DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
STATISTICS DIVISION
UNITED NATIONS / ESA/STAT/AC.170/6a
______

Expert Group Meeting on the International Recommendations for Water Statistics

New York, 4-6 November 2008

United NationsPlaza 2, DC2-2330

Issues and template for comments on Part I (Chapters 1 to 4) of the Draft of the International Recommendations for Water Statistics

Introduction

To assist with the reviewof draft International Recommendations for Water Statistics (IRWS)and the conducting of the Expert Group Meeting on the IRWS (4-6 November, New York) a template for comments is provided. The format used is to ask questions and provide a space for comments on each section of the major sections of IRWS. The substantive issues identified by the reference group and UNSD in the development of the IRWS that need to be discussed and solved during the EGM are highlighted in the document.

Process

Please send the completed template to UNSD () by Friday the 31st of October. Jeremy Webb () or Michael Vardon () can provide assistance with the completion of the template.

All the responses to the UNSD will be compiled into a summary report to be made available at the Expert Group Meeting on the IRWS (4-6 November, New York).

Please note a separate template will be provided for Part II of the IRWS.

Respondents details

Your name: / Click here and enter your name
Your country and agency: / Click here and enter your country and agency
Contact (e.g. email address): / Click here and enter your contact information
Submission date: / Click here and enter your submission date

Chapter I: Background

Chapter I – Background covers the international context in which these recommendations have been developed, the purpose and scope of the IRWS and users of these recommendations. The chapter ends with a summary of content found in subsequent chapters, the annexes and glossary.

In your review of Chapter I, you may wish to devote particular attention to the passages listed below. There is space after each issue for any comment you wish to make.

A.Introduction

  1. Is the introduction to this chapter suitable? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

B.Purpose and scope of IRWS

  1. Is the purpose and scope of IRWS clear? Y/NDo you agree with the scope? Is it too open or restrictive?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph
  1. Freshwater is defined in the IRWS as “naturally occurring water having a low concentration of salt”. A definition of freshwater, in terms of the salt concentration, as measured in parts per million (ppm), is not given. Is it important for countries to have a standard definition of freshwater in ppm? Y/N If so, what definitions do countries and international agencies use (a few examples are given in chapter 2) and how can we advance this issuevia the development of IRWS?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

C.Data items of the international recommendations

  1. Is the description of the data items appropriate for this chapter? Y/N Should any additional information regarding data items be included?

General comment
Specific comments by paragraph

D.Organization of the publication

  1. Is the organisation of the publication clear? Y/N Should any other details be mentioned?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

E.Future work

  1. Is the future work listed clear? Y/N Should any other areas for future work be mentioned?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

Chapter II: Main concepts and frameworks

Chapter II – Main concepts and frameworks briefly describes the main features of the environment and the economy in relation to water, and it provides the main statistical concepts needed to place water statistics into a broader context. It provides an explanation of the SEEAW and its relationship to the SNA and SEEA accounting frameworks. It also covers the issue of spatial and temporal references for water statistics.

In your review of Chapter II, you may wish to devote particular attention to the passages listed below. There is space after each issue for any comment you wish to make.

A.Introduction

  1. Is the introduction to the chapter clear? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

B.Main concepts

1.The environment and water

  1. Is the definition and description of the environment appropriate for the purposes of IRWS? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

2.The economy and water

  1. Is the description of the economy clear? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

3.Demography and social statistics and water

  1. Is the description of social-demographicstatistics clear? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

C.The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-W)

  1. Is the description of the System of Environmental and Economic Accounts for Water (SEEA-W) clear? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

D.Spatial and temporal (time) references

  1. Is the description of spatial and temporal references clear? Y/N Should anything more be added?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

Chapter III: Statistical units and classifications used in water statistics

Chapter III – Statistical units and classifications used in water statistics provides the definition, characteristics and classification of units within the environment and the economy and how these relate to water statistics. This includes the definition and classification of the inland water resources and a description of enterprises, establishments and households as well as the classification of institutional units by the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC Revision 4). It identifies and describes the main industries and products of importance for water statistics, and some of the issues associated with their classification.

In your review of Chapter III, you may wish to devote particular attention to the questions listed below. There is space after each issue for any comment you wish to make.

A.Introduction

  1. Is the introduction to this chapter suitable? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph
  1. The definition of statistical units used in the IRWS is “a statistical unit is an entity about which information is sought and for which statistics are ultimately compiled”. Is the definition appropriate for the purposes of IRWS? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

B.Statistical units of the environment

  1. The IRWS considers the physical units in the environment as statistical units about which we want to collect information, i.e. lakes, rivers, artificial reservoirs, etc. The information about those physical units in the environment has to be collected or compiled from institutional units who are responsible for their management. It is important that the register of the physical unit is linked to the register of the institutional units that manage the resource. Do you agree with the definition of physical units in the environment? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

C.Definition of institutional units

  1. The IRWS follows the 2008 SNA and uses the terminology “institutional units” as opposed to “economic units” which was used in the SEEAW, which followed the 1993 SNA. Do you agree with using the term “institutional unit” in the IRWS? Y/N Is the information on establishments, enterprises and household sufficient to give an understanding of these units?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

D.Classification of establishments

  1. Isthe descriptions of how establishments are classified using ISIC Rev. 4. clear? Y/N Are the most important industriesrelevant to water statistics identified?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph
  1. The classification of establishments by institutional sectors is required for the compilation of national accounts. While the SEEAW includes reference to the institutional sector, it does not use the institutional sectors in the presentation of the accounts. A brief description is currently included in the IRWS for theoretical completeness in the discussion of institution units and because it could be beneficial, and would be possible for many countries to present water statistics according to institutional sectors. However, at present it seems that no country compiles water accounts or water statistics by institutional sector. Given this, is it necessary to retain this section? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

E.Characteristics of statistical units

  1. As mentioned in paragraph 15 of this document, it is important to link the physical units with the institutional units. In order to make this point clearer, should the order of presentation of the characteristics of inland water resources change to show as first characteristic the organization responsible for management? What are country practices in establishing a frame of inland water resources? Is the frame linked to the frame of institutional units (i.e. is it a sub-frame)? Is the description of the characteristics of inland water resources and institutional units clear? Are any important characteristics missing? Y/N If so, what are these characteristics and how would you define them?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

Chapter IV: Water data items

Chapter IV – Data items contains the list of data items that are recommended as a minimum set for compilation by countries. It includes a description of the data items as well as the identification of issues relevant to each data item.

In your review of Chapter IV, you may wish to devote particular attention to the sections listed below. There is space after each issue for any comment you wish to make.

A.Introduction

  1. Is the introduction to this chapter suitable? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

B.Collection and compilation of data items

  1. Is the description of units of measurement useful? Y/N Is there any otherinformation about units of measurement that should be included in this section?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph
  1. Is the description of units of spatial and temporal reference useful? Y/N Is there any other information about spatial and temporal reference that should be included in this section?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph
  1. Is the description of industry classification useful? Y/N Is there any otherinformation about industry classification that should be included in this section?

General Comment
Specific comments by paragraph

C.Physical water data items

  1. Do you agree with the physical data items? Y/N (Note: some questions and issues relating to specific data items are contained in questions below)

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. The definitionof renewable and non-renewable groundwater (Data items A.2.1 and A.2.2)is based on the receipt of natural recharge. If any natural recharge is received then it is renewable. Artificial recharge and saltwater intrusion are excluded from the definition of natural recharge. Because recharge rates are highly variable in some areas, a time limit within which natural recharge is received is used. At present this is a human life span.Is the definition of renewable appropriate for the IRWS? Y/N If not, what alternative definitions are proposed?What are the definitions used by countries and international organisations?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. At present two classifications of the flows within the domestic economy are presented. The difference between them is that first classification groups the products first (i.e. water supplied and received, then wastewater discharges supplied and received), while the second classification groups supplies of water and discharges of wastewater, and then receivers of water and wastewater discharges. It is proposed to accept the first presentation; however, the alternative presentation remains in the draft to allow for discussion.Do you accept the first presentation? Y/N This is also related to the presentation of imports and exports, data items J & K (See 28, below).

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. The supply and use of bottled water are currently included in the supplementary data items (SD 19 and SD 20).Should bottled water be included in the recommended list of data items? Y/N If bottled water were included in the recommended data items then it probably could be included after the data item G – water received. It would also be included in the water and wastewater imported and exported – data items J and K. Should bottled water be included in the list of recommended data items?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. The presentation of water imports and exports (Data items J & K) should mirror that used for the data items F-I or data items XA-AB(See 26, above). At present they follow the logic of the presentation of data items XA-AB, but if the presentation selected is data items F-I, then, to be consistent, this should change. Should the presentation be consistent? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Do you agree with the detailed disaggregation of losses in distribution (Data item M)? Y/N If not, what would you change?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Thedata items on emissions (data items O.1.1 and O.2.1) are shown according to the water resources that receive them. Do you agree that this level of detail is appropriate for IRWS? Y/N If not, then what would you change?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Do you have comments regarding any other physical data items?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item

D.Monetarydata items

  1. Do you agree with the monetary data items? Y/N (Note: some questions and issues relating to specific data items are contained in questions below)

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Is the text on taxes on the units undertaking the activities of water and supply and sewerage services (data items P.5 and R.5) clear? Y/N

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Do you agree with the data items for the cost of water supply and sewerage services? Y/N Would additional breakdown be useful?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Do you agree with the data items for tariffs and charges for water supply and sewerage services? Y/N If not what would you change?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Do you have comments regarding ant other monetary data items?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item

E.Social-demographic data items

  1. Do you agree with the data items for the type of water supply used by populations (MDG)? Y/N If not what would you change?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item
  1. Do you agree with the data items for the type of toilet and sewage disposal used by populations (MDG)? Y/N If not what would you change?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item

Other issues relating to Chapter IV

  1. Are there any data items in the supplementary list which should be moved to the recommended list?

General Comment
Specific comments by data item

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