Water for people.pdf - WHO Thailand Digital Repository

5 2 / S E T T I N G T H E S C E N ESigning Progress: Indicators Mark the WayTable 3.5: Sample of indicator values per country on water supply and sanitation% of population with access to improved % of population with access to improveddrinking water sources in the year 2000 sanitation facilities in the year 2000Total Urban Rural Total Urban RuralAfghanistan 13 19 11 12 25 8Algeria 94 88 94 73 90 47American Samoa 100 100 100 – – –Andorra 100 100 100 100 100 100Angola 38 34 40 44 70 30Argentina 79 85 30 85 89 48Australia 100 100 100 100 100 100Austria 100 100 100 100 100 100Source: WHO/UNICEF, 2000.different regions of a country, one of the challenges the JMP isworking on.The problem of different information needs hinders the use ofavailable regional data for comparison at a global scale, such as inthe WWDR. A second example is GNP, which is an indicator foreconomic activity measuring the total monetary value of all finalgoods and services produced for consumption in society during aparticular time period. GNP as an average national number is notrepresentative of regional variations between communities within acountry. However, although GNP is useful to compare the economicactivity between different countries at a global scale, it cannot bedirectly related to welfare as in large countries there may be greatinternal variations, in most cases, however, certainly whenconsidering health, the economic indicators go hand-in-hand withwelfare (rural poverty normally equals rural ill-health). Recentstudies have shown that if economic indicators are linked to societalequity indicators, the association between economy and welfarebecomes much more solid. However, the welfare aspects (e.g.health, education, security, environmental quality) cannot bedirectly related to the GNP of a country. In table 3.6 an overview isgiven of a number of indicators, their aim and the correct spatialscale of their use.A second important issue is selecting the optimal spatial scale toaggregate and present the values of the indicator or index. Thisscale depends on the information need and aim of the indicator.Figure 3.7 shows how the spatial scale modifies the informationprovided by an indicator. The Water Stress Index (WSI) calculates thepercentage of water demand that cannot be satisfied without takingmeasures. The figure’s four spatial scales present different scores ofthe Water Stress Index for almost each part of the world. Forexample, Brazil scores white (WSI 0–25 percent) on a grid cell scale,mostly yellow on a watershed scale (WSI 25–50 percent), white onTable 3.6: Overview of a number of indicators, their aims and the correct spatial scale of their useIndicator Information provided Aim Spatial scaleGross National Product Economic activity per country Comparison of economic activity Globalbetween countriesWater Stress Index % of water demand that Indication of areas suffering from Low spatial scale: grid cell orcannot be satisfied without taking water stress watershedmeasuresWater Poverty Index Index based on five components: Providing information on water and Different scales possible dependingresource availability, access to poverty-related issues on the aim: communities and regionswater, capacity of people tofor comparison within a country ormanage water, use of water,countries for comparison on a globalenvironmentscaleIndicator species Presence or abundance of the species Indication of the ecosystem quality The scale of one ecosystem orcomparable ecosystems located in thesame climate range