Nigeria: UN Supports South-South With 110 Million Euros

The United Nations Agency on Environment (UNEP) has doled out 110 million euros to coastal communities in Niger Delta states as support for governments to provide water, good sanitation, improved health, education and socio-economic development of the grassroots.

The agency said the fund would also support the South-South states in institutional capacity building, co-operation on pooling of network and complementary expertise and promoting of small-scale technologies for production of potable water.

UN Programme Director, Robert Bechtloff, disclosed this in Yenagoa on Tuesday at a training workshop entitled “Strategic Brainstorm on Municipal Water Management in Bayelsa” organised by the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.

Bechtloff said the new partnership with the South-South states might last for three to five years even as it had received wide acceptance.

Earlier, Commissioner for Environment, Victoria Denenu, said the United Nations offer through the new partnership was a clear appreciation of the magnitude of the challenges of wastewater management in many coastal and rural communities in the South-South region.

Represented by Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ebikaboere Sampou, the Commissioner said Bayelsa State has the longest coast line with about 185 kilometres, adding that some of the coastlines include Brass, Akassa and Egwema located at a low latitude.

“The state therefore, is at a unique position to derive benefits from the partnership the UN offered. Though, the state government has done a lot in rehabilitation of water system in the state, the issue of poverty and ignorance in some communities are militating factors against provision and accessibility of existing water channels. The UN programme will assist the state and the people to quell the rising cases of water borne diseases,” Denenu said.

Source: Emma Gbemudu, Daily Independent /allAfrica.com, 27 April 2010

Uganda: Sh7.5 Billion to Fix Manafwa Water Project

Rehabilitation of the water scheme at Sono village in Bumbo sub-county in Manafwa district has began. The water state minister, Jennifer Namuyangu, commissioned the sh7.5b project last week.

It is expected to supply piped water to Manafwa and Tororo districts. The scheme, based at the foot of Mt. Elgon National Park, will source water from River Lwakhaka that runs through the Uganda- Kenya border.

Namuyangu said the two-year project would increase safe water coverage in the rural communities so as to reduce the prevalence of water-borne diseases.

“The rural safe water coverage in the rural areas has risen to 62% from 32% in 1986. Manafwa district has just emerged from a cholera epidemic. People have been consuming raw water. It is vital that people consume safe water to save expenses that would be incurred on treatment of water-borne diseases,” she said.

Namuyangu also urged the communities residing at the slopes of the mountain to conserve the environment to sustain the supply of water to the project. “We cannot talk of sustainable water supply when we are not mindful of the environment. I appeal to the communities to plant trees at the slopes of the mountain.”

Eng. Joseph Eyatu, a water official, said over 20,000 people would benefit from the initial phase of the project, adding that the number would double when the scheme is completed.

“In areas where old pipelines are still in good condition, we shall retain them. We will only replace spoilt pipes,” he said. The project was initially constructed by the British protectorate government in 1950 to channel water to cool the train engines at Tororo railway station.

Source: Daniel Edyegu, New Vision / allAfrica.com, 27 April 2010

Tanzania: Campaign To Improve Sanitation In Rural Areas

Inadequate sanitation has been a thorn in the flesh for many governments, especially in developing countries, as it is a major cause of diseases world-wide.  Improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities and this has led to many countries initiating projects aimed at promoting sanitation especially in rural areas.

Tanzania, like any other developing country is not an exception as in a bid to improve sanitation, unveiled the Household and Community Latrine Improvement Campaign, “Choo Bora Chawezekana, Maendeleo Hadi Chooni”, last week.

Launching the campaign, Elias Chinamo, the Assistant Director for Environmental Health, Hygiene and Sanitation in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said: “Improving rural sanitation, including use of quality toilets, could save thousands of lives every year, bringing about increases in productivity and economic development,” adding that it can further reduce diarrhea diseases, one of the leading causes of child mortality in Tanzania, by 36 per cent.

Diarrhea infections, according to him, claim about 30 per cent of neonatal deaths in Tanzania and are responsible for 12 per cent  of illness in children of ages 0-15.

He also said that for every dollar spent on water and sanitation, $11 is gained by preventing losses in productive time, education, costs of medicines and health services.

Chinamo added that processes are at the final stage to prepare a policy on water and sanitation, which is spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and social Welfare, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Governments and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

Once in place, according to him, the policy will address all issues concerning sanitation including disposal of human waste and construction of quality toilets.

Emphasizing the importance of the campaign, Mr Jason Cardosi, the World Bank Country Director said: “Although Tanzania already has very high basic latrine coverage, estimated at 80 per cent, the quality of the facilities in terms of protecting health as well as general consumer satisfaction is low.”

He said that the issue of better sanitation was something not to ignore and that his organisation was highly concerned with how Tanzania is responding to various challenges geared towards achieving Millennium Development Goals.

The initiative, being implemented in 132 districts countrywide, focuses on increasing priority of sanitation within homes and communities with the aim of bettering latrine facilities that are used by all members of the family.

It also lets communities set sanitation targets and train suppliers to expand businesses to respond to consumer sanitation needs in terms of costs and quality and engages rural heads of households to improve their latrine facilities and also upgrade latrine management.

The campaign is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the World Bank, the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), UNICEF and other partners.

Source: This Day / FANRPAN News, 27 April 2010

Ghana: About Six Million Ghanaians Still Practice Open Defecation

Twenty per cent of Ghanaians, representing about six million of the population practice open defecation, because they do not have access to toilet facilities or did not know the health implications.

Mr Tony Tsekpetse-Akuamoah, Environmental Health Technologist at the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD) who made this known in Accra on Monday said sanitation coverage in the country improved by only three per cent in five years, spanning the 10 per cent in 2005 to 13 per cent in 2010.

He was speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop on Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), organised by Plan Ghana, a non-governmental community child-centred organisation in Accra on Monday.

It is being attended by Plan Ghana officials drawn from its operational communities, representatives from selected district assemblies and non-governmental organisations on water and sanitation.

The workshop is to build the capacity of participants to work within the context of national condition to support adoption of CLTS as a new strategy of addressing environmental sanitation and hygiene in the communities.

It is also aimed at collating experience and assess what other partners are doing to ensure environmental sanitation in the communities.

CLTS is a community owned initiative which is creating the platform for communities to take up the responsibility to construct their own toilets and other sanitation structures to ensure their safety.

Mr Tsekpetse-Akuamoah said EHSD had reviewed its environmental sanitation policy and recommended adoption of the CLTS concept to ensure that every household had access to the facility for their safety.

Mr Tsekpetse-Akuamoah called on government to ensure the speedy release of funds for the implementation of the concept.

Mr Samuel Paulos, Country Director of Plan Ghana, whose speech was read on his behalf said the workshop would enable the participants to find a common ground to streamline activities of Plan into the national strategies aimed at addressing issues of sanitation and hygiene in the communities.

He said Plan Ghana believed that CLTS technology was the right way to address sanitation and hygiene because it was easy to adopt and maintain.

Mr Martin Keijzer, Senior Water and Sanitation Advisor, Plan Netherlands, who undertook comprehensive studies on the CLTS concept, called for attitudinal change and awareness creation to enable people in the communities embrace the concept.

Source: GNA – Ghana News Agency, 26 April 2010

Kenya: Paying Water Bills Simplified

Over 200,000 Nairobi residents who use metered water supplied by the Nairobi Water Company (NWC) can now pay for their bills through Safaricom’s money transfer service M-PESA.

This follows the signing of a partnership agreement between the telecommunication solutions provider Safaricom and NWC which gives their customers an effective and efficient way to settle their bills.

“In our constant quest to come up with innovative services that meet our customers’ and business partners’ requirements, we will continuously enter into strategic partnerships with key service providers such as NWC,” said Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph during the signing ceremony.

Until now, customers have been settling their bills at over 18 NWC outlets across Nairobi resulting in long queues especially at peak times.

Mr Joseph said the partnership mirrors past deals between M-PESA and utility companies like Kenya Power and Lighting Company that ease settlement of bills.

“We are excited about this partnership and the advantages it gives our customers. This is also in line with our strategy of increasing the utility of the mobile phone for our customers,” added the CEO.

M-PESA, which had over 9.4 million users as at March 31, has grown beyond its primary role of money transfer and has introduced value added services such as the PayBill and Bulk Payment functionalities.

More than 250 companies have already signed up for the PayBill service which enables several organisations to accept client payments through M-PESA.

On his part NWC Managing Director Francis Mugo said the partnership provides their customers with a fast, easy and convenient way to settle their water bills which would go a long way in enabling them to improve their service delivery.

“We are happy to be part of this money transfer revolution brought by M-PESA service. I take this opportunity to congratulate Safaricom for the M-PESA innovation as it is surely shaping our way of life,” Mr Mugo pointed out.

NB: Registered M-PESA customers will be required to select “Pay Bill” from the M-PESA menu; enter the NWC business number 444400 and full account number and then follow the instructions as guided by the menu to complete the transaction.

Upon payment, customers will receive a confirmation from M-PESA immediately and the account will be updated within 48 hours. To query one’s outstanding bill, a customer will need to send an SMS with full account number to the NWC short code 5571.

Source: Evelyn Njoroge, Capital Business, 26 April 2010

Malawi: Blantyre Pursues Overhaul Of Water Infrastructure

Malawi’s Blantyre Water Board has issued an international tender for the supply and delivery of pipes, fittings and various repair equipment and materials for the ongoing Peri-Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Blantyre, which is being financed by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.

The project entails overhauling Blantyre’s water infrastructure.

The equipment and materials to be supplied include high-density polyethylene pipes and fittings, galvanised pipes and fittings, water meters, PVC pipes and fittings, pressure-reducing valves, sluice valves, pipe repair equipment and tools, motor vehicles, motor cycles and electromagnetic flow meters.

Bidding Procedures “Bidding will be conducted [in line with] the international competitive bidding procedures specified in the European Investment Bank’s guidelines to procurement and is open to all bidders from elligible source countries as defined in the bidding documents,” says the Blantyre Water Board.

Bid documents in English may be obtained on payment of a non-refundable fee of $40. The deadline for the submission of bids is May 12, the Blantyre Water Board has announced.

Service Contractor The Malawi government has engaged Dutch firm Vitens-Evides International as the service contractor to oversee the implementation of the Peri-Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Blantyre.

The European Union and the European Investment Bank have provided $40-million for the project, which is part of the multimillion-dollar second phase of Malawi’s National Water Development Programme.

The World Bank initially put up $2,5-million to improve the Blantyre water supply system as a medium-term solution.
The World Bank funding was used, besides other things, to procure transformers and pumps.

Source: Marcel Chimwala, Creamer Media’s Engineering News, 23 April 2010

Kenya: Country Moves to Meet Water Demands of Thirsty Citizens

Kenya is in the dubious league of countries that are yet to meet the water needs of their citizens.

Rationing is a perennial headache for urban residents while in many rural areas, women and children have to walk long distances to fetch water. But these tribulations could end if a new programme started by the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation bears fruit.

The parastatal has launched a multi-billion shilling initiative involving borehole drilling, dam building as well as rehabilitating existing ones to boost supplies. The massive initiative seeks to tap the flood waters going to waste in most parts of the country while a majority of residents live with dry taps.

It is estimated that 1,700 cubic metres per capita per year is the minimum amount of water required to maintain an adequate quality of life. On the global index, Kenya, with a per capita water availability of 635 cubic metres, is considered a water-scarce nation and this may worsen by 2025 when it hits a low of 190 cubic metres.

In light of this bleak outlook, the NWCPC is investing billions in water harvesting infrastructure countrywide. And next month, Machakos Town, just outside Nairobi, could join Eldoret as one of the few urban centres whose water resources surpass their needs, thanks to the rehabilitation of Maruba Dam.

An hour’s drive from Nairobi, Machakos could in future be the next stop for residents as water costs and rents go through the roof in city estates. Built in the 1950s, Maruba Dam is set to increase daily water supply for Machakos from 2,000 to 8,500 cubic metres. The dam will store 2.45 million cubic metres.

NWCPC’s efforts will also see outlying towns like Ongata Rongai, Ngong and Kiserian getting a reprieve once Kiserian Dam is completed in January next year. Located on Kiserian River in Kajiado District, the dam is being built at a cost of Sh1.06 billion and is expected to hold 1.22 million cubic metres and supply 15,700 cubic metres daily to 124,000 people.

Daily water demand in the towns stands at 27,705 cubic metres against a supply of 2,110 cubic metres but the deficit will not be met by the new water source whose capacity will be outstripped by 2020. “This dam was designed in the 1990s but stalled due to lack of funds,” NWCPC managing director Petronila Ogut said in explaining the short time the dam will provide a reprieve.

Townships without large water sources will have to rely on boreholes but experts warn against their mass sinking in Nairobi. A recent World Bank report titled The Role of Ground Water in the Water-Supply of Greater Nairobi warns of the possibility of the ground caving in, resulting in buildings collapsing and drying up of aquifers.

Another report by Water Resource Management (Warma) released in April last year said water from boreholes and wells in the area was hazardous. But despite these warnings NWCPC has, since 2005, drilled 750 boreholes to supply about 4,500 cubic metres of water per day to 1.5 million people.

In the same period, says Ms Ogut, the state agency has increased the country’s water storage capacity by about 14.5 million cubic metres per day by building 746 small dams and water pans mostly in arid and semi arid areas. Amid predictions that water-related conflicts will intensify, especially due to climate change, experts are calling on African governments to come with up with water harvesting and storage policies.

“Currently, Kenya is awash with rainwater that is leaving behind devastation and death. If only we could harvest and store it for later use,” Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai said. The NWCPC, established in 1988, seems to have embraced the idea. Between 2009 and 2012, the corporation is building five huge dams at a cost of Sh9.4 billion. These include: Umaa in Kitui, Kiserian in Kajiado, Chemususu in Koibatek, Badasa in Marsabit and Maruba in Machakos.

Ms Ogut said design work for eight other dams is underway and that some might be financed in the next financial year. Kenya’s economic blueprint, Vision 2030 envisages the building of 22 medium size dams in 20 years, a feat the NWCPC is confident of achieving.

Source: The Nation / allAfrica.com, 25 April 2010

Uganda: Former Northern IDPs To Get Clean Water

PEOPLE returning to their villages in north will get piped water. The Uganda Red Cross Society will provide the water. IT has partnered with an international NGO, ECHO/Netherlands to start a water and sanitation project for the returnees, according to a notice.

The project, which will be funded by ECHO/Netherlands, will be implemented by Red Cross under the Integrated Community Based WASH recovery programme for returnees in the Acholi sub-region.

Therefore, Red Cross wants qualified bidders to submit sealed bids for sitting, drilling, casting pump installation and associated works for 27 boreholes in Gulu, Amuru and Kitgum districts.

The project comes at a time when communities that have lived in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps for over 20 years, are returning to their homes.

Sanitation is an important component of the project because as people return to their villages, they find no latrines.

Poor sanitation will contamination of water sources during the rainy season.

Source: Aidah Nanyonjo, The New Vision, 21 April 2010

Ghana: Ready For Washington Meeting On Water And Sanitation

Ibrahim Musah, member of a national technical working group preparing a document to be presented at the first ever international High Level Meeting (HLM) on water and sanitation issues to be held in Washington on April 23, 2010, has disclosed that Ghana is not only ready to attend but is also poised to deliver a comprehensive compact to drum home the need for more support for the sector.

The compact, he revealed, captures government’s commitment, starts with an institutional analysis of Ghana’s water and sanitation sector and ends with key commitments that the Government of Ghana is making to the ministers of Development Cooperation at the developed countries.

Addressing journalists at a side meeting of a National Council on Persons with Disability Workshop on Mainstreaming Disability Issues in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in Accra on Monday, he said Ghana will be represented at the HLM by a 7-member delegation led by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor.

Ibrahim Musah added that the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh-Chireh, will deliver Ghana’s compact at the meeting, while the other delegation members will comprise the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, as well as some technocrats from the three ministries of Finance, Local Government and Water Resources.

Mr. Musah, who is also a Policy Manager at WaterAid Ghana (WAG), an international NGO,
divulged that Ghana’s compact mainly centres on issues of sanitation because the country’s performance in the sector since 1990, has been very poor.

“As we are well aware, sanitation takes centre stage in the compact because we know the situation of sanitation in the country, and therefore the three ministries, Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, together, agreed that sanitation should receive the highest priority,” he said.

He hinted that the UN Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLASS) Report would soon be launched, as well as the Global Report, which tracks progress of water and sanitation in developing countries, and Ghana’s progress is nothing to be proud of.

According to the HLM National Technical Working Group member, Ghana has only been able to achieve an improved sanitation coverage of 13.4% from 7% in 1990 when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was launched, which means there is a lot to be done, if the country’s target of 64% in improved sanitation is to be achieved.

“It means that the Ministry of Finance, and for that matter the Government of Ghana needs to put in more, in terms of financial resources,” he stated.

Quoting the WHO/Joint Monitoring Platform (JMP) definition of improved sanitation, he said improved sanitation refers to sanitation that is hygienically good. “There shouldn’t be contact between the human excreta and the human being,” he said.

He thus called for commitment from government to ensure that every household gets its own latrine.

He however commended government for approving the revised sanitation policy of the country by the end of March 2010, which is on its way to Parliament to be ratified, “which means that in terms of policy government has put in place the mechanism.”

Ibrahim Musah also expressed his joy that at the district level where the chunk of the sanitation problems are, the National Environmental Strategic Action Plan has been put in place and its counterpart at the district level – the District Environmental Strategic Action Plan, is almost through.

He opined that it means “government now needs to give a lot of resources to the districts and the national level institutions to deal with the sanitation challenges that we are facing.”

He added that it also means the private sector needs to team up with government to release resources for the policies to be implemented at all levels for the achievement of improved sanitation coverage.

Further stating his case for the need to increase improved sanitation coverage, Musah said for every $1 invested in sanitation $9 is gained by way of reduction in the country’s health burden and improved health such as reduction in diarrhoea cases, which also brings about increased school enrolment of the girl-child.

This he said, further results in increase in literacy rate and thus increased development, which is why apart from the policy provisions made by government, it needs to allocate more resources to the sector for the structures to function effectively.

Musah again called on government to ensure that those who need to implement the country’s policies do so without fear or favour and bye-laws of municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies such as that requiring residencies put up to have toilets, enforced.

He also called for appropriate mechanisms that will enable implementation of the water and sanitation policies that have been approved by government with a human face, such that people will have access to those facilities without discrimination.

He lamented that even in the water sector where Ghana seems to be making progress, there are still places in urban areas where people are deprived of the resource and have to travel long distances to look for water, which affects school attendance.

The HLM committee member reiterated that government will be saving so much money, if environmental sanitation is improved through an enabling environment that will allow participation of the private sector, adding that beyond Washington, government must release needed resources to the agencies that are working on the ground in sanitation and water directorate and the MMDAs, to ensure that all the laudable articles in the commitment that it will present in Washington, come April 23, 2010 are followed through.

The High Level Meeting (HLM) of Sanitation and Water for All is an annual ministerial dialogue at which Ministers of Finance from developing countries and Ministers of Development Cooperation from donor countries take stock of progress on sanitation and water, decide how to address challenges and monitor progress against concrete commitments.

On Friday, April 23, 2010, UNICEF will host the first ever annual HLM of Ministers of Finance and Ministers of Development Cooperation, who will gather in Washington DC to take stock of progress on sanitation and drinking water, and decide how to increase the performance and effectiveness of the sector.

·    The discussion will focus on: How does investment in sustainable sanitation and drinking water drive economic and human development and progress toward all Millennium Development Goals?

·    What are the steps countries can take to address current and future sanitation and drinking water challenges to ensure sustained economic growth and improve human development?

·     How can the global community work together to better support national efforts?

Ministers will bring concrete commitments of intent to address obstacles to accelerated progress towards sanitation and water for everyone and to hold others and agree to be held accountable for those commitments. It is anticipated that Ministers will use the High Level Meeting as an excellent opportunity to make or emphasise their concrete, specific commitments.

The High Level Meeting aims to build on existing declarations, such as the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and the Sharm el Sheikh and eThekwini Declarations on sanitation and water in Africa, and not create duplicates.

It is expected that the first annual High Level Meeting will be attended by Ministers of Finance from ten to eighteen developing countries which are some of the most off-track for sanitation and water, accompanied by their Ministers responsible for sanitation and drinking water, and eight to ten Ministers of Development Cooperation.

It will also be attended by representatives of Development Banks, Civil Society (Northern and Southern), multilateral development agencies (such as UNICEF, WHO, UNDP) and regional bodies such as the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW).

Source: Edmund Smith-Asante, Ghana Business News, 21 April 2010

Ethiopia: Quarter Of Addis Ababa Residents Have No Access To Toilets

Almost a quarter of Addis Ababa residents have no access to toilets, says a new report by the Addis Ababa city authorities.

“We estimate that some three million people live in Addis Ababa. Out of this nearly 25 percent of the population have no access to toilets and defecate in rivers crossing the city” the report says.

“We cannot tolerate any more waste in rivers and roads. We should be ashamed. We want to make sure that the city is clean and a better place to live,” said Mekuria Haile, a senior local government official, at the launch of the report entitled Cleaning and Beautifying Addis Ababa: Intensifying Environmental and Health Issues with Public Participation.

“Addis Ababa is one of the biggest cities in sub-Saharan Africa… but is still fighting against solid waste management and health problems posed by unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation,” said Haile.

The outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) which hit most parts of the city in August 2009 “was the result of poor sanitation and hygiene, coupled with solid waste from the city” the report said.

“I cannot trust the water that comes through a pipeline since that outbreak. I boil my water every day before serving my family,” said Senait Habte, a resident of the city’s Kolfe Keraniyo slum.

“My relatives in rural Ethiopia live a better life than us in the city. They have good toilets and access to safe drinking water. Seems like the government has forgotten us,” she told IRIN, adding: “There are continuous electricity blackouts. Sometimes we don’t have water for five days. Life is becoming difficult in Addis nowadays.”

Public relations chief at the Water Resources Ministry Bizuneh Tolcha told IRIN nearly 66 percent of the Ethiopian population has access to safe drinking water and 56 percent has access to a latrine.

“According to our water tests, the water in Addis is very clean but the problem is contamination due to its unsafe use,” Tolcha told IRIN.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 60-80 percent of the current disease burden in Ethiopia is attributable to environmental health risks, which include poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation.

Eco-toilets

US-based NGO Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partners have been promoting an ecological toilet called the ArborLoo, designed by Zimbabwean Peter Morgan specifically for African conditions. It serves both as a basic toilet and makes use of excreta for growing fruit trees.

The AborLoo is a single pit shallow compost toilet 1.0-1.5m deep comprising a ring beam, slab and st ructure.

“Each concrete toilet slab costs US$7-20 and anyone can use it. It best suits the elderly and disabled people. You can dig it in half a day and can also plant trees on it,” says Bekele Abaire, programme manager at the CRS office in Ethiopia.

During use, fly and odour problems are reduced by regularly adding soil, wood ash and leaves to the excreta in the pit. Once full, the old toilet site is covered with soil and left to compost with the parts of the toilet being moved to another place, rebuilt and used in the same way again.

A tree is planted on the old site, preferably at the start of the rainy season, after the old pit contents have composted for a while.

“All of my family used to defecate at the back of our house or in an open field. This is the case everywhere in our `kebele’ [district]; it is normal. We now understand that latrines are important for our hygiene and health. ArborLoo has helped us a lot. We plant fruits, vegetables, trees and above all we are safe from acute watery diarrhoea and other diseases,” said Seid Abdo who is now using ArborLoo in Arsi Zone, Oromiya Regional State.

“Many communities achieved 100 percent sanitation coverage in areas that had 1 percent or less [coverage] before the project. And surprisingly none of these areas were affected by AWD, while others suffered from it,” Bekele told IRIN.

“We are trying to implement more eco toilet projects in Addis Ababa. We want to scale it up in urban areas like Addis Ababa and Adama but we are challenged by lack of adequate policy and lack of funding,” Bekele told IRIN.

Source: irinnews / API, 21 April 2010