Waste Not, Want Not
Harnessing Wastewater for Economic and Environmental Gains |
Given the lack of suitable water for drinking, agriculture, or industry, more and more attention has shifted to the proper treatment and reuse of wastewater as a viable strategy for sustaining the world’s limited water resources. But wastewater management, while already a huge issue in the region, remains in dire need of investments and greater actions on the ground. This issue shows the different initiatives taken by various countries to harness wastewater for their livelihoods and environment. It also lists ADB’s operations in wastewater management, which puts it in a strategic position to help in both small and large scale interventions.
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Water Champion Maria Sevilla on Decentralized Wastewater Management: Big Results from Small Solutions
From "I don't care" to "I care and I pay," Liloan's populace changed their views when dealing with water pollution in their coastal town. A decentralized wastewater treatment facility solved the problem, and drastically improved the town's health, sanitation, and tourism situations. "But we only keep the ends if we sustain the means," says Liloan Mayor Maria Sevilla, hence the town's dedicated pursuit of cost recovery measures to sustain the facility's operations.
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Australia: Squeezing Wine from Wastewater—Lessons in Reuse
Wine from wastewater doesn't exactly sound palatable but wastewater is what grape growers in South Australia used when their groundwater and soil started drying up, leading to declining crop yields and property values. They soon discovered that the right treatment, regulatory framework, tariff structures, and financing partners can transform wastewater into safe and affordable irrigation water. |
People's Republic of China (PRC): Private Funds for Cleaner Water
PRC's need to manage its wastewater grows more urgent each day. The country’s 11th Five-Year plan includes the ambitious target of constructing wastewater treatment plants throughout the country, a bold move requiring an estimated US$30 billion in investments. Can PRC rely on its experience with private sector partners to meet this target? |
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Philippines: Smart Sanitation Cleans Liloan's Coast
Sublime beaches used to attract tourists to Liloan, a small town in Cebu Island-until the coastal waters turned dangerously dirty due to wastewater being discharged straight into the sea. A decentralized wastewater treatment facility saved the coast from pollution before it was too late. But can the town sustain this solution to their sanitation problem? |
Philippines: Using Solid Waste to Treat Water Waste
Environmental engineers have devised a decentralized wastewater treatment system using junk to help stop the Philippines' wastewater overflow. Chemical engineer and inventor Wilfredo Jose says, "Effluent must be treated at all costs." Pilot-test results are positive, but replication and upscaling remain challenging. Will this new technology from trash help solve the wastewater problem in local communities? |
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ADB's Wastewater Operations: Completed and Ongoing Projects
ADB’s wastewater operations cover various aspects—from sewerage and drainage improvement in India, to provision of septage treatment facilities in the Philippines, to flood reduction in storm water drainage areas in the People’s Republic of China. Find out more about these projects. |
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| News |
 ADB's New Facility to Raise $100 million for Water
A new Water Financing Partnership Facility (WFPF), approved by ADB in December 2006, seeks to raise $100 million in grant cofinancing by 2008 to support the Water Financing Program 2006-2010. Roughly 70% of the resources will support country-based demonstration projects, and 30% for knowledge, capacity development, innovation services, collaboration with civil society, and regional cooperation. |
 ADB, UN-HABITAT Strengthen Partnership for Urban Poor
ADB and UN-HABITAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen its partnership to increase investments in water supply and sanitation for Asia's urban poor. The partnership, which carries the Water for Asian Cities Program, will extend to 2011, as grant funds double to $20 million from the $10 million committed in 2003 when the partnership began. |
 NARBO Concludes 4th Water Rights and Allocation Workshop
The Network of Asian River Basin Organizations' fourth thematic workshop on water rights and water allocation was held in January in Japan. Earlier workshops were held in Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Thailand in 2005-2006. The workshops discussed problems, causes, solution strategies, and country action programs to address water rights and water allocation challenges in Asia. A knowledge product will be prepared to disseminate the outcomes.
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 ADB VP Calls for Strong Leadership, Better Governance on Water Management
"When people speak about a water crisis, it is in most cases a crisis of water governance," says ADB Vice-President Khempheng Pholsena at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in January. Pholsena called for strong government leadership and healthy stakeholder participation through Integrated Water Resources Management to ensure progress and improved governance of Asia's water sector. |
 India: Water Utilities to Collaborate on Benchmarking
ADB and the Government of India have begun a benchmarking program for 30 selected water utilities in the country. The program aims to facilitate the design and implementation of urban projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. An inception workshop was held in Chennai, and a concluding workshop is scheduled in May. |
 Indonesia: ADB to Strengthen Traditional Water User Groups in Aceh
"We are very proud to have been entrusted to rehabilitate a section of our irrigation scheme," says Hazairin, Head of Putra Baruna water users associations in Aceh. A $31.5 million ADB grant for rehabilitating irrigation systems in Aceh and Nias following the 2004 tsunami will directly involve communities through water users associations to ensure local ownership. |
 Indonesia: ADB Funds Water Quality Study in West Tarum Canal
Urbanization has brought pollution to the Citarum River Basin and its tributaries. ADB is funding a water quality management study in the basin's West Tarum Canal, which provides 80% of Jakarta's freshwater supply. ADB's Christopher Morris says, "The government is now taking a basin-wide approach to improving water and natural resources management in the Citarum basin." |
 Philippines: $42.8 Million Assistance Package to Help Improve Marine Resources and Coastal Livelihoods
A $33.8 million loan and a $9 million grant from ADB will help safeguard the Philippines' fragile marine ecosystem by improving coastal resource management and boosting fisherfolk's livelihoods. ADB's M. Jamilur Rahman says, "The project will directly address threats to major coastal ecosystems to improve fishing catches in the coastal waters and address environmental degradation." |
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People's Republic of China: New Irrigation Technology Helps Korla City Battle Desert Storms
Korla city's rise from the Taklamakan desert in the 1950s was hailed as a triumph of human willpower over adverse nature. Since then, however, the city has been fighting the encroaching desert and its ferocious sandstorms. Can Korla's new irrigation technology sustain the trees that were planted to combat desertification and protect the oil-rich city? |
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Kyrgyz Parliament Mulls over Selling Water to Uzbekistan
To tax or not to tax-Kyrgyz Republic parliamentarians are mulling this question in connection with Uzbekistan's use of their water resources. Uzbekistan is planning to raise fuel prices, which would directly impact on the Kyrgyz Republic's energy sector. Can the country's use of water as a bargaining chip stop this brewing conflict? |
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ADB Review Water Issue
The latest issue of ADB Review focuses on the Water Financing Program 2006-2010—its rationale, three-pronged approach to water projects, and the prospects of the six initial WFP target countries in terms of doubling their water investments. For free copies, e-mail water@adb.org. |
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CD-ROM: Smarter Sanitation
"Smarter Sanitation" is the key to cleaner cities. ADB's new electronic toolkit offers information on sanitation policies, financing, community participation and options for technologies. It includes SANEX™—a high-powered software for assessing and planning sanitation systems, which national and local implementers will find useful. Get a free copy. |
| 14-16 March |
Water Financing Program Conference in Viet Nam
A follow-up to ADB's Water Financing Program Conference in 2006, this in-country conference will help beef-up Viet Nam's water sector roadmap by identifying issues, key interventions, and specific projects to be included in ADB-supported pipelined projects for 2008-2010. |
| 22 March |
World Day for Water 2007: Coping with Water Scarcity
The UN will celebrate this year's World Water Day with the theme "Coping with Water Scarcity" to highlight the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient, and equitable management of scarce water resources. |
| 18-20 April |
IBC Asia's 3rd annual conference on Water & Wastewater Management
This conference will provide a forum for information exchange on water and wastewater treatment processes and solutions, and advances in technology, knowledge, and strategies for optimum water utilization. |
| 19-20 April |
China Water Congress 2007
The Congress will bring together water sector experts, investors, operators, and the private sector to discuss the wide range of options and possibilities for the water market in the People's Republic of China. |
| 14-16 May |
Second SEAWUN Convention on Management Capacity Building and Performance Improvements for South East Asian Water Utilities
To continue improving water supply and sanitation services, the South East Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) will hold its second convention on Management Capacity Building and Performance Improvements for Southeast Asian Utilities. |
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issues that affect the pace of development.
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