Financing Water Supply, Sanitation and Flood Protection: Challenges in Eu Member States and Policy Options

Description

The OECD and the Directorate-General for Environment, the European Commission department responsible for EU policy on the environment, joined forces to examine current and future water-related financing challenges faced by EU member states. These include investments needed to comply with EU regulation for water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, and flood protection. As part of the research, new data was produced on current levels of expenditure for water supply, sanitation and flood protection, as well as on projected needs. It supported a comparison across member states and substantiated tailored policy discussions in selected countries and at European level. This report captures the rationale for the research, the main quantitative outcomes and the policy issues and recommendations that derived from this two-year co-operation. Lessons from Europe outlined in this report can inspire similar research and policy discussions in other parts of the world. Cover Foreword Acknowledgments Table of contents Executive summary Background and process Notes 1. Framing the challenge 1.1. The benefits of investing in water 1.2. Ambition and scope of the project 1.3. Drivers of investment needs 1.4. Emerging challenges References Notes 2. The state of play 2.1. Water supply and sanitation 2.2. Flood protection References Notes 3. Projected investment needs across member states 3.1. Water supply and sanitation 3.2. Flood protection 3.3. Investment needs under the Water Framework Directive References Notes 4. The capacity to finance projected investment needs across member states 4.1. Financing capacity 4.2. Preliminary conclusions References 5. Selected options to address financing challenges 5.1. Options to make the best use of existing assets and financial resources 5.2. Options to minimise future financing needs 5.3. Financing as part of flood risk mitigation strategies References Notes Annex A. Costs of addressing emerging challenges in wastewater collection and treatment Annex B. Data and method Annex C. Data supporting the results on projected coastal flood risk investment needs Annex D. Projections by EurEau on costs of compliance with DWD and UWWTD Annex E. Assessment of RBIs and RFIs to finance flood protection