Saturday 6 August 2011

ZAMBIA MAKES PROGRESS IN THE ATTAINMENT OF MDG NUMBER 7 SAYS COUNTRY'S WATER GOVERNING BODY.

A NEW REPORT ON URBAN AND PERI-URBAN WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SECTOR FOR 2010/2011 HAS NOTED THAT ZAMBIA HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN MEETING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL NUMBER 7 ON THE ACCESS TO SAFE AND CLEAN WATER BY 2015.
HOWEVER THE REPORT WHICH WAS PRODUCED BY THE NATIONAL WATER AND SANITATION COUNCIL (NWASCO) HAS NOTED THAT THE CHALLENGE STILL REMAINS WITH ACCELERATING ACCESS TO SANITATION OF WHICH ZAMBIA FOCUSES TO DO THIS BEYOND 2015 TO THE VISION 2030 WHICH TARGETS UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION.
NWASCO IN THE REPORT HAS CALLED FOR THE NEED TO PUT MORE EFFORT IN ORDER TO ATTAIN THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE VISION 2030.
IT IS ESTIMATED IN THE SIXTH NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT  ZAMBIA NEEDS 179.9 BILLION AND 270.1 BILLION KWACHA TO REACH THE MDG TARGET ON WATER AND SANITATION FOR BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.
THE COUNCIL IN THE REPORT HAS NOTED THAT INVESTMENTS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT IN THE WATER AND SANITATION FIELD HAVE LARGELY BEEN SKEWED TOWARDS WATER SUPPLY AS OPPOSED TO SANITATION AND THIS HAS BEEN COMPOUNDED BY THE ABSENCE OF A CLEAR POLICY AND MANDATE ON ISSUES OF SANITATION.
NWASCO HAS REITERATED ITS OBSERVATION THAT INVESTMENTS IN THE SECTOR BY GOVERNMENT ESPECIALLY HAS BEEN LOW WITH THE ALLOCATION IN THE NATIONAL BUDGET OF LESS THAN 3 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL.
IT HAS HOWEVER FURTHER NOTED THAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BOTH NATIONAL RURAL AND URBAN WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROGRAMMES UNDER THE MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING.
NWASCO SAYS THE PROGRAMMES ARE INTENDED TO SPEED UP THE ACHIEVEMENT OF MDGS AND MEET THE GOVERNMENT’S VISION OF UNIVERSAL COVERAGE WITH THE HELP OF CO-OPERATING PARTNERS AND NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.

published by augustine

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