WASH News West Africa
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
Benin: Water sector corruption “enormous”
23 Feb 09
Corruption has limited access to safe water for more than half Benin’s population, according to the Ministry of Energy and Water. Authorities told [news agency] IRIN cash-strapped consumers are paying the price for mismanagement of the multimillion-dollar sector.Over the past 20 years donors have given US$87 million to water sector reform in Benin, more than [...]
Ghana: Government urged to formulate comprehensive sanitation policy
12 Feb 09
Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, representative of UNICEF in Ghana, on Thursday [29 January 2009] urged government to formulate a comprehensive national sanitation policy.She said this would ensure effective sanitation delivery for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals on sanitation.Dr. Haque made the call in Sunyani at the opening of the 2008 annual review and [...]
Ghana: toilet wars
12 Feb 09
There was pandemonium at the infant Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) near Tema when irate National Democratic Congress (NDC) [elements] descended on the facility seeking the transfer of the ownership of toilets in the sprawling township. Frightened staff of the assembly [...] have embarked on an indefinite strike for fear of being manhandled.[...] Their action, laced [...]
Niger: Jedidiah Clothing supports World Vision rural water project
06 Feb 09
Jedidiah Clothing, a humanitarian based clothing company [based in San Diego, California, USA], in partnership with World Vision launched a new community based website [on 01 February 2009] that raises money and awareness for non-profit organizations. As Jedidiah’s featured partner for February [2009], World Vision will use all proceeds from this month’s Community Project Series [...]
Nigeria, Edo State: Police hold water board GM over N2.4 billion fraud
06 Feb 09
General Manager of the Edo State Water Board, Engineer Monday Umane and four other top staff have been arrested by the Edo State police command over a missing N2.4 billion [US$ 16.3 million] including an $18 million Paris Club facility to boost water supply to various parts of the state.[...] The arrest was as a [...]
Sierra Leone: Kenema Hospital undergoes toilet rehab
06 Feb 09
The Kenema district development mission, a group of Sierra Leoneans based in the United States, has commenced the rehabilitation of the deplorable state of the toilets at the government hospital following persistent cries from patients and members of the public for the facilities to be improved.Chairman of the group, Francis Samba said as Sierra Leoneans [...]
Sierra Leone: Plan observes ‘kaka free environment’
06 Feb 09
Sixteen latrines have been constructed using local materials and with the effective involvement and participation of children and women.Ward councilor Sulaiman Sesay [...] Plan Sierra Leone for the strategy and encouraged other communities to emulate the ‘good example of Robareh’.Country director Plan Sierra Leone Fadimata Alainchar [...] expressed gratitude to UK DfID for the support [...]
Ghana: drinking water treatment becoming more affordable with U.S. help
06 Feb 09
An affordable, sustainable drinking water treatment system designed by a U.S. laboratory is being used successfully in Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, South America and the Philippines.The technology, which uses ultraviolet light to disinfect water safely and cheaply, was designed by Ashok Gadgil at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.[...] The lab [...]
Liberia: invading caterpillars pollute water and destroy crops, national emergency declared
06 Feb 09
Millions of invading caterpillars [known as African armyworms - Spodoptera exempta (Walker)] have forced thousands [of Liberians] to flee their homes and the situation is “getting worse”. The caterpillars [...] have destroyed crops, entered houses and contaminated water sources with their faeces, local authorities say.“The situation is getting worse,” [Bong county superintendent Rennie] Jackson told [...]
Cape Verde: Can fog solve water shortages?
06 Feb 09
When the rainy season ends in Cape Verde hundreds of families tap into another source of water: fog. Farmers track fog as their ancestors followed rain clouds, monitoring 15 double-sided nets that rise into the mountains.[...] [R]esidents here have little access to safe drinking water due to a shortage of purification facilities and declining rainfall, [...]
