In ensuring that 2030 Sustainable Development Goal number six is attained, Water Aid Tanzania has appealed for concerted and collective efforts to address water shortage in Tanzania.
In the same breath, the general public in the country has been called upon to protect water development projects that are funded jointly by the development partners and the government. Sustainable Development Goals got the endorsement of the United Nations member states to end extreme poverty by 2030, whereby goal number six is availability of clean water and sanitation.
Speaking to the media, Dr Ibrahim Kabole, the Water Aid Country Director said if the efforts were left to the government or development partners alone, universal access to water and sanitation for everyone will not be realised.
“We are blessed with a good number of water bodies around the country, if we will use them well, the problem of water in our country will no longer be a problem.
The government of Tanzania, development partners, water stake holders together with citizens should work hand in hand, and through this the country will achieve all our development and economic goals. He added that the Tanzanian public should protect and preserve water projects set up by development organisations.
“For instance, you may build a well or a water project somewhere to help people in the area to have easy access to water, but surprisingly when you pay a visit the next time you find the infrastructure is destroyed or some machines are missing,” said Dr Kobelo.
He added that such characters drain down the efforts of the development organisations and partners to set up more water projects to assist citizens, particularly children and women, stressing that the development agendas will not be archived if the projects will not be preserved and protected.
Going by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation report 2016, nearly 27 per cent of Tanzanians have no access to safe water, and according to the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS), 66 per cent of people lack basic sanitation and hygiene.
