WECF in Istanbul: The Way Forward in the 21st Century
WECF Panel Debate on Sanitation during European Regional Session
18.03.2009 |WECF Press Release
Sascha Gabizon of WECF opens panel during European Regional Session at World Water Forum, Istanbul
Sanitation is identified as one of the key issues in the European regional process. While the majority of Western Europeans have access to sanitation and properly functioning waste water treatment, there are still many who remain not served by adequate systems. The challenges of providing proper sanitation for all was the topic of the second part of the European Region Session at the World Water Forum in Istanbul.
“Providing sanitation for the ten million inhabitants of Paris means treating 4 million cubic waste water per day” says Jean Duchemin of Agence de l‘Eau Seine Normandie at the panel debate on sanitation organized by WECF, Women in Europe for a Common Future, during the Session.The construction and operation of the big wastewater treatment plant Achères of Paris led to considerable improvements of the Seine water quality including the success that different fishes came back again. Sociologic surveys in France showed that a majority of people appreciate strongly free access to water and seminatural blue-green spaces bringing some refreshing breath in the mineral scenery of the city, but are not really aware of the need of continuity for river’s life and aquatic biodiversity.
Peter Cook of the European Water Association warns that not sufficiently is being invested to maintain and renovate the existing sewerage systems. And Thomas Zeller of Switzerland said that we need to raise awareness with parliamentarians that such investments are necessary and might require an increase of taxes.
“We do not need centralized systems under all conditions”, comments Helmut Bloech from the European Commission, “we need to invest in decentralized innovative sanitation solutions, such as dry ecological toilets or wastewater and reed-plants, as long as they reach their aim of decent sanitation and hygiene, and not pollute your neighbour’s garden”
Marga Kool, president of the Water Board Rees&Wieden, the Netherlands, explains that Dutch waste water treatment companies are looking at ways to reduce cost and be more efficient, looking at decentralized semi collective systems and that her water board is currently testing diversion of urine at the source, so as to reuse the nutrients in urine which provide a highly valuable fertilizer. First neighbourhoods in the Dutch city of Meppel have been built separate toilet seats to collect urine. “We have to go back to the future, we want to copy the past in a high tech way. Using urine as a resource and a source of income. Our conventional system is not sustainable”.
Galina Budu from the NGO SEE explains that in Moldova there is almost no sewerage system in rural villages and that therefore they have been implementing international organizations decentralized “ecosan” systems for schools. The cost of these dry urine diverting toilets are a fraction of what a connection to a sewer would cost, and they achieve the same aim: dignified sanitation as well as the protection of health and the environment.
Participants from the floor asked why the European Commission could not improve its legislation to assure sanitation for rural areas. Helmut Blöch of the European Commission responded that the European Water Framework Directive imposes on all the states to protect every water source, also in the rural areas, and in not doing so, Member States could end up in the Court of Justice. However he thinks that money could better be spent on creating knowledge on innovative decentralized solutions available for rural areas.
More information on WECF’s activities in Istanbul can be found on www.wecf.eu
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