Policy reform in the water and sanitation sectors in Colombia (development policy lending)
From SEA.unu.edu/wiki
Background and objectives
The Colombian Ministry of Development led this SEA, with consultant technical assistance. An interdisciplinary group consisting of specialists from the Department of National Planning, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Development, prepared the terms of reference with assistance from the World Bank task team. It requested the consultants to quantify various negative externalities: deterioration of water quality, inefficient water use, and impacts associated with the construction and maintenance of public works.
Approach
The SEA was integrated early in the process of designing sector reforms and the SEA consultants conferred with relevant authorities, particularly the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Environment. An inter-agency committee was formed to facilitate joint work on environmental management issues in the water and sanitation sector. Public engagement played a prominent and early role in this SEA with two nationwide workshops. In addition, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Environment consulted with a number of government agencies, NGOs, private utility operators, and professional associations, among others.
Outcomes
The SEA:
- Developed many recommendations to reform aspects of both the effluent charge system and the waste water discharge standards used in Colombia. These recommendations were intended to attract private investment to the water sector by reducing uncertainty associated with environmental controls.
- Recommended changes to reform Colombia’s EIA regulations.
- Defined the environmental obligations of local authorities and utility operators.
- Made recommendations for capacity-building and institutional strengthening for environmental management.
The Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Environment agreed on strategies for jointly implementing some of the SEAs recommendations in the final agreement with the World Bank.
(Reproduced with permission of OECD.)
