Pictures of the Future      Spring 2005

"We Will Achieve the UN’s Development Goals"

Many people in developed countries didn’t fully realize the problem of clean water supplies until the tsunami devastated large parts of Southeast Asia. In the aftermath of the catastrophe, UN-coordinator Jan Egeland noted that polluted water could cause an even greater disaster than the tsunami itself. Do you think there is now a better chance to change people’s ideas about drinking water?

Day: Yes, it’s true that the tragic events of December 26, 2004 served to underline our dependence on clean drinking water and good sanitation. However, already in the Millennium development goals agreed at the level of the UN in 2000 you’ll find a commitment to halve, by 2015, the number of persons without access to clean drinking water (currently 1.2 billion) and to halve the numbers without appropriate sanitation (currently 2.4 billion). At the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002, the European Union gave a very high profile to water issues and launched the EU Water Initiative as its contribution to achieving the water-related millennium development goals. The EU already dedicates over 1 billion euros per annum to water projects. Since Johannesburg we have allocated an additional 250 million euros to water issues in the African, Caribbean and Pacific areas.

In contrast with many other countries, most people in the EU have access to clean water. Where do you still see a need to take action?

Day: There is the challenge of the new member states, where in some cases connection rates to public water supplies and wastewater treatment facilities are still rather low. In some areas pollution of local water supplies by nitrates is especially acute. We also have to be alert to emerging and important issues such as endocrine disruptors. Over the next two to three years we will work on a review of existing EU drinking water legislation. At present the approach is focused on end-of-pipe monitoring of water quality. In the future we will put more emphasis on system controls and management practice.

Like other regions, Europe faces a changing climate and declining ground­water levels. Could EU countries—especially in southern Europe—soon face water shortages?

Day: Water stress is already a major issue for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy as well as southern France. We need a comprehensive approach to the management of water resources and in particular in order to achieve a proper balance between supply and demand. Appropriate pricing structures and the principle of cost recovery will be part of achieving this objective. With regard to agricultural irrigation, we will need to invest in drip/proximity delivery systems as well as increasing the volume of wastewater that is reused. An integrated approach to the management of water resources in each river basin will also promote a more adaptive approach to the protection and conservation of our water resources. Cost recovery and integrated water management are key features of the EU Water Framework Directive, which became effective in 2000.

Siemens sees clean water supplies as a future-oriented business. Could you define the role of Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) in this context in the EU and worldwide?

Day: PPPs have a potentially important role to play. Especially in developing countries, we will need new and innovative funding models in order to reach our goals. Wherever PPPs are used there needs to be a proper infrastructure (legal, financial and administrative) to ensure that the right balance is achieved between public and private interests.

Looking to the future, in view of growing population and accelerating urbaniza­tion in many regions, what do you think the worldwide water supply situation will be like in 10 to 15 years?

Day: In Europe there will be greater uncertainty regarding precipitation because of the problem of climate change. This means we may have more floods and more droughts. However, on the positive side, full implementation of the water framework directive will result in significant improvements to the ecological and chemical status of our surface water and groundwater. We’ll also be working hard to identify innovative and more cost-effective technical solutions for production of drinking water and treatment of wastewater. At a global level, I expect to see significant progress in relation to the provision of drinking water and sanitation, and I believe we will achieve the United Nations’ Millennium development goals. However, the greater frequency of floods and droughts may result in increased political tension and competition for water resources in specific regions. That is why we need to work intensively to develop gover­nance arrangements that will enable cross-border water issues to be addressed equitably.

                                                                          Interview conducted by Florian Martini