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Zabon Zongo community water and
sanitation project launched
Accra, Aug. 9, Ghanadot/GNA – Mrs. Theresa Amerley Tagoe,
Deputy Greater Accra Minister, on Wednesday launched the
second phase of the Water for African Cities Upgrading
Project for the Zabon Zongo in Accra with a total budget of
about 1.610 million dollars.
Out of the amount, the United Nations Habitat Programme is
providing 1.326 million dollars from the UN Habitat Water
and Sanitation Trust Fund whilst the government would
contribute 284,600 dollars.
The project has seven components, including increase access
to sanitation services, increasing access to good drinking
water at affordable cost, water demand management, human
values-based water sanitation and hygiene education,
advocacy and awareness creation and urban catchments
management.
The Water for Africa Cities Project is an initiative by UN
Habitat to support local and national governments and their
water crises and protect the continent's water resources and
aquatic ecosystem from the increasing volume of land-based
pollution from the cities.
The fist phase of the Project was undertaken from 1999 to
2002.
Mrs Tagoe said the project was meant to strengthen
communities’ ability to deal with their own water and
sanitation problems.
This included engaging communities in the initiation,
implementation and management of their own water and
sanitation infrastructure.
Mrs Tagoe said improving access to potable water and
sanitation was critical to achieving favourable health
outcomes, which in turn facilitated economic growth and
sustained poverty reduction.
She said government, as part of its strategy to accelerate
the provision of water to urban settlements, was working at
improving the distribution of networks to low income
consumers, assess the lifeline tariff for poor urban
households, provide standpipes for the poor and to some
extent engage the communities in the operation and
management of facilities installed within their locality
through the involvement of water-user groups.
She said the installation of water supply and sanitation
system to be owned and managed by the community or
households meant that beneficiaries would have the
opportunity to optimize hygiene practice through having
access to increased water supply and improved sanitation.
Mrs. Victoria Abankwa, Habitat Programme Manager, said in
the quest to mainstream gender in the second phase of Water
for Africa Cities Project, there was an urgent need for the
participating cities to conduct a rapid gender assessment to
clarify and increase understanding of the specific gender
issues on the urban water and sanitation sector.
She appealed to the committee to take ownership of the
project and understand that they would have to make
contributions in kind towards realization of the goals.
GNA
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