eWASH

International Anti-Corruption Day 9 December 2011

Statement by Teun Bastemeijer, Director of the Water Integrity Network (WIN)

Corruption is in many places of the world part of daily life.  The first time I experienced corruption was whilst working in Madagascar in 1983. I also experienced extortion by traffic police in Nicaragua and elsewhere. During my stay   in Tanzania around 1993 I experienced firsthand how corruption in the water sector works in practice. Service providers took out pipes and cut off our poorly functioning house connection because they were bribed to ensure high pressure and enough water for spraying gardens in the same neighbourhood.

We had to pay to get some cut off water and also telephone services back. It can also be a professional issue. No matter what organisation or institution, anyone working in the water sector has most likely witnessed suspected corruption or wilful malpractice, or at least heard about it. There are many cases where wrong investments are made or where the same infrastructure is paid for several times from different sources.

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The High level forum for Water and Sanitation ended last night in  Ouagadougou, Burkina with the thirty three participating African Government delegations deciding to convene another meeting of African Ministers of Water and Finance for the purposes of working out how the Sharm el –sheik commitments on water and sanitation will be implemented in African countries.

The Sharm El-Sheikh commitments were agreed between African heads of state at the AfricannUnion Summit on Water and Sanitation in 2008. The decisions made at that summit form a commitment to accelerate activity to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on water and sanitation across the whole African Continent, in recognition that many countries are not on track to meet the MDG target of reducing By half the proportion of people with access to drinking water and sanitation by 2015.

However, the commitments have largely been unimplemented.

Presently, 342million people in Africa are presently without safe drinking water while the population without sanitation has reached an estimated 583 million. Only twenty six of the 54 countries in Africa are on track to meet the MDG drinking water target but only six countries are on track to meet the sanitation target.

But rising from the four day meeting, participants at the Ouagadougou forum recommended new approaches and actions to turn the tide around in Africa’s march to meet the WASH MDGs. The forum recommended that local actions and solutions must be relevant to the African context, evidence based models of sanitation financing should be promoted, pro poor business approaches should be enhanced, the WSA should play a leading role in addressing the gap between policy and practice, and research should be linked to community priorities and demand. (more…)

South Africa is phasing out inefficient lighting in place of energy efficient lighting as part of concerted efforts to tackle climate change. (more…)

Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent was ‘shamed’ by six Canadian Youths as they displayed  their shirts revealing a message   “Turn your back on Canada” prominently displayed on their shirts, as Keny began  his speech during the COP17 in Durban, yesterday.

The youths , members of the  Canada Youth Delegation were protesting Canada’s role during the Climate change meeting.

“Our so-called Environment Minister entered these talks by going on record that he would be defending the tar sands. I have yet to hear him say that he’s here to defend my future,” said James Hutt, one of the youth delegates who participated in the action. (more…)

Juanita During, Head of Policy, Advocacy and Partnership, CREPA

Plans are underway to establish an ‘Africa Policy Forum for Sanitation and Water’ which will function as a continental Think Tank on Home grown WASH solutions.

The African Centre for Water and Sanitation (CREPA), is spearheading the establishment of this think tank which is expected to provide solutions for the WASH sector that are home grown, realistic, sustainable, cost effective, and most importantly directly relevant to the specific issues and environment of the continent, based on intellectual debate and rigorous scientific research dedicated to the development of the sector.

The draft plan ‘Africa Policy Forum for Sanitation and water’ was the kernel of discussion at a session on ‘Enchasing Knowledge in the WASH sector in Africa’ during the ongoing High level forum for Water and Sanitation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Presenting the concept to delegates, Juanita During, Head of Policy, Advocacy and Partnerships, African Centre for Water and Sanitation (CREPA), http://www.reseaucrepa.org/, posed several questions: Why then do we still have poor coverage rate of 32% for sanitation in the continent in spite of the avalanche of experience, knowledge and information in the sector,?; Why are academic researches standing alone and do not affect WSS policies? How do we harness all the expertise and the knowledge in the sector to practically affect the poor in African countries?

Answering these questions, During said that there gaps evidently exists in the sanitation sector in Africa which leads to a disconnection between practice and policy, resulting in the detachment of policy formulation from realities on the ground. Identifying these, gaps, the CREPA Chief said: Africa is a receptacle rather than a generator of knowledge in WATSAN public policy, existing think tanks operate as academic rather than practice or policy oriented institutions; foreign think tanks have a preponderant influence on WATSAN policies in Africa; and there is no or little consultation with stakeholders making public policies leading to lack of space engagement.

Her words: “There is a huge gap in WASH knowledge. WASH policies that are formulated and implemented are not informed by actual realities. We are therefore proposing the African Think Tank for Home Grown policies to bridge the WASH knowledge gap; to bring about a correlation between policy and practice ensuring sanitation and water polices reflect best practice, are home grown, information driven, people centred, and sustainable.”.

Also at the event, Nico Elema of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), made a presentation on ‘Knowledge Management in the Water sector’, explaining how the NEPAD’s ‘Water Centres for Excellence’ have been contributing to human capacity development in the WASH sector, through research, training and knowledge sharing across the African continent

Delegates were also introduced to the www.2ie.edu.org – an educational portal training WASH professionals

African demand Ministers from over 50 African countries attending the COP17 in Durban South Africa have demanded an ambitious second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, effective action under the Bali Action Plan and scaled-up finance, as the UN Climate Conference in Durban rounds off this week.

At a meeting in Durban, the Ministers discussed the latest science showing severe threats to African food security; developments in the negotiations; and a strategy to ensure that the outcomes of the Durban climate conference are comprehensive enough to protect Africans from the worst effects of climate change.

The African Common Position on Climate Change, which was agreed 15-16 September 2011, in Bamako, Mali, highlights key positions that African Ministers will be advancing in Durban at the ‘high-level’ international ministerial segment of the conference this week.

“Developed country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol must honour their commitments through ambitious mitigation commitments for a second and subsequent commitment periods. They must reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 40 per cent during the second commitment period from 2013 to 2017 and by at least 95 per cent by 2050, compared to 1990 levels, as an equitable and appropriate contribution.” Seyni Nafo, spokesperson of the African group of negotiators, said.

“We stress the urgency of agreeing a second commitment period in Durban and of elaborating measures to avoid a gap between commitment periods,” he said.

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Idrissa Doucouré CREPA's Director General..yesterday

The African Centre for Water and Sanitation (CREPA), http://www.reseaucrepa.org/ has changed its name and unveiled a new logo to re-position itself towards facilitating access to water and sanitation in Africa.

CREPA will now be known as ‘Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA)’.

The new name and new logo represents a new CREPA that is determined to strategically play a leading role to help 500 million Africans lack access to sanitation and 300 million lack access to water, said its Director General, Idrissa Doucouré while addressing several Ministers of Water Resources in Africa, donors and development partners gathered at the ongoing High level forum for Water and Sanitation in Africa, Ouagadougou, yesterday.

CREPA’s DG also announced plans to set up a Foundation to raise the 125billion CFAs required by the body to finance its future projects, there are also plans to set up of an Implementation Agency- a Technical Intervention office that will operate as a commercial and profit oriented agency, a data base of all professionals and experts in the sector in the African region will soon be developed.

The CREPA’s DG, said these institutional reform are being initiated as part of CREPA’S 2011 – 2015 strategic plan to improve the “living conditions of populations through the provision of basic services related to drinking water, access and sanitation to about 50 million people,

Founded in 1988, CREPA is an interstate institution that specializes in research and training for the promotion of appropriate technologies and participatory strategies, operational and financial sector of the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). It presently operates in 17 African countries including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Chad, and Togo.

Photo de famille ministres et représentants pays

As the clock ticks against African nations in meeting the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals, over 22 Ministers for Water Resources in the continent and several other experts have gathered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso at the behest of the African Centre for Water Supply and SanitationAs the clock ticks against African nations in meeting the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals, over 22 Ministers for Water Resources in the continent and several other experts have gathered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso at the behest of the African Centre for Water Supply and Sanitation (CREPA) http://www.reseaucrepa.org/ to discuss strategies towards accelerating progress towards meeting the 2015 development targets.

Few years ago, the United Nations Development Programme Human Index report, published a report that indicated that at current rate of progress, the MDG goal for water may not be achieved in sub Saharan African countries before 2046 and that of sanitation before 2076.

Four years to the MDG year, political leaders in Africa are holding a High level forum for Water and Sanitation in Ouagadougou, to brainstorm solutions to meet Africa’s water and sanitation challenges and ensure UNDP’s 2006 scientific prophecy does not come to pass.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the host country’s Minister of Agriculture and Hydraulics Laurent Sedogo, told delegates that:

“Every fourteen seconds in Africa a child dies due to lack of drinking water, hygiene or sanitation. This show once again shows the necessity and urgency of finding appropriate solutions to the lives of our African populations. We are four years from the date of the Millennium Development, yet millions of Africans still lack access to water and sanitation. Over 300 million Africans still lack access to clean water and 500 million of our citizens do not have decent sanitation facilities.

The impact of this on the health of our populations and it’s hindrance to the process of development of our country concerns all of us. It has become urgent to find effective solutions to the constraints of the sector so that every African can access in a sustainable way to water and sanitation.

The vision of Africa for Water in 2025, the Declaration of Heads of State of the African Union on the water in Sharm El Sheikh in 2008 and the declaration of el Thekwini on Sanitation 2008 provides the broad strategic plans and proposals of the continent to achieve the MDGs for water and sanitation at different levels. We, African States, the duty to turn these commitments we made at the international community into concrete results in the localities of our country”

(CREPA) http://www.reseaucrepa.org/ to discuss strategies towards accelerating progress towards meeting the 2015 development targets.

Few years ago, the United Nations Development Programme Human Index report, published a report that indicated that at current rate of progress, the MDG goal for water may not be achieved in sub Saharan African countries before 2046 and that of sanitation before 2076.

Four years to the MDG year, political leaders in Africa are holding a High level forum for Water and Sanitation in Ouagadougou, to brainstorm solutions to meet Africa’s water and sanitation challenges and ensure UNDP’s 2006 scientific prophecy does not come to pass.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the host country’s Minister of Agriculture and Hydraulics Laurent Sedogo, told delegates that:

“Every fourteen seconds in Africa a child dies due to lack of drinking water, hygiene or sanitation. This show once again shows the necessity and urgency of finding appropriate solutions to the lives of our African populations. We are four years from the date of the Millennium Development, yet millions of Africans still lack access to water and sanitation. Over 300 million Africans still lack access to clean water and 500 million of our citizens do not have decent sanitation facilities.

The impact of this on the health of our populations and it’s hindrance to the process of development of our country concerns all of us. It has become urgent to find effective solutions to the constraints of the sector so that every African can access in a sustainable way to water and sanitation.

The vision of Africa for Water in 2025, the Declaration of Heads of State of the African Union on the water in Sharm El Sheikh in 2008 and the declaration of el Thekwini on Sanitation 2008 provides the broad strategic plans and proposals of the continent to achieve the MDGs for water and sanitation at different levels. We, African States, the duty to turn these commitments we made at the international community into concrete results in the localities of our country”

Late Prof. Alfred Opubor

Nigeria’s foremost communications expert,  Professor Alfred Opubor, is dead.

Aged 75 years,  Opubor died in the late hours of the night of 2 December, 2011, following a brief illness at the University Teaching Hospital in Cotonou, Benin according to a statement  from the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA),

Professor Opubor, reputed to be the first man in Africa to get a doctoral degree (Ph D) in communications, was one of the first generation of specialists in the field of communications as a behavioural science, having graduated from the Michigan State University, in the US, with a PhD degree in 1969.

His expertise was in communication theories and message systems, and their applications in development.

A former head of the department of mass communications at the University of Lagos, Professor Opubor was also a researcher, government policy adviser and senior communications specialist in the United Nations system. He was also an international consultant in strategic communications and media development. (more…)

Top Government officials, representatives of development partner s, researchers and stakeholders are meeting in Ouagadougou Burkinabe Faso, December 5-8 to seek solutions to Africa’s water supply and sanitation problems.
Top on the agenda is discussion on how to implement several political commitments in the sector such as the vision of Africa for Water in 2025, the Declaration of Heads of State of the African Union on the water (Sharm El-Sheikh, 2008) and eThekwini Declaration on Sanitation (2008).