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Rights to water Presented by Ms. Nyanzobe Malimi 2008 (Representing TAWASANET and TWESA ).
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Rights to water Presented by Ms. Nyanzobe Malimi 2008 (Representing TAWASANET and TWESA)
Tanzania is one of the county in the world committed Implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as internationally agreed targets for reducing poverty, hunger, diseases, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by 2015. To implement that Tanzania formed a National organizing framework for putting the focus on poverty reduction on the country’s development agenda that is The National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP).The NSGRP is informed by the aspirations of Tanzania’s Development Vision (Vision 2025) for high and shared growth, high quality livelihood, peace, stability and unity, good governance, high quality education and international competitiveness.
Water and sanitation issues in the country Despite the above goal and strategy signed and developed respectively, Tanzania is still among the poorest country in the world, at the same time its people are facing water and sanitation problems at greater extent (water coverage-rural 45% and urban 79%). That leads to diseases like diarrhea and cholera that remains endemic with frequent out-breaks in urban and rural areas while there are little interventions to overcome the situation, (dealing with effects and not the root causes).
Water and sanitation issues in the country • People doesn’t realised that to have access to safe and clean water is their rights and they have to demand it once is not there for their good health. • The people’s blindness on this issues is due to the change of the water policy of 1999 that was stated fee water for all due to failure of the Government to fulfill its responsibility.
Water and sanitation issues …. • The new policy of 2002, puts governments not responsible for provision of adequate and safe water supply and sanitation services rather than in policy formulation and dissemination, monitoring , supervision, coordination and support. • The policy requires people to contribute cash, 5% of the capital cost, 100% of O&M and care vulnerable groups.
Impacts of water and sanitation • As a results a significant number of communities (Wards) do not have single functioning water point because they can’t afford 5% cash contribution of the capital cost . More strikingly, wards with higher coverage continue to attract investment, while those with low or no waterpoint coverage continue to be sidelined. This suggests that decision makers at LGA level are not prioritizing water right and that under-served wards lack the opportunities to influence the planning process in their favour. If MKUKUTA -NSGRP and MDG targets are to be met, this is a critical issue to be addressed. • There a strong link between household wealth and access to safe water and sanitation services. Female-headed households, households headed by the elderly, and households with a sick member also had lower than average access to water and sanitation services, because can not afford paying the water fee collection.
Impacts of water and sanitation…. • People opt to go for water from unprotected sources even though they are aware of its effects. • On average women and children spent over two hours a day collecting water while journey of six to seven hours are not unusual in area on the central plateau. • Lack of safe, sufficient, and affordable water had created gender-based violence around water accessibility and increased the rate of girls dropping out of school. This was because women and girls are largely deemed responsible for the provision of water in the home. • Poor pit latrines has caused matured girls to drop out of school during their menstruation period due to lack of privacy. • In urban areas people are opting for open defecation in storm water drainages or flying toilets due to lack of sanitation facilities or not able to pay for public services.
Samwel -6yrs is caring a gallon of 5ltrs of water from a spring 1.5km from the home (Kabanga village in Ngara District).
Mr. Kamanzila is fetching water from unprotected source in Kabanga village in Ngara District.
Poor constructed Pit latrine at Bukiriro Primary school, Ngara District, Kagera Region
Recommendations • Water should be regarded as human rights that the link between the coverage and investments of rural water supply drawing from WPM and not driven by politics. • Government should protect the right of water for vulnerable groups by providing enabling environment-Institutional frame work instead of leaving that responsibility to communities. • Increase opportunities for pro-poor engagement in the planning process for investments at district level, by making data on budgets and coverage levels publicly accessible. • Maintain the equitable budget allocations to urban and rural water supply. E.g in rural areas there is a need of more than 3000 new water points to meet the MDGs targets.
Recommendation…. • While the MDGs had gained momentum, many local people are still unaware of them, whereas a rights language had given teeth to local struggles over the right to water, in particular given the option of making a legal claim. Although many poor people would be unable to claim their rights in formal judicial procedures, the option reinforced social mobilisation. • Increase coordination among the sector ministries that are responsible for sanitation issues. • To empower CSOs within the sector since have potential in both services delivery and engage in policy formulation as well as advocating water and sanitation as human rights to all Tanzanian citizens.
TAWASANET • The Tanzania Water and Sanitation Network (TAWASANET) is a recently formed network of Tanzanian civil society organisations working in the water and sanitation sector. The network was officially launched by the Minister of Water and Irrigation, Professor Mark Mwandosya, during Water Week 2008.
TAWASANET • TAWASANET was formed in order to increasing sharing between civil society organisations, promote partnerships between civil society and other sector stakeholders, build the capacity of civil society in the water and sanitation sector, and to strengthen the voice of civil society in national policy debates. • We also campaign locally and internationally to change policy and practice and ensure water and sanitation’s vital role in reducing poverty is recognised.
Important events -2008 Water week –March 2008 • Promoting use of simple and affordable technologies of water and sanitation facilities e.g pit latrine made of coconuts leaves that can be used in coast regions where coconuts are available and rope pumps- easier maintained by communities.
Important events -2008… JWSR –October 2008 • CSOs presented perspective on progress in the water and sanitation sector, and what are the priority issues for the sector to address in the coming year. • Most of the suggestions provided were taken in positive way with the Ministry and in cooperated in the undertakings of 2008/2009.
Important events -2008… World Toilet day-November 2008 • Three CSOs will represent TAWASANET in the event. They will show various technologies that can be adopted by communities using simple and affordable materials found within their vicinity for pit latrine construction. • Making people aware of the link between poor hygiene practices and diseases.
CONCLUSION • Water is a basic human need and an economic good the two should balance for all people to have equal access to adequate and safe water for poverty alleviation. • TAWASANET is a good entry for lobbying and advocating water to be regarded as human right by the Tanzania Government. • In our interventions of advocating water as human right we should consider sanitation also since it has greater negative impact if not properly addressed even if there is adequate and safe water. Therefore we should say “water and sanitation is a human right”.
