Safe and efficient management of water supply and sanitation systems

This area of work aims at supporting Protocol Parties and other states in ensuring safe and efficient management of water supply and sanitation services, by strengthening national capacity and scaling up the uptake of risk-based management approaches. In particular, capacity is built on water safety plan (WSP) and sanitation safety plan (SSP) approaches, based on existing guidance and tools.
Following the recognition that sanitation-related matters often receive inadequate political and technical attention in the pan-European region, this programme area had an important focus on sanitation during the triennium of 2017-2019 and will continue to have it in future activities for 2020-2022.
There are also close links with the area of work of increasing resilience to climate change, particularly as regards safe management of water and sanitation services during extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, and safe reuse of wastewater. Activities further substantiate and foster the setting of targets towards ensuring the safe management of water and sanitation services and promote cooperation and exchange of experience.
Linkages to the 2030 Agenda and other international commitments – This programme area aligns with and supports the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals 3, on good health and well-being, and 6 on clean water and sanitation, as well as the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health.

Achievements and tools developed in this area

• Increasing policy and technical attention on sanitation-related matters in the pan-European region;
  • First workshop on sanitation in the pan-European region (Bonn, Germany, 12-13 February 2019)
• Providing targeted support  to countries in implementing the key recommendations of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality and the WHO Guidelines on sanitation and health;
• Promoting the broad uptake of risk-based management approaches in policy and practice, including through the organization of national and regional capacity-building activities;
• Furthering international cooperation and the exchange of experience on safe and efficient managementof water and sanitation and extreme weather events.
  • Pan-European Symposium on Water and Sanitation Safety Plans and Extreme Weather Events (Bilthoven, Netherlands, 6-7 April 2017)

Future work

Under the Protocol's programme of work for 2020-2022, activities carried out in this area will:

• Further build capacity at national, sub-regional and regional levels on water safety plan (WSP) and sanitation safety plan (SSP) approaches in policy and practice, also considering climate resilient water and sanitation safety planning;
• Support projects on integrated water and sanitation safety plans, with a focus on small-scale systems;
• Streghten policy and technical efforts on sanitation by:

• Focus policy attention on increasing climate resilience, including by preparing for and responding to extreme weather events.