Although a lot of progress has been recorded in the global water challenge, today, somewhere between 1.5 and two billion people still lack access to water that is safe to drink, while more than two billion people lack access to basic sanitation.
With a high proportion of these people in Africa, particularly in poor and rural populations, this lack of safe water, sanitation and basic hygiene, remains one of the leading causes of death of children under five, and a major source of both physical and cognitive stunting which can have a major impact on development outcomes.
Salzberg, who is the first person to hold the title of Special Coordinator for Water Resources, Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science Affairs, noted that “Many countries throughout the world remain water insecure; they remain at risk of shortages of water, lack of water for drinking, water for food, for industrial use, or are at risk of floods and other water related natural disasters.
“Climate change, of course, is exacerbating many of these challenges and this water insecurity is becoming a growing impediment to economic growth and an increasing source of tension between communities and countries.”
However, he reaffirmed the United States’ commitment in ensuring that people have sustainable supplies of water, adding that the “United States is working globally to improve water security. This means increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation, improving water resources management, and promoting cooperation on shared waters.”
Through capacity building, investment in infrastructure, diplomatic engagement, science and technology cooperation, and partnerships, a lot is been done to ensure that many people access the world have access to safe and clean water.
The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act, which was passed recently by the United States Congress, makes access to drinking water and sanitation a priority for United States foreign assistance.
“This new Act, which was just passed in 2014, asks the President to identify priority countries based on need, and to prioritise United States foreign assistance for drinking water and sanitation to those countries. I think the real intent behind the legislation is to see whether or not we can make significant progress in those countries that are furthest behind, in providing access to safe drinking water and sanitation to its people.
“We have just begun looking at the implementation of this piece of legislation and are working hard to think through how we’re going to do that in these priority countries. We have identified that list of priority countries and again, many African countries like Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia are on this list,” he said.
Many water resource alternatives such as improving water use efficiency, rain water harvesting, desalination, recovering, recycling, and re-using water, among others, have been suggested over time, yet there seems not to be enough progress in putting these desired alternatives in place.
Salzberg, however, noted that help in this regard, have been coming in form of new technologies that are helping to mobilise resources. He stated further that there are a number of communities, particularly in rural areas, that are looking seriously at how to expand rainwater harvesting, ground water recharge, and all these things in the areas that they are trying to do, to better manage their water resources.
Reacting to a question from a journalist in Madagascar on criteria used in allocating money for different projects in each country, the environment diplomat noted that the level of need as well as the opportunity to make a difference is often given utmost consideration.
“We are fundamentally trying to improve the conditions for the poorest populations. So the level of need is probably the first thing that we would look at. The second thing that we would look at is the opportunity to make a difference. Are we uniquely positioned? We think of the technology, the skills and the money that we are bringing. Are there other donors who are working in that particular area?
“We also look at the commitment of the community itself, or the commitment of the government. Water and sanitation investments are some of the most challenging to achieve sustainable gains on. And what we find is that the level of commitment by the government, by the local communities in maintaining these types of investments is absolutely critical to ensuring sustainability,” he said.
In terms of funding, the United States generally spends upwards of 400 to 500 million dollars annually to address drinking water and sanitation issues worldwide. Since the inception of the Water for the Poor Act, development assistance support for drinking water and sanitation activities in Africa has gone up almost tenfold.
According to Salzberg, the United States on an average spends between 150 and 250 million dollars annually for drinking water and sanitation activities in the African Continent, thereby improving the water security of countries in Africa.
“The goal of the United States is to ensure that people have the water they need, where they need it and when they need it, without living in fear of floods and droughts, and working with countries throughout the world to achieve that goal,” he said.
Concerned about transboundary water issues in Africa, a journalist in Kigali, Rwanda, asked if conflicts indeed arise from the use and management of water across countries in the continent.
In his response, Salzberg noted that in reality, Africa is home to the largest number of transboundary basins in the world and cooperation over water resources is the only alternative.
“I think every single country on the continent shares water with one or another country. And this isn’t just surface water and rivers, but also groundwater. So these resources come under increasing pressure and the competition over these resources is going to continue to grow. However, it is our hope that countries will realise that cooperation over water resources is really the only alternative. Conflict over water doesn’t make sense for a lot of reasons, as cooperation over water can yield very meaningful benefits, economically, socially and politically.
“We, from the State Department, view water systems as the backbone of economic development for many regions throughout the world and I think this is particularly true for Africa. There are many river systems within Africa that could drive economic growth in ways that few things can. And the cooperative management of those river systems is critical in realising that full economic potential,” he said.
Assessing African countries’ efforts in following scientific standards in the drinking water and sanitation sector, Salzberg said “there are a number of African countries that have made some significant progress in addressing some of these challenges. While access to piped water remains a tremendous challenge within the African continent, access to drinking water and sanitation is beginning to improve.
“However, many people particularly in rural communities still rely on surface water to drink and by that I mean rivers, lakes, irrigation canals and the likes. Access to piped water is still very low within Africa. So in terms of meeting proper drinking water standards, I think we look towards piped water where you can better monitor water quality, better monitor supplies, better ensure 24/7 access. And there are some countries that have made some significant progress in that regard. Botswana, for instance, between 1990 and 2015 increased access to piped water by 52 per cent.
“Also within the same time period, Ethiopia reduced open defecation rates by 64 per cent. Senegal has also made progress on piped drinking water. Angola, Guinea, Benin and Malawi have made progress in sanitation. So there are homegrown examples that we can draw from that might enable the continent to reach the level of service and the quality of service that it needs to in the future,” he said.
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