Which Ministry should be responsible for undertaking WASH initiatives?

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Do you think there should be an umbrella consortium where Water supply, infrastructure, policy and other WASH sector stakeholder should be involved?

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6 Answers

  1. Dear Peter,

    Planning, implmentation and monitoring of WASH initiatives involves multiple actors and mandates as you know. Evidence in most developing countries highlights huge challenges in harmonizing these let alone having one ministry being responnsible to undertake this. Collaboration is key and a coordinating mechanism is necessary - but these are still laden with huge constraints. With the new sustainable agenda lessons of structures that have worked would be in harmonizing mandates and offering a good coordination framework would be good to hear.

    Rose Alabaster

    WASH Governance Expert, Geneva

  3. In our affluent western world - mum&dad, primary schools are the best teachers.  Not so in developing poorer countries where Coloform (E-coli) Typhoid are carried by water that kids have to wash in repeatedly. Animation films for telephones, warnings in school in the local language would be a good first step, provided we all understand that soap and hot water are not available or affordable to many. 

  4. It depends with procedures and policies of a particular Government, but an integrated approach involving key stakeholders would be the most ideal situation. Therefore leadership and coordination of activities should be hosted by the lead Ministry which could be the Ministry of Water , Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment & Energy, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and also Specific Government related Water, Sanitation departments can take a lead. There is no particular answer to say.... but it is largely driven by country policies as might be enacted by the Government from time to time