Transcript Public access to environmental information in water supply and sanitation: sharing good practices, identifying gaps and overcoming challenges Ilya Trombitsky Moldova.

Public access to environmental information in
water supply and sanitation:
sharing good practices, identifying gaps and
overcoming challenges
Ilya Trombitsky
Moldova
Protocol on Water and Health as a source in field
of access to information in potable water and
sanitation issues
• Protocol on Water & Health, duties of Parties
(art. 9):
- Duty to inform public on importance of, and the
relationship between, water management and
public health; …
Art. 10 – Public information
Each Party shall take steps within the framework
of legislation to make available to the public
such information as is held by public authorities
and is reasonably needed to inform public
discussion of:
(c) The promotion of public awareness, education,
training, research, development and information
in accordance with art. 9.
Confidentiality provisions are similar with the
Aarhus Convention
Setting targets and target dates under Protocol –
important process of information and involvement
Example: Moldavian law on potable water (1999)
Article 13. Information on potable water supply
(1)Drinking Water Consumers have the right to
accurate information about its quality, published
in the media.
(2)Periodic reporting of the quality of drinking
water is a duty of enterprises operating drinking
water systems, and bodies exercising state
supervision over the quality of drinking water
with current regulations.
(3)Reporting of interruptions in water supply is free
of charge through the media and is a duty of
enterprise operating drinking water systems.
Role of water supply companies in
information of public
• Water supply companies “Apa Canal” are public
entities and are subjects of Aarhus Convention.
• They regularly place to websites www.acc.md
potable water parameters – 32.
• They have a green tel. line of connection with
consumers and e-mail
• Also Apa Canals regularly answer on information
requests coming from public
Data on ground waters (wells’
water quality)
80% of wells in Moldova have water of bad
quality. Information is open.
Main factors:
• High nitrates (human impact factor)
• High Flour (natural factor)
• High mineralization (natural factor)
Publications: water quality in springs and wells –
important issue for rural population
Clearing House under the Protocol on Water and Health
as a mechanism of information and awareness –
response to Aarhus Convention provisions
Rationale for the activity
•
•
•
Following the provisions of the Protocol on Water and Health, the Parties
shall publish periodically information on the status of water resources quality
and quantity, incidence on water-related diseases; the establishment,
improvement or maintenance of surveillance and early-warning systems
and contingency plans, access to water supply and sanitation and the
development of water-management plans (articles 7 and 10).
The Protocol also establishes that “Each Party shall ensure that public
authorities, in response to a request for other information relevant to the
implementation of this Protocol, make such information available within a
reasonable time to the public, within the framework of national legislation”
(article 10, paragraph 2).
To this end, in Moldova the Joint Order of MoE and MoH No. 91/704
provides the establishment of a Clearing House on the Protocol on Water
and Health and approved also 4 additional targets related to the publication
of data and information (including reports to the Meeting of the Parties to
the Protocol).
Target groups of W&H CH
• (a) public authorities responsible for water management,
drinking water quality monitoring and surveillance, safe
drinking water supply and adequate sanitation
(ministries, central and local agencies, institutions, local
authorities);
• (b) Environmental and health specialists, education
sector,
• (c) Water utilities’ and sanitation facilities’ operators and
Water Associations;
• (d) Local communities and consumers of water and
sanitation services; and
• (e) Environmental and health NGOs.
Информирование молодежи о воде и здоровье
(пример)
What information to be provided in accordance
with the requirements of the Convention?
- All information available for the authorities
with possible confidential exceptions. In
any case the public interest should play a
leading role for final decision on public
access at least on request.
- Water quality comparing with standards,
prices of services.
What are the public needs ?
• In everyday life people should be periodically
informed on water supply services quality
including water quality
• Drafts and Plans, programs, strategies and
projects’ data should be available
• Drinking bottled water parameters
• Information on sanitation and hygiene
Establishing of adequate flow of information to
public authorities
• Cooperation between authorities
(ministries of environment, of health, of
territorial development etc.)
• Separation of duties in issue of water
supply and sanitation
• Establishing of clear rules of information
flow between business, and authorities
• Data registers available to public
Inter-agency cooperation to facilitate data creation,
adequate flow, management, access upon request
and active dissemination
• Clear separation of agencies’ functions in
collection, storage and provision of information
• Establishing and management of data registers
with e-access
• Establishing of Water & Health Clearing House
Application of restrictions in public access
to environmental information
• Despite Water & Health Protocol
establishes limitations on access to
information on water and health, in reality
such restrictions are more theoretical then
practical
The associated costs
• The general approach – free access to
already collected and stored data;
• Payment for information pre-worked on
request
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