The Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes is the first major international legal approach for the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases in Europe.

The Protocol was adopted in 1999 at the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health and entered into force in 2005, becoming legally binding for the ratifying countries. So far, it has been signed by 36 countries and ratified by 24.

Signatories agreed to establish and maintain comprehensive national and/or local surveillance and early warning systems to prevent and respond to water-related diseases. They also agreed to promote international cooperation to establish joint or coordinated systems for surveillance and early warning systems, contingency plans, and responses to outbreaks and incidents of water-related diseases and significant threats of such outbreaks.

WHO/Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) provide the joint secretariat for the Protocol, coordinating activities for its implementation. WHO handles the health aspects, while UNECE takes care of the legal and procedural aspects.

In synthesis

By adopting the Protocol, the signatory countries agreed to take all appropriate measures to achieve:

• adequate supplies of wholesome drinking-water;
• adequate sanitation of a standard that sufficiently protects human health and the environment;
• effective protection of water resources used as sources of drinking-water, and their related water ecosystems, from pollution from other causes;
• adequate safeguards for human health against water-related diseases; and
• effective systems for monitoring and responding to outbreaks or incidents of water-related diseases.