Zambia: A Water Project to Benefit Parts of Zambia and Malawi Launched

February 17, 2017
JULIUS PHIRI

Eastern Province Acting Permanent Secretary Patrick Mwanawasa and Malawian Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Erica Maganga during the K15 million project launch for the construction of the water and sanitation schemes for border posts of Chanida, Mwami and Mchinji at Mwami Border in Chipata. Picture By JULIUS PHIRI

The Zambia and Malawi have launched a K15 million project for the construction of the water and sanitation schemes for border posts of Chanida, Mwami and Mchinji.

The project is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF) on three border areas of which two are on the Zambian side while one was on the Malawian side.

The Zambia’s Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu said during the launch of water and sanitation schemes held in January at Mwami Border in Chipata District of Eastern Zambia that the availability of water and good sanitation today were human rights.

The Minister said through acting Permanent Secretary Patrick Mwanawasa that his Government would endeavour to provide the services through commercial utilities like Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC).

He said the company together with Central Regional Water Board through CRIDF and the British Government have worked on the commencement works of the water reticulations at the border towns.

Mr Zulu said the project involves the construction of a water supply system and an ablution block in Mwami and Mchinji as well as the rehabilitation of the existing ablution block at Chanida border.

“This project is targeting the border areas taking into consideration the travelling public and also the residents. Over 6,000 travellers and 1,500 households are expected to benefit from this project,” he
said.

He said the water reticulation for the three border areas would promote good health and bring dignity to the residents and travelling public.

With the present situation in the three border areas, the minister said residents and travelling public especially truck drivers who were marooned for days at the borders would get good drinking water and sanitary services.

Mr Zulu said he was aware that lack of good sanitation obstructs the right to life and health.

He commended the chiefs for giving permission to EWSC and CRWB to put up the facilities in the border areas.

He appealed to the travelling public and the residents to protect the facilities which would contribute to good sanitation and lead to a reduction of water borne disease in the three border areas.

Speaking earlier, Malawian Principal Secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Erica Maganga said the scope of the project on the Malawian side shall include drilling and equipping of three boreholes, laying of transmission and distribution pipeline network and construction of a water tank, an ablution block and two communal water points.

Mrs Maganga said this would serve cross-border travellers, the local community as well as the general public at the border town with sanitary and health facilities.

“Individuals that can afford individual household water connections shall also be served. It is believed that, with the installation of the water supply system here, this border town will quickly transform because other investors are likely come in with different services, “she said.

Mrs Maganga said development of such social amenities in towns and market centres was integral to socio-economic development of the concerned towns.

She paid sincere appreciation to all the people and institutions which have she commendable EWSC and CRWB for twinning so that the sphere of co-operation could be stretched played various roles towards realisation of the project.

And EWSC Managing Director Lytone Kanowa said he was happy that the project was taking off.

African Brothers Limited, a Chinese contractor is engaged to carry out the project for 112 days.

Scaling Up Water Supply: A Focus on Zambia’s Eastern Water And Sewerage Company

Julius Phiri
April 19, 2013

ZAMBIA has vast water resources in form of rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater, but the declining patterns over the years have had a significant adverse impact on the country’s water resources.

In terms of groundwater, the country has favorable geological conditions for accessing groundwater with regard to depth, storage capacity, available yields and exploitation potential.
It is not disputed that over the years, strides have been made towards improved water service delivery to the urban population.

This is due to cognizance of the concerted efforts of the Zambian Government, cooperating partners and many other stakeholders that have contributed to improved water supply and sanitation service provision in Zambia.

Having access to safe water and basic sanitation is vital to everyone’s life

The National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) is charged with the responsibility of regulating water supply and sanitation service provision for efficiency and sustainability. In executing the tasks, NWASCO ensure that the commercial utility companies abide by the set guidelines and standards of service provision.

“We wish to underscore the critical role Local Authorities play in augmenting water supply and sanitation service delivery as far as enhancing coordination of development planning with service delivery for improved service coverage,” said NWASCO Director Kelvin Chitumbo.

The increased investment in water supply and sanitation service provision specifically, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other efforts by various partners must be applauded.

Mr. Chitumbo said NWASCO will continue to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and other stakeholders for the betterment of the sector.

According to the National Water Policy of 1994, the National Environmental Support Programme and the Water Resource Master Plan 1995 to 2015 outlined strategies and comprehensive plans of action to develop the water sector to realize its full potential for Zambia’s social and economic development.

Most African countries struggle to provide access to water and sanitation to their people

Still water resource management has not succeeded to sustainability improve access to water or prevent the pollution of both surface and groundwater. It is not disputed that water has played important role in irrigation, livestock watering, aquaculture, fisheries, food processing and other industries of the national economy.

The National Irrigation Plan (NIP) whose focus is to make Zambia’s agriculture less dependent on rain envisages intensive exploitation of the country’s water resources irrigation.

Water demand in manufacturing is projected to increase to 446,000 cubic millimeters a day by 2015 adding that the water resources are also vital for Zambia’s energy sector.

However, some successes have been achieved in the early and late 1990s during the implementation of the Drought Relief Programme (DRP) thereby upgrading of squatter compounds in peri-urban areas and the rehabilitation of urban water supply programmes which gave a rise to increase in access to safe water supply.

The programme was targeted at drilling and rehabilitating of boreholes as well as wells in the prone areas of Eastern Province and other parts of the country.

Based on the construction and rehabilitation water and sanitation facilities by 2005 access to safe water supplies in Zambia was estimated at 89 percent of the population in urban areas and 37 percent of the population in rural areas in 2000.

For sanitation, it was estimated that 33 percent for urban areas in 2000 and four percent for rural areas.

With respect to this, Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC), the only provincial utility company in Eastern Province has continued to implement programmes in most districts of the province in order to improve access to water and sanitation services.

The Devolution Trust Fund (DTF) has continued to offer support to the provincial water utility company.

The DTF was established by the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) under the Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) Act No 28 of 1997 as an instrument to assist Commercial Utilities (CUs) to improve WSS services with a primary focus on low-income areas. The DTF got operationalised through statutory instruments No. 65 of 2001 and No. 40 of 2004 and has been functional since then.

Zambia joined the rest of the universe in commemorating the World Water Day under the global theme ‘Water Cooperation’, the water utility company has also continued to support the planning, execution, management, operation and maintenance of the good services to its masses.

2013 is International Year of Water Cooperation

The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/47/193 of 22 December 1992 by which 22 March of each year was declared World Day for Water to be observed starting in 1993 in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) contained in Chapter 18 Fresh Water Resources of Agenda 21.

EWSC Managing Director Wamuwi Changani said Petauke, Lundazi and Mambwe districts including Chama in Muchinga Province infrastructure rehabiliatation during phase one with the support of Zambian Government and cooperating partners.

Mr Changani said it was the responsibility of the company to provide safe and affordable water to its clients in the province.

“The year, 2013 we look back to a troublesome year when the power crisis hit the company to unprecedented levels further eroding our capacity to maintain favour-able budgetary monitoring. Despite these challenges we weathered the storm and saw the Quarter closing on a favour-able financial and cash-flow note,”he said.

With its motto “EVERY DROP COUNTS”, Eastern Water and Sewerage Company has been striving to provide safe, adequate and affordable water supply and sanitation services with maximum efficiency to the exiting as well as potential clients in the urban and peri-urban areas of the province.

“Our vision is to be model commercial utility exceeding expectations in delivering water supply and sanitation services to all the population in the urban and peri-urban areas of Eastern Province,”Mr Changani said.

Mr Changani urged the all Government departments to release funds for payment of utility bills and help Eastern Water and Sewerage Company manage the provision of clean water supply in all districts of Eastern Province.

It is evident that financing towards the sector is a mammoth task needing concerted efforts by various actors.

Zambia: Government Develops a Holistic National Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Programme

Julius Phiri
April 02, 2013

The government of Zambia has developed a holistic and integrated National Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (NUWSSP) to cover the period 2011 to 2030.

Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone says among the targets by the Government in the vision 2030 was to have 80 percent to clean water supply by 2015 and 100 percent by 2030.

The minister was speaking at the commemoration of World Water Day held at Barclays Square in Chipata recently. He noted that up to 68 percent of Zambians should have access to sanitation by 2015 and 90 percent by 2030.

Mr Sichone said the Government has developed the rural water supply programme which focuses on increasing access to clean and safe water in all rural areas of the country under the local authorities.

Water reforms have produced significant impacts on development, including improvements to drinking water access

He said Zambia has one of the highest proportions of urban population of approximately five million out of 13.3 million population.

“In order to service this population adequately, Government set up sector institutions such as National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) to regulate the sector under the water supply and sanitation ACT number 28 of the Laws of Zambia,” he said.

Other institutions include ministry of energy and water resources for water resources management and Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) for environment protection.

In order to invest in water, Mr Sichone said approximately US$ 4.307 billion was required to ensure that Government successfully implement the National Urban and Sanitation Programme which had a target horizon of upto 2030.

He said the Government was currently still finalizing financing mechanisms.

The minister however directed assistant secretary Agness Chinyama to ensure that the Government departments pay the bills to Eastern and Sewerage Company (EWSC) Limited.

Mr Sichone also urged all consumers to pay for their services immediately they receive water bills from the company.

Over 780 million people in the world are still without access to improved sources of drinking water

Speaking earlier Water Affairs Senior Hydrologist Chizya Mvula said this year’s theme was important as it was challenging everyone to get involved in water management as opposed to leaving it to water entities such as water affairs and Eastern Water and Sewerage Company.

Ms Mvula said water management cuts across all sectors and said there was need for everyone to get involved in order to increase awareness on water cooperation and challenges of freshwater management.

And Company Managing Director Wamuwi Changani commended everyone for get involved in water matters.