US Tribal Water Access Partnership

General Information

Partnership website(s)

Expected Timeframe

March 2004 - December 2015

Partners

Governments: Government of United States of America - US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Government of United States of America - Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Government of United States of America - Department of the Interior Government of United States of America - Indian Health Service Government of United States of America - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)	Major Groups:
UN System:	Other intergovernmental organizations:
Other:

Thematic Focus

Primary Themes:

Sanitation
Water

Secondary Themes:

Rural development
Waste management
Health and sustainable development

Geographic Coverage

Geographic Scope: National
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented:
United States of America

National Focal Points

At present, no information is available as to whether the partnership has made contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the relevant countries.

Goals and Objectives

Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives

Since the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in August 2002, the United States has been committed to doing its part to provide safe drinking water and basic sanitation to communities around the world that currently do not enjoy these basic privileges many in the developed world take for granted. On behalf of American Indians and Native Alaskans, EPA included this UN development goal in its 2004-2008 Strategic Plan; and committed to leading the Federal Government in the challenge to reduce the number of tribal households that lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 50% by 2015.

Targets and Progress

Partnership targets

Currently, approximately 39,000 American Indian and Native Alaskan households lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, The Tribal Access commitment will have succeeded if the Federal Government can reduce the number of households without access to safe drinking water to 22,000 by 2015, taking population growth, additional drinking water rules and regulations, and possible budget cuts into account. On the sanitation side, the baseline is 71,000 households, and the target is to reduce to 35,000 by 2008.

Progress against targets

An Interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOLT) on providing tribal access will be signed shortly and the Agencies will assess the current national picture and measure progress made in meeting the Tribal Access commitment in FY 2006.

Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

Human resources development/training
Education/building awareness

Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development

How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation

By reducing the number of tribal households that lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 50% by 2015. This commitment is based on the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Relevant Sections of Agenda 21

Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources; Environmentally sound management of solid wastes and sewage-related issues

Coordination and Implementation

Coordination Mechanism of the Partnership

Since March of 2004, EPA has been a key player in the Federal Interagency Infrastructure Task Force comprised of representatives from US Department of Housing and Urban Development, US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Health and Human Services - Indian Health Service (IHS), US Department of the Interior, and other partners. The EPA serves a coordinating role in this interagency partnership.

Implementation Mechanism of the Partnership

The Interagency Task Force is working together to focus infrastructure resources in order to coordinate more efficiently the provision of drinking water and sanitation services for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. The Task Force will be relying on IHS data to ensure consistency across agencies implementing the Access commitment. All the signatory agencies to the MOU will be looking at ways to support IHS within the confines of the resources they are allocated and the authorities they hold. The implementation strategy for meeting the Federal Government's Tribal Access commitment is to coordinate efforts among agencies, focus existing resources towards Deficiency Level 4/5 water infrastructure projects, and have multiple agencies support IHS in their facilities construction efforts,

Resources

Funding Currently Available Amount in US$: Source(s): Government US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department of the Interior Indian Health Service (IHS) US Department of Agriculture (USDA)	Non-financial resources available Type(s): Source(s):
Funding Sought Required Amount in US$: Source(s) already approached:	Non-financial resources sought Requirement(s): Source(s) approached and details:

Additional Information

Additional Relevant Information

IRS defines different sanitation deficiency levels for tribal communities. A Level 5 deficiency is "An Indian tribe or community that lacks a safe water supply and a sewage disposal system." A Level 4 deficiency is "An Indian tribe or community with a sanitation system which lacks either a safe water supply system or a sewage disposal system." IRS tracks community needs annually, prioritizes projects based on sanitation deficiencies, funds and constructs projects and tracks project completion.