The Guma Valley Dam in Freetown, which is the main source of drinking water for over two million people, has exceeded its capacity to deliver clean water across the city and needs a massive structural improvement.
Water distribution pipes traversing the length and breadth of the city are now corroded and in need of replacement with underground and surface leaks accounting for over 60% loss of water.
Something must be done and fast, if the government is to address the perennial problem of water shortage across the country, where less than 40% of households have access to clean, safe drinking water.
As we go to press, most communities in the far eastern district of Freetown have had no water supply for over four days. According to a statement from the new Minister of Water Resources, Jonathan Bonopha Tengbe, he has begun a donor search for support to improve the water situation in the country.
Barely six weeks into office, Minister Tengbe jetted out to the Republic of Tajikistan (Asia), where he participated in a three-day (20-22 June 2018) conference on “International Decade for Action – Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028”.The conference, with over 1,000 participants from up to 150 countries, was organized jointly by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the United Nations, and other partners.
In September 2015 the UN General Assembly proclaimed an overarching resolution: “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development “.As part of this resolution, the Assembly adopted Sustainable Goal No. 6 as: “Clean Water and Sanitation”, dedicated solely to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The Republic of Tajikistan has since been one of the leading countries in expanding international cooperation and capacity building to support developing countries, such as Sierra Leone, for the implementation of the above Sustainable Development goal.
The Minister of Water Resources presented a paper, “Water is Life: The State of Water Supply in Sierra Leone – Challenges and Opportunities”. The Minister said, “Currently, less than half of the population have access to safe drinking water. Population growth has led to demand outweighing supply, leading to immense pressure on the government to address the situation.”He added, “Low government allocations to fund major water infrastructure projects would not increase access to potable water. This is a Ministry with lots of gaps in terms of human resource capacity, logistics, materials and equipment.” On the issue of key opportunities, Tengbe highlighted, “Plans to reform the sector through unbundling of water generated from water supply; the enactment into law of the National Water Resources Management Agency; encourage Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the construction of major water supply projects especially in urban areas; setting up a National Training Centre, formulating curriculum for water engineers and promoting graduate degrees in water engineering at the University of Sierra Leone.”
It is estimated that Sierra Leone needs at least $600 million USD to rehabilitate Guma Valley and develop sustainable water systems to meet the needs of the population. Sierra Leone is one of the wettest countries in the world with more rainfall in just six months than many countries would experience in a decade. Yet, successive governments have found it difficult to harness the rainfall for the survival of its people, especially in the capital Freetown.
The country’s waterways and rivers are facing some of the most challenging environmental threats caused by human activity and lack of government control, as forests and swathes of eco-systems are being destroyed to make way for human settlements. 27/6/18
By Ophaniel Gooding
Thursday June 28, 2018.
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