UNESCO WORKSHOP DISCUSSES WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

As part of efforts to reduce unnecessary illness and deaths associated with unhygienic water supply, the UN agency in charge of education has organised a workshop in Tanzania to stop the menace.

More than one hundred professionals and decision-makers from different disciplines gathered in Dar es Salaam over the weekend to deliberate on Global Water Pathogen Project.

The Project, which is a product of the UN Educational and Scientific Organisation UNESCO, aims to develop knowledge resources to reduce deaths linked to waste pathogens and the lack of safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

The workshop, with the theme "Productive Wastewater and Excreta Management in Africa", was opened by Dr George Lugomela on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Mbogo Futakamba.

In his address, Eng Futakamba urged participants to look at the common goal in addressing challenges caused by the inadequate access to water, sanitation and poverty. He also called for a hard work on the project to ensure there is improvement in knowledge on sanitation technologies.

Eng Futakamba explained that the regional focus of the workshop was of particular relevance in knowing that Africa is among the world's regions that have the lowest level of sanitation coverage.

He said that Africa is a continent with the largest number of countries where less than half of the population has access to improved sanitation, citing Tanzania as an example.

He said although 93 per cent of households in the country had a latrine by 2008, only 24 per cent of Tanzanians had access to improved sanitation.

The workshop, according to UNESCO Programme Specialist, Alexandros Makarigakis, is part of efforts at raising awareness in communities of all the stakeholders on the project resources.

Makarigakis said that it was also aimed to gather facts to help build a new benchmark on the water and sanitation targets.

The project, implemented by the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme in partnership with Michigan State University, will end next year after creating the current benchmark reference work on water and related disease risks and interventions.

Participants who were drawn from different institutions discussed challenges related to wastewater and excreta management and the solutions available.

Participants had a chance to acquaint themselves with the GWPP resource to help improve efficiency.

The GWPP, which involves over 110 experts from 41 countries, is a grand effort to compile updated information on pathogens in sewage and water, and the tools available to destroy them.

NAHIMAT