Update from the 15th African Water Congress

Setting up the WaterAid stand in Kampala.

Credit: WaterAid

Representatives from WaterAid are at the 15th African Water Congress in Uganda, and are posting daily updates below:

Read the 15th African Water Association International Congress newsletter ( PDF 2.4Mb)

16 March 2010 - Day two

Update by Nelson Gomonda, Regional Advisor Policy & Advocacy, Malawi

Africa's regional centre of excellence for water ready for launch

The Africa Water Academy, set up by the Africa Water Association (AfWA) is due for launch during the second day of the 15th African Water Congress in Kampala.

The Africa Water Academy will be hosted by the National Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) in Uganda.

According to a presentation made by Dr Martin Kalibala of NWSA during a session on Agents of Change in the Water Sector through Centres of Excellence, the Academy will address capacity challenges related to utility reforms, political economy, climate change and various management problems affecting the operations of various utility companies in Africa. "The Academy targets policy and decision makers, executives and senior managers in the water sector", said Dr Martin Kalibala during his presentation.

The Africa Water Academy, initiated with the support from the World Bank Institute, will enable sharing among countries and regions and explorations of innovative solutions and high-quality executive programme with the state and non-state actors.

15 March 2010 - Day one

By Julie Abaliwano, Programme Officer (Advocacy), WaterAid Uganda

African leaders call for holistic approach to sustainable drinking water supply

African leaders at the 15th International African Water Congress today outlined the priorities of water resource management and conservation, rain water harvesting and the development of energy infrastructure to achieve sustainable supply of drinking water.

Lead by the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, the leaders stressed the need to protect Africa's forest and wetlands to ensure the continents water quantity does not diminish.

Professor Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace laureate, and Dr Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN HABITAT spoke in the same vein in their key note speeches.

President Museveni was urged by Dr. Uschi Eid, Vice President of the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), to take the message of sanitation and water to the high level meeting in April as Uganda has shown leadership in addressing the MDGs.

President Museveni, in his opening remarks, emphasised the need to focus on the bigger picture of sustainability of the water resources and the environment, climate change and energy provision. He said the supply of safe water and the provision of sanitation is of importance but manageable. However, to continue to supply this safe drinking water, we must have access to fresh water in the first place. According to the President, since energy is needed to treat and supply this water, energy therefore should also be a focus of this congress.

The congress is being organised by the African Water Association to discuss the theme: Water and Sanitation: What perspectives related to the Energy challenges and the Climate change? Some 1,340 delegates from 430 organisations across 64 countries, 35 of these African.

The President also launched a book written by the Managing Director of national Water and Sewerage Corporation, Making Public Enterprises Work: From Despair to Hope. It is about the transformation of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Uganda, from a dilapidated state owned enterprise into one of Africa's most successful publicly owned organisations.

The President stressed the fact that the debate about the management of public facilities is not about whether they can work or not but rather about human nature. "There are a minority of people who can work well for the common people, a few managers who are like the freedom fighters. These are people motivated to work even when it is not for their personal profit, unlike private sector motivated individuals’", he said.

Minister of Water and Environment, Mrs. Maria Mutagamba, while on a tour of the Congress Exhibition Hall, stopped at WaterAid's stall, where WaterAid and the partners we work with, Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI) and Uganda Rain Water Harvesting Association (URWA), have a poster display.

The Minister commended CIDI for doing a good work in water and sanitation. She described CIDI as one of the credible local NGOs.