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Welcome to Cluster 3 - Water & Sanitation section of the UN Iraq Web Portal.

The purpose of this section is to provide information on activities related to Water & Sanitation, undertaken by the United Nations and its partners. 

General information on the Cluster

Overview and Challenges

Some 70 per cent of childhood illnesses in Iraq, including diarrhoea, are linked to the consumption of unsafe water or to inadequate water use.  Deterioration in water and sewage systems in Iraq directly contributed to an increase in diarrhoeal disease in children under five – which rose from an average of four bouts per year in 1990 to almost 15 in 1999.  By 2002, most water treatment plants were malfunctioning and 66 per cent of compact units had mechanical problems or were producing poor quality of water. 

The chief challenges are to restore and improve water and sanitation services to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the percentage of people without access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation by 50% by 2015. In the process, significant gains will also be made in reducing the infant mortality rate and in improving child nutrition.

UNITED NATIONS Objectives in Water and Sanitation:

In 2004, the UN aims to achieve significant progress in six key areas – increasing access to potable water in urban areas, increasing sewage treatment and access to urban sewerage systems, increasing solid waste collection and disposal, raising access to potable water in rural areas, increasing sanitation services in rural areas, and contributing to improvements in management efficiency.

Activities in 2004:

·      Emergency support including water tankering, repairing water testing laboratories, repairing water and sewage networks and pumping stations, provision of standby generators, procurement and distribution of essential chemicals and fuel, removing solid waste, and providing schools with toilets.

·         Rehabilitation support in particular for water and sewage treatment plants and pumping stations, water and sewage testing facilities, and rural water and sanitation systems.

·         Development support including developing urban master plans, replacing networks and equipment, piloting alternative systems and technologies for sanitation, promoting better hygiene, promoting decentralised management systems, public-private partnerships, and training to improve the efficiency and capabilities of senior and technical staff.

·         Cooperation with local authorities to promote changes in water and sanitation technologies, and expanding successful strategies to the broader population in partnership with the World Bank.

UNDG Iraq Trust Fund Projects

Two projects worth about US $29.5 have so far been funded for Cluster Three from the UN Trust Fund. The first aims to ensure the sustainable access to safe water and sanitation services in the eight Southern Governorates. The second seeks to ensure safe water to consumers through designing a comprehensive water quality monitoring system by establishing 15 central water quality control laboratories and 30 district at central and south governorates and 220 water treatment plants including provision of supplies and equipment to laboratories, training of technicians and sanitary professionals. Agreements have been reached and contracts signed with three international non governmental organisations totalling some $5.6 million covering Wissat, Dyala, Muthana, Thi-Qar, Missan and Basra Governorates. Negotiations continue with other two NGOs for a further $3.7 million. By June of next year, the signed agreements will serve to rehabilitate: 30 compact units serving approximately 200,000 people; 20 water networks serving approximately 250,000 people; the backfilling of 35 sewage lakes and the construction of sewage networks serving approximately 90,000 people. Hygiene education covers more than 2 million people and the development of an effective GIS based computerised Information Management System in at least two governorates. 

Partners of the Water & Sanitation Cluster

UNICEF, UNDP, UNOPS, WHO, UNEPS,UNIDO and UN-HABITAT who work closely with the WB, the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, The Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Industry, Baghdad Mayoralty, communities, NGOs, and the private sector – consultants and contractors.

 Cluster manager : William Fellows
Email address :wfellows@unicef.org

Deputy Cluster Manager: Rami Baroudi
Email address: rami.baroudi@undp.org

Documents
Library of Water & Sanitation related information - containing repots, assessments and related information.

Water & Sanitation Sector Coordination Meetings Minutes

Cluster 3 Meeting Minutes (80 KB  doc format)

Cluster 3 Meeting Minutes (108 KB  doc format)

Cluster 3 Meeting Minutes (113 KB  doc format)

Cluster 3 Meeting Minutes (93.5 KB  doc format)

Cluster 3 Meeting Minutes (72.5 KB  doc format)

Note!  Questions / suggestions concerning the content of this section can be directed to the UNAMI Office in Amman through the feedback form
 

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