I travelled to over seven regions of this country recently and
one of the most imposing successes as you move hundreds of kilometers, is the
modern roads connecting scores of regions. It’s admirable. But the story is
different with regard to access to clean water.
 |
| A pastoralist collects drinking water from a contaminated water source in the northern part of Tanzania |
Despite progress made, provision of water supply remains one
of the biggest problems especially in the rural areas. Yet, Universal access to
clean water and sanitation is one of 17 Global Goals that make up the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
As President John Magufuli’s new government moves to embark
on reforms in the sector, analysts urge it to make it central since it’s a
critical role that water and sanitation plays in human development.
One of the global faces of this subject, Professor Anna
Tibaijuka, a Member of Parliament for Muleba South, says that since goal 6 of
the Sustainable Development Goals is to “Ensure availability and sustainable
management of water and sanitation for all”, the government should make it
central in the new budget whose implementation started in July.
“This is an important recognition of the critical role that
water and sanitation plays in human development, and hence, its function in the
elimination of poverty in our countries. The effort reached this far to forge
global partnership to address the means of implementation to achieve the SDGs
is fundamental in social and economic progress not only for Tanzania but to all
countries which are still lagging behind to fully achieve the SDGs,” she notes.
Prof Tibaijuka, who is the former chairperson of Water
Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), says that in the SDGs, the
countries are called on to improve not only drinking water and sanitation but
comprehensively to deal with other challenges too, such as, water quality,
reduce amount of untreated wastewater, reduce water scarcity, implement
integrated water resources management and trans-boundary cooperation, and
protect water related ecosystems.
 |
| Initiatives like the drinking ATM installed in India by the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation where clean drinking water is sold at near give away prices will go a long to increasing access to this invaluable liquid if replicated |
Targets 6.1 and 6.2, the two targets related to drinking
water and sanitation, set a higher benchmark than the MDGs did not, they
emphasize on universal and equitable access.
She adds that the government of Tanzania on its side has
participated in the formulation and implementation of these development
frameworks. There are a number of interventions in water and sanitation
programs that have been envisaged for some time now, with all aimed at
improvement of water and sanitation status in the country.
She recognizes the Water Sector Development Program, an
effort to comprehensively improve status of people with access to safe, clean
and equitable provision of water services in urban and rural; and improving
access to improved sanitation.
“This is a flagship project for the Government and the WASH
Sector to ensure that more communities are reached with improved water and sanitation
services in Tanzania,” she adds.
The Global Sanitation Fund, the world’s only multi-donor
financing facility dedicated to sanitation, supports the development of
national sanitation and hygiene improvement programmes, which are
community-based, government-enabled and commercially operated.
Tanzania is among the beneficiary countries and the program
is going hand in hand with and supports the country’s National Sanitation
Campaign by facilitating communities improve their sanitation and adopt
sustainable hygiene practices.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Community
Development Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) Dr Mpoki Ulisubisya, says
that Tanzania as a country and member of UN is signatory in the adoption of
this agenda of taking stock and re-strategizing for effective delivery of
sanitation and hygiene work, since it aligns very much with countries efforts
to attain set targets for meeting the SDGs.
He cited that the key role of improved sanitation and safe
water supply in the poverty alleviation and economic development efforts at
large.
“Our commitment to achieve equitable access to sanitation
and safe water is anchored to our recognition that, access to those public
services is a pre-requisite for all Tanzanians to lead a life of human dignity;
a cause that extends beyond metrics and results to touch on the daily lives of
our people,” he says.
Tanzania as a country and member of UN is signatory in the
adoption of this Agenda.
In the SDGs, the countries are called on to improve not only
drinking water and sanitation but comprehensively to deal with other challenges
too, such as, water quality, reduce amount of untreated wastewater, reduce
water scarcity, implement integrated water resources management and
trans-boundary cooperation, and protect water related ecosystems.
Tanzania has formulated The Water Sector Development Program
with the aim of comprehensively improving the status of people with access to
safe, clean and equitable provision of water services in urban and rural; and
improving access to improved sanitation. The Program took off on July, 2007.
The National Sanitation Campaign was launched in June 2012
to facilitate the sensitization and provision sanitation and hygiene services in
Tanzania. The GSF supported program USAFI WA MAZINGIRA TANZANIA (UMATA) is the
key support to provision of lessons for improvement the National Sanitation
Campaign. Its implementation has taken the direction that allows government
systems to capture results and lessons.
In order to encourage good management and prevent excessive
profiteering of only specific group of operators, standard contracts will be developed.
The Ministry of Water and Irrigation in collaboration with
the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government will
supervise the recruitment of registrars at Local Government Authority by 2016.
The later will be responsible for registration of Community Owned Water Supply
Organizations (COWSOs).
The Ministry of Health needs to develop a guideline that
stipulates focus areas on promoting sanitation and hygiene which all the
stakeholders will be engaged. This measure will ensure the common goal on
sanitation and hygiene is attainable and that through this approach the country
commits itself to increase access to improved sanitation to 53 per cent and
reduce ODF from 12 per cent to 6 per cent by 2016.
A mechanism to be established by the Ministries of Water,
Health and Education to accelerate the mobilization of resources both human and
financial which are required for the implementation of sanitation and hygiene
interventions. Inadequate resources have been identified as among the barriers
to improved service delivery on sanitation and hygiene services in the country.
The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water, Local Government
Authorities in collaboration with the network of CSOs will work together to
strengthen the private sector participation in the delivery of sanitation and
hygiene service by building capacities to the same and creating enabling
environment to access technical support and open up the business opportunities
on the sector.
The private sector involvement in sanitation and hygiene is
expected to be of great importance in strengthening the supply chain on sanitation
and hygiene services. Tanzania has set targets to achieve 100 per cent ODF by
2019. This is an ambitious goal.
SOURCE TANZANIA REPORTS
No comments:
Post a Comment