After Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea Conakry, Togo and Ghana, the African Water Association (AfWA) is launching the Pan-African Capacity Building Programme for Cities in Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) in Chad. The initiative aims to improve sanitation services in the beneficiary countries.
In Chad, four cities are involved in the CWIS. These are N’Djamena, Kélo, Moundou and Koumra. “The quality and coverage of services by sanitation operators in the country are sometimes inadequate due to several factors, including the lack of financial resources for major investments. The city-wide inclusive sanitation addressed in this programme will enable the cities concerned to benefit from adequate sanitation services, including septic tank emptying,” says the PPA.
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The CWIS will be rolled out in 19 countries in Africa over a three-year period. At least 21 companies operating in the water sector, including the Chadian Water Company (STE), will be directly impacted by the AfWA programme, improving people’s access to basic sanitation facilities. Currently, only 28% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa has access to sanitation facilities and 32% still practice open defecation. CWIS will also support the Individual Unbilled Water Reduction Programme for four companies in Chad, including STE. This initiative aims to save money and provide access to safe water for at least three million people.
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Under the CWIS, AfWA receives financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This programme complements the Municipal Water Sanitation and Hygiene in West Africa (MuniWASH) project, where AfWA provides expertise in building the capacity of authorities and sector providers through increased and sustainable private sector investment in water and sanitation services. Tetra Tech is implementing the MuniWASH project in Benin and Ivory Coast. The initiative is funded with $18 million from USAID.
Inès Magoum