Water Development and sanitation Minister calls for more Investment in Water Sector

Water Development and sanitation Minister Mike Mposha says there is need for more investment in the water sector to enable it address the numerous threats and challenges in the provision of water and sanitation services in Zambia.

Mr MPOSHA says increased investment in the sector will see increased access to water and sanitation.

He says water insecurity has continued to be a threat to all as it affects the wider economy which includes residents and businesses and therefore needs a multi – sectoral approach across the water sector and beyond.

Speaking at the Lusaka water security initiative (luwsi) CEO’s breakfast meeting and signing Ceremony at Radisson blue hotel, Mr MPOSHA said addressing the scourge should include water users, service providers, regulators and policy makers as this is critical in ensuring that stakeholders collectively define and rally behind a shared water security agenda.

The Minister said the collaboration in the water sector remained inadequate thus there is need for support towards implementation of strategic interventions to address threats of national water security.

He said the city of lusaka like many cities around the world, is experiencing a multitude of pressures on its water infrastructure and services and the increasingly fragile resources they depend on.

He said, lusaka lies above a productive groundwater aquifer, which continues to provide 60% of the city’s water supply, but that the shortcomings in land use planning and enforcement of environmental controls, exacerbated by climate change-induced weather patterns, are turning this vital resource into a key vulnerability.

Mr. Mposha also said the proliferation of borehole drilling and increased abstraction is accelerating the drop in groundwater levels.

He said borehole yields are also decreasing and many wells remain dry for several months of the year and yet on the other hand, a high average water table during the wet season coupled with poorly constructed onsite sanitation facilities have become a danger to the provision of clean and safe water supply.

The Minister was also quick to mention that unplanned low-income settlements located in areas of the city that are prone to frequent flooding are disproportionately affected by outbreaks of waterborne diseases.