Page 35 - IB March 2021

Water

Continued from page 32 borne diseases is well understood, but there is also mounting
evidence that hygiene, as well as nutrition, is a key factor in
set-ups. childhood stunting.
In Papua New Guinea, where community transmission of WHO says stunting rates in some Pacific Islands are very
CONNECTING AUSTRALIA WITH THE PACIFIC COVID-19 has reached alarming rates, the World Bank says high: 44% in Papua New Guinea, and 33% in Solomon Islands
“poor access to handwashing facilities results in poor hygiene and Kiribati. Stunting not only reduces a child’s chance of
and impedes effective measures to control the COVID-19 pan- surviving, but also prevents them from thriving. It can inter-
demic.” The National Research Institute’s Mary Fairio says the fere with learning, economic productivity and general health
country’s WASH professionals need to restrategise, collaborate and wellbeing into adulthood.
DAEMCO DN600 UNRESTRAINED MECHANICAL COUPLINGS and pull their resources together.
INSTALLED BY THE WATER AUTHORITY OF FIJI “We’ve noticed a heightened attention from partners on More than prayers
SUPPLIED BY ALLTRADE AUTOTRADERS WASH, which is good,” Hebblethwaite says. “Also because The Banaban diaspora around the world have been urged to
& CIVIL SUPPLIES water and sanitation is part of our resilience dialogue in the pray and fast for their family at home.
Pacific, partners are realising every time there is a disaster Pacific Islanders with limited water access, or threatened
in the region [and] they’re called upon to support national long-term supplies need more than prayers, they need money
efforts to build back or to support immediate needs, WASH is to fix the problems. UN Water’s March update reports that
central to that all the time.” “although official development assistance (ODA) commitments
He says the pandemic has also exposed further cracks, to the water sector increased slightly in recent years, this is
including the paucity of data on handwashing facilities. “The mainly due to an increase in concessional lending, and the
Pacific only has a few data points there…[and] those data gap between actual disbursements and future commitments is
points show that our handwashing facilities are really low. And growing.”
that includes not just at the household level but in schools For Hebblethwaite, that assistance needs to be sustained
and healthcare facilities. Again, that varies all around the re- and coordinated, and available right across the water cycle.
gion. But overall, there are some really concerning numbers. “Sometimes dealing with different climate financing mecha-
Beyond COVID, there are the long standing health issues nisms, there is a reluctance to support sanitation improve-
that come with poor access to safe and fresh water and ments because it’s seen to be a development measure rather
sanitation facilities. An estimated 1.3 million Pacific Island- than a resilience, climate change adaptation measure. I think
ers rely on the bush or the beach for their toilet, with a huge that’s where climate finance institutions are starting to soften
impact on the communities in which they live. Furthermore, their approach or broaden their concept of it, particularly
UNICEF says only 40% of households across six countries in when you see disaster impacts, increasing weather events
our region practice safe disposal of children’s faeces. The associated with climate change, [and the] impact on infra-
causes of Leptospirosis, Typhoid and Dengue Fever as water- structure.”

PACIFIC WATER UTILITIES

The Pacific Water and Wastewater Association Program Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Tokelau and a few other
+61 3 9863 6838 | enquiries@daemco.com.au | w w w.daemco.com.au wasn’t available for an interview for this feature. However places. On the other hand, excessive losses, exceeding
Follow us on as part of its support for members, it has reported it had 50 percent of the water produced, are reported by nine
established a telewater platform to help member utilities utilities (of the 22 utilities reporting this parameter). New
respond to COVID-19 needs. technological solutions, however, may not be affordable for
A benchmarking report released by the PWW in 2018 many of PWWA members.”
looked at tariffs over a seven year period for 29 utilities In terms of cost recovery, it identified PNG’s Eda Ranu
providing drinking water to some 2.78 million people, and and Water PNG as high performers, along with SPE French
20 utilities responsible for wastewater services for 760,525 Polynesia, Celedonieene des Eux (New Caledonia), SIWA
residents. It stated that government support for water utili- Solomon Islands and UNELCO Vanuatu. At the other end of
ties came through “direct grants for investments and direct the scale were the FSM water utilities, and Marshall Islands,
transfers to keep utilities afloat.” which have substantial challenges in cost recovery.
VALVES COUPLINGS DI FITTINGS It also identified the challenges presented by the fact In respect to water tariffs, Fijians, Samoans and Palauans
that most Pacific Island water and wastewater systems were paying the cheapest price for water, and Nauruans by
were built almost simultaneously during 1970-1990, “and far the most.
only relatively small investments were made after 2000. In our metropolitan neighbours, Australia and New Zea-
As a result, many systems need urgent rehabilitation and land, testing wastewater for COVID-19 is providing an early
modernisation due to excessive leaks and pipe ruptures. warning system for COVID outbreaks, but this technology is
Several islands have no reliable water resources - including prohibitively expensive for the Pacific.
PE DI FITTINGS COVERS BANDS

Islands Business, March 2021 35