The FINANCIAL — In order to sustain economic growth, improve public health and reduce environmental impacts, East Asia’s cities need to address significant gaps in their sanitation services, according to two new World Bank reports.
Substantial financing is needed to manage wastewater and septage that is generated by the urban population. According to some estimates, investment levels of at least US$250 per person are needed annually in the region over the next 15 years.
Actions Needed, is a regional synthesis of in-depth sector studies in three countries in the East Asia Pacific region – Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It examines what is holding back the sector and recommends ways in which these countries and others in the region can expand and improve urban sanitation services in an inclusive and sustainable way, according to the first report, entitled East Asia Pacific Region Urban Sanitation Review.
“Worldwide, about 2.5 billion people lack adequate sanitation and 660 million of them live in East Asia and the Pacific Region,” said Charles Feinstein, World Bank Sector Manager for Energy and Water.“Inadequate sanitation takes a tremendous toll on the quality of peoples’ lives, the environment, and the economy. But the good news is investments in sanitation yield high returns,” he added.
The second report, entitled Vietnam Urban Wastewater Review, focusses on the specific challenges that Vietnam is facing as a result of increasing environmental pollution associated with rapid urbanization. It evaluates the performance of the wastewater sector in Vietnam and makes key recommendations for the consideration of national policy makers, local governments and service providers.
“Over the last 20 years, the Government of Vietnam has made considerable progress on the provision of wastewater services in urban areas, investing nearly $250 million annually in recent years,” said Hung Duy Le, Senior Urban Specialist and Team Leader for the review. “However, keeping pace with rapid urbanization is challenging and it is estimated that $8.3 billion will be required to provide wastewater services to Vietnam’s urban population between now and 2025,” Le added.
Poor sanitation has a significant impact on public health in the region including chronic poor health caused by diarrheal disease and an increased risk of disease epidemics such as Cholera. Inadequate sanitation is also the cause of environmental pollution. The region is rapidly urbanizing and its cities are engines of economic growth. However, each year, poor quality sanitation leads to economic losses of 1.3, 1.5 and 2.3 percent of GDP in Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, respectively, according to the World Bank Group.
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