Transcript Mtisunge_WWDpresentation

IMPROVED COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE THROUGH
INCREASED WATER
SUPPLY
By
Mtisunge Mngoli
(Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy)
INTRODUCTION
• Water is the most important resource, since everything depends
on water
• water is facing a lot of obstacles due to climate change and
human activity, and the rate of replenishment is very low.
• Malawi is documented as a water-stressed country and may be
water scarce if nothing is done to mitigate the looming crisis
• climate change is making Malawi increasingly vulnerable to
problems such as frequent dry spells, droughts or erratic rainfall
leading to low production of crops, livestock and hydropower
INTRODUCTION
• In a bid to increase availability and access to safe and potable water,
CEPA in partnership with Christian aid & CARD is implementing a
project “improved community resilience through increased water
supply and food security” funded by the Scottish Government in
Nsanje district
• Objectives
• increasing availability and access to safe and potable water for 1,500
households through rights-based, participatory and inclusive approaches
to water resources
• increased participation of community and district structures in water and
natural resource management
METHODOLOGY AND STUDY AREA
Study area
The project is being implemented in Nsanje district in two Traditional
Authorities (Chimombo and Mbenje).
Methodology
• 2 Irrigation schemes
• Linking communities with duty bearers
• Linking communities with private sector service providers
• Lobbying for an IWRM
• Awareness on legal frameworks and messages on water resources management
through (policy briefs, public debates, exchange visits, panel discussion, media
interactions)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Challenges
• Non-functional boreholes, limited financial resources for borehole maintenance, lack of constitution guiding the
water committees, limited coordination among disciplines, & lack of integration of climate change issues into
sectoral planning and budgeting processes.
Women queuing at a borehole & Men cycling for more than 5km to access water in GVH Nsamba, Nsanje
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
• linking the communities to the duty bearers and the private sectors
communities are able to communicate their concerns and through these
meetings the water committees were encouraged to be sourcing funds on their
own for the maintenance of the boreholes, and able to access borehole
equipment on credit. This will offer sustainability in the long-run even after
the project phases out.
• Lobbying for an IWRM-It has been noted that there is limited knowledge
on IWRM at district level
• Awareness campaigns are conducted through different channels
• policy briefs (The National Water Policy brief and The Supplement to
the Forestry Policy brief) which are translated to Chichewa, panel
discussions, radio programs, exchange visits, newspaper articles,
documentaries, posters and public debates.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
A man and a woman reading the National Water Policy brief during an awareness meeting
in Group Village Head Melo
CONCLUSION
• Linking of the communities to the duty bearers and the service providers has promoted
a strong relationship among stakeholders in Nsanje district, which will help in managing
the water resources at district level
• The IWRM approach will build a coordination relationship among sectors that will help
in effective management of water resources.
• Awareness campaigns has broadened the understanding of climate change issues and its
relationship with water resources, since the process of debate offers profound and
lasting benefits for the communities.
• They help the communities to think critically
• communicate effectively
• practice team work and
• critically examine the issues at hand to make informed judgements.
• This has also helped to spread information even to those outside Nsanje through
radio programs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Sensitize the communities in issues of water management
• There is need for harmonization of policies to effectively manage the
water resources and incorporate the Integrated Water Resources
Management Approach
• There is need for constant monitoring of the village action plans by the
duty bearers
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• We are very grateful for the financial support by the Scottish
Government through Christian Aid.
• We thank our partners; (CARD), the people at district level in Nsanje
District, the two Traditional Authorities (T/A Chimombo and T/A
Mbenje) and the forty five (45) water committees for their cooperation in
implementing the project activities and the Ministry of Agriculture,
irrigation and Water Development in conjunction with Water Services
Association of Malawi (WASAMA) for giving us an opportunity to
present our work to a wider audience.
THANK YOU