Solving the water and sanitation crisis

SINCE 1993, World Water Day has been commemorated every year on 22 March to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.  It enjoins stakeholders to take action to tackle the global water crisis that has seen over 2 billion people living without access to safe water. 

The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Accelerating Change in the Zambian Water Sector through Partnerships and Cooperation.’

With the world having committed to ‘clean and safe water for all by 2030’ under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, this year’s theme is a clarion call to action,  to identify the strengths and resources of the WASH sector partners and determine how these can be used to support the shared goal. This collaboration can create synergy, which can lead to more effective and efficient results of delivering clean and safe water to all.

According to the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS), 72% of households in the country have access to an improved source of drinking water. Urban households (92%) are more likely to have access to an improved source than rural households (58%).

More than half of households (54%) in Zambia use an improved sanitation facility, including facilities shared with other households. Urban households are twice as likely as rural households to use improved sanitation facilities (78% versus 37%).

While some of these statistics (like 92% access) may seem impressive, the reality is different. In both rural and urban areas, the distances people cover to what they consider their nearest source of water are long and greatly compromise access. Some households do not have a toilets and practice open defecation, thus increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera.

The paradox for rural communities is that despite some of them residing near huge water bodies such as rivers and lakes, they do not have access to clean and safe water, underscoring the difference between availability and access. The reasons for this crisis are complex and multifaceted, but they include rapid population growth, climate change, and poor water management practices.

To address these challenges, the Zambian government has been working with various partners and stakeholders to accelerate change in the water sector. These partnerships and collaborations are critical in achieving sustainable water management and ensuring access to safe water for all.

One of the key partnerships in the Zambian water sector is between the government and civil society organizations. Civil society organizations play a critical role in promoting community engagement and participation in water management. They work with communities to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation and help build community capacity for sustainable water management.

Despite the progress made through these partnerships, challenges remain in the Zambian water sector. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of funding for water infrastructure development and maintenance. The government and its partners must work together to find innovative financing solutions to address this challenge.

The vagaries of climate change have also complicated water access, with traditional sources of water for some communities such as streams and protected wells drying up completely or much earlier than anticipated each year.

In both the Vision 2030 and the Eight National Development Plan (8NDP), the government has outlined plans on improving access to safe and clean water, and improved sanitation. Water is inextricably linked to the pillars of sustainable development, and it integrates social, cultural, economic and political values.

“Key programmes to be implemented include climate resilient water supply infrastructure development and maintenance, water quality monitoring and protection of aquifers and protected water sources,” according to the 8NDP.

In the Vision 2030, the government seeks to achieve universal (100%) access to clean water supply to all by 2030. This is a tall order given the current situation and will require massive investment in the water and sanitation sector if the country is to come close to meeting national and global targets.

 The Zambia Water Investment Programme launched by President Hakainde Hichilema on the sidelines of the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit in July 2022 requires $5.75 billion to improve water security and sanitation investments and create approximately 200,000 formal jobs by 2030.

 While government has the overall national mandate of providing clean and safe water to communities and ensuring improved sanitation, the scale of the challenge only suggests that government alone cannot overcome it. Hence, the need for households, non-state actors and other entities to step in and supplement efforts of central government.

Across the country, several organisations are contributing to solving the water and sanitation crisis through a variety of projects and programmes. Among them is the USAID Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (USAID SUN TA) Project that is operating in 13 districts across four provinces, namely Central, Copperbelt, Northern and Luapula.

The project, whose objective is to contribute to a reduction in malnutrition, is working with various government ministries to, among other activities, deliver clean and safe water and improve sanitation in communities. 

Clean and safe water and sanitation are crucial to reducing diarrheal diseases which are a leading cause of malnutrition in children under two years.

In 2022, the project delivered clean and safe water to around 118,000 people in the four provinces through the construction and rehabilitation of 239 boreholes.

In 2023, the project has an ambitious target of rehabilitating 260 waterpoints and constructing 150 new ones across the 13 districts to boost provision of clean and safe water to more communities and households.

Sanitation goes hand in glove with increased access to water. By working with civic and traditional leaders and trained community volunteers, the USAID SUN TA project has over the last four years mobilised communities to take action to improve community and household sanitation through an approach called community-led total sanitation (CLTS).

Among the achievements include households constructing toilets and handwashing stations to eliminate open defecation and improve hygiene. For instance, Kaputa District was in 2021 declared an open defecation free (ODF) district.

By supplementing government efforts through strong partnerships and cooperation, the USAID SUN TA Project is contributing to the national goal of addressing the water complex challenges and ensuring access to clean and safe water and sanitation for all