Official Launch of the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) 09 December 2016

Notice: Undefined index: catFilterList in /home/zambi/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-likes/api.php on line 243

PRESS RELEASE

LuWSI Officially Launched

Private sector, public sector, civil society, academic and international partners urged to synergise interventions and join hands together with Government to find solutions to alleviate the rapid drop of waters levels in Lusaka
LuWSI to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration to safeguard Lusaka’s water resources while enhancing the sustainable and timely access to water and sanitation for all
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signing Ceremony between 16 partners and LuWSI

Lusaka, 09 December 2016 – The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, Bishop Edward Chomba, is pleased that the collaborative nature of the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) is in line with the Government’s 2030 Vision and approach taken in developing the 7^th National Development Plan as well as practically responds to the call made by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Edgar Lungu, where he stated, at the official opening of the First Session of the 12^th National Assembly on 30^th September 2016, that the importance of building an integrated multi-sectoral approach to development that enhances inclusiveness in development without leaving anyone behind. Dr Chomba said this when he recently officially launched LuWSI at InterContinental Hotel in Lusaka.

LuWSI is a multi-stakeholder collaboration system inspired by and working towards the vision of water security for the residents and businesses of Lusaka. At its core, it is a multi-stakeholder partnership between public sector, private sector, civil society and international actors, creating a platform for dialogue and governance structure for joint decision making. Currently, LuWSI has 16 partners from different sectors.

Funded by the German Cooperation, UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and International Water Stewardship Programme (iWaSP), LuWSI seeks to engage partners in dialogue, analysis and knowledge generation, advocacy & awareness raising, project development and resource mobilisation. This leads to LuWSI’s partners collaborating with each other and other actors to implement strategic projects to concretely improve water security for Lusaka’s residents and businesses.

German Ambassador to Zambia, Achim Burkart, said the LuWSI partnership would among other advantages help to overcome climatic change effects.

Lusaka’s demand for water, currently estimated at 600,000m³ per day, is outstripping supply, which relies on groundwater and the Kafue River. Both of these important sources are under threat due to land-use degradation, pollution and over-abstraction. LuWSI, which is a genesis of the aforementioned, will focus on water security in the Lusaka Province, focusing primarily on the Lusaka City urban area including vulnerable urban compounds. However, in order to achieve water security in Lusaka, LuWSI must also support the sustainable management of the Kafue River.

On the same day, there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between LuWSI and 16 partners*. The signing ceremony was witnessed by a cross section of representatives from the corporate sector, government agencies, regulatory authorities, academia, civil society and the diplomatic corps. This MOU will facilitate the mutual sharing of best practices, expertise, awareness raising, planning & project development and professional development in water security.

At the MoU signing ceremony, UNICEF Zambia Representative, Dr Hamid El-Bashir Ibrahim commented: “By tapping into a platform dedicated to building dialogue, UNICEF has greater potential in developing for itself a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.  This is a new approach that keeps in mind the ultimate goal for lifting the most vulnerable out of poverty, but also understands that it cannot be done by government or NGOs alone.”

LuWSI seeks to continually upgrade its capabilities through collaborative partnerships to keep abreast of new capabilities and methods for win-win solutions.  It is intended to expand the number of partners in the future.

In his concluding remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Chomba, stated: “By reiterating my Ministry’s commitment to champion the cause of water security, both for Lusaka city and more broadly across the country, I also wish to encourage all those in any position of power in government, private sector and civil society to take a keen interest in LuWSI to ensure it is firmly rooted in our local institutions and that it succeeds beyond donor support.”

Ends

About LuWSI
LuWSI is a multi-stakeholder collaboration system inspired by and working toward the vision of “water security for all to support a healthy and prosperous city”. LuWSI’s mission is to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration to safeguard Lusaka’s water resources while enhancing the sustainable and timely access to water and sanitation for all.  At its core, it is a partnership between public sector, private sector, civil society and international actors.

Partners engage in inclusive dialogue and collective leadership, collaborating on analysis and knowledge generation, advocacy and awareness raising, planning and project development, and capacity building.

LuWSI focuses on five action areas:
– Groundwater pollution prevention through resource protection and improved sanitation
– Sustainable groundwater exploitation
– Sustainable water management in the Kafuer River Basin
– Access to water supply and sanitation services in an expanding city
– Urban flood risk management

*MoU Signing Partners 

Lusaka City Council	Water and Sanitation Association of Zambia
Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company	Women for Change
Zambia Environmental Management Agency	Village Water Zambia
Water Resources Management Authority	Zambia Homeless and Poor People’s Federation
National Water and Sanitation Council	UNICEF
Zambia Chamber of Commerce and industry	WWF Zambia
Zambian Breweries Plc	The Nature Conservancy
University of Zambia	GIZ