New water tank. © ACRA Italy
Water, the sustainable development challenge in Zanzibar
There is no shortage of rainfall on the island of spices; however it faces numerous challenges to ensure an adequate and good quality water supply, especially for the neglected rural population of the north-west of the island, far away from the tourist areas.
Monsoon rain water is collected in the natural caves of this mainly coral island. And yet several different factors threaten its availability. “The overuse of groundwater causes salination of coastal wells, leading to an overload on the wells in the inland, and a lowering of water quality”, explain the technical services of ZAWA, the Water Authority in Zanzibar. Moreover, unlike on the Tanzanian mainland, a decree has permitted foreign investment in this semi-autonomous archipelago which has developed the tourist area in the eastern part of the island. In short, the public water system is obsolete and ill-equipped to meet the needs of the current population. “The majority of the network dates back to independence, and the water policy was lacking efficient regulations and based on free service”, adds Luca Todeschini of the Italian NGO, ACRA. It was not until 2004 that the authorities adopted water legislation, and not until 2006 that ZAWA was set up.
Community priority
ZAWA is ACRA’s main partner in the sustainable water management project in Zanzibar, along with two Zanzibarian NGOs. With a budget of €1.05M over three years, it is 75 per cent funded by the European Union. It is particularly innovative in that it creates ‘water committees’. These committees, mostly made up of women – an integrating factor, given that women are economic outcasts – are responsible, with ZAWA support, for ensuring the collection of fees in villages. The elected committees are also responsible for maintaining the small-scale infrastructure within districts.
The active participation of the population, coupled with the rehabilitation of the water network, has a positive impact on the willingness to pay, adds Todeschini: “People understood that the sale of water at reasonable prices is essential to perpetuate the service for future generations and public health. Although the national water tariffs, recently published, could guarantee the recovery of the costs, we are just at the beginning of a behavioural change which will need time before fully succeeding”.
Holistic action
“But our work does not stop there.” The NGO ensures a minimum level of hygiene – there was a cholera epidemic which began in 1979 and peaked in 2007 – through the construction of household latrines and education campaigns in schools and villages and through radio and TV spots. It is also involved in the diversification of the economic activities of the villagers. Priority is to allow women, the poorest, to pay their fee through sales of their products in local markets and hotels. Others are installing new beehives among the mangroves found on the west coast. Not to mention the fishing communities involved in aquaculture projects which still present challenges.