Comparative Analysis of Water Sector Reforms
Tracking Progress in Asia and the Pacific
Phase 1- Assessing Water Sector Policies and Reforms - Country Briefs
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea faces many adverse external circumstances such as geographical isolation and frequency of natural disasters, compounded by political instability, law and order problems, and deteriorating social/poverty indicators. The recently developed Joint Country Strategy (ADB/World Bank/AusAID) seeks to arrest the apparent decline. Water issues relate generally to drinking water supply and environmental maintenance, as there is no systematic irrigation and no current plans for hydropower investment.
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NATIONAL POLICIES AND REFORMS
Water supply has received considerable attention in terms of review, policy development and law, but water resources management in general is badly neglected, despite the efforts of the Bureau of Water Resources. Water supply is well administered by the Water Board, which has legal authority for cross-sector activity.
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WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Water resources management in the broad sense receives limited resources and attention, as does management of flood hazards, catchment areas, forests and wetlands. Water quality degradation is severe in places, and water supply projects are attempting to react to this, but regulations with regard to wastewater treatment and effluent discharges are not effectively administered. Management practices are better in other areas, including handling environmental and social effects of projects, and allocation of water to consumptive use.
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IMPROVING WATER SERVICES
Water services are restricted to urban water supply, in which good progress has been made. Major providers generally are autonomous and accountable, with private sector or commercially-based state enterprises in several towns. Service coverage and quality have been low, but are improving with IO-funded investment projects.
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CONSERVING WATER
Tariff structures are set to cover costs rather than manage demand; there is considerable cross-subsidisation and cost-recovery is only partial. Marginal profitability means that facilities may deteriorate without IO-funded investment; in many places, though, there are no subsidies, no revenues, and no service. General levels of education are low, so that there is little education about water issues, including the need for conservation. Regulation of wastewater discharge is provided for, but not much implemented, so that conservation of water quality is adversely affected.
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PROMOTING REGIONAL COOPERATION
PNG's shared river basins are undeveloped, and there are no shared projects and little international/regional engagement. PNG's relationships are largely as a recipient of donor funding, particularly from Australia and also the multilateral development banks. International cooperation generally is via a few senior and qualified individuals.
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FOSTERING PARTICIPATION; CAPACITY BUILDING; NETWORKING
There is some unstructured engagement of NGOs, particularly in rural WSS, and IO/NGO/donor-funded projects generally make provision for participation in project design. There is growing recognition that sustainability requires participation; however, women in practice still have a low level of involvement in water-related matters, despite formal recognition of their role. Capacity building tends to focus on technical and professional staff of government agencies, but there is growing effort to train beneficiaries in hygiene etc. Networking is limited, except for individuals with contacts in donor countries, particularly in Australasia.
Topics 
Water 
