Water and Health: Where Science Meets Policy

2010 International ConferenceChapel Hill, NC

23 October 2010Jamie Bartram

Director, The Water InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill

BackgroundThe status quo:Reducing water quantityFailing infrastructurePollution

Diminishing water quality in many areas around the world is resulting in adverse public health outcomes.

Need for a comprehensive report…

BackgroundIWA seeks to support water sector professionals by

developing analytical frameworks and knowledge pieces

This is accomplished via: Specialist Groups: standing committee seeking to

provide expertise on specific areas of interestTask Forces: temporary committees seeking to

achieve a specific time-sensitive purpose

Formation of the Water Institute at UNC-CH provided an opportunity for a task force focused on water quality and health to be initiated

Scope of Task ForceThe TF on WQ and Health will be organized much

like the Sanitation 21 TF, with two main components: Core GroupAdvisory Group

Two outcomes envisaged:Comprehensive report on the critical

intersections of water quality and healthBriefing note on actions to be carried out in future

investigation and recommendations for research

Scope of Task ForceTimeline:

Priority workshop to hone scope of TFPhase 1 (~1 yr): Literature review and

compositionIntermediate Phase: Review processPhase 2 (~1 yr): Editing and review of

framework

What We Know

Linkages between:

water qualitywater availabilityillness/disease incidence and severity

What We Know

Differences between:

low, middle and high income countriesurban and rural areas

What We Know

Water quality affected by:

infrastructure type and conditionexternal factors such as global climate

change, population growth, urbanizationlocation of treatment (point of source, point

of consumption)

Purpose of WorkshopTwo objectives:

Identify and discuss the critical intersections of water quality and health.

Highlight any gaps or uncertainties that impede effective policy- and decision-making.

PresentationsRanjiv Khush, PhD. (Aquaya Institute)

Challenges Resulting from MDG-driven Efforts to Increase Supply and Delivery

Blanca Jiminez-Cisneros, PE, PhD. (UNAM)Insights Captured at the Mexico IWA

Development Congress

Jack Colford, MD, MPH, PhD. (UC-Berkeley)What We Know and Don’t Know About Health

Impacts and Health Burdens from Water Quality

Floor Comments

Thor-Axel Stenström, PhD. (IWA, SEI)Braimah Apambire, PhD. (Conrad N. Hilton

Foundation)Dave Sabatini, PE, PhD. (OU)Nick Ashbolt, PhD. (US EPA)

Jamie Bartram Director, The Water Institute

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill