Key Questions for Situation Analysis
*Note: questions related to addressing the situation are covered in the Decision Support Document. See here for key questions.
GOVERNANCE
- Have you built an inventory of relevant government agencies, policies, and regulatory frameworks?
- Are there national, state, or local legal conditions that would prevent, limit, or catalyze the development of a Water Fund?
- Who are the key stakeholders? What is the current 'appetite' of stakeholders?
- Who are potential champions?
- Are other initiatives in place with similar objectives and with whom we can collaborate (or at a minimum ensure we are not competing)?
- What could be the role of partnerships?
- How does the country or countries in which the Water Fund would operate rank in terms of transparency and corruption?
SCIENCE
Water Resources
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What is the physical setting in which the Water Fund would operate?
- Summary of municipal boundaries, hydrologic unit(s), watershed(s), interbasin transfers.
- Summary of geography, demographics, hydrology, and hydrogeology of watershed(s).
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Have you characterized land use trends?
- Summary of current land use, trends and developments, effects of land use change, and ecologically sensitive areas.
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Have you characterized the current approach to water management in the region?
Provide a summary of:
- Entities involved.
- Water sources used.
- Treatment and distribution.
- Water use limitations.
- Water costs.
- Priorities for relevant systems.
- Reputation of regulators.
- Other relevant factors.
- What is the water balance for relevant watersheds? Provide a summary of:
- Total actual renew water resources (precipitation).
- Water transfers.
- Evapotranspiration.
- Runoff
- Groundwater extraction.
- Consumption.
- Water scarcity analysis.
- Other relevant factors.
- Entities involved.
- Water sources used.
- Treatment and distribution.
- Water use limitations.
- Water costs.
- Priorities for relevant systems.
- Reputation of regulators.
- Other relevant factors.
- What is the water balance for relevant watersheds? Provide a summary of:
- Total actual renew water resources (precipitation).
- Water transfers.
- Evapotranspiration.
- Runoff
- Groundwater extraction.
- Consumption.
- Water scarcity analysis.
- Other relevant factors.
Water Security
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Domestic Water Security
Domestic Water Security relates to providing all people with reliable, safe water and sanitation services.
• What is the situation in terms of coverage and access to piped supply and improved sanitation?
• Specify challenges, apparent drivers, and information gaps. -
Economic Water Security
Economic Water Security relates to the productive use of water to sustain economic growth in the food production, industry, and energy sectors of the economy.
• What is the situation in terms of water availability for meeting the needs of agriculture, industry, and energy? Include data related to current water consumption by sector, expected demand trends, expected supply trends, and supply sustainability.
• Specify challenges, apparent drivers, and information gaps. -
Urban Water Security
Urban Water Security relates to the creation of better water management and services to support livable water-sensitive cities.
• What is the situation in terms of urban water supply, urban wastewater collection, flood and storm drainage, and urban river health?
• Specify challenges, apparent drivers, and information gaps. -
Environmental Water Security
Environmental Water Security relates to the restoration and/or protection of rivers and ecosystem health on a regional scale (e.g. issues with flow regulation, environmental governance, and ecosystem services).
• What is the situation in terms of flow regulation, environmental governance, and ecosystem and hydrological services?
• Which strategic ecosystem services will the water fund protect, conserve, restore, fund and/or compensate? In other words, where is the opportunity to fund long-term conservation that benefits all parties involved?
• Specify challenges, apparent drivers, and information gaps. -
Resilience to Water-Related Natural Disasters
Resilience to Water-Related Natural Disasters relates to the building of resilient communities that can adapt to change and are able to reduce risk from natural disasters related to water to minimize the impact of future disasters.
• What is the situation in terms of water-related natural disasters, droughts, floods, climate change susceptibility, and effects of predicted climate in the watershed(s)?
• Specify the disaster prevention strategy, mitigation measures planned, adequacy of planned mitigation, and climate change adaption actions.
• Specify challenges, apparent drivers, and information gaps.
FINANCE
What is the current situation in terms of:
- partner fees
- private sector contributions
- subsidies and grants (governmental, federal, and local levels)
- grants (from Foundations)
- services
- endowment donations
- cooperation funds
- and other sources (lotteries, crowdfunding).
Need help answering these questions?
Sign-up for the online training for the Feasibility Phase! The training was designed and authored by experienced Water Funds practitioners for other practitioners. Users of the training are guided through each component of the Feasibility Phase with the support of examples, tools, reflection questions, and additional resources.
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