INNOVATIVE financing mechanisms and diversification of water
resources are crucial for Africa to tackle the challenges facing the water
sector and achieve sustainable development.
The Vice-President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, said this
yesterday in Dar es Salaam at the opening of the 10th African Ministers Councilon Water (AMCOW).
The AMCOW General Assembly was preceded by the 6th Africa
Water Week which commenced on July 18 to 22 with the theme ‘achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water security and sanitation.’
“Almost these affected people live in developing world and
particularly in Africa which accounts for 40 per cent of this population,” Ms
Hassan said. She added that within an hour, about 400 people mostly children
are likely to die in the continent from water linked diseases.
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| Estimates show that about 400 people mostly children are likely to die every hour in the continent from water linked diseases |
It is estimated that 60 per cent of hospital beds in
developing countries are occupied by people suffering from water related
diseases.
Ms Hassan said that the common resolve by Africans to meet
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets on water and sanitation has
helped about 322 million Africans to have gained access to safe and drinking
water and 189 million have access to an improved sanitation.
She, however, said that Africa is currently experiencing
high population growth and expansion of its cities accompanied by accelerated
economic activities, thus call for collaborative efforts to make deliberate
considerations on the requirements for water related sanitation.
“These challenges are many and require bold and decisive
solutions … we must tackle future challenges by diversifying our sources of
water and being innovative in our financing mechanisms, taking into account
huge funding requirements for the sector,” Ms Hassan observed.
She added that there was a need for agency of mobilising
funds to put the right infrastructure and skilled manpower to develop and
manage the sector more efficiently. Ms Hassan, however,
reaffirmed the
commitment by the fifth phase government to initiate strategic industrial
growth in key areas including adding value to agricultural products.
“This anticipated industrial growth is likely to attract
expansion of the agricultural sector with notable expansion of irrigated land
and general increase in farming activities in the country,” she cited.
She said more water abstraction from the ecosystem will be
required in a sustainable manner in order to achieve sustainable development.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News’, the AMCOW Executive Secretary,
Mr Bai Mass Taal, said that attainment of SGDs needs proper financing
mechanism.
According to him, Africa needs 11 billion USD per year for
the implementation of its projects, thus without proper financing it will be
difficult for the continent to achieve its goals. He called upon African
governments to allocate more funds for the water sector in order to address the
impending problems.
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| Africa needs 11 billion USD per year for the implementation of its projects |
“This conference is crucial because it gives us an
opportunity to sit down and draw out our strategies and road map on financial mechanisms
to achieve the SGDs,” Mr Taal said.
He further noted that African governments should act now on
water problems facing its people, adding that approximately 340 million people
in Africa have no access to drinking water. Mr Taal commended the development
partners for supporting Africa in water and sanitation projects and called for
further support for the continent to attain SDGs.
For her part, African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy
and Agriculture, Ms Rhoda Tumisiime, said that the theme for the 6th Africa
Water week and the 10th AMCOW General Assembly is timely because it is in line
with the theme of the 2016 AU summit.
SOURCE DAILY NEWS
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