Category Archives: Water

Water Supply and Sanitation Blue Book 2014

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From: Yona Maro

Well-run water utilities play an important role in ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Consumers need reliable access to high quality and affordable water and sanitation services. To deliver these basic services efficiently and effectively requires high-performing utilities that are able to respond to urban growth, to connect with the poor, and to improve wastewater disposal practices. The IBNET Water Supply and Sanitation Blue Book 2014 summarizes the water sector status from 2006 to 2011. Since 2006, municipal water performance has improved despite accelerated urbanization and the impacts of triple crises (food, fuel, and financial). Overall coverage has increased and piped water and wastewater services became accessible to more people. An increasing number of utilities now actively handle the water billing, collection, and water management through metering. IBNET tools, such as data collection instruments and protocols, the IBNET database, and the IBNET tariff database, enable enhanced sharing of information on close to 4,500 utilities from more than 130 countries and territories.

Link:
<a href”https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/19811/9781464802768.pdf?sequence=5″>https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/19811/9781464802768.pdf?sequence=5</a>

Ethiopia Welcomes Egypt’s Shift in Position Over Nile Row

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From: Abdalah Hamis

BY TESFA-ALEM TEKLE

Ethiopia on Thursday commended Egypt’s unprecedented and an official decision to peacefully resolve a long-standing dispute with Addis Ababa over a controversial power plant project known as Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

“Ethiopia strongly welcomes Egypt’s interest to re-launch talk over the GERD and solve the problem through dialogue,” spokesperson for Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dina Mufti told journalists.

“Egypt has no other option except dialogue and win-win negotiation to find a solution that is acceptable by both sides,” he added.

Egypt’s newly elected president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has recently pledged to resolve the water dispute with Ethiopia through dialogue.

Ethiopian officials said that al-Sisi is expected to pay an official visit to Ethiopia soon probably making it his first trip to a foreign nation since he assumed office in June 8.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Tedros Adhanom, who attended the new president’s inaugural ceremony in Cairo, has held meeting with al-Sisi and other high ranking officials over the multi-billion dollar power plant project.

During their discussion Adhanom has reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment for cooperation with Egypt based on mutual trust and confidence.

Al-Sisi and Adhanom have also agreed to reactivate the tripartite technical dialogue between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia and harmonize existing differences by high-level political consultations.

Addis Ababa insists the $ 4.6 billion dam project won’t adversely affect Egypt and Sudan instead the downstream countries will be benefited from the cheap and renewable hydro power processed electricity it generates.

Egypt considers the massive dam project, as a threat to its water security arguing it will eventually diminish its water share.

SUDAN REAFFIRMS SUPPORT

Mean while, Sudanese vice-president, Bakri Hassan Saleh, has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the dam project which Ethiopia is building in Nile river near the Sudanese border.

Saleh who was in Addis Ababa earlier this week to attend a regional summit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) made the remarks while holding talks Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

“Sudan will derive multiple benefits from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project,” Saleh said according to the state-run Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency (ERTA).

SOUTH SUDAN CRISES

Saleh and Desalegn have also consulted on the 6 month old conflict in South Sudan.

While commending Ethiopia’s role to peacefully end the conflict in neighbouring South Sudan, Saleh called on Addis Ababa to continue exerting maximum efforts to bring lasting solution.

Desalegn, for his part, assured his country would remain committed to end the political crises in the youngest nation.

“Ethiopia will continue to put pressure on the South Sudanese rivals through all channels available,” said the Ethiopian premier.

Leaders of the two SPLM rival factions, President Salva Kiir and his political rival Riek Machar, on Tuesday agreed to end fighting and form a unity government within two months.

At a news conference he gave Friday, spokesperson for Ethiopia foreign ministry, Dina Mufti said IGAD member countries have been frustrated by the failure of previous deals.

He however went on to saying that the regional bloc mediating the two warring factions won’t hesitate to take action if the two sides once again violate the latest agreements.

He added peacekeeping force drawn from Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya will be deployed to end the conflict which has killed thousands since erupted in mid December last year.

KENYA’S LAVEMP 2 WORLD BANK FUNDED PROJECT TO DELAY FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS.

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To: “jaluo@jaluo.com”

By Agwanda Saye.

The second phase of Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme has been extended by two years by the respective donors according to the project’s National Coordinator Francisca Awuor.

According to Awuor despite many hurdles which they have experienced they have implemented various activities and realized various achievements as the project was suppose to end in June 2003 but has been extended to June 2015.

Speaking after an extension tour with journalists on LVEMP 2 projects within Busia,Siaya,Homa Bay and Migori Counties Awuor added that the donor funded project had a budget of $ 30 million which was to be spent within four years but now six year.

“The good about the project’s four main four components phase: Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Managing Shared Water and Fisheries Resources, Point Source Pollution Control and Prevention, Watershed Management and Project Coordination and Management is that so far we are almost achieving all of them as at now we have absorbed 50.6% but we out to have reached 80% to be allowed to move to the next phase”Awuor added.

Already two hundred and twenty five Community Driven Development groups have benefitted from the fund as kshs.300, 950,021 has been disbursed to them while kshs 359,950 021 is yet to be distributed.

She however added that for efficiency measures LVEMP 2 project doesn’t give each individual group money in full but its broken in phases which commensurate the group’s activities progress.

However she cautions the groups against diversifying the fund’ from their initial intended purpose warning that the groups made an agreement with the Kenya government and any found to squander the fund will face the full force of the law.

So far LVEMP 2 in collaboration with the Kenya Maritime Authority is involved in the removal of Water Hyacinth within both the two counties of Migori and Kisumu.

Awuor further said that kshs 0.5 billion has been set aside for the expansion two sewer treatment plants in both Homa Bay and Kisumu Counties while a new plant is to be constructed within Bomet County.

“The Kisat Sewer treatment plant in Kisumu will cost kshs 110 million while the Homa Bay will be done a cost of kshs 210 million with the construction of a new Sewer plant in Bomet will costing kshs 135 million” Awuor added.

Currently, six water laboratories have been completed within Kisumu and are housed in Kisumu and are housed in one building.

The six water labs will help in monitoring quality and quantity of water whether borehole, spring, ground and spring water as well as industrial and disposal waste.

The Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project phase two (LVEMP-II) is a regional initiative implemented by the five East African Community (EAC) Partner States of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. LVEMP II complements and upscales the LVEMP I activities which ended in December 2005.

LVEMP II is regionally coordinated by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) through its Regional Project Coordination Team (RPCT) based in Kisumu, Kenya. In Tanzania, the project became effective on 20th August 2009, and its implementation covers Lake Victoria Basin Tanzania part in Mara, Mwanza and Kagera Regions, with a total number of 23 districts. The Project is funded by the World Bank, Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Government of Tanzania and Communities. The project, which is multi-sectoral and coordinated by the Ministry of Water, is expected to be implemented for a period of 8 years in two phases, from 2009-2013 and 2013-2017.

The Overall Objective of LVEMP II is to contribute to the achievement of EAC’s vision for the Lake Victoria Basin, which is: “creating a prosperous population living in a healthy and sustainable managed environment and providing equitable opportunities and benefits”

The Project development/global environmental objectives (PDO/GEO) of APL1 are to:

i. improve collaborative management of the trans-boundary natural resources of LVB for the shared benefits of the EAC Partner States; and

ii. reduce environmental stress in targeted pollution hotspots and selected degraded sub-catchments to improve the livelihoods of communities, who depend on the natural resources of LVB

The project has four main components: (i) Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Managing Shared Water and Fisheries Resources; (ii) Point Source Pollution Control and Prevention; (iii) Watershed Management; and (iv) Project Coordination and Management.

ENDS

The World Water Development Report 2014: Water and Energy

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From: Yona Maro

The World Water Development Report, or WWDR, is produced by the World Water Assessment Programme, a programme of UN-Water hosted by UNESCO, and is the result of the joint efforts of the UN agencies and entities which make up UN-Water, working in partnership with governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.

The report was until 2012 a comprehensive, triennial report on the state, use and management of the world’s water resources. After a detailed review and stakeholder surveys on the scope and purposes of the report, it was decided to make it an annual and more concise publication that is increasingly facts-based and has a more specific thematic focus.

The first edition of the annual report will address the theme “Water and Energy” in 2014 and will be launched during the main World Water Day celebrations in Tokyo, Japan on 21 March 2014.

Starting in 2014, the theme of the World Water Development Report and that of World Water Day will be harmonized in order to provide a deeper focus and in-depth analysis of a specific water-related issue every year.

Link:
http://www.unescap.org/resources/world-water-development-report-2014-water-and-energy

Yona Fares Maro
Institut d’études de sécurité – SA

Tanzania makes its stand clear on Nile Water

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From: Abdalah Hamis

The government wants the Nile waters to shared by all countries it passes through.

The affirmation was made last week by President Jakaya Kikwete when having talks in Dar es Salaam with Egyptian Envoy to the president, Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy who had been sent by Egyptian Interim President Adly Mansour to present a message to President Kikwete on strengthening various matters of bilateral relations between the two countries.

After their talks, President Kikwete commented on the use of Nile waters stressing the position of Tanzania that it was the right of every country where the river flows through to use that water for its development.

“All countries where the river flows , in one way or another, have the same rights to use the river water for their country’s development,” this is Tanzania ‘s position, said President Kikwete, adding that he believes in fair use of water in all countries where the river flows.

Previously Egyptian Foreign minister, Mr. Fahmy had told President Kikwete about the importance of the Nile river in Egypt, stressing that his country, Egypt, gets rains three days only on average per year.

“All the water we use comes from the Nile river. So, you can understand the importance of the river for fairness and prosperity of our country,” he noted. Egypt depends on the Nile for almost 95% of its water.

Egypt has a natural historical right on the Nile river, and principles of its acquired rights have been a focal point of negotiations with upstream states.

The fact that the right exist means that any perceived reduction of the Nile water supply to Egypt is tampering with its national security and thus could trigger potential conflict.

There have been occasions when Egypt has threatened to go to war over Nile water.

Already one of the Egyptian online, Ahram Online has quoted President Kikwete as saying Nile Basin countries should consult and decide on a mutual agreeable arrangement prior to the construction of any dams that impact several countries.

The online was reporting the visit of the Egyptian Foreign Minister Mr. Fahmy to Tanzania after he met with President Kikwete.

“The Tanzanian president was understanding on the situation and stressed that no country should suffer or be harmed from the consequences of the Renaissance Dam,” Foreign ministry spokesperson Badr Abdel Ati was quoted.

President Kikwete’s stand on Nile River was utilization comes at a time when there is moving crisis over the Grand Renaissance Dam Ethiopia aims to build.

The planned Grand Renaissance Dam is a $4.2 billion hydro-electric dam on the Blue Nile, one of the main tributaries of the Nile.

The project has been a source of concern for the Egyptian government since May last year, when images of the dam’s construction stirred public anxiety about possible effects on Egypt’s share of Nile waters, the country’s main source of potable water.

Fahmy carried a message from Interim President of Egypt, Mansour requesting the government of Tanzania to assist in asking the African Union (AU) to re-admit his country’s membership.

Upon his arrival in Dar es Salaam, the Egyptian minister had audience with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Mr Bernard Membe and informed him about the quest for Egypt to regain her AU membership.

He said factors that led to suspension of the membership, (military coup) were no longer valid. “It was people’s decision to defend their country from extremists,” he said, adding that the country was presently geared towards preparation for national referendum before elections next year.

The Nile river is subject to political interactions. It is the world’s longest river flowing 6,700 kilometers through ten countries in northeastern Africa — Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt with varying climates.

The meeting also discussed various issues related to bilateral agreements between the two governments whereby; four businessmen from Egypt were also connected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), to explore investment opportunities in the country.

In 2010, Ethiopia, along with five other countries based along the river Nile (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi in 2011) signed a Cooperative Framework Agreement that addressed issues of using the water in ways that do not cause significant harm to other countries reliant on the water. Basically these countries were fed up with always having to ask permission from Egypt before they could attempt to use the river in any development project. The agreement lays the foundations for creating a Nile River Basin Commission that would manage all water rights and development projects along the river.

Ethiopia claims that the $4.2 billion hydroelectric dam would benefit agriculture and any energy consumers in East Africa, whilst at the same time not affecting the flow of water downstream; even Sudan has shown its support for the project.

Egypt claims that it signed a 1959 agreement with Sudan that granted them the rights to 55.5 billion cubic metres of water from the total 84 billion cubic metres flowing through the river. However, Ethiopia and other upriver countries have rejected the agreement.

http://www.awrambatimes.com/?p=11577

Tanzania: Creating Drought-Tolerant Maize

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From: Yona Maro

In Morogoro, a drought-prone area in Tanzania, farmers are using certified maize seed and urging other farmers to grow a new drought tolerant variety, TAN250, which they say is like “an insurance against hunger and total crop failure, even under hot, dry conditions like those of recent years.”

Link:
http://allafrica.com/download/resource/main/main/idatcs/00080087:9ee4ef357b37e4c32c36ad4593df82d5.pdf

Op-ed by WaterAid: Africa’s once in a generation opportunity

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From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

UN figures show some 70% of sub-Saharan Africans do not have access to adequate sanitation

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, December 13, 2013/ — Op-ed by Lindlyn Moma, Regional Advocacy Manager for WaterAid in Southern Africa (http://www.wateraid.org)

http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=770

Logo WaterAid: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/wateraid.jpg

Photo Lindlyn Moma: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=769 (Lindlyn Moma is Regional Advocacy Manager for WaterAid in Southern Africa)

Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=770 (Victoria Miandrisoja, 9, smiles with friends whilst washing in clean water from the tap installed at school, Ampanasana Public Primary school, Miandrivazo, Madagascar, 2012 (Credit: Anna Kari/WaterAid)

Africa’s leaders have in their hands a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the international development agenda, not just for their continent but for the whole globe.

The continent’s leaders are in the midst of negotiating the Africa Common Position (ACP) on what the UN framework for development will look like after 2015. The outcome will be hugely influential.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has pointed out that we are the first generation that has the resources and know-how to end extreme poverty. We must ensure that no one is left behind.

As we debate how to achieve this, we must not forget about the work yet to be completed on the UN Millennium Development Goals. These eight ambitious goals, set in 2000 to address hunger, extreme poverty and other issues crippling the developing world, run out in 2015.

Sanitation is the most off track of all of these goals. UN figures show some 70% of sub-Saharan Africans do not have access to adequate sanitation, while over a quarter — nearly 230 million people — practise open defecation.

This has devastating consequences for the continent. Over a thousand African children under the age of five die every day because of this lack of safe drinking water and poor sanitation.

Last month, Secretary-General Ban called upon the world to “urgently step up” its efforts and put sanitation at the heart of post-2015 development.

Failing to do so will carry measurable financial costs.

UN estimates suggest about 5% of the continent’s wealth is being lost from this lack of access to water and sanitation. If everyone had access to these services, it would add $33 billion US a year to the continent’s economies, according to a conservative 2012 estimate by economists at the World Health Organisation.

Ghana alone, for instance, according to a World Bank assessment, loses $290 million US each year to a lack of sanitation services. Kenya loses $324 million, Nigeria a staggering $3 billion.

Making access to sanitation and safe water a top priority in the African Common Position presents an opportunity for Africa’s children, and for economic growth. This is also in line with the Africa Water Vision 2025.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, along with the UN-established High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, has already called for a new UN development goal of universal access to water and sanitation. In following that lead, African leaders can be seen to be listening to the voices of its citizens, including women and girls, who are calling for the prioritisation of water and sanitation post-2015.

As we now mourn the loss of Nelson Mandela, the ultimate symbol of justice for the African people, we also remember his calls for an African Renaissance.

Safe water and better sanitation can help address so many of the challenges Africa faces today, from reducing the HIV transmission rate to improving child health and school attendance. As Mandela himself said: “Water is central in the social, economic and political affairs of the African continent.”

By prioritising safe water and sanitation, Africa’s leaders can also ensure the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals is dealt with strategically. Africa’s leaders can set the continent onto a trajectory so that by 2030, everyone has access to this basic right to sanitation.

If we miss this opportunity, we risk leaving hundreds of millions of people on the continent behind, stranding them far from that promise of an African Renaissance.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of WaterAid.

SOURCE
WaterAid

Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Operation of Water and Sewerage Systems

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From: Yona Maro

Department of Environment and Conservation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada has published a comprehensive guideline for design, construction and operation of water and sewer systems in their province. The purpose of the guidelines is to enable design of municipal water supply, treatment, and distribution systems and wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal systems in their province. Though some of the aspects may specifically suit their province, the guidelines offer comprehensive overview of the water supply and sewerage systems from inception to completion and maintenance. These guidelines can be used to improve and plan water supply and sewerage systems in the Urban Local Bodies.

The guidelines incorporate new guidelines in water and sewer industry, instrumentation & control, operator training, occupational health & safety aspects. It provides general guidance on good engineering practices for design, construction, operation and maintenance aspects of water and sewerage systems.

Link:
http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/waterres/waste/groundwater/guidelines_for_design_constr_oper_wss.pdf

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Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi: AfDB Board commits US $113 million to Regional Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project

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http://www.afdb.org/african-development-bank.png

From: “News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

AfDB Board commits US $113 million to Regional Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project

The Rusumo Falls project will increase renewable power generating capacity and access to electricity in Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi

TUNIS, Tunisia, November 27, 2013/ — The African Development Bank Group’s (AfDB) (http://www.afdb.org) efforts to improve sustainable energy supply and access in Africa took a leap forward with the Board of Directors’ approval of the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project. The Bank Group allocated US $97.3 million from the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund for the multinational project, which will support the development of sustainable energy infrastructure. An additional US $16 million grant from the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) window of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund was recently mobilized by the AfDB Group to help finance part of the Burundi transmission line from the Rusumo Falls power plant.

Logo:
http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/african-development-bank-2.png

The Rusumo Falls project will increase renewable power generating capacity and access to electricity in Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The project has two components: an 80 MW hydropower generation plant and transmission lines and substations. The Bank finances the transmission facilities of Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project. Beneficiaries of the project include the households, industries, SMEs and businesses in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania,
who will gain access to cheaper, more reliable and clean electricity.
Construction of the transmission facilities is expected to be completed by August 2018; the three countries will share the power generated equally. The project will enhance the process of regional integration by the countries developing and managing the joint assets.

“Rusumo Falls is one of many projects financed by the AfDB in response to a crisis in low-energy access rates, limited infrastructure development in the region and regional projects that enhance regional stability through increased cooperation and integration among countries. Africa has incredible untapped hydropower potential: only four per cent of which has been exploited,” explained Alex Rugamba, Director of the AfDB’s Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department. “Through projects such as the Rusumo Falls project we are looking to leverage Africa’s natural assets for universal access to modern, reliable and affordable energy services on the continent.”

The project will increase hydroelectricity supply capacity to relieve the power deficit in all three countries. It will also allow them to address their low energy access rates. Rwanda and Tanzania will be able to displace some of the energy generated from high cost imported fuel with cheaper hydropower thereby reducing the current electricity tariff. In the case of Burundi, the project will provide 50% of the current peak power demand, which will allow the country to expand access and other economic activities, and reduce CO2 emissions.

The Rusumo Falls project is a Programme for Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA) priority project. In 2012, African Heads of State endorsed a set of priority energy projects to be implemented by 2020 as part of the PIDA. Rusumo Falls is one of nine hydropower projects identified for the PIDA energy infrastructure program, which focuses on major hydroelectric projects and interconnects the power pools between countries.

The AfDB’s support to the Rusumo Falls project has spanned several years. In 2006, the Bank provided an ADF grant of US $4 million to the Nile Basin Initiative to finance the technical, financial, economic and social feasibility studies for the transmission lines of the Rusumo Falls hydroelectric plant.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Contacts:

Media: Penelope Pontet de Fouquieres, Knowledge Management and Communications, T. +216 71 10 19 96 / C. +216 24 66 36 96 / p.pontetdefouquieres@afdb.org

Technical contact: Alemayehu Wubeshet-Zegeye, Chief Power Engineer, a.wubeshet-zegeye@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (http://www.afdb.org) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 34 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information: j.mp/AFDB_Media

SOURCE
African Development Bank (AfDB)

Forum on water and sanitation in Africa: The 2013 edition

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From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE
Subject: High Level Forum on water and sanitation in Africa: The 2013 edition of the ground breaking High Level Forum on water and sanitation in Africa: A platform for expanded business opportunities for investors

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina-Faso, October 10, 2013/ — The November 21 to 23 High Level Forum on water and sanitation for all in Africa (http://hlf.wsafrica.org) presents an unprecedented opportunity for potential investors in water, sanitation and affordable housing businesses in Africa. The forum assembles Heads of States, Finance Ministers, Water and Sanitation Ministers, investors and donors from southern countries and also from the north, private businesses and trade associations from Africa, and development practitioners with a focus on identifying business opportunities in the water and sanitation sector.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/wsa.jpg

Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/dsc_1047.jpg

Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/dsc01634.jpg

Africa is among the fastest growing regions of the world with an average growth of 5.6% per year. Africa is also fast gaining increasing access to international capital, meaning that the potential for investment and expansion in infrastructure is higher.

Africa’s growth is largely constrained by poor infrastructure. A study conducted by the African Development Bank estimated that the total cost of bridging Africa’s infrastructure gap over the next decade will be about $93 million a year.

In 1980, Africa’s urban population was estimated at 28%. By 2008 it had risen to 40% and projected to reach 50% by 2030.

This rapid urbanization rate has created demand for more infrastructure including housing, water and sanitation systems. To spur the growth, many African governments have strengthened their legal frameworks, policy and strategy regimes, anti-corruption policies, and the quality of their human capital.

In 2000, it was estimated that 59 million households had $5000 or more income above which they start spending roughly 50% on non-food items. By 2014, this figure is expected to increase to 106 million households. Thus many more Africans are prepared to exchange cash for quality service especially in water, sanitation and housing.

Despite these positive trends, the water and sanitation sector has not yet received adequate investor attention in Africa. This state of affair is mostly but arguably attributed to the socialist focused development paradigm for the sector; water and sanitation services were branded as social services with strict governmental controls. This limited the business interest in the sector and led to over-reliance on government investment and charity.

Today about 400 million people living in Africa lack access to clean drinking water, while over 600 million people lack basic sanitation services. Several millions of children die from preventable water and sanitation-related illnesses every year. In Nigeria and Ethiopia for instance, about 97,000 and 33,000 children die every year of diarrheal diseases caused by poor drinking water and sanitation respectively. All the countries with larger economies in Africa including South Africa, Ghana, Sudan, Angola still lose thousands of children every year through water and sanitation-related illnesses.

This realization has triggered the call for a shift in the development orientation for Africa’s water and sanitation sector from social to the inclusion of more economic and financial models.

With focus on south-south cooperation for water and sanitation sector growth in Africa, the 2013 High Level Forum provides the platform for exploring business opportunities with potential partners from India, China, Turkey, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, not forgetting the continent’s traditional partners from the north. African investors can also explore opportunities outside the continent.

The event, organized by Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA) (http://www.wsafrica.org) in collaboration with the government of Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan, with sessions like the High Level Panel of Heads of States in Africa and Finance Ministers Roundtable, for instance provides opportunities for direct access to an estimated 25 governments for closer business discussions. There are also opportunities for one-on-one meetings through the Business-to-business and business-to-government sessions. Visit http://hlf.wsafrica.org for more information.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the Pan African Inter-governmental Agency, Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA).

More information on investment opportunities

Lincoln Opio: lincolnopio@wsafrica.org
Tel: +226 74 48 56 59

More information on the High Level Forum

1. Ali Dissa: hlf@wsafrica.org / alidissa@wsafrica.org
Tel : +226 74 48 60 99

2. The Event Manager hlf2013@wsafrica.org
Tel: + 225 20 00 60 30 / +225 20 00 60 31

Media Contacts

1. Yacine Traore: yacinetraore@wsafrica.org
Tel: +226 74 48 54 49

2. Emmanuel Addai: emmanueladdai@wsafrica.org
Tel: +226 78 89 83 91

SOURCE
Pan African Inter-governmental Agency, Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA)

Tanzania, Come Now, Let Us Reason Together Over Lake Malawi Dispute!

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From: shedrack maximilian

Thank you Pastor , Well written

From: Charles Banda
Sent: Monday, 29 July 2013, 19:15
Subject: Tanzania, Come Now, Let Us Reason Together Over Lake Malawi Dispute!

Since the Lake Malawi dispute egressed some 50 years ago, a lot has been said but less has been done to completely put it to rest. Malawi has for many times challenged that not even an inch of this lake will go to Tanzania citing 1890 treaty between German and Britain while on the other hand Tanzania challenges, “we will make sure that we own half of Lake Nyasa/Malawi, we have to correct mistakes made by our colonial masters”, citing international water body law.

When you look at these statements, you’ll note that each side has effectual argument. I see that neither Malawi nor Tanzania should underestimate the other’s argument.

What I would wish the two countries is to come and reason together just as God called Israelites to come to Him and reason together (Isaiah 1:18). We can’t fight now, please. I know that either national reading this is anxious as to what am I trying to say.

I see that Malawi is right that Lake Malawi belongs to it according to 1890 treaty and Tanzania is right to suggest rectifying colonial errors and follow international water body law. Colonial masters decided on how the borders should go, against the will of the locals since we had no authority to decide on our lands if we did maybe we could not face these wrangles today. This applies to all African countries since all were on one time under colonialism. These border demarcations are still the ones used in all African countries today. Through them, other countries are savouring enough space while others such as Malawi have no space to breathe, so rectifying colonial errors would be a good idea.

What is needed in this dispute is clear and conscience reasoning without competition, selfish ambition or thinking about war. In every dispute, it is unwise to talk about war because there can always be a civilized solution. Like I said in my other article, in real sense, no country wins war because even if it goes in one’s favour, both countries loose lives of their citizens, resources, peace, development is retarded, friends from the two countries get separated. During war, there is serious hunger, diseases, rape, loss of property, education and worship get interrupted and almost all government resources go to war etc., so please, consider these before you mention war. It is easy to merely talk about war but when it starts you wish it was never there. It is unfortunate that even ordinary citizens are mentioning about war forgetting that when it starts, politicians will be the very last ones to face a bullet if at all, any. Tell me, how many frontline politicians died in Rwanda, Congo, Libya, Iran, Iraqi, Mali and other war-tone countries? Tell me, how many ordinary citizens died? They died in millions. When politicians say, “we are ready to shed blood for our land”, they actually mean ordinary citizens’ blood, not theirs. Tell me, which politician died during July 20, 2011 anti-government demonstrations in Malawi? None of them, but they were the ones who instigated it.

There have been war threats from Tanzanian side for some time but of late, it has stopped and adopted civilized way of solving the dispute. When Tanzania kept on issuing war threats to Malawi, one time Joyce Banda said, “I am ready to die for my land” without mentioning Lake Malawi dispute, something that Tanzanian government trashed interpreting it directly to the Lake Malawi dispute. When Tanzania’s President mentioned about Tanzanian Defence Force being ready to defend their land, some Malawian citizens interpreted it as if he made reference to Lake Malawi dispute. In his speech, Kikwete did not mention Malawi for Tanzania is also exchanging words with Rwanda. Recently Paul Kagame publicly threatened to hit Jakaya Kikwete, perhaps he referred to him, who knows. This link will take you to what Kagame saidhttp://www.afroamerica.net/AfricaGL/2013/07/03/i-will-just-wait-for-you-at-the-right-place-and-i-will-hit-you-rwandan-general-paul-kagame-threatens-tanzanian-jakaya-kikwete/. All this shows that no country
wishes to loose part of its land or resources, but let’s be patient. It is good to get things with clear mind before provoking war. It is good that Malawi has not officially responded to it and I wish it doesn’t so that peace may prevail. Let the peaceful negotiations take course.

Right now we are enjoying cordial relationship with Tanzania apart from exaggerated dispute which some sectors want to magnify. As we are talking, Tanzanians are freely passing through Malawi and Malawians are freely passing through Tanzania going to other countries or even settle in either country.

Malawians are trading with Tanzanians getting cars and other goods through Tanzania’s port. Diplomatic ties are still intact. As I am writing, Tanzanians and Malawians are using Lake Malawi/Nyasa. Isn’t that good? So why talk about war?

My reasoning is as follows; since time in memorial, Malawi and Tanzania have both peacefully used Lake Malawi/Nyasa up until Malawi issued Sure-stream oil drilling license. Probably Tanzania is thinking about its citizens that they will suffer if oil drilling starts on Lake Malawi. That can be good reasoning, isn’t it? On the same note, an ordinary Malawian who benefits from fishing will also suffer. When oil drilling starts, it is only the political elites who may benefit. Tell me, what have we really benefited from Kayerekela millennium mine since it begun? Have we experienced any economic growth through it? Almost none and we are just like before or even worse! We only bank on farming. Apart from oil drilling, we can increase on manufacturing industry which for many years we have not put much effort. I suggest, Malawi government haut oil drilling for the sake of an ordinary citizen. I think Tanzania will also be happy, isn’t it Tanzanians?

Coming to Tanzania’s point of correcting border colonial errors, if they so wish, though not affecting other African countries, I suggest we do. One Malawian national called Pef, on his response to my earlier article on Lake Malawi dispute rebuked me saying, “Musanditukwanitse mwanva! Intelligent people are busy solving problems but only the wise avoids problems. Kodi iwe ukudzitcha pastor Masikmau iwe, ukati negotiations should end without war, ukuganiza zingatheke popanda wina kugonja?….” (Give me a break, you who call yourself pastor Masikamu, do you think the dispute can end without one country giving up?…”. He thinks I call myself a pastor while I am not one, so interesting. However, don’t you think what he said has some sense? Probably yes. He suggested that for the sake of peace, Malawi should give up. I believe he was a Malawian because he wrote in efficient Chichewa language. Pastor Salanje had a similar idea also. While agreeing with them, I believe we can do it in a better way by implementing a win-win game, or what do you think my fellow Malawian citizens? Malawi has a very small land size than our good neighbour, Tanzania. Since Nyasaland lost some land to Tanganyika under British-Germany treaty, we can reason together with our neighbours to give us part of their land while we hand over part of Lake Malawi. In this way, correcting colonial border errors will go in favour of both of us because the errors made by colonial masters did not only affect Tanganyika on Lake Nyasa but also Nyasaland on the land size. I think if any of the two countries deny this equal lion’s share, that country is provocative and aggressive.

In my conclusion I would like to say that, let both Malawi and Tanzania pray that no country looses on the resolution taking place through SADC former heads of states but that we will have a win-win type of conflict resolution. I suggest that we do not in any way mention war for such an idea is truly not from God but the evil one to disrupt our peace because the devil hates peace but delights in deaths. Thank God, Jesus brought life through his death on the cross so that we can live beyond death. We are brothers and sisters from way back before colonialism of which colonialism separated our families into these two countries. If either of the countries is not satisfied with the results of these negotiations, we can still seek help from International Court of Justice (ICJ), and if its resolution will go in favour of one of the two countries or both, we shall keep peace.

God bless Tanzania and Malawi!
Pastor Robert Masikamu (Public Advisor).

High-Level Forum on Water and Sanitation for All: WSA and the Ivorian Government are organising the 2013 High-Level Forum on Water and Sanitation for All

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FFrom: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)

PRESS RELEASE
WSA and the Ivorian Government are organising the 2013 High-Level Forum on Water and Sanitation for All

800 participants are expected in Abidjan from 21 to 23 November 2013

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, July 16, 2013/ — “To promote vibrant and effective South-South cooperation to accelerate access to hygiene, sanitation, and drinking water for all in Africa”.

This is the theme of the 2013 High-Level Forum on Water and Sanitation for All. Originally set up by the Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency for Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA) (http://www.wsafrica.org), this year’s forum is being organised in association with the Government of Ivory Coast.

This is the third forum; the first two were held in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Dakar in Senegal. Its objective is to provide a platform for various decision-makers and stakeholders involved in this sector in Africa to exchange information and exert their influence, thus encouraging decisions and concrete action in support of WASH in Africa.

Close to 800 participants (the minimum estimate) are expected in the Ivorian capital from 21 to 23 November 2013. The 2013 Forum has three main objectives: (i) to find the best way to take advantage of South-South partnerships for the development of business opportunities in terms of financial cooperation for the implementation of priority projects beyond the reach of national budgets in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector (WASH); (ii) to develop strategic alliances and partnerships to strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of southern countries in the WASH sector; (iii) to stimulate the sharing of experiences and know-how between southern countries in the WASH sector.

The third High-Level Forum on Water and Sanitation for All in Africa is of interest to all stakeholders and senior officials in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector in Africa. They include African heads of state, ministers responsible for water and sanitation issues in Africa, African finance ministers, as well as technical and financial partners from the North and South, mainly consisting of export-import banks, researchers, investors, NGOs, and integration and development organisations.

The institution, which has 32 member countries, has been working in Africa for 25 years to develop solutions to address the problems of water and sanitation on the continent. Its mission is based on the establishment of integrated systems combining the optimisation of technical and scientific approaches with innovative funding mechanisms. Visit hlf.wsafrica.org for further information.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the Pan African Inter-governmental Agency, Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA).

Contacts for further information:

1. Yacine Diene Traoré (Media Contact)

Head of the Communications Department

Tel: +226 74 48 54 49

Email: yacinetraore@wsafrica.org

2. Ali Dissa (Contact for information on the Forum)

Associate Director – Innovations

Tel: +226 70 72 86 99/78 89 12 18

Email: alidissa@wsafrica.org

3. Théophile Gnagne (Contact for information on the Forum)

Resident Representative (WSA Ivory Coast)

Tel: +225 01 32 30 64

Email: theophilegnagne@wsafrica.org

SOURCE

Pan African Inter-governmental Agency, Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA)

USA: Gasland 2

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Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox is teaming up with MoveOn members to screen his new documentary Gasland Part II—a jaw-dropping exposé of the fracking industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the truth about fracking and join the national movement that’s fighting back. You’ll need HBO—or a friend with HBO—to host. Can you host a Gasland Part II Movie Party in Dayton on Sunday, July 14?
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291160&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=1

Dear MoveOn member,

Imagine being able to light your city tap water on fire.

That’s a reality right now in communities across the country as the fossil fuel industry pushes our country into an all-out—and dangerous—”fracking” boom.1

Want to learn more about fracking and how to stop it? We’ve teamed up with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox for a fun, informative, and sobering nationwide event to watch his new HBO documentary Gasland Part II on Sunday, July 14, and you can have a front row seat—in your own living room!

Fracking for gas and oil has been linked to water so contaminated that it catches fire, illness in residential neighborhoods, unusual earthquakes, dead livestock, and tanking property values. And the methane released by fracking is a far more potent global warming gas than carbon dioxide.2

The hopeful news is that MoveOn members are fighting back—and Gasland Part II gives us a powerful new weapon to grow our grassroots movement. That’s why hundreds of MoveOn members are signing up to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party on Sunday, July 14.

Hosting a movie screening is easy and very rewarding. We’ll provide a host guide with special materials, we’ll help you recruit MoveOn members in your area to attend, and we’ll invite you to join director Josh Fox and thousands of other MoveOn members for a special briefing after we view the film together. Because the film is only available right now on HBO, you’ll need an HBO subscription—or a friend with HBO—to host a movie night. If you don’t have HBO, we may be able to match you up with a MoveOn member near you who does.

Will you sign up to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party in Dayton on Sunday, July 14?
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291160&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=2

No, I don’t have HBO, and I’m not sure I have a friend who does.
http://www.moveon.org/gasland2/?id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=3

Like Josh’s first film, which made “fracking” a household word, Gasland Part II is catalyzing a movement—and if enough of our friends, families, and neighbors work together, we can build the large-scale movement we need to stop fracking. Since the original Gasland debuted in 2010, dozens of cities, towns, and counties—from Pittsburgh, PA to Mora County, NM—have passed local bans on fracking, and MoveOn members in 30 states have launched campaigns to stop this dangerous new form of fossil fuel extraction.3

Gasland Part II is only available on HBO right now, so if you’d like to host but don’t have a subscription, ask your friends or family members who might have HBO to team up with you. If you do have HBO, sign up to help MoveOn members near you have the opportunity to watch this amazing film

I had the opportunity to preview the film, and it gave me the chills. I grew up—and my mom still lives—just a few miles from the largest urban oil field in the country, in Los Angeles, where fracking is happening right now. Neighbors suspect that high rates of cancer are linked to toxic chemicals used in fracking—and they’re organizing to stop the fracking from continuing.4

Earlier this week, in his first speech on climate change, President Obama stuck his neck out to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, and MoveOn members have applauded him for that. But he also doubled down on propping up the oil and gas industries, even though scientists have shown that extracting and burning gas and oil could be far worse for the climate than coal.5

Banning fracking is the next frontier in the movement to protect our communities and our kids from climate change—and MoveOn members, with Josh Fox, are leading the way.

When people find out the truth about fracking, they rise up to stop it. The MoveOn community of 8 million members has the power to spread the truth, and organize to win.

Visit here to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party on Sunday, July 14.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291160&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=6

Thanks for all you do,

–Victoria, Manny, Bobby, Rosy, and the rest of the team

P.S. Check out the trailer for Gasland Part II here: http://vimeo.com/69061416

Sources:

1. “Fracking’s coming boom,” Salon, April 24, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291186&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=7
2. “Drillers Silence Fracking Claims With Sealed Settlements,” Bloomberg Businessweek, June 6, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290800&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=9

“Campaign to Ban Fracking Heats Up,” Culver City Patch, May 17, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290822&id=&t=10&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=10

“More Evidence Shows Drilling Causes Earthquakes,” Bloomberg Businessweek, April 1, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290821&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=11

“The Fracturing of Pennsylvania,” The New York Times, November 17, 2011http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291187&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=12

“Methane Losses Stir Debate on Natural Gas,” The New York Times, April 12, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291188&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=13

3. “NY Local Fracking Bans Upheld By Appeals Court,” Huffington Post, May 2, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291189&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix&t=14

4. Ibid., Culver City Patch

5. Ibid., The New York Times

MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way.

Chip in.
https://civic.moveon.org/donatec4/creditcard.html?cpn_id=457&id=70552-21095459-WVWlpix

KENYA GOVERNMENT PROMISES TO END FLOODING

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By Agwanda Saye

The government has embarked on a 20 year mitigation strategy to end the floods in Kisumu County.

The permanent secretary for special programs, Andrew Mondoh said the strategic plan will be implemented in three phases running through 20 years.

The first phase will be implemented in the first 18 months where assessment is done on the affected areas and the victims are given some materials. The strategy which is already in place involves giving the victims food stuffs, bedding and mosquito nets.

Mondoh said in the second phase which is to take up to five years the government will construct check dams in the flood-prone areas and in turn use the water for irrigation. The final phase which will take 20 years will include feasibility study on the affected areas to establish the real cause and exact and appropriate measures for controlling floods.

In this phase, Dams will be constructed across the rivers that burst their banks frequently during heavy down pour. Such rivers are Nyando, Auji and Miriu.

Mondoh said this as they assessed the flood situation in Muhoroni, Nyando and Nyakach constituencies in alongside his counterpart, Mark Bor, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Public Health. The team also included the provincial Security team, the Red Cross Society, World Vision and United Nation Children’s Fund, (UNICEF).

The team distributed 300 bags of rice, 200 bags of beans, 20 gallons of oil, 300 blankets and 180 Mosquito nets in Nyando and Kadibo. Similar amounts will also be distributed to flood victims in Muhoroni Nyakach and Nyatike.

The victims given materials were the adversely affected and were verified by a committee that included Red Cross and the Provincial Administration.

Public Health Ministry PS, Bor said that his ministry will provide nets to the victims as they were prone to water borne diseases.

“We are now providing treatment kits for prevention of water borne diseases,” said Bor.

Red Cross Western Region Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Owako said that the floods are still affecting Kano, Nyakach, Siaya and Budalangi.

Nyanza PC Francis Mutie assured that the government will do everything to ensure that also learning resumes in the affected schools.

Mondoh challenged the area residents to plant trees as a way of conserving the environment since that will help in stopping the floods.

…ENDS…

KENYA: GOVERNMENT ASKED TO CONTROL FLOODS

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By Agwanda Saye

The East Africa Law Society (EALS) wants the Government to control perennial floods that leave trails of death and misery.

EALS President James Aggrey Mwamu said that it was sad for the Government to watch as citizens drown and homesteads marooned after down pours.

“The right to life that is enshrined in Article 26 of the Constitution must not be taken for granted,” Mwamu said.

Mwamu said that it was disheartening that lives are being lost over floods even after the meteorological department announced the coming of long rains.

“We express concern at the dilatory in which the Ministry of Special Programmes is dealing with the floods issue,” Mwamu said.

The EALS President regretted that the Ministry of Special Programmes made no preparations to evacuate families from flood prone areas.

Mwamu said that the Government had capacity to control the ravaging floods in areas like Kano Plains in Kisumu County.

“Budalangi in Busia County experienced the worst floods in the history of this country but was controlled…why not other areas in the country,” Mwamu said.

Mwamu spoke as raging floods reportedly claimed human lives and displaced several families countrywide.

On Sunday night, raging waters killed four passengers in separate incidents in Kajiado North District.

“Raging floods leave a trail of death and misery especially to rural homesteads that leave from hands to mouth,” Mwamu said.

Recently four people were swept away and killed by raging floods in Taita Taveta and Tana River Counties as heavy rains pounded Coast Province.

The EALS President said that the Constitutional rights of families living in flood prone areas must be upheld.

“We demand urgent action towards fulfilling fundamental rights of families that are perpetually marooned and lose members over raging floods,” Mwamu said.

The EALS urged the Government to improve and act on disaster preparedness especially after early warning signs from the meteorological department.

Ends…..

African Water Facility to Support Access of Urban Poor to Sanitation in Uganda

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From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)

TUNIS, Tunisia, February 5, 2013/ — The African Water Facility offered a 1 million euro grant to the Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI) to support their Kawempe Urban Poor Sanitation Improvement Project (KUPSIP). The project is designed to provide affordable and sustainable sanitation services to over 100,000 urban poor living in the Kawempe Municipality, in Kampala, Uganda.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/african-development-bank.jpg

By expanding sanitation coverage and reducing environmental pollution, the KUPSIP is expected to help improve the health of slum dwellers and decrease the mortality rate of children under five by reducing the spread of cholera and diarrheal diseases, which is 23 per cent higher in households where facilities are inadequate and in areas where human waste disposal is improperly managed.

More specifically, the grant will support the following : provision of sanitation facilities for households, schools and the public in poor urban areas; delivery of pro-poor sanitation financing for accessing affordable and improved sanitation infrastructure; definition of a sustainable fecal sludge management and safe reuse strategy; promoting of collaboration with the private sector to identify and market affordable and consumer-friendly sanitation technologies; dissemination of targeted information, education and communication to promote better hygiene practices and generation and dissemination of knowledge products covering the entire sanitation chain through collaboration with agronomical research institutions.

The AWF grant will cover 74 per cent of the total project cost, while CIDI and collaborating partners will meet the balance of 26 per cent in form of financial and in-kind contributions.

The project will be executed by CIDI in partnership with Kawempe Municipality of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC) and should be completed by the end of 2015.

About the African Water Facility (AWF)

The AWF is an initiative of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB), established in 2004 as a Special Water Fund to help African countries achieve the objectives of the Africa Water Vision 2025. The AWF offers grants from €50,000 to €5 million to support projects aligned with its mission and strategy to a wide range of institutions and organizations operating in Africa. Its three strategic priority activities are

1-preparing investment projects to mobilize investment funds for projects supported by AWF;

2-enhancing water governance to create an environment conducive for effective and sustainable investments;

3-promoting water knowledge for the preparation of viable projects and informed governance leading to effective and sustainable investments.

Since 2006, AWF has funded 73 national and regional projects in 50 countries, including in Africa’s most vulnerable states. It has mobilized more than €532 million as a result of its project preparation activities, which constitute 70 per cent of its portfolio. On average, each €1 contributed by the AWF has attracted €20 in additional follow-up investments.

The AWF is entirely funded by Algeria, Australia, Austria, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Burkina Faso, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, France, Norway, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the African Development Bank. The AWF is governed by a Governing Council representing its 15 donors, UN-Water Africa, the AU via NEPAD, AMCOW and the AfDB.

For more information: http://www.africanwaterfacility.org

Contact:

Katia Theriault, T. +216 71 10 12 79, M. +216 95 99 13 90, k.theriault@afdb.org

SOURCE

African Development Bank (AfDB)

Tanzania-Mlawi talks over the disputed oil and gas exploration in the disputed Lake Malawi collapsed

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

Information emerging from Dar Es-Salaam says that the dispute between Tanzania and Malawi over Lake Nyasa has ended in deadlock with both sides strongly recommending for mediation or the involvement of the International Court of Justice {ICJ} to resolve the statement.

The recommendation was made after week long talks between the to countries held in Malawi’s northern city of Mzuzu ended last Saturday with the two sides making little progress.

This was disclosed to the media by foreign ministers from the two sides in Lilongwe, the Malawian administrative and political capital.

Malawi Foreign Minister Epharaim Mganda Chiume said that during the talks the two sides made little progress in resolving the contentious issue hence the recommendations.

The Malawian Minister, however, said the two sides had agreed to meet again in next month {Sept 2013} in the Tanzanian capital, Dar Es Salaam to carry on with further discussions on the matter before considering the involvement of either a third party or ICJ.

The Minister was quoted a having said, ”We felt that there were still other options of diplomacy we could explore including involvement of third party. We have recommended that officials from the two countries should look into the matter again in Dar-Es Salaam.”

He went on , ‘And we also recommended that before the September meeting our Attorney Generals {AGs} should take time to interpret Article 1{2}[vi of the 1890 Anglo-Germany Treaty so that when we meet again next month we should all have legal understanding of the article.”

Chiume said the border dispute between the two neighboring African nations had been there for too long and that it was high time that it was resolved amicably, adding that failure to do so would impact negatively of the two countries.

On the other hand Mr Chiume’s Tanzanian counter-part Bernard Membe said the dispute indeed required further talks with the two sides maintaining their calms and diplomacy.

“We have agreed that the dispute we have requires a negotiated settlement through diplomacy,” said Membe.

Two weeks ago the Tanzanian government issued an order that there be no more flight across the disputed lake by aircraft from Malawi carrying out aerial survey and exploration for oil and gas over the lake until the dispute is resolved. Malawi obeyed and called for a top level meeting between the two Both people, however, have been urged to refrain fro making any provocative remarks which may create during the discussions his side had urged there should be no further exploration on Lake Nyasa {Lake Malawi] ,especially in the disputed part which is the northeastern part of the lake, to give room to the ongoing discussions.

The border dispute between Tanzania an Malawi begun recently when Malawi engaged a British firm Surestream to explore Lake Malawi for oil and gas deposit. The lake border Malawi and Tanzania.

The latter claims that part of the lake on that side belongs to the former Germany colony, while Malawi’s colony believes it owns the whole lake, based on the Heligoland. Treaty between Britain, Malawi’s colonial masters, which stipulated that the borders between the two countries were on the eastern shores of Lake Malawi.

Amid fears among the people of the two countries that there would be war over the lake, presidents of the two countries, Malawi’s Joyce Banda and Tanzania’s counterpart, Jakaya Kikwete, have been quoted in both local and international media to have said ‘the two countries would ever go to war, no matter what.”

The two presidents met recently in Maputo in Mozambique where on the sidelines of SADC Summit for Heads of State, they discussed the matter amicably and arrived at fruitful results,” according to President Banda. Tanzania claims the border runs along the middle of Lake Malawi, especially the disputed part which is the northeastern

Tanzania on its part claims the border runs along the middle of Lake Malawi, which is the home to over 500 species of fish and a major tourist attraction for Malawi.

When African states became independent, they agreed to maintain their colonial borders. Tanzania then Tanganyika was a German colony that Britain took over after World War One, British administration.then the placed all the lake’s waters under Malawi {the Nyasaland}.

At issue is largely undeveloped swath of Lake Malawi, where Lilongwe has awarded a license to British firm Surestream to explore for oil in northeastern waters near Tanzania.

Malawi has carefully watched Uganda’s developments around Lake Albert, where oil firms are pouring billions of dollars to exploit reserves estimated at 2.5 billion barrels.

Lake Malawi lies in the same Great Lakes system stretching along he African Rift, and Malawi is hoping for a similarly large payout-which would transform the fortunes of a country whose economy depends o small farmers and large foreign aid.

Ends

International cooperation for sustainable land and water management

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From: Yona Maro

Cooperation on land and water resources is motivated by scarcity and degradation and economics. There is a need to increase access and productivity, and ensure land and water remain a conduit for agricultural and economic growth and for the general advancement of human well-being. The United Nations system plays an important and unique role in international cooperation in regard to the management of land and water resources. It has facilitated a series of key meetings on the topic and helped establish a range of international organizations and programmes focussing on enhanced management and improved support to land and water.

As a result, international cooperation on land and water has picked up, particularly after the 1972 Stockholm Conference and the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Several UN agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Bretton Woods Institutions hold the mandate or share responsibilities for promoting and coordinating natural resources and environmental policies and activities.

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/solaw/files/thematic_reports/TR_16_web.pdf

—
Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Blogu ya Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com

Development Aid and Access to Water and Sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa

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From: Yona Maro

Providing safe drinking water and basic sanitation to citizens is one of the major challenges facing African governments. The issues of access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation is well articulated and prioritized in the various national, continental, and international policy documents, strategy papers, declarations, and conventions. And yet it is not clear if the provision of sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation has been given the requisite financial and other support by the SSA policy makers and donors. An even more important issue is understanding how African governments have used the limited ODA allocated to Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) sector to guarantee the highest possible performance and deliverance of WSS services to the citizens.

In the face of heterogeneous performance of different SSA countries, it becomes fundamental to understand the factors that determined success or failure in increasing access to water and sanitation, in order to improve the targeting of future interventions, including those funded by development aid, and avoid the repetition of past errors. The objectives of this study are to identify the factors determining countries’ performance in providing access to safe water and improved sanitation; to compare countries’ performance in the water and sanitation sector; and to analyse how effectively the countries used the development aid received for the water and sanitation sector. In this context, we develop a standardised measurement framework – the Watsan Index of Development Effectiveness (WIDE), which compares drivers of progress in water access and sanitation with results achieved, and ranks countries by the level of outcome obtained per unit of available input.

http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/BAD%20livre%20overview1.pdf

—
Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Blogu ya Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com

Does this challenge on water purification interest you?

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From: Madhu Mani

Hi there,

We are seeking innovative solution to this challenge on seawater filtration. Please check below if you have solution(s) and if you would like to participate?

Seeking inexpensive mass seawater filtration process or technology www.ideaken.com/C-2150-0103

This could lead to a business opportunities for you or your organization.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Happy innovating.

Best Regards
Madhu Mani –
Director, Innovator Engagement at ideaken