WALKING THE TALK: BUILDING A PROSPEROUS TANZANIA

• Massive improvement for rural water supply

AS Dar es Salaam residents face water rationing, access to water services in rural areas has increased due to various government initiatives to end the precious liquid woes in the country.

The initiatives have led to an increase in water access by 74.5 per cent in June this year from 64.8 per cent in 2019.

Director General for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) Engineer Clement Kivegalo said recently, adding that the number of villages with access to water service has increased to 9,029, compared to June 2019, when the villages were 6,082.

“Currently, as I speak …the water service in rural areas is available through 143,767 water collection points and 169,043 household connections,” he said.

Ruling party CCM’s election manifesto of 2020-2025 has set a goal of reaching at least 85 per cent by 2025 in ensuring the accessibility of water in rural areas, and to achieve that goal, requires an average increase of 3.7 per cent of water service per year, which demands an average of 550bn/- per year according to Third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) 2021/2026.

“Out of 1,258 projects developed after RUWASA was established in July 2019 to June 2022, at least 604 projects have been completed and  benefiting approximately 1,673 villages with about 2,820,180 residents, while the cost of completed project stands at 260.4bn/-,” RUWASA DG said.

The agency was established by the new Water Supply and Sanitation Act No. 5 of 2019 and became effective on 01 July 2019.

The government has placed much focus in the improvement of water provision services as articulated in the FYPD III 2021/2022-2025/2026 with the theme: “Realising Competitiveness and Industrialisation for Human Development.

FYDP III points out that water and sanitation health are some of the key ingredients for human development. This sector involves the availability and distribution of water and the protection of water sources and resource environment.

In this regard, this plan focuses on improving the availability and distribution of water supplies and sanitation services in urban and rural areas, and protection of water sources and resource environment.

Key interventions include strengthening supply infrastructures for clean and safe water, establishing and strengthening the Community Based Water Supply Organisations (CBWSOs) for enhancing the sustainability of rural water supply and sanitation services and promoting appropriate technologies for further treatment of effluent and sludge for recycling and re-use purposes.

Eng Kivegalo said that the agency also recorded great strides in constructing water projects by completing 147 schemes out of 177, which had a great challenge in water supply in rural areas, while 621 have been completed and received out of 632 from different councils.

He also highlighted some challenges that cripple the pace of the agency to attain its target in the provision of water services in rural areas, saying: “Climate change, urbanisation, population growth and scattered settlement are the challenges troubling the pace of the agency to reach the SDG6 target.”

Eng Kivegalo further said the challenges impede the agency’s determination to reach Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is about “clean water and sanitation for all” including urbanisation, climate change, population growth, settled settlement.

In a related development, RUWASA DG identified strategic plans to ensure it attains its goal of reaching 85 per cent in supplying water services in rural areas by 2025, including also improving water infrastructure and service delivery.

Similarly, the agency plans to expand the network for existing schemes, renovation of the existing schemes as well as constructing new water sources.

According to Minister for Water Jumaa Aweso, the government in collaboration with the World Bank is implementing a six-year (2019-2024) Sustainable Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme in 17 regions and 86 councils. In the programme, 817.29bn/- has been set aside for rehabilitation, expansion of water infrastructure and construction of new schemes.

While tabling the ministry’s budget for the 2022/2023 fiscal year, he said, up to April 2022, some 69 projects were completed with 1,166 water points and serve more than 439,302 people in 131 villages.

He said RUWASA is determined to meet the National Long Term Perspective Plan (NLTPP 2011/12-2025/26); the Water Sector Development Programme (WSDP 2006-2025); and Regional and International Policy Frameworks such as Africa Water Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

All these national and international planning frameworks are designed to meet aspirations of the Tanzania Development Vision 2025 that envisages the country to attain the middle-income country status by year 2025.

This plan aims at improving systems, procedures and structures that will strengthen water resources management; improving access to adequate, safe and clean water and sanitation services; boosting institutional capacity and improving working environment; and enhancing Water Sector networks and partnerships.

The Strategic Plan responds to stakeholders’ expectations and executes its mandate of ensuring that water resources are managed, developed and utilised in a sustainable and participatory manner for fostering social and economic development.