Honorable Minister Mike E. Mposha MP,

TALKING NOTES

• USAID MISSION DIRECTOR, MR PETER A. WIEBLER;
• SCALING UP NUTRITION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, ACTING CHIEF OF PARTY, MR. CLEMENT BWALYA;
• CHIBOMBO DISTRICT COMMISSIONER, MR. NEWTON NYELETI;
• DIRECTORS FROM THE MINISTRY OF WATER DEVELOPMENT AND SANITATION;
• DISTINGUISHED GUESTS;
• MAY I SIMPLY SAY ALL PROTOCOLS OBSERVED.

IT IS MY SINGULAR HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO JOIN YOU TODAY AS WE LAUNCH THE USAID/ZAMBIA WATER HIGH PRIORITY COUNTRY PLAN. I MUST STATE FROM THE OUTSET THAT IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THE SUPPORT STAKEHOLDERS HAVE CONTINUED TO RENDER IN THE AREA OF WATER AND SANITATION TO THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA. THIS SUPPORT IS CRITICAL IN SUPPLEMENTING THE NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT’S EFFORT IN ENSURING IMPROVED ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER AMONG OUR PEOPLE. IT GIVES ME JOY TO SEE OUR PARTNERS EXTENDING A HAND OF HELP TO OUR PEOPLE WITH THE DESIRE TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVELIHOODS. FOR THAT MAY I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU USAID FOR THIS KIND GESTURE TO THE PEOPLE OF NGALA VILLAGE AND SURROUNDING AREAS WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM THIS BOREHOLE.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S GLOBAL RISK PERCEPTION SURVEY RANKS FUTURE WATER CRISES TO HAVE THE MOST DAMAGING CONSEQUENCES. POPULATION GROWTH AND INCREASED USE OF WATER ARE CREATING WATER SCARCITY AND INTENSE COMPETITION FOR WATER.  THE WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) SECTOR HAS OTHER CHALLENGES, TOO, WHICH INCLUDE LOW INVESTMENTS, AND LOW-COST RECOVERY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN LOW ACCESS TO SERVICES PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS. ACCORDING TO THE 2018 ZAMBIA DEMOGRAPHIC HEALTH SURVEY, 72 PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLDS OBTAIN DRINKING WATER FROM IMPROVED SOURCES WHILE 54 PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLD HAS ACCESS TO IMPROVED SANITATION FACILITIES.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

AS YOU ARE AWARE, CLIMATE CHANGE, COUPLED WITH RAPID URBANIZATION, AND RAPID POPULATION GROWTH HAS EXACERBATED INADEQUATE AVAILABILITY OF CLEAN AND SAFE WATER AS WELL AS SANITATION SERVICE PROVISION. POOR WATER QUALITY, LACK OF SANITATION AND INAPPROPRIATE HYGIENE PRACTICES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WATER BORNE   DISEASES IN AFRICA.  THE OUTBREAK OF WATER BORNE DISEASES LEAD TO LOSS OF TIME FOR LEARNING, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GIRL CHILD.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

YOU MAY WISH TO NOTE THAT HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, MR HAKAINDE HICHILEMA DIRECTED THAT ALL PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND PLACES MUST HAVE WATERBORNE TOILETS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO QUALITY WASH SERVICES TO OUR PEOPLE INCLUDING SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE SOME STRIDES OVER THE YEARS, AMONG THEM IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROGRAMME, CHOLERA ELIMINATION PLAN AND LAUNCH OF THE ZAMBIA WATER INVESTMENT PROGRAMME (ZIP). THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE ALL MEANT TO ACTUALIZE THE ATTAINMENT OF UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER IN LINE WITH VISION 2030 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL NUMBER 6 WHICH SEEK TO ENSURE WATER AND SANITATION FOR ALL.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I AM RELIABLY INFORMED THAT IN 2022 USAID DESIGNATED ZAMBIA A U.S. GOVERNMENT HIGH PRIORITY COUNTRY UNDER THE 2022-2027 GLOBAL WATER STRATEGY. THIS MEANS THAT ZAMBIA IS ONE OF THE 22 COUNTRIES THAT ARE A PRIMARY FOCUS OF USAID’S INVESTMENTS TO BUILD A WATER-SECURE WORLD WHERE PEOPLE AND NATIONS HAVE THE WATER THEY NEED TO BE PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND RESILIENT.

I AM AWARE THAT, BOTH THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION AND UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) HAVE BEEN LONGTIME SUPPORTERS OF WASH SERVICE PROVISION IN ZAMBIA. IN RECENT PAST WE HAVE SEEN INVESTMENTS IN TWO SCHOOL WASH PROJECTS NAMELY; SCHOOLS PROMOTING LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH SANITATION AND HYGIENE (SPLASH) AIMED AT IMPROVING HEALTH AND LEARNING AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN FOUR DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA’S EASTERN PROVINCE AND SANITATION AND HYGIENE IMPROVING EDUCATION IN LUSAKA DISTRICT (SHIELD). SPLASH SUPPORTED OVER 480 SCHOOLS WITH SAFE WATER AND SANITATION AND SHIELD SUPPORTED 11 SCHOOLS. OTHER PROJECTS WERE THE MAWA WASH IN FOUR DISTRICTS OF EASTERN PROVINCE AND USAID WATER SANITATION HYGIENE FINANCE (WASH-FIN). FURTHER, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO FOUR COMMERCIAL UTILITIES NAMELY; NKANA, MULONGA, LUSAKA AND EASTERN WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION COMPANIES UNDER THE MINISTRY OF WATER DEVELOPMENT AND SANITATION. AMONG OTHER THINGS, WASH-FIN SUPPORTED WAS THE REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL NON-REVENUE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY WHICH WILL BE LAUNCHED DURING THIS 3^RD QUARTER.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

THE CURRENT PORTFOLIO OF WASH PROJECTS IN ZAMBIA UNDER USAID COMPRISES:

• USAID SCALING UP NUTRITION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (SUN TA) IN 13 DISTRICTS OF LUAPULA, NORTHERN, CENTRAL AND COPPERBELT PROVINCES,
• USAID EXPANDING WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT IN 12 DISTRICTS OF SOUTHERN, WESTERN, NORTHERN AND MUCHINGA PROVINCES,
• USAID EASTERN KAFUE NATURE ALLIANCE AND USAID LUANGWA LIVELIHOODS AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS.

MAY I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY PROFOUND GRATITUDE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR IDENTIFYING AND PUTTING ZAMBIA AS A HIGH PRIORITY COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT’S EFFORT AND COMMITMENT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

MY GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF WATER DEVELOPMENT AND SANITATION, IS COMMITTED TO MAKING THE WASH SECTOR A KEY DRIVER OF ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION.  I AM THRILLED TO BE HERE TO CELEBRATE NOT JUST THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ZAMBIA WATER FOR THE WORLD HIGH PRIORITY COUNTRY PLAN BUT ALSO THE COMMISSIONING AND HANDOVER OF THE NGALA VILLAGE BOREHOLE. IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT THE HIGH PRIORITY COUNTRY PLAN TARGETS TO REACH 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WITH SAFE WATER, ANOTHER 1.5 MILLION WITH SANITATION AND STRENGTHEN 150 INSTITUTIONS. I ALSO UNDERSTAND USAID PLANS TO ADDRESS THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE ZAMBIA WATER INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2022-2030.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I HAVE BEEN RELIABLY INFORMED THAT THROUGH THE USAID SCALING UP NUTRITION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT, OVER 250,000 PEOPLE HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER AND OVER 600,000 TO BASIC SANITATION. IN KAPUTA DISTRICT AND SHIMUMBI CHIEFDOM IN LUWINGU 1,710 VILLAGES HAVE BEEN DECLARED OPEN DEFECATION FREE.

AS I CONCLUDE, MAY I EMPHASISE THAT GOVERNMENT REMAINS RESOLUTE AND COMMITTED TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THE VISION 2030 AND SDG NUMBER 6, WHICH SEEK TO ENSURE NATIONAL WATER SECURITY AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER AS WELL AS ADEQUATE SANITATION SERVICES TO ALL OUR CITIZENS.

IN ACTUALIZING THE VISION 2030 AND SDG NUMBER 6, GOVERNMENT WILL ENDEAVOR TO FORGE PARTNERSHIPS AND GALVANIZE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TOWARDS THE ATTAINMENT OF THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TARGETS ON WATER AND SANITATION.

MAY I THANK THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ONCE AGAIN FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT TO THE WATER AND SANITATION SECTOR IN ZAMBIA OVER THE YEARS. LASTLY, LET ME ALSO URGE THE PEOPLE HERE AT NGALA VILLAGE TO JEALOUSLY GUARD THIS BOREHOLE WHICH WE ARE COMMISSIONING TODAY AS IT REPRESENTS HEALTH AND WEALTH NOT JUST FOR YOU BUT YOUR CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF ZAMBIA.

I THANK YOU!