Series:

OECD Report

24 total works

Cover of Meeting the Water Reform Challenge
Water policies around the world are in urgent need of reform. Despite improvements in some sectors and countries, progress on meeting national, regional and international goals for managing and securing access to water for all has been uneven. Rallying policymakers around a positive water reform agenda needs to be a high priority and calls for strong political commitment and leadership.


This report on Meeting the Water Reform Challenge brings together key insights from recent OECD work and identifies the priority areas where governments need to focus their reform efforts. It calls for governments to focus on getting the basics of water policy right. Sustainable financing, effective governance, and coherence between water and sectoral policies are the building blocks of successful reform.

Cover of Water Quality and Agriculture
This report on Water Quality and Agriculture examines the linkages between agriculture and water quality. It discusses the overall trends and outlook for agriculture and water quality in OECD countries; describes recent actions by policy makers to address water quality issues in agriculture; and provides a set of recommendations for countries to meet the challenge of improving agricultural water quality.

Cover of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set
Special Offer: OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set


Purchase all four reports together and save over 30% on buying separately.



Includes:
  • Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Agriculture - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), March 2010. ISBN: 9781843393658
  • Managing Water for All - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), March 2009. ISBN: 9781843392798
  • Water Security for Better Lives - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), January 2014. ISBN: 9781780405766
  • Climate Change, Water and Agriculture: Towards Resilient Systems - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), September 2014. ISBN: 9781780406602

Cover of Innovative Financing Mechanisms for the Water Sector
Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately!


This report examines innovative mechanisms that can help attract new financial resources into water and sanitation services. In particular, it focuses on mobilising market-based repayable financing (such as loans, bonds and equity) as a way of bridging the financial gap to meet the water-related Millennium Development Goals and other crucial sector objectives.



The Camdessus and Gurria reports, published seven and four years ago, respectively, formulated a number of recommendations in this area. This report examines the extent to which these recommendations have been implemented. It looks at the rapidly evolving global context and to the ongoing financial and economic crisis, and considers how innovation in financing for the water sector may need to adapt.



Further reading: Managing Water for All (2009); Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure: OECD Checklist for Public Action (2009); Social Issues in the Provision and Pricing of Water Services (2003); The Price of Water: Trends in OECD Countries (1999);



Visit http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/UsefulResourcesforDevelopingCountries_0 to access the OECD area on the IWA WaterWiki

Cover of Pricing Water Resources and Water and Sanitation Services
Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately!


In both OECD and non-OECD countries the water sector is facing the challenges of increased competition for water resources, deteriorating water quality, and the effects of climate change and poor management. In this context, how can countries ensure access to adequate, sustainable and affordable water and sanitation services for all? Pricing water-related services is an essential part of the answer.



This report compiles reliable and comparable data on pricing water and on water supply and sanitation services across OECD countries. It sheds additional light on such policy issues as the choice of tariff structures for water services, cost recovery for water services and affordability.



Further reading: Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Agriculture (2010); Managing Water for All (2009); Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure: OECD Checklist for Public Action (2009); Social Issues in the Provision and Pricing of Water Services (2003);The Price of Water: Trends in OECD Countries (1999)



Visit http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/UsefulResourcesforDevelopingCountries_0 to access the OECD area on the IWA WaterWiki

Cover of International Regulatory Co-operation
The world is becoming increasingly global. This raises important challenges for regulatory processes which still largely emanate from domestic jurisdictions. In order to eliminate unnecessary regulatory divergences and to address the global challenges pertaining to systemic risks, the environment, and human health and safety, governments increasingly seek to better articulate regulations across borders and to ensure greater enforcement of rules. But, surprisingly, the gains that can be achieved through greater co-ordination of rules and their application across jurisdictions remain largely under-analysed.


This volume complements the stocktaking report on International Regulatory Co-operation: Rules for a Global World by providing evidence on regulatory co-operation in the area of transboundary water management and through the fast development of transnational private regulation.

Cover of Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Agriculture
Part of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately!


Agriculture is the major user of water in most countries. It also faces the enormous challenge of producing almost 50% more food by 2030 and doubling production by 2050. This will likely need to be achieved with less water, mainly because of growing pressures from urbanisation, industrialisation and climate change. In this context, it will be important in future for farmers to receive the right signals to increase water use efficiency and improve agricultural water management, while preserving aquatic ecosystems.



This report calls on policy makers to recognise the complexity and diversity of water resource management in agriculture and the wide range of issues at stake. And it gives them the tools to do so, offering a wealth of information on recent trends and the outlook for water resource use in agriculture, including the impacts of climate change. It examines the policy experiences of OECD countries in managing their water resources for agriculture, with focus on: the extent to which countries subsidise the supply of water to farmers; flood and drought risk policies; and institutional organisation and governance as it relates to water and the agricultural sector.



The report offers concrete recommendations on what countries should be doing and why. The analysis is supported by data from an OECD questionnaire about agricultural water resource management and by background reports on:
  • Agricultural water pricing in Australia, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Turkey and the United States
  • Financing water management and infrastructure related to agriculture
  • Policy issues concerning agriculture's role in flood adaptation and mitigation
  • Experiences and lessons from the Australian water reform programme
  • Economic analysis of the virtual water and water footprint concepts in relation to the agri-food sector


The questionnaire and reports can be accessed at www.sourceoecd.org, as well as at www.oecd.org/agr/env and www.oecd.org/water.



Co-Published with the OECD

Cover of Improving Water Management
This publication brings together the recent work of the OECD on water management issues. It identifies the main policy challenges addressed by that work for sustainable water management. Among the issues discussed are: performance of water management policies in OECD countries; water pricing; financing of water and wastewater infrastructure; water-related development co-operation; the social aspects of water pricing; biochemical technologies for improving water quality; and aid to the water supply and sanitation sector.   This book is out of print and is unavailable to purchase at this time.

Cover of Climate Change, Water and Agriculture
This report analyses the adaptive capacity in agricultural water management, adaptation in agriculture to water variability and extreme events, (floods and droughts), mitigation, (water and energy) and uncertainty about further climate change.

Cover of Managing Water for All
Part of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately! 


Water is a key prerequisite for human and economic development, and for maintaining ecosystems. However, billions of people lack access to water and sanitation services, mainly due to poor governance and inadequate investment and maintenance. The situation is becoming more urgent due to increasing pressure, competition and even conflict over the use of water resources. The OECD has been working over the last two years to address these challenges. The results are summarised in this report, which emphasises the economic and financial aspects of water resources management and water service provision, the need for an integrated approach (including governance considerations) to address these complex policy challenges, and the importance of establishing a firm evidence base to support policy development and implementation. 



This report examines: strategic financial planning for water supply and sanitation that balances the key sources of revenues for the water sector – the “3Ts” of taxes, tariffs and transfers; the design and implementation of water pricing strategies that balance financial sustainability with other policy objectives; recent developments in private sector participation in the water sector; and trends and the future outlook of water use in agriculture. It considers both developing and OECD countries and offers concrete recommendations and checklists for action. The report is an invaluable resource for policy makers, academics, NGOs and all others interested in the challenges facing the water sector today.

Cover of Aid Activities in Support of Water Supply and Sanitation
Available as eBook only


Part of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately!



This publication presents comprehensive statistics on aid flows in support of water supply and sanitation for the years 2001-2006, including trends in donors' aid and the degree of targeting of countries most in need. Individual donor profiles provide summary statistics in the form of charts and tables, and descriptions of donors' development co-operation policies in the water sector. The publication also records the relevant aid activities reported by DAC members and multilateral institutions to the CRS Aid Activity database (Creditor Reporting System). The information is based on individual commitments and disbursements of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to water supply and sanitation.



This edition is the product of collaboration between the Secretariat of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the World Water Council (WWC).



This title is Co-Published with the OECD

Cover of Water Resources Allocation
Competition for water is intensifying and in many countries water is already over-allocated. This work reviews the prevailing allocation regimes in OECD countries and provides policy guidance on shifting toward more sustainable ones. Lessons can be learned from countries that have attempted to reform water allocation regimes, a particularly difficult political challenge.

Cover of The Governance of Water Regulators
The establishment of dedicated regulatory bodies in charge of regulating water services, whilst being recent, is nevertheless a consistent trend among OECD and non-OECD countries. This report presents a picture as of September 2014 of the governance arrangements, operational modalities and use of regulatory tools across a sample of 34 established water regulators. It relies on the OECD Best Practice Principles for Regulatory Policy: The Governance of Regulators to structure the information collected through a survey exercise. It has been developed in close co-operation with the OECD Network of Economic Regulators (NER).


The results from the survey show that the 34 water regulators show generally a high level of adoption of good governance principles and practices. They display functions and powers that are in line with their objectives. Water regulators also show a strong culture of consultation. Other areas, in particular evaluation of regulatory impacts, could be further strengthened.

Cover of Meeting the Challenge of Financing Water and Sanitation
The investments needed to deliver sustainable water and sanitation services, including the funds that are needed to operate and maintain the infrastructure, expand their coverage and upgrade service delivery to meet current social and environmental expectations, are huge. Yet, most systems are underfunded with dire consequences for water and sanitation users, especially the poorest. Providing sustainable drinking water supply and sanitation services requires sound financial basis and strategic financial planning to ensure that existing and future financial resources are commensurate with investment needs as well as the costs of operating and maintaining services.


Some of the key messages of this report are:
  • WSS generate substantial benefits for the economy
  • Investment needs to generate these benefits are large in both OECD and developing countries
  • Tariffs are a preferred funding source, but public budgets and ODA will have a role to play, too
  • Markets-based repayable finance is needed to cover high up-front capital investment costs
  • Strategic financial planning and other OECD tools can help Governments move forward

Cover of Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure
Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately!


Many countries have sought the involvement of the private sector to upgrade and develop their water and sanitation infrastructure and improve the efficiency of water systems. However, high capital intensity, large initial outlays, long pay-back periods, immobility of assets and low rates of return generate high risks. These factors, when combined with poor initial information and weak investment environment, limit the scale of private sector participation in water and sanitation infrastructure.



Recognising this, the OECD has developed practical guidance, building on the OECD Principles for Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure, to help governments and other stakeholders to assess and manage the implications of involving private actors in the financing, development and management of water and sanitation infrastructure. The resulting OECD Checklist for Public Action provides a coherent catalogue of policy directions for consideration by governments, including appropriate allocation of roles, risks and responsibilities, framework conditions and contractual arrangements necessary to make the best of private sector participation and harness more effectively the capacities of all stakeholders.



This title is co-published with the OECD



See also: Public and Private Participation in the Water and Wastewater Sector - Developing Sustainable Legal Mechanisms, Cledan Mandri-Perrott, 2009; Public Private Partnerships in the Water Sector, Innovation and Financial Sustainability, Cledan Mandri-Perrott and David Stiggers, 2012

Cover of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set
Special Offer: OECD Water Policy & Finance Set


Purchase all four reports together and save over 30% on buying separately.



Includes:
  • Benefits of Investing in Water and Sanitation - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), April 2011. ISBN: 9781780400112
  • Innovative Financing Mechanisms for the Water Sector - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), March 2010. ISBN: 9781843393672
  • Pricing Water Resources and Water and Sanitation Services - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), March 2010. ISBN: 9781843393665
  • Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), March 2009. ISBN: 9781843392712

Cover of The Ocean Economy in 2030
This report explores the growth prospects for the ocean economy, its capacity for future employment creation and innovation, and its role in addressing global challenges. Special attention is devoted to the emerging ocean-based industries in light of their high growth and innovation potential, and contribution to addressing challenges such as energy security, environment, climate change and food security.The report examines the risks and uncertainties surrounding the future development of ocean industries, the innovations required in science and technology to support their progress, their potential contribution to green growth and some of the implications for ocean management. Finally, and looking across the future ocean economy as a whole, it explores possible avenues for action that could boost its long-term development prospects while managing the use of the ocean itself in responsible, sustainable ways. This book belongs to the OECD Report Series

Cover of Stakeholder Engagement for Inclusive Water Governance
This report assesses the current trends, drivers, obstacles, mechanisms, impacts, costs and benefits of stakeholder engagement in the water sector. It builds on empirical data collected through an extensive survey across 215 stakeholders, within and outside the water sector, and 69 case studies collected worldwide. It highlights the increasing importance of stakeholder engagement in the water sector as a principle of good governance and the need for better understanding of the pressing and emerging issues related to stakeholder engagement. These include: the shift of power across stakeholders; the arrival of new entrants that ought to be considered; the external and internal drivers that have triggered engagement processes; innovative tools that have emerged to manage the interface between multiple players, and types of costs and benefits incurred by engagement at policy and project levels.


This report provides pragmatic policy guidance to decision makers and practitioners in the form of key principles and a Checklist for Public Action with indicators, international references and self-assessment questions, which together can help policy makers to set up the appropriate framework conditions needed to yield the short and long-term benefits of stakeholder engagement.

Cover of Water and Cities
This report focuses on the urban water management challenges facing cities across OECD countries, and explores both national and local policy responses with respect to water-risk exposure, the state of urban infrastructures and dynamics, and institutional and governance architectures. The analyses focus on four mutually dependent dimensions - finance, innovation, urban-rural co-operation and governance - and proposes a solutions-oriented typology based on urban characteristics. The report underlines that sustainable urban water management will depend on collaboration across different tiers of government working together with local initiatives and stakeholders.

Cover of Water and Agriculture
Part of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately! Agriculture is a major user of water and is responsible for much of its pollution. But the agricultural sector faces increasing competition for scarce water supplies from urban and industrial users and, increasingly, to sustain ecosystems. The 21st century could see ever more extreme weather events, from floods to droughts, which could have significant impacts on where farms are located and what they produce. There is growing interest by both governments and the private sector in expanding the role of markets to allocate water used by all sectors, including agriculture, and to get producers to account for the pollution that their sector generates. But how can these objectives be achieved so that farmers can both efficiently produce enough food while ensuring that sufficient water is available for environmental needs? What is the role for different types of policies, management practices and property rights? What are governments actually doing and how effective are their actions? The OECD Workshop on Water and Agriculture addressed these questions. It concluded that countries must make greater efforts to develop policy mechanisms to take into account the economic, environmental and social costs and benefits of water used in agriculture, and to ensure that it is sustainable in the long run. The Workshop recognised that countries are at very different stages in developing water pricing and trading systems, and that a wide range of ownership, regulation and management practices prevail across countries. Policies need to reflect these differences across countries, but the involvement of stakeholders in developing, designing and implementing policies and approaches is crucial everywhere.