Proposed

The proposed Advanced Research Workshop aims to provide an opportunity for increasing the awareness of and provide an overview of the water and sanitation sector in risk management. The overall goal of the program is to bring together scientists from NATO and partner countries and focus the communication on challenges in water supply and sanitation systems impaired by operational failures, natural disasters and war conflicts. The proposed topic will focus on the issues surrounding emergency access to drinking water system, wastewater and sanitation system following operational failures, natural disasters and the impact of conflict. It will also focus on subsequent approaches to rehabilitation and mitigation. Mitigation measures aim to fulfill basic needs, providing minimum levels of well-being and preventing the spread of disease. Water supply and sanitation system are particularly important in this context, as lack of access to them can lead rapidly to the spread of communicable diseases.

Background

Each year more than 200 million people are affected by floods, tropical storms, droughts, earthquakes, and also operational failures, wars, terrorism, vandalism, and accidents involving hazardous materials. These are part of the wide variety of events that cause death, injury, and significant economic losses for the countries affected. As demonstrated by recent events, natural and manmade hazards can affect anyone in anyplace. From the tsunami in the Indian Ocean to the earthquake in South Asia, from the devastation caused by hurricanes and cyclones in the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, to the intense rains throughout Europe and Asia, hundreds of thousands of persons have lost their lives and millions their livelihoods because of disasters triggered by natural and manmade hazards.
In an environment where natural hazards are present, local actions are decisive in all stages of risk management: in the work of prevention and mitigation, in rehabilitation and reconstruction, and above all in emergency response and the provision of basic services to the affected population. Commitment to systematic vulnerability reduction is crucial to ensure the resilience of communities and populations to the impact of natural and manmade hazards.
Current challenges for the water and sanitation sector require an increase in sustainable access to water and sanitation services in residential areas, where natural hazards pose the greatest risk. In settlements located on unstable and risk-prone land there is growing environmental degradation coupled with extreme conditions of poverty that increase vulnerability. The development of local capacity and risk management play vital roles in obtaining sustainability of water and sanitation systems as well as for the communities themselves.

Unfortunately water may also represent a potential target for terrorist activity or war conflict and a deliberate contamination of water is a potential public health threat. An approach which considers the needs of communities and institutions is particularly important in urban areas affected by armed conflict. Risk management for large rehabilitation projects has to deal with major changes caused by conflict: damaged or destroyed infrastructure, increased population, corrupt or inefficient water utilities, and impoverished communities.
Water supply and sanitation are amongst the first considerations in disaster response. The greatest water-borne risk to health in most emergencies is the transmission of faecal pathogens, due to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and protection of water sources. Water-borne infectious diseases include diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, dysentery and infectious hepatitis. However, some disasters, including those involving damage to chemical and nuclear industrial installations, or involving volcanic activity, may create acute problems from chemical or radiological water pollution. Sanitation includes safe excreta disposal, drainage of wastewater and rainwater, solid waste disposal and vector control.

Natural and manmade hazards and the sustainability of water resources are important issues in Water Resources Management. Moreover, safety is one of the most important aspects of water management. Water Resource Management also seeks to balance environmental, economic, and cultural values. Natural and manmade hazards have far-reaching physical, biological, environmental and socio-economic impacts and usually have their greatest impact on the poor, women and children. While people cannot prevent these occurrences, good planning and proper preparation can limit the devastating effects of these disasters on their lives. So the vital output of this Advanced Research Workshop is multi-hazard risk management, sustainable recovery plans at a community level, and strengthening institutions responsible for sustainability and replication of these efforts.