Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA DISBURSEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2005 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's ODA > Section 2. Measures for Each of the Priority Issues > 2. Support for Social Development > (3) Water and Sanitation
(3) Water and Sanitation
<Record for FY2006>
For the water and sanitation sector in FY2006, Japan provided approximately ¥360.1 billion of cooperation through a combination of roughly ¥21.6 billion in grant aid (to 30 countries) and about ¥338.5 billion in loan aid (to 13 countries). Through technical cooperation in FY2006, Japan accepted 633 trainees and dispatched 64 experts. In terms of a goal of the Initiative for Japan's ODA on Water (1,000 people over the next five years from FY2003), a total of 541 experts have been dispatched and a total of 4,001 trainees have been accepted.
<Current Status>
According to meeting the MDG Drinking Water and Sanitation Target: The Urban and Rural Challenge of the Decade (2006) compiled by WHO and UNICEF, approximately 1.1 billion people in 2004 worldwide have no access to safe drinking water through waterworks or wells, of which approximately 0.6 billion live in Asia and approximately 0.3 billion in Africa. Furthermore, approximately 2.6 billion people around the world have no access to basic sanitation such as sewage systems, of which approximately 1.9 billion live in Asia and approximately 0.5 billion in Africa.32
Water and sanitation is a serious issue that concerns all people's lives. According to the same report, at present the lives of approximately 1.6 million young children are lost each year. Reflecting this situation, the UN set an MDG target to "halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation" and marks the period from 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action Water for Life. For example, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) devoted its 2004/2005 cycle to the themes of water, sanitation and human settlements. The results of the discussions were complied in the decision adopted by the Commission in April 2005. The UN "Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation" has been held eight times since its inception in July 2004 up until June 2007. This board announced the Hashimoto Action Plan33 on the occasion of the Fourth World Water Forum (March 2006).
<Japan's Efforts>
Japan has been making major contributions in the area of water and sanitation. It has continuously been the top donor through ODA among the DAC countries since the 1990s. Over the five-year period from 2001 until 2005 it implemented US$4.88 billion in ODA, corresponding to 37% of bilateral donations.34
On the occasion of the Third World Water Forum, which was held in March 2003 in Kyoto, Japan announced the Initiative for Japan's ODA on Water, a comprehensive assistance package for the water sector. In addition, at the Fourth World Water Forum held in March 2006 in Mexico City, Japan announced the Water and Sanitation Broad Partnership Initiative (WASABI). This initiative is designed to bolster cooperation with international organizations, other donor countries, domestic and overseas NGOs and other concerned parties, thereby improving further the quality of aid in the areas of water and sanitation.
With regard to strengthening international partnerships, Japan has been pursuing collaboration with the United States through the Clean Water for People Initiative: A United States-Japan Partnership to Provide Safe Water and Sanitation to the World's Poor. On the occasion of the Fourth World Water Forum both Japan and the United States held sessions and joint conferences and announced the development and achievements of the aforementioned partnership. Currently, cooperation is being conducted on a trial basis through JBIC and JICA, together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the four countries of Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Jamaica. In the Philippines, technical cooperation is carried out together with USAID through the coordination of JICA. In addition, a project combined a loan for the Development Bank of the Philippines through JBIC using loan aid, and the guarantee system of USAID. This aims to facilitate private investment in water and sanitation projects.
In WASABI as well, Japan emphasizes the integrated management of water, including flood control and irrigation, in pursuit of sustainable use of water and promotes these comprehensive approaches. As a specific case example, Japan approved the provision of loan aid to the Orissa Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project in India. This project aims to improve the sanitation and living environment for residents, including those living in poverty, by conducting activities like upgrading sewage facilities and rainwater drainage facilities in the cities of Bhubaneshwar and Kathak in Orissa State. In Orissa State, sector reforms are being advanced, as exemplified by the transfer (delegation of authority) of operation and maintenance tasks for water supply and sewage projects from the state government to local municipalities. An action plan is currently being formulated through support from USAID for this purpose. Also through this project, Japan plans to support measures such as those for the delegation of authority in cooperation with USAID.
Fostering Water-related Human Resources in China
China is beset by various different problems related to water. These include: floods, landslide damage, water resource shortages, water and soil runoff, deterioration of the water quality and ecological environment, and repairing deteriorated, hazardous dams and the need for strengthening their management. As such, the fostering of water-related human resources that can respond appropriately to these challenges is a pressing issue.
Japan has dispatched experts since 1993, and since 2000 has expanded this into a JICA technical cooperation project. This project carried out training for human resources in the four fields of training management, water resource management, construction management, and erosion control. Through these efforts, the project aims to improve the capacity of entry-level and intermediate technical experts with the goal of handling floods, landslide damage, water shortages, and other such problems. As of the end of FY2006, the number of leaders who directly received training exceeded 3,000 people. Those leaders then provided training to an additional 20,000 personnel working in the water sector.
China is beset by various different problems related to water. These include: floods, landslide damage, water resource shortages, water and soil runoff, deterioration of the water quality and ecological environment, and repairing deteriorated, hazardous dams and the need for strengthening their management. As such, the fostering of water-related human resources that can respond appropriately to these challenges is a pressing issue.
Japan has dispatched experts since 1993, and since 2000 has expanded this into a JICA technical cooperation project. This project carried out training for human resources in the four fields of training management, water resource management, construction management, and erosion control. Through these efforts, the project aims to improve the capacity of entry-level and intermediate technical experts with the goal of handling floods, landslide damage, water shortages, and other such problems. As of the end of FY2006, the number of leaders who directly received training exceeded 3,000 people. Those leaders then provided training to an additional 20,000 personnel working in the water sector.
Chart II-15. Disbursements in the Water and Sanitation Sector by Purpose
Chart II-16. Disbursements in the Water and Sanitation Sector by Region
Box 6. Japan's Efforts in the Water and Sanitation Sector
— Toward the International Year of Sanitation 2008 —