Angola: water service provision for the peri-urban poor

One of the important challenges of post-war reconstruction is to provide more and better quality basic services, such as water. Previous attempts at upgrading main supply systems to accommodate peri-urban areas have been overwhelmed by the explosive demographic growth of Angola’s major cities brought about by many years of civil war.

A new paper by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) documents strategies developed by the informal private sector and local communities themselves to meet the demand for water services that the Angolan Government has been unable to provide.

The paper demonstrates that local communities’ own engagement in the management of water distribution and their assumption of the responsibility for maintenance and the payment of service fees is a sustainable and affordable model. The paper also points out that building on the successes of existing locally driven initiatives, can bring national and international water targets closer to realisation and that local innovations not only improve water provision, but do so in a manner that involves and responds to the urban poor more than conventional water projects do.

Drawing on a literature review and the experience of Development Workshop in supporting peri-urban water services in Luanda, the paper provides lessons and recommendations for partnerships, financing and cost recovery, mapping tools, and scaling-up.

Water committee members at a standpost. Photo: DW (photo 7 from IIED publication, p. 42)

[1] Cain, A. and Mulenga, M. (2009) Water service provision for the peri-urban poor in post-conflict Angola. (Human settlements working paper series. Water ; 8). London, UK, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). 56 p. ; 10 fig., 8 photos, 15 tab. ISBN 978-1-84369-754-1

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Ghana: Water, sanitation and hygiene resource centre opens in Accra

An organization that coordinates activities in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sectors on Thursday officially inaugurated their new office in Accra.

The Office named “WASH House” is host to eight organizations all working in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector and would serve as a knowledge resource centre.

Dr Minta Aboagye, Director of Water at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, who cut the tape to officially open the house, said the networks and coordination between the eight organizations had created a lot of vibrancy in the WASH sector.

He said even though Ghana was on target to achieve the Millennium Development Goal on water, the country had less than enough water to satisfy its citizens.

“Currently our water availability in Ghana is about 40 billion cubic metres,” he said, explaining that one cubic metre of water was about 220 gallons.

Dr Aboagye, who is also the Acting Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), said the volume of water the country stored was limited compared to how the population grew.

He therefore called on the organizations in the water sector to strengthen their alliances and complement government’s effort in ensuring water sustainability.

The organizations located in the WASH House are TREND Group, Tripartite Partnership Project, WASHCost, Safi-Sana Ghana Limited, Triple-S Project, SWITCH Project, RCN Secretariat, IRC and WARP, all non-government organizations working in the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.

The organizations work on managing information within the sector as well as help in the implementation of research outcomes.

Mr Eugene Larbi, Managing Director of TREND Group, said the project started about five years ago with the aim of improving sector learning and knowledge management.

Describing the network as a knowledge space for the WASH sector, he invited organizations working in the sector and those who want information about the sector to contact the organization.

Dr Patrick Moriarty in charge of IRC and WARP projects said the WASH house hoped to be a force for change in terms of knowledge sharing and learning about the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors in Ghana.

He launched a book titled “Climbing the Water Ladder” that catalogues the multiple uses of water especially in the rural areas.

“The book will be given to all organizations working in the water sector and there will be copies in the WASH library for people who want information about the water sector,” he said.

Source: GNA / Peace FM Online, 11 Dec 2009

Senegal, Tambacounda: 220,000 people to benefit from NGO water and sanitation programme

The French non-governmental organisation Eau Vive has launched a long-term water and sanitation programme in Senegal’s rural Tambacounda Region, announced Antoine Eklou, director of the group’s Senegalese branch. Around 220,000 people will benefit. The region’s potable water coverage is poor: only 20-45% of the population has access to service, and the main source of water is wells that feed earth-lined reservoirs. Nearly 60% of the wells dry up part of the year, said Eklou, and the reservoirs quickly become clogged with sand. As for sewerage, less than 20% of Tambacounda’s population has access to drains.

Source: Louise Shaler, Global Water News Watch summary taken from Agence de Presse Senegalaise, 24 Nov 2009

Burkina Faso: water institute awards honorary doctorate to President Blaise Compaore

On 26 November 2009, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso was awarded his fifth honorary doctorate in recognition of his efforts for the environment. This time, the degree was bestowed by the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou. Director Paul Ginies pointed out that not only had the president founded the Institute in 2006, but he was also actively involved in its future plans. Compaore hopes to make Ouagadougou the African science capital by enticing 5000 PhD candidates of all nationalities to enroll at the Institute, which focuses on climate change and water issues. He has previously received degrees from universities in France, Japan, and Thailand.

Source: Louise Shaler, Global Water News Watch summary taken from Hamidou Ouedraogo, L’Observateur Paalga [in French], 29 Nov 2009 ; 2iE, 02 Dec 2009

Madagascar: water export cancelled

Madagascar’s Water Minister Nirhy Lanto Andriamahazo announced that a proposed deal to export water from the Faraony River to Saudi Arabia was being canceled. Another project to sell water from the island’s northeast is under study.

The deal would have redirected one percent of the river’s flow, about 260,000 cubic meters per day, for export, creating daily revenues of US$ 60,000. The government planned to use the revenues to invest in water supply projects in arid southern Madagascar.

The green party, Hasin’i Madagasikara, has been fighting the plan ever since its inception, pointing out that many Malagassies don’t have access to safe water and that the island’s resources need to be protected. A significant portion of residents are also opposed to selling off their water. “The ministry can’t close the deal on its own without the support of the Malagassy people,” explained Andriamahazo.

The water sector in Madagascar has been in tumult since a separate water ministry was created in 2008, according to Richard Marcus, a Madagascar expert at California State University, Long Beach. The nascent water ministry was just starting to get its bearings when the political crisis began — which hampered its work, Marcus said.

Source: Louise Shaler, Global Water News Watch summary of Fanja Saholiarisoa, L’Express de Madagascar [in French], 06 Nov 2009 ; Circle of Blue, 14 Nov 2009