Call for Enforcement of Urban Water Management policies in Developing Countries

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Call for Enforcement of Urban Water Management policies in Developing Countries
Davis & Shirtliff CEO, David Gatende, has called for the implementation and enforcement of Urban Water Management (UWM) policies if water security is to improve in developing countries.

The Water Supply and Treatment Systems in developing countries such as Kenya continue to face infrastructural and resource deficits, threatening urban water security and the general health and well-being of residents in urban areas.

Gatende said that the implementation is paramount for the restoration of the health of waterways and wetlands in our urban areas.

“Urban water comprises all water that exists in the urban environment and this includes natural surface water and groundwater, and strict implementation of UWM policies and strategies will result in urban centres that are resilient, livable, productive and sustainable,” he said.

Gatende added that UWM plans are key enabling factors in ensuring that cities remain the generators of wealth and employment, incubators of innovation and creativity and provide the best opportunities to improve livelihoods while sustainably maintaining an ecological balance.

This comes against the backdrop of increased urbanization in different parts of the country that has led to increased pressure on limited resources, a situation that is exacerbated by infrastructure that cannot support the demand.

Gatende attributed the current challenges being faced in the urban water management sector to this phenomenon, adding that it is estimated that by 2027 the urban population will reach 31.7 million (56 percent) in Kenya and currently, only one-third of urban residents have access to basic water and sanitation services.

He explained that though increased urbanization comes with many challenges, it also presents a wealth of opportunities in industrialization, wealth generation, wastewater treatment and recycling.

“In Nairobi for example, some of the greatest challenges experienced both by residents within the city and industrial enterprises, is the unavailability and inaccessibility to clean water, intermittent flooding during the rainy seasons, seasonal cholera breakouts and poor sanitation services. A strategy for urban water management therefore takes into account the projected population growth for the next century and will not only be beneficial but critical towards the growth and economic development of Nairobi,” Gatende added.

Urban water comprises all water that exists in the urban environment and this includes natural surface water and groundwater.

SOURCE ON PUMPS AFRICA

 

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