Improving water supply to improve livelihoods across southern Africa

The strategic development and effective management of water resources is a high priority for southern Africa. Whilst the region is endowed with considerable water resources, there is also substantial variation in availability; a problem compounded by sub-standard and inequitable water supply, which is calculated to cost up to 5% of regional GDP annually.

High levels of water insecurity in the region undermine efforts towards climate resilient and sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and regional stability. Moreover, forecasts indicate that population growth coupled with demands from irrigation, energy and economic growth as well as increased vulnerability to climate shocks will further compound the problem.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that a multidimensional approach to water infrastructure development, which encourages the sustainable and equitable use of water resources at both a regional and national level, is fundamental to tackling economic development and counteracting potential conflicts. There is an evident need for strategic level planning. Creating awareness, support and capacity for sustainable management of water resources among the communities residing in the different basins is equally important.

By illustrating the tangible impact on poverty alleviation and other direct benefits of increased sustainable access to and management of water catchments, the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF), implemented by Adam Smith International, seeks to demonstrate the benefits of climate resilient water infrastructure and to foster an environment that will attract substantially greater investment into the sector. To do so, the facility focuses on developing projects with the potential to link different sub-sectors with a view to enhancing financial sustainability andmaximising the benefits of the water, energy and food nexus.

The facility's ability to achieve change in the development and management of water courses is best illustrated by projects such as the Makonde Multi-Sector Scheme, located in the Mtwara Region in southern Tanzania.

Despite the vast amounts of fresh water available and progress made in recent years, especially since the commissioning of the country's Water Sector Development Programme, water provision remains the number one development problem in Tanzania. This is particularly true in rural areas, where few households have access to clean drinking water from a piped source, and only a small fraction can access water to irrigate their farms. Pre-dating CRIDF, the original design of the Makonde project, included in the Development of the Ruvuma River Basin Monograph and Joint Integrated Water Resource Management Strategy, focused only on irrigation. CRIDF engaged, however, with stakeholders to reformulate the project and includeadditional components.

In its current form - and in addition to an irrigation intervention - the Makonde project encompasses a suite of three water supply and sanitation projects, which will improve water security for the Newala and Mtwara districts, and deliver the training necessary to ensure that a sustainable maintenance and operations management structure for the rehabilitated infrastructure is in place. The project also proposes to support catchment protection, and holds considerable strategic demonstrative value for improved water resource management on both the Tanzanian and the Mozambican side of the Rovuma Basin.

The anticipated benefits of the project include increased resilience through improved reliability of domestic water supply, the use of sustainably irrigated agriculture, improved environmental health andlivelihoods security, Wash facilities and poverty alleviation. With over 400,000 people expected to benefit directly and indirectly from the water supply and sanitation component of the project, the scheme can be used as a demonstration platform from which to engage stakeholders on improved water resource management and climate-related concepts.

Source

Media

Taxonomy

• Public Health
• Environmental Policy
• Community Supply