Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene November 2018 Vol.13 No.5 | Page 10

NEWS in brief The proposed $1 billion package could also include a new standalone emergency recovery program to finance rebuilding of critical public facilities and infrastructure assets: hospitals, schools, bridges, roads, highways, water supply infrastructure. It would also strengthen monitoring and early warning systems, and help to finance the reconstruction of housing settlements and neighborhood level infrastructure and services. “The government appreciates the attention and support of the international community in our time of need, including from the World Bank Group. Restoring lives and livelihoods of the people affected by natural disasters is the government’s utmost priority,” said Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Finance Minister of Indonesia. “The World Bank Group has deep and specialist expertise in the area of developing sophisticated financial instruments that can manage risk, and fiscal buffers to prepare for shocks. Indonesia aims to strengthen our resilience towards natural disasters and we look forward to our continued partnership.” The World Bank has recently concluded a preliminary damage needs report that assesses the geospatial distribution of the damage, and the estimated cost of the infrastructure, residential and non-residential property that was affected by the Tsunami in Sulawesi. The estimated physical loss is around $531 million (IDR 8.07 trillion), as follows: • Residential housing - approximately US$181 million (IDR 2.75 trillion) • Non-residential sector - approximately US$185 million (IDR 2.82 trillion) • Infrastructure – approximately US$165M (IDR 2.5 trillion). The preliminary report is the first economic loss estimate based on scientific, economic and engineering analysis. It does not account for loss of life, lost land or the disruption to the economy through lost jobs, livelihoods and business, and is the first input towards supporting the Government of Indonesia’s recovery and reconstruction planning. First Cairo Water Week Sunday, 14 October 2018, at the Opening Ceremony of the First Water Week in Cairo, Loïc Fauchon, Honorary President of the World Water Council and President of the Société des Eaux de Marseille, spoke in front of some 20 Ministers and more than 40 international delegations, along with His Excellency Mustafa Madbouli, Prime Minister of Egypt, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Aty, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the Deputy Secretary General of the UN. 10 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November 2018 Global Highlights “The Mediterranean is the cradle of our civilization and yet we have left our natural resources unprotected. (...) As I have often said, we have obligations for the future: a common sea to be protected and lands to be watered (...). The protection of the Mediterranean deserves a special status. Fresh water and salt water: it’s the same fight! The Mediterranean deserves a Global Treaty among all riparian States. (...) Mr Loic Fauchon, Hon President of the WWC Today the world is facing multiple crises. Water, like energy, is at the heart of these crises. (...) I would like to make two proposals to you for progress towards equitable and sustainable development: • The first proposal concerns the systematic approach of integrated water management. It is a relevant vertical approach, but today it is too narrow and one which isolates and reduces solutions for water to solely hydraulic aspects. During the next years, the vertical approach must be complemented by a horizontal approach, the “Five Fingers Alliance” that brings together water, energy, and food, but also health and education for a human-centered approach. • The second proposal addresses recognition of water- related tensions and conflicts. In the case of conflicts of use, hydro-diplomacy is the best way to find a way to share water equitably while preserving the peace. Hydro-diplomacy is, and will continue to be, a priority for the World Water Council.” Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) Water touches nearly every aspect of development. It drives economic growth, supports healthy ecosystems and is fundamental for life. However, this critical resource can harm as well as help. Water- related hazards such as floods, storms, and droughts are responsible for 9 out of 10 natural disasters. Climate change is expected to increase this risk and place even greater stress on scarce water supplies. New challenges and new contexts require new responses. That’s why the World Bank, together with its partners, has launched a new partnership for a water-secure world, the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP). Building on a nearly half-century of collaboration driven by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), the Water Partnership Program (WPP) and others, the GWSP aims to provide action equal to the ambition articulated within