Poverty Reduction and Water Management - Joint Agency Paper on Poverty Environment Partnership
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THIS REPORT IS UNDER DRAFT (Jan 06)
Publication Title | Poverty Environment Partnership - Joint Agency Paper on Poverty Reduction and Water Management |
Publication Type | PEP (Poverty Environment Partnership) Report: Joint Agency Paper
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Author(s) | The Poverty-Environment Partnership - PEP (UNDP leads)
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Publication Date | UNDER DRAFT - last version: Oct 05
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ISBN-ISSN-EAN | |
Publication URL | |
Contact | |
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Contents |
Summary
This report analyses the relationship between water management and poverty reduction. All aspects of poverty are considered: this is reflected in the analysis of water’s potential contribution to all of the MDGs, not just those related to water...
The report builds on the conceptual framework developed in earlier PEP reports through the detailed analysis of the contribution of different aspects of water management to four key dimensions of poverty reduction: Enhanced livelihoods security; Reduced health risks; Reduced vulnerability; Pro-poor economic growth.
To enhace water management's contribution to poverty reduction, the following are the six key areas of interest:
- Pro-Poor Water Governance. Strengthen pro-poor water governance through water policies, laws, social empowerment, and information management.
- Improved Access to Quality Water Services. Increase the access of the poor to water services: drinking water supply (with hygiene and sanitation), irrigation and drainage, and other areas.
- Pro-Poor Economic Growth and Livelihood Improvement. Increase investments in sectors that generate income for poor communities. Strengthen the asset base of the poor and develop livelihood diversification opportunities.
- Community Capacity Building and Empowerment. Invest in capacity building in poor communities to help them improve the management of their water resources.
- Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Improve the resilience of the poor to water-related disasters through forecasting, relief and recovery systems and structural and non-structural investments in prevention, adaptation and mitigation.
- Management of the Environment. Maintain ecological integrity and introduce sustainable natural resource management arrangements with the participation of the poor, particularly in the upper watersheds, wetlands, and other common property resources.
These areas of water management need to be linked to wider poverty reduction processes at national and local levels: this is the key approach to integrated water resources management: it is part of a wider process of poverty reduction and sustainable development. Key challenges that remain though include:
- Achieving the sanitation targets: there is little prospect of many countries reaching the sanitation MDG without major changes in their approach and allocation of resources.
- Doing infrastructure right: substantial new investments in water control infrastructure are needed, but these need to be part of a package of structural and non-structural measures that includes social and environmental safeguards.
- Finding the finance: innovations in financing the water sector are essential if the potential of water in poverty reduction is to be realised.
- Water as a right: the issue of water as a right is discussed, recognising it as a major area of disagreement internationally with strong arguments on both sides.
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