion lack basic access to a handwashing facility. Sub-Saharan Africa is significantly vulnerable, where 75 percent of its population lack access to said facilities. Without strong healthcare systems to rely on, prevention is absolutely critical to protecting people in developing countries from COVID-19. charity: water’s local partners are experts in handwashing, hygiene, and teaching people how to protect themselves from disease. Now, they are urgently scaling their efforts to

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combat the spread of COVID-19 in the regions they serve. Alexa Dembek, Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer for DuPont said: “Cleaner water is one of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals that we’re focused on and we’re pleased to support charity:water in their efforts and look for opportunities where our expertise in this area can further this shared purpose.” The COVID-19 Relief Fund, which will direct 100 percent of donations to local needs, will expand charity: water’s work to bring vital resources to vulnerable communities, including handwashing stations, hygiene and sanitation training, community health messages, and personal protective equipment for Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) frontline workers. “We believe in the work that charity: water and their local partners are doing, both during this pandemic and beyond, to help mitigate the spread of the virus, as well as increase access to clean, safe drinking water for people and communities around the world,” said Alexa Dembek, DuPont’s Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer. “Clean water is one of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals that we’re focused on and we’re pleased to support charity: water in their efforts and look for opportunities where our expertise in this area can further this shared purpose.” DuPont, a leader in water purification and separation technology, is charity: water’s first brand partner in the water sector—with plans for additional collab-

oration toward the goal of increasing access to clean, safe water worldwide. “We are proud to be charity: water’s first brand partner in the water technology sector and look forward to working together to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and address water accessibility,” said HP Nanda, Global Vice President & General Manager, DuPont Water Solutions. “Our shared purpose is even more important during this global pandemic as the world needs abundant, clean, safe water flowing to communities to reduce the spread of this virus, promote recovery, and maintain health.”

DUPONT

DuPont is encouraging others to support the fund, including its employees and other companies in the global clean water sector. Throughout May, DuPont invited participants of its online training webinars and Water Academy to support the effort. #GivingTuesdayNow, is a new global day of giving and unity as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. About charity: water charity: water is a nonproﬁt on a mission to bring clean, safe drinking water to ev-

ery single person on the planet. Here at charity: water, there are a few things that make us different: 100% of public donations fund clean water projects, we prove every project we build, and we work with strong local partners to build and maintain projects.

their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food and worker safety.

About DuPont DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance

DuPont, a leader in water purification and separation technology, is charity: water’s first brand partner in the water sector

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OPINION

RAHA HAKIMDAVAR PHD, HYDROLOGIST

UTILIZING EARTH OBSERVATIONS FOR WATER EQUITY IN UN’S DEVELOPMENT AGENDA The UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, to secure access to Uptake of EO in support of the SDGs has been growing but fresh water and sanitation for all, is not just an aspiration but a it is uneven across nations. Technical and institutional capamanifestation of established human rights. Yet, achieving sus- city constraints have limited the use of this information even tainable and equitable provisions of water and sanitation still for countries that are eager to apply the data for their national poses considerable challenges and the world is not on track SDG 6 reporting. And despite data accessibility advances, theto achieve the SDG 6 targets by 2030. Disparities and gaps re is still a significant learning curve when it comes to using in water data, especially in developing countries, are part of EO. Thus major capacity building efforts are needed. Technical the challenge. Nearly 60% of the 193 UN Member States that challenges can also be barriers to adoption. For instance, lack support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, en- of ground-based hydrologic information in many developing compassing the SDGs, don’t have adequate data to meet the countries limits the ability to calibrate and validate EO data, a reporting requirements of SDG 6. Satellite-based Earth Obser- process critical to reducing errors associated with satellite data vations (EO) can help narrow these data gaps. retrievals and classification uncertainties. From the vantage point of space, geopolitical borders disapInnovations in cloud computing, plans for new EO satellites, pear. The same satellite fleet that informs us about wildfires capacity-building and governance are all part of the solution. in California can within the same Platforms like Google’s Earth Enday be used to map floods in Camgine enable analyzing satellite data Even with the current bodia. These data have enabled online with Google’s computers, us to achieve incredible leaps in significantly reducing the required challenges, EO can help level the environmental monitoring over level of data analysis literacy and playing field regarding disparities the last several decades. EO sensors computing power. At the same tican take direct and indirect measume, a vast number of EO satellites in water data access rements of nearly all components planned for launch over the next between countries of the hydrologic cycle. Today, we decade promise to address some can measure changes in surface of the current technical challenges and ground water, measure the gain and loss of wetlands and while keeping end-user needs more central in the planning and even monitor some water quality parameters from space for design phases. Coordinating bodies such as the Group on Earth almost any part of the world. Incredibly, most of these data are Observations are also playing a significant part to help improve provided for free online. From this perspective, SDG 6 and EO governance and institutional capacity issues by working with goshare a common goal: to provide equal access to all. vernments, UN agencies and the research and space communiFour of the eight targets in SDG 6 include indicators that ties to address barriers for adopting EO in support of the SDGs. can benefit from the integration of EO. For example, in a reEven with the current challenges, EO can help level the placent study with colleagues from NASA and University of Ma- ying field regarding disparities in water data access between ryland, we illustrated that nearly all of the components in the countries. The fact that there is growing impetus for utilizing SDG indicator for water-related ecosystems can be measured these data for SDG 6 is important. It’s an opportunity to build using readily and freely available EO-based data products. But equity into water data availability and accessibility and to help while research can address the question of EO data availability all nations realize the ambitions set out in the 2030 Developto support these SDG 6 targets, data accessibility remains a ment Agenda. But it will take the technical, policy and goverchallenge for many parts of the world. nance worlds coming together in a big way to achieve this.

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WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

CARLSBAD DESALINATION PLANT The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest desalination plant in the United States. Since it began operations in 2015, it produces almost 50 million gallons of fresh water per day using advanced, energy-efficient technology. That is enough for the needs of about 400,000 people or 10% of San Diego County’s water supply, California. Developed as a public-private partnership, the project has obtained several awards for design, implementation and energy efficiency. It was named after Claude “Bud” Lewis, mayor of Carlsbad for 24 years and tireless advocate for water supply reliability projects. Last March it made the headlines as plant staff sheltered on site to ensure the continuity of operations as the corona-

virus outbreak swept the U.S. An initial team of ten workers voluntarily quarantined inside the plant for three-weeks, monitoring and overseeing this critical facility. The shelter-in-place plan was developed in about 10 days to meet the rapidly unfolding coronavirus situation, according to Gilad Cohen, CEO of IDE Americas, in charge of the plant’s operations and maintenance. A second team took over plant operations and locked in placed for an additional three weeks until the end of April. This measure to ensure a safe and reliable drinking water supply was applauded by the community, with residents of all ages expressing their support through creative artwork and inspiring letters.

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WATER & NEWS

SDG

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DRINK GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATED WITH ARSENIC Naturally arsenic in groundwater affects millions of people. A global prediction map was created by Eawag researchers

Global hazard map of groundwater arsenic pollution: Red indicates a high probability. Graphic: Podgorski et al., 2020

Many experts describe the health effects of drinking water contaminated with toxic concentrations of arsenic as the greatest mass poisoning in human history. A risk model developed by Eawag researcher Joel Podgorski now shows that up to 220 million people worldwide could be affected. Arsenic is a metabolic poison that is present in minute quantities in most rock materials and, under certain natural conditions, can accumulate in aquifers and cause adverse health effects. Today, one third of the world’s population obtains its drinking water and water for irrigation from groundwater reserves. Global population growth and water scarcity due to climate change mean that the pressure on this resource is continually increasing. However, many wells are contaminated with natu-

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rally occurring arsenic. When ingested over a long period of time, the metalloid can cause liver, kidney and heart damage as well as cancer. Michael Berg and his team from Eawag's Water Resources and Drinking Water Department have already carried out various studies to determine the extent of arsenic-contaminated groundwater aquifers: Firstly, the researchers found toxic arsenic concentrations in groundwater during field work in Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Amazon region. They then developed regional arsenic risk maps for China, Pakistan and South East Asia. Now researchers led by Eawag geophysicist Joel Podgorski have developed a global risk model. This is based on a self-learning algorithm that is fed with the latest data on geology, soil proper-

ties, climate and around 200,000 specific arsenic concentration measurements. “The result is the most accurate and detailed risk map to date on the global scale of groundwater arsenic pollution,” explains Podgorski, lead author of the study. It has now been published in the renowned journal “Science” and was co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC). The output global map reveals the potential for hazard from arsenic contamination in groundwater, even in many places where there are sparse or no reported measurements. Understanding arsenic hazard is especially essential in areas facing current or future water insecurity. In addition to the geological parameters, figures on population density and statistics on groundwater use are also included in the risk model. The researchers were thus able to calculate that between 94 and 220 million people are potentially affected by arsenic contamination in drinking water. While some hotspots have been known for a long time, such as parts of South and South East Asia, they also identified previously unknown areas. For example, the hazard map shows parts of Central Asia, the Sahel and other regions of Africa as potentially arsenic contaminated regions. However, the models have too low a resolution to determine the arsenic contamination of individual groundwater wells. “These maps serve as a basis for determining where targeted arsenic tests should be conducted,” says Michael Berg.

AFD TO PROVIDE €70 MILLION TO SUSTAINABLY IMPROVE WATER AND SANITATION IN TANZANIA AFD is working hand-in-hand with the Government of Tanzania to support the achievement of its objectives on Water and Sanitation The Government of Tanzania and the French Development Agency (AFD) signed a financing agreement for a 70M€ concessional loan (approximately 180 bn TZS) aiming at improving water supply and sanitation services for the residents of Morogoro Municipality. In Morogoro, about 70% of the population is connected to the drinking water network with an average of about 10 hours of water distribution per day, and less than 5% is connected to the sewerage network. The program’s ultimate goal is to improve inhabitants’ living conditions, the environment, as well as the city’s economic development through the extension and renovation of drinking water and sanitation services. The agreement will give a continuous and sustainable access to a quality water to 90% of the population by 2025 and reduce water losses by 10% through the tripling of the drinking water production capacity of the existing Mafiga water treatment plant and the renovation and extension of storage and distribution network infrastructures. It will also guarantee the sustainability of the water resource by conducting a Water Resource Master Plan which will determine the best options to secure the water resource, including the raising of the Mindu Dam providing 70% of the water consumed in the city and give access to sanitation services to at least 15% of the population by 2025 through the extension and restoration of sewerage networks and waste water treatment facilities.

Kibuuka Mukisa Oscar / AFD

Finally, it will ensure that specific measures are undertaken for low-income households (standpipes or individual connections) It will be implemented by Morogoro Urban Water and Sanitation Authority (MORUWASA), who will benefit from technical assistance in managing investment projects, but also in becoming more effective in its fight against water losses. The water and sanitation sector has historically been one of AFD’s primary sector of intervention in Tanzania with 258 M€ (655 bn TZS) committed to this sector over the last 10 years. AFD is working hand-in-hand with the Government of Tanzania to support the achievement of its objectives on Water and Sanitation derived from the 2nd phase of the ambitious Water

Sector Development Plan towards reaching Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 aiming to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Mrs. Stéphanie Mouen, Country Director of AFD in Tanzania, reaffirmed France’s commitment to support the Government of Tanzania: “This project appears in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic, more useful and urgent than it ever as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities are major elements in the fight against the propagation of the disease. The signing of this project is an important step forward in our cooperation and it is my sincere hope and belief that it will be followed by similar ceremonies for other projects in water, sanitation and energy sectors which could be signed this year, making 2020 a landmark in our cooperation.”

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WATER & NEWS

SDG

PROGRESS ON SDG 6 MONITORING AND REPORTING: THE 2020 DATA DRIVE

WORLD LEADERS CALL FOR ACTION ON WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE TO PREVENT COVID-19

UN agencies provide tested indicator methodologies and support country efforts with technical and institutional strengthening activities

Sanitation and Water for All is planning a follow-up process

Reliable data are essential to achieving the SDGs, as they help to identify who is left behind, and to establish priorities for efforts and investments. When UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, they committed to report on progress, something which ensures accountability. We need to measure in order to manage appropriately, but there are significant gaps in knowledge. Since the SDGs were adopted, there has been at least one round of global data compilation for each of the eleven indicators under SDG 6. The average country reports on about half of those indicators. In fact, for five of the indicators, there isn’t enough data for a global baseline. The UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 (IMISDG6) was set up to coordinate global

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stakeholders on SDG 6 monitoring. A number of UN organisations, known as custodian agencies, are mandated to compile country data on the eleven SDG 6 global indicators. Data gaps stem from shortages in technical capacity, human and financial resources needed to carry out SDG 6 monitoring at the country level. Last March, the IMI-SDG 6 started a second round of data compilation for seven of the SDG 6 indicators, the 2020 Data Drive. There are many stakeholders at the country level: different ministries, basin authorities, or national statistic offices that collect data on water and sanitation. A specific technical focal point is identified for each SDG indicator, to work within and outside their organisation to compile data and report them to custodian agencies.

Heads of State and of UN agencies, International Financial Institutions, and leaders of civil society, private sector and research and learning organizations made the following statement: “Until there is a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, there is no better cure than prevention. Water, sanitation and hand hygiene, together with physical distancing, are central to preventing the spread of COVID-19, and a first line of defence against this serious threat to lives and health systems. Handwashing with water and soap kills the virus but requires access to running water in sufficient quantities. Our response plans – at national, regional and global levels – must therefore prioritize water, sanitation and hygie ne services. Leaders that recognize the role of water, sanitation and hygiene in preventing the spread of COVID-19, will save lives. Leaders that prioritize international collaboration and support, will save lives. We are only as healthy as the most vulnerable members of society, no matter in which country they are.” Coordinated by the global partnership Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), the Call to Action outlines five concrete measures that decision-makers around the world can take to enhance the preventive effects of access to water, sanitation and hygiene in the fight against COVID-19. The Hon. Kevin Rudd, SWA’s High-level Chair, said “access to clean water and sanitation is absolutely crucial to slow the spread of COVID-19. This is particularly important in countries with fragile healthcare systems.”

CLIMATE CHANGE

INTERVIEW

Adopted in 2000, the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) takes an avant-garde approach to protect freshwater ecosystems. Nevertheless, recent data shows that 60 per cent of Europe’s rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands are unhealthy. With climate change causes and impacts increasing, Member States must make a greater effort to achieve good health for these waters by 2027 at the very latest. We speak with Claire Baffert, Senior Water Policy Advisor at WWF, on the current state of

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the WFD and on the newly announced European Green Deal, which sets a series of goals and initiatives for Europe to become the world’s first-climate neutral continent. The European Union has its own water law: the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). What role has it played in Europe’s water management since its adoption in 2000? The Water Framework Directive is one of the EU’s most ambitious and holistic pieces of environmental legislation. It sets the target of bringing all of Europe’s surface and ground waters to good health, defined as “good status”. One of the most visionary elements is the “non-deterioration” principle, under which any project or intervention which would cause a deterioration in water quality, or alter the shape or flow of a water body, is effective against the law.

Thanks to the WFD, we have seen substantial decreases in certain pollutants, such as cadmium, lead and nickel, and the law has also helped ensure a secure water supply for food production and drinking water (the quantitative status of groundwater has improved by about 5% since 2009). The WFD revolutionised water management by requiring governments to tackle it in a broader, more holistic way, instead of focusing on water treatment and distribution alone. The law acknowledges the many elements that impact not just the quality and availability of water - such as the way we manage soil, land, and the various uses that we make of water - but biodiversity as well. In practice, this translates into very concrete things: for instance, on May 20th of this year, Spain's Supreme Court ruled against the construction of the controversial Biscarrués dam located on

WWF

CLAIRE BAFFERT SENIOR WATER POLICY ADVISOR AT WWF

“We need to stop the overexploitation and poor management of Europe's rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams and groundwater” Since the creation of the European Policy Office in 1989, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a leading non-governmental organization, has worked on EU water policy.

Z the emblematic Gállego river in the Aragon region, as it would breach the WFD. The dam’s construction, which was met with protests from numerous civil society groups, would have destroyed a pristine part of the river and affected protected areas which host several endangered bird species. Under the WFD any project that would lead to the deterioration of a water body requires a comprehensive assessment of all alternatives to be carried out, in order to choose the most effective and least environmentally damaging option. This assessment must also consider whether or not there is an overriding public interest. In its ruling over the Biscarrués dam, Spain's Supreme Court affirmed that the possible benefits of the project did not outweigh the environmental cost, as laid out under the WFD. Such rulings help put people and nature first and acknowledge the critical value of healthy rivers for communities.

Olivia Tempest

WWF, along with other NGOs, has been advocating for two years for the Water Framework Directive to be signed off as fit for purpose & better implemented. Where are we in this process? More than 900 days ago, the European Commission launched an independent evaluation of the WFD, known as a "fitness check", to assess whether the law is still the right tool to protect and restore Europe's freshwater ecosystems. This also covered the associated Directives and the Floods Directive. Over the course of the WFD fitness check, 375,000+ European citizens used the public consultation on the WFD (part of the fitness check) to call for the law to be kept in its current form and put all efforts into better implementation. This call was later echoed in a letter to the Commission endorsed by close to 6,000 scientists, who highlighted the critical role of the

WFD in halting and reversing the catastrophic decline in Europe’s freshwater biodiversity. The final conclusions of the fitness-check - published by the European Commission in December 2019 - were clear: the WFD is “fit for purpose”, and all efforts must now go into better implementation and enforcement. Slow progress in achieving the law's objectives was cited as being due to poor implementation and insufficient funding, and "not due to a deficiency in the legislation".

"Currently, 53% of EU rivers and lakes are covered by at least one exemption, many of which are to get approval for more hydropower plants"

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INTERVIEW However, despite the positive conclusions and call from citizens and scientists, the European Commission has still not discarded the possibility of revising the law, creating legal uncertainty, and slowing down implementation even further. The evaluation pointed out that, whilst there have been some improvements in tackling the main pressures on EU freshwater ecosystems, the key challenge remains poor implementation by the Member States and by sectors with a heavy impact on water such as agriculture, energy and transport. The WFD is an extremely ambitious environmental legislation, yet its implementation has been asymmetric in Europe. Why is implementation lagging behind and how to improve it? What countries have successfully enforced this legislation? And what mechanisms have proved effective in doing so? Which countries do you think can improve in this regard? Whilst the specificities vary from country to country, there are two key factors which are slowing down WFD implementation: inadequate financing and low political will. On financing: J Whilst the European Commission has regularly called on the Member States to adjust their water pricing systems to help meet environmental objectives and, more specifically, to recover the costs (financial, environmental and resource costs) of water services, this has not been successful so far.

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J In 2016, the European Investment Bank (EIB) reported that EUR 15 billion per year would be required to comply with WFD requirements in 20142020, on top of the investment needed to upgrade and renew Europe's water and wastewater systems. However, a study released just at the end of May by the OECD shows that the Member States are way off course. The OECD’s analysis estimates that the total cumulative additional expenditures needed by 2030 for water supply and sanitation amounts to EUR 289 billion for the 28 Member States. This does not cover the investments needed to renew infrastructure, nor the expenditure required to en-

sure full compliance with the WFD and the Floods Directive. J The estimated expenditure revealed by the OECD suggests a “business as usual” approach, not the ambition conveyed by the European Green Deal. On political will: J Low political will is clearly demonstrated through Member States’ excessive use (and, often, misuse) of the so-called “exemptions” to the WFD – a flexibility in the law which allows projects to go ahead and which should be used in exceptional cases only. In practice, however, they are being approved left, right and centre to allow many damaging projects to go ahead.

WWF

J 53% of EU rivers and lakes are currently covered by at least one exemption, many of which are to get approval for more hydropower plants. This figure even goes to over 90% in the cases of Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. Another example of the lack of implementation is the overuse of so-called exemptions to the Water Framework Directive – a flexibility in the law which allows projects to go ahead. In theory, this should only be used in exceptional cases, but in practice it is allowing many damaging projects to go ahead. Currently, 53% of EU rivers and lakes are covered by at least one exemption, many

of which are to get approval for more hydropower plants. This figure even goes over 90% in the cases of Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. Countries where the state of water is especially poor are also those employing the most delaying tactics. Member States need to make progress on this point. What are the biggest threats to freshwater ecosystems at the moment? J 60% of Europe’s rivers, lakes and wetlands currently fail to meet the WFD’s standards because of various pressures. J According to the European Environmental Agency, the main pressure on rivers and lakes comes from alterations to

the river flow or shape – what we call “hydromorphological changes or pressures”. J Impounding structures such as dams, built for the purposes of hydropower, or water storage for irrigation or drinking water, are particularly harmful as they disrupt a rivers’ natural flow. In doing so, they stop fish from migrating upstream and downstream, trap sediments that protect riverbanks and deltas against floods and sea level rises, and degrade the habitats of freshwater fauna. J This pressure is far from decreasing: a recent WWF report revealed that, despite Europe already being saturated with hydropower plants (21,000+ currently in operation), 8,785 additional plants are planned or under construction. As most of the space for large plants is already taken, these would mainly be small hydropower plants - over 90% of all the existing and planned hydropower plants are small, meaning that each plant generates at most 10 MW of electricity. As such, the majority of the planned plants are not profitable (and can only be economically viable if supported by public funding) and would be the kiss of death for the last free-flowing rivers in Europe. It is urgent to put a stop to these harmful developments if we want to protect our last pristine rivers. If properly implemented, the Water Framework Directive can prevent most of those projects from being approved, as they are not compatible with water protection. In December, the European Commission announced the European Green Deal. Do you think the deal is ambi-

"We were disappointed that the EU Biodiversity Strategy did not tackle the urgent need to eliminate biodiversityharmful subsidies"

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INTERVIEW

Speeding up the protection and restoration of our rivers, as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy, does require a stable legal framework tious enough when it comes to the protection of water resources? The European Green Deal Communication from December 2019 did not put a major focus on safeguarding water resources and freshwater ecosystems. But the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, which were brought about by the European Green Deal and released on 20 May, show clear commitments to tackle key drivers of biodiversity loss, including freshwater biodiversity. The need for action is urgent: an 83% decline in global freshwater species population has been recorded in the past 50 years and, in Europe, 1 in 3 European freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction. WWF, therefore, welcomes the commitment announced in the EU Biodiversity Strategy to restore 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers through barrier removal and wetland and floodplain restoration and looks

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forward to working with the European Commission on implementing this target. Dam removal enables biodiversity to bounce back remarkably quickly and has many other benefits for resilience to climate change, societies, and the economy. However, we are disappointed that the European Commission did not take the opportunity presented by the Biodiversity Strategy to end the uncertainty over the future of the Water Framework Directive. Speeding up the protection and restoration of our rivers, as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy, does require a stable legal framework, and the absence of a decision regarding the future of the WFD is creating unnecessary uncertainty. We were also disappointed that the EU Biodiversity Strategy did not tackle the urgent need to eliminate biodiversity-harmful subsidies, such as the ones to greenfield hydropower projects destroying our rivers. Regarding drought, what are the EU Member States doing to tackle this phenomenon? Droughts are becoming increasingly common and severe across the entire continent. 2019 was the warmest year on record for Europe, and we saw very tangible consequences for water, with

ships unable to navigate the Rhine River, and even our northernmost countries, like the Baltic region and Sweden, experiencing forest fires, deficits in rainfall and dry soils. And 2020 could also hit some countries hard: the French Ecological Transition Ministry announced in mid-May that more than half of French departments were already now at risk of a summer drought. National authoritiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drought responses are usually reactive rather than preventative (e.g. restricting water use once the drought has already occurred). Whilst this is certainly a piece of the puzzle, there is much more that could and should be done earlier on to mitigate the negative impacts of drought. In order to deal with recurring droughts, you also need

WWF and aquifers, and also buffer temperature changes, modulating associated water stress. River Basin Management Plans, which all Member States are required to submit under the Water Framework Directive, should be used to anticipate the effects of drought and to restore and protect water bodies. The next set of plans, which will cover the period 20222027, are already in preparation. It is essential that the Member States take this planning exercise seriously and ensure enough budget is allocated to sustainable water management.

to address its structural drivers, such as poor water management. There are many instances of poor adaptation to Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increasingly frequent and severe droughts. These can and must be avoided. For example, too often, reservoirs pumping from groundwater are being used to store water - but the water stored there evaporates and is depleting water channels and aquifers that are so much needed in times of drought. What is needed to better tackle the effects of climate change on water resources and freshwater ecosystems? We need to stop the overexploitation and poor management of rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams, and groundwater. For instance, it is striking to see that water

demand from the agricultural sector increased over the course of 2010-2015 in Southern Europe, the area of Europe most affected by water scarcity. Countries that are most affected by water scarcity need to opt for models of water use that prioritise low consumption of water and soil resources, i.e agricultural crops that are adapted to dry environments or industry/energy systems that do not require much water for cooling. Natural, pristine freshwater ecosystems are also more resilient and cope with the impacts of drought far better than artificial or polluted rivers. They help to improve the quality of the soils and are key to mitigating the impacts of climate change. They can help store water and increase infiltration to the soil

Do you think the current health pandemic will deter from measures implemented to protect water resources? The COVID-19 pandemic has put our societies in a situation of extreme vulnerability and highlighted the importance of securing our most vital resources, including clean water. In this sense, we are strongly advocating for investments in the field of water and sanitation to be moved up the priority list. On the positive note, the pandemic has prompted a strong reaction from the EU through its Recovery Package, a significant part of it linked to the European Green Deal. But the challenge is immense. The Recovery Package estimated that 36 billion/year will be needed to achieve a green transformation in the water sectors, but this does not integrate the findings of the aforementioned OECD analysis, nor with the expenditure we know is needed to ensure full compliance with the WFD and Floods directive. So, there is still a long way to go!

"Countries that are most affected by water scarcity need to opt for models of water use that prioritise low consumption of water"

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FEATURE

Z Cistina Novo Pérez Europe has a history of dry periods, which have intensified in some areas of the Mediterranean and the lower Danube region in eastern Europe. But in recent years droughts have been more frequent and severe in the whole continent. Evidence shows that freshwater ecosystems which are not healthy are less able to cope with the effects of drought, heat and floods. The Water Framework Directive, Europe’s umbrella water legislation, requires water bodies to achieve a “good status” by 2027 at the latest. According to the 2018 Assessment of status and pressures by the European Environment Agency, 60% of Europe’s surface waters do not meet this requirement yet. European rivers are heavily regulated by dams to increase water storage capacity for different uses, with agriculture being a major pressure, responsible for about 40% of the water use in the continent. A briefing by WWF, “Good Water management: The heart of Europe’s drought response”, postulates that the reason droughts have become worse is not low rainfall, but overexploitation and poor management of freshwater ecosystems, including surface waters and groundwater. Tackling drought in Europe To date, actions taken by countries are for the most part reactive, once the negative effects of droughts can be felt. But to be effective, actions should be taken when we can still preserve the water provided by freshwater ecosystems. Emergency measures to deal with drought once it occurs,

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such as implementing water restrictions, often come too late. Everyday poor water management - including damaging freshwater ecosystems and using too much water - has consequences that will be felt at some point in the future. For instance, over-allocation of water is common place from the start of the hydrological year, in October in Europe. Authorities allocate available water to different demands, but if precipitation is lower than expected, they end up with an

imbalance between supply and demand. In fact, over-abstraction is an important pressure, affecting 7 per cent of surface waters and 17 per cent of groundwater aquifers, according to the assessment of status and pressures in European waters prepared by the European Environment Agency in 2018. This puts at risk the very reserves that would be needed in case of drought. Reservoirs deserve special mention. Traditionally used to store winter rainfall

GOOD WATER MANAGEMENT

and ensure the water supply throughout the rest of the year, in recent years large dams have not been built in European countries and there are many concerns about their environmental effects. They form part of the hydromorphological pressures that affect 40% of surface water bodies in Europe according to the EEA. WWF claims that by disrupting the natural balance of freshwater ecosystems, they make them more vulnerable to drought.

Road map to resilience Even though progress has been made since the WFD entered into force in December 2000, WWF believes that the Member States have not committed enough resources to ensure water resources are resilient to drought, heat and floods. In order for Europe’s water bodies, including, surface, coastal and transitional waters, as well as groundwater to achieve the WFD’s objectives by the 2027 deadline, strong measures are needed. That is the path to

follow if we want to be able to cope with the pressures ahead. The nexus between water management and climate action is an obvious one. Recurrent drought will become a reality as climate change progresses. Reducing carbon emissions will help decrease the frequency and severity of droughts. But a lot more can be done. We need better water management to address not only the impacts of climate change (adapting by countering the effects of floods and water stress), but also the causes (for example, increasing water efficiency to save energy and thus lower carbon emissions). Nature-based solutions such as wetland protection and restoration play a double role. On one hand, they help address climate impacts, storing water and increasing infiltration to soil and aquifers, but also address the causes, by sequestering carbon in biomass and soils. Successfully addressing drought will depend not only on strong European water policy, but also on national water regulations and plans, and integration of water-related concerns into other sectoral policies, such as agriculture or energy policy at all levels. The River Basin Management Plans are the planning tool in the WFD that enable tackling drought. It is paramount that third cycle RBMP be more effective and ambitious to meet the WFD objective of good status in all European waters by 2027. Restricting the use of exemptions to exceptional cases from this requirement is key, as are to apply the WFD’s “non-deterioration” obligation, the precautionary approach, and the “polluter pays” principle.

Evidence shows that freshwater ecosystems which are not healthy are less able to cope with the effects of drought, heat, and floods

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CLIMATE CHANGE

STUDY SHOWS WETTER CLIMATE IS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY GLOBAL WARMING Predicted precipitation increases could accelerate soil respiration and CO2 release in tropical areas

A study in Nature conducted by an international team led by Dr. Christopher Hein of William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science indicates the increase in rainfall forecast by global climate models is likely to hasten the release of carbon dioxide from tropical soils. “We found that shifts toward a warmer and wetter climate in the drainage basin of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers over the last 18,000 years enhanced rates of soil respiration and decreased stocks of soil carbon,” says Hein. “This has direct implications for Earth’s future, as climate change is likely to increase rainfall in tropical regions, further accelerating respiration of soil carbon, and adding even more CO2 to the atmosphere.” Soil respiration refers to release of carbon dioxide by microbes

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as they decompose and metabolize organic materials on and just below the ground surface. Roots also contribute to soil respiration at night. Sediment cores have revealed a link between precipitation and soil age. The study is based on detailed analysis of sediment cores collected from the ocean floor seaward of the mouth of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in Bangladesh. Here, the world’s largest delta and submarine fan were built by sediments eroded from the Himalayas. More than a billion tons of sediment are deposited each year by the two rivers, recording the environmental history of the GangesBrahmaputra drainage basin during the 18,000 years since the last Ice Age. Researchers have gauged changes though time in the age of the sediments’ parent soils. Their results showed a strong co-

rrelation between runoff rates and soil age—wetter epochs were associated with younger, rapidly respiring soils; while drier, cooler epochs were linked to older soils capable of storing carbon for longer periods. The wetter periods themselves correlate with the strength of the Indian summer monsoon. The magnitude of the correlation corresponds to a near doubling in the rate of soil respiration and carbon turnover in the 2,600 years following the end of the last Ice Age, as India’s summer monsoon strengthened. A small increase in precipitation values corresponds to a much larger decrease in soil age, and small changes in the amount of carbon stored in soils can play an outsized role in modulating atmospheric CO2 and, therefore, global climate, as soils are a primary global reservoir of this element. Earth’s soils hold around 3,500 billion tons—more than four times as much the current concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. Previous research has highlighted the threat that global warming poses to the permafrost soils, whose widespread thawing is thought to be releasing up to 0.6 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year. “We’ve now found a similar climate feedback in the tropics,” says Hein, “and are concerned that enhanced soil respiration due to greater precipitation— itself a response to climate change— will further increase concentrations of CO2 in our atmosphere.”

CLIMATE CHANGE: NOW IS THE MOMENT TO REBUILD BETTER The European Commission’s New Green Deal is the response to climate change challenges, outlining mitigation and adaptation strategies The urgency of actions to recover from the COVID-19 crisis must not deter long-term climate objectives. The recovery efforts must seize the opportunity to increase the resilience of our society, especially to climate impacts. Despite the ambition of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to keep global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide are still growing. If adequate mitigation strategies are not introduced, global warming could reach 3°C or more by the end of this century. The death toll from extreme heat could be 30 times higher and economic damages from flooding, drought and storms could be 15 times higher than today. The COVID-19 crisis will put a dent in the climate targets if the restoration efforts are focused on returning to a pre-crisis status quo. Now is the time to “rebuild better”. This is the moment to introduce ambitious climate mitigation and adaptation measures in the recovery policies. The European Commission has launched an open public consultation to seek stakeholder views for the design of the new adaptation strategy. Published on the same day, a JRC report on climate change impacts and adaptation highlights the potentially devastating effects of climate change, unless mitigation measures are taken and adaptation strategies are implemented to reduce the unavoidable impacts. The study shows that all climate impacts can be reduced significantly if the

mitigation policies outlined in the Paris Agreement are implemented. But mitigation alone is not enough to avoid all adverse climate change impacts. Even if global warming is limited to well below 2°C, there will still be some unavoidable impacts in the EU. The JRC report points to some adaptation strategies to reduce climate change impacts in a cost-efficient way, and to enhance overall resilience to climate change. The analysis shows that the benefits of adaption measures are long lasting and grow over time and with increasing global warming. The European Green Deal is a response to these challenges. With the Green Deal for Europe, the EU strives to keep our planet healthy and aspires to become the first carbon-neutral continent in the world by 2050.

The Commission proposed the first European climate law on 4 March 2020, enshrining the 2050 climate neutrality objective in legislation as well as indicating the way for the EU to meet the adaptation goal set in the Paris Agreement. As part of the European Green Deal, the Commission will adopt a new, more ambitious EU strategy on adaptation to climate change. This is essential, as climate change will continue to create significant stress in Europe in spite of the mitigation efforts. Work on climate adaptation should continue to influence public and private investments, and it will be important to ensure that across the EU, investors, insurers, businesses, cities and citizens are able to access data and to develop instruments to integrate climate change into their risk management practices.

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CLIMATE CHANGE

NEW APPROACH TO HYDROLOGICAL MODELLING APPLICABLE TO EVERY RIVER BASIN IN THE WORLD

LESS WATER COULD SUSTAIN MORE CALIFORNIANS IF WE MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT

The proposed method to estimate the parameters in a hydrological model show promising results which are scalable and derived faster

Climate change and population growth make drinking water costlier

Water managers need to make decisions, either related to the short term, for example ongoing droughts or flood risks, or decisions that affect the long term, related to climate change. All these decisions are often based on hydrological models. Designing a model involves a lot of challenges, in particular, setting up the parameters used to link the behaviour of the model to that of the river. In current hydrological models, the river basin is divided into small cells of, for example, one square kilometre. Until now, the parameter values were determined using calibration methods that were applied to all the model parameters. However, if we increase spatial resolution, this approach becomes a challenge. The parameters of a hydrological model were estimated using exper-

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imental functions from the literature. The functions use information about the locality (soil, vegetation and land use data) to estimate physical properties. Wflow_sbm, a hydrological model developed at Deltares, represents an opportunity to test this approach. It was used in the Rhine, with parameters derived with a level of resolution that was often higher, followed by upscaling with the parameter-specific scaling rules to the model resolution. The results are promising and comparable with the current operational model but they are scalable and derived faster. Experts are working to make the model more robust and scale-independent. The approach could be applied in non-surveyed areas in, for example, developing countries.

Richard Luthy, professor at Standford and director of a National Science Foundation center to re-invent urban water supply analyses in an article California’s water history and options for a sustainable future. He argues that the state is running out of cheap water, and cannot continue relying on traditional water water-coping strategies: overdrafting groundwater, depleting streams and importing water from far away. He proposes a mix of solutions: conservation and efficiency, desalination, stormwater capture, water reuse, and water banking. On the demand side, water conservation is cheap, with no new spending on infrastructure required. But conservation isn’t enough to match population growth. Reducing water leaks is essential, while other measures are needed to increase and diversify the supply. The reuse of non-potable water for irrigation or other purposes has a long history in California. In cities, dual distribution systems will be needed to separate non-potable water from drinking water, but the real future is potable reuse, still in its infancy. Other options proposed are storm water capture before it is poured into the ocean, desalination of brackish waters, and water banking during wet years. Expensive upfront infrastructure is required, but it could be cheaper than costs to import water in the future, even assuming it will be available. “No single one of these measures will work in isolation, but if we plan wisely now, urban water will be available when we need it”, Luthy says.

Hygiene is key for saving lives.

Help us fight coronavirus.

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SPEAKERS' CORNER

“THE LOOMING WATER CRISIS MAY BE HUMANITY’S MOST UNDERRATED CHALLENGE” CHALLENGE” Henrika Thomasson, Director of Communications, Stockholm International Water Institute Henrika Thomasson, Director of Communications at SIWI, tells us about the challenges of communicating about their work: providing advice, raising awareness, and driving collaboration between different actors to strengthen water governance, often behind the scenes.

Cristina Novo

How do you think communication in the water sector has evolved in recent years? I think the topic of water suffers from too many voices advocating their own sub-cause without being able to unify as one. Water has all the characteristics to make it the next big sustainability topic, but to get there, we need an engaging, simple, and unifying call to action. The sector is beginning to realise this now and we see more and more willingness to join forces. Why do you think it is important to communicate about water? The looming water crisis may be humanity’s most underrated challenge. Water stress is a rapidly growing problem in many parts of the world with dangerous consequences for humans and ecosystems. We simply cannot continue to use water as unsustainably as we do, but the awareness of this is low among the general pu-

blic and, consequently, so is the will to solve the problem. Paradoxically, water is also a solution to a number of major threats to the planet and humankind. If we would apply a water lens to critical challenges such as pandemics, climate change, food production, industrial manufacturing, and regional conflicts, we would find a number of cost-effective solutions. Follow the water! What are the most challenging aspects of communicating about SIWI’s work? That we so often work behind the scenes and can’t talk about, or claim credit for the results, is the most challenging aspect! SIWI is as an advisor to governments, cities, and companies in strengthening their policies on water’s use and management. A lot of our work relates to raising knowledge and awareness among decisionmakers, as well as making different groups of stakeholders talk to each other and collaborate. We do this through

research, workshops, training and the development of practical guidelines and tools, where communication is a very important and integrated part of the delivery. Could you highlight one of your organization’s communication success stories? In January 2019, SIWI and the SDG Academy launched the United Nations’ official Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on SDG 6. Almost 6,000 students from over 160 countries enrolled, making it one of the most popular courses ever within the SDG Academy. The MOOC consists of nine sessions presented by leading names from a range of thought-leading organizations. Topics include: Water and the SDGs; climate change; water and ecosystems; water governance, water and sanitation; transboundary water; food and water, and water and energy. The MOOC is still running and continues to attract new students.

Who or what organization inspires you when it comes to ways of communicating? Powerful communication is emotional. It is only when we are touched that we will connect with a message and change our behaviour, but people tend to think that information alone will do the trick. Which it won’t. One of many examples that demonstrate how emotionally charged campaigns are much more impactful is the 2012 Dumb Ways to Die campaign from the Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia, promoting railway safety. It was bold in terms of provocation, with a catchy song and a game that caught on. And it contributed to a 30% reduction in nearmiss accidents. A more recent, inspiring example is Bobi Wine, the Ugandan musician/politician, and his song Corona Virus Alert. The song contains a message on individual behavioural change. Bobi Wine also calls on African governments to improve public healthcare systems.

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MEDIA LIBRARY BY: SWM TEAM SOMETHING TO READ...

A LONG WALK TO WATER Based on the true story of Salva Dut Based on a true story, this New York Times bestseller by Linda Sue Park, tells the story of two young people living in Sudan – one unfolding in 1985 and the other one in 2008 – struggling to find the future they hope for. The author used this book as a platform to support the non-profit organization ‘Water for South Sudan’ created by Salva Dut. SOMETHING TO WATCH...

TENKI NO KO (WEATHERING WITH YOU) Climate control at your service Hodaka, a high school student, decides to leave the island where he lives and start a new life in bustling Tokyo. He finds a job in the city as a writer at the same time as the weather starts to change: rain, storms, floods…While he researches the cause of the phenomenon, he meets Hina, a young woman who can control the weather. SOMETHING TO FEEL...

FEELS LIKE SUMMER Should celebrities do more? “Every day gets hotter than the one before / Running out of water, it’s about to go down”. This soulful tune by Childish Gambino stresses how mankind is destroying the world we live in. To reinforce this message, the animated music video features a wide range of celebrities, including Michelle Obama, which some believe is a subtle way of saying that celebrity culture diverts attention from the devastating effects of global warming.

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