Malcolm White, former Water and Sanitation Sector Adviser at Irish Aid in South Africa, has taken up a new position as CoWater Project Manager for a rural water supply and sanitation project in Lesotho. Funded by Government of the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and managed by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the project aims to supply 250 new or upgraded water systems and up to 10 000 VIP latrines in the rural (mainly mountain) regions of Lesotho. Cowater is the Canadian Consulting company that won the bid to manage the project for MCC/MCA – Lesotho. The project also intends to support and provide capacity building activities with DRWS (the Lesotho Government/Ministry of Natural Resources Department of Rural Water Supply). It is an approximately US$ 37 million project over three years.

There will be no new Water and Sanitation Sector Adviser at Irish Aid in Pretoria, as a result of budget uncertainties. The Irish Aid budget has been cut by € 222 million (US$ 328 million) in 2009.

Source: Malcolm White, personal e-mail.

On Thursday 29 October 2009, UNESCO and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed an agreement establishing the UNESCO International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) in Alexandria, Virginia.

The ICIWaRM is now the 13th member of UNESCO’s global network of water centres. The new centre would notably increase support to developing countries, especially in Africa, but also in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The overall mission of the new centre is “the advancement of the science and practice of integrated water resources management to address water security and other water-related challenges by regional and global action, through new knowledge, innovative technologies, collaborative interdisciplinary scientific research, networking, training and capacity development within the framework of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme.”

Besides the USACE which acts as the lead organisation and host of the UNESCO ICIWaRM, other participating institutions include USAID, the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. State Department, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Arizona, Oregon State University and the International School for Water Resources at Colorado State University (CSU).

Source: UNESCO, 29 Oct 2009 ; CSU, 03 Dec 2009

On 26 November 2009, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso was awarded his fifth honorary doctorate in recognition of his efforts for the environment. This time, the degree was bestowed by the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou. Director Paul Ginies pointed out that not only had the president founded the Institute in 2006, but he was also actively involved in its future plans. Compaore hopes to make Ouagadougou the African science capital by enticing 5000 PhD candidates of all nationalities to enroll at the Institute, which focuses on climate change and water issues. He has previously received degrees from universities in France, Japan, and Thailand.

Source: Louise Shaler, Global Water News Watch summary taken from Hamidou Ouedraogo, L’Observateur Paalga [in French], 29 Nov 2009 ; 2iE, 02 Dec 2009

UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka was given the coveted Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development on 24 November 2009. Widely known as the “Nobel Prize for the Environment”, she shared the 2009 award with Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, and the world renowned hero of the environment, Sören Hermansen, of Samsö, Denmark.

The ceremony marked the 10th anniversary of the award, which this year stressed the the urban dimension of the climate change and environment debate. The Göteborg Award, one million Swedish crowns (US$ 144,000), is shared equally by the three winners.

The jury commended Dr. Tibaijuka for “leading a successful global undertaking that includes water supplies and empowering women to improve their surroundings” and as one of the initiators of Cities in Climate Change, for “advancing the practical climate work being carried out in major cities”.

The Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development is funded by the City of Göteborg, together with the Second Swedish National Pension Fund, Carl Bennet AB, Elanders AB, Eldan Recycling, Folksam, Götaverken Miljö, Handelsbanken, Nordea, Peab, Schenker AB and SKF.

Related web sites:

• UN-HABITAT
• Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development 2009

Source: UN-HABITAT, 24 Nov 2009

See  a short video interview with award winner Dr. Tibaijuka

Chile’s water and sanitation service authority SISS (Superintendencia de Servicios Sanitarios) has received an award from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the success of its reforms and water management program, which have been implemented over the last decade, the country’s public works ministry (MOP) reported in a release.

SISS, a decentralized organization with its own budget, controls water and sanitation services in urban areas of Chile. Its main responsibilities are to set rates for sanitary services for the economy ministry, oversee compliance with norms, and regulate the control of environmental waste. It also receives user complaints, assesses their validity and acts on them

Some of the achievements in the Chilean sanitation sector in recent years include reaching 99.8% potable water coverage; 95.3% sewage coverage; increasing wastewater treatment coverage from 16.7% in 1998 to 82.6% in 2008 (this is expected to reach 98% in 2011); the cleanup of the country’s coastline and beaches; implementing fresh water irrigation; and reducing infant mortality.

Public works minister Sergio Bitar praised the progress made by the Chilean state since the late 90s, and emphasized the role of the SISS which regulates and supervises potable water, sewage and wastewater treatment with a firm hand.

The award was delivered by IDB president Luis Alberto Moreno and the president of the Femsa foundation, José Antonio Fernández to SISS head Magaly Espinosa in Mexico city on November 16, during the IWA Development Congress.

Femsa supports initiatives for the conservation and sustainable use of water in Latin America and the Caribbean.

A project implemented in Brazil to integrate waste recyclers was the runner-up for the award.

Web site: Chile – Superintendencia de Servicios Sanitarios

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 18 Nov 2009

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) has named winners of Africa’s premier awards for exemplary achievements in sanitation and hygiene.

The AMCOW AfricaSan top honor for Leadership has been awarded to His Royal Highness Chief Macha, a traditional and community leader from Zambia who has used his status in a uniquely proactive manner to advocate for improved sanitation, not just in his Kingdom of Tonga which has now attained Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, but also in the wider district and province with a multitude of stakeholders (see related blog post).

Prof. Albert Wright at CSD-12, 2003. Photo: IISD

AMCOW AfricaSan awarded a Lifetime Achievement honor to Professor Albert Wright, who for more than four decades has made significant contributions to strategic development of water, sanitation and hygiene at global, African and national levels. He has been teacher, researcher, innovator, investment adviser, policy advisor and inspiration and mentor to an entire generation of the African water and sanitation community.

The AMCOW AfricaSan honor to an NGO/Civil Society Institution has been awarded to the Ethiopia Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Movement, a multi‐stakeholder coalition that has been exceptionally successful in promoting behavioural change on water, sanitation and hygiene, and increase the political and social commitment for progress in these areas.

Dr. Peter Morgan at the NETSSAF Conference, 2008. Photo: EcoSanRes

The AMCOW AfricaSan honor for Technical Innovation was awarded to Dr Peter Morgan, a Zimbabwean national, who for four decades has provided Africa with the most innovative technical ideas in sanitation and hygiene directly affecting poor people.

A special commendation was made to His Royal Highness Prince Willem‐Alexander for his global leadership role in advancing the cause of improved sanitation and hygiene.

AMCOW also announced the following awards:

• The AMCOW AfricaSan Award (Runner up) for Leadership to WES Sudan.
• The AMCOW AfricaSan Award (Finalist) for Leadership to The Daily Mail (Zambia).
• The AMCOW AfricaSan Award (Runner up) for Technical Innovation to the Centre Régional pour l’Eau Potable et l’Assainissement à faible coût (CREPA).
• The AMCOW AfricaSan Award (Finalist) for Technical Innovation to the Office National de l’Assainissement du Sénégal (ONAS).
• The AMCOW AfricaSan Award (Runner up) for NGO/Civil Society to Water for People (Malawi).
• The AMCOW AfricaSan Award (Runner up) for NGO/Civil Society to Africa Media Aid (Ghana).

AMCOW is the driving force behind the AfricaSan movement, a regional initiative that seeks to place sanitation and hygiene at the top of the development agenda in Africa. In 2008, the Africa Union Heads of State Summit mandated AMCOW to co‐ordinate implementation and monitoring of the eThekwini Declaration – which seeks to assist African countries to accelerate the achievement of national and global targets on water, sanitation and hygiene.

The AMCOW AfricaSan Awards are dedicated to recognizing outstanding efforts and achievements in sanitation and hygiene in Africa which result in large‐scale, sustainable behavior changes and tangible impacts.

The 2009 Awards are the first in a series of honors for achievements in three categories:

• The Leadership Award honors individuals or institutions for strong leadership to sanitation and/or hygiene improvement through policy and strategy development, advocacy, institutional arrangements, financing, coordination and capacity development.
• The Technical Innovation Award honors individual and institutional contributions to the improvement of technical solutions for sanitation services and products to make them affordable, reliable, and sustainable.
• The NGO/Civil Society Award honors individual and institutional support to and mobilization of communities for the improvement of their sanitation and hygienic conditions.

Other categories will be honored in 2010.

The awards are administered by AMCOW, in collaboration with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), the African Development Bank (AfDB), UNICEF, the UN Secretary‐General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), UN‐Water Africa, WaterAid and the Africa Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW).

Read more: DWAF, 09 Nov 2009

Raphael Ahenu receiving his award from Terry Waite

A Ghanaian journalist and human rights campaigner has won a British award for his water and sanitation campaign. Raphael Ahenu received a 2009 SMK Campaigner Award in the international category on 17 September 2009.

Mr. Ahenu is campaigning for clean water and sanitation facilities to be provided to 100 communities, schools and hospitals in the Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti regions of Ghana by 2015. Through radio talk shows and other publicity methods he mobilises rural communities to demand their rights to such facilities. Mr. Ahenu plans to advocate at the local level and lobby central government so that water and sanitation facilities are provided to rural communities in both these regions.

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) is a charity set up in 2005 to connect, inform and support campaigners. The winners of the annual SMK awards receive support, advise and training to further develop their campaigns.

Mr. Ahenu is CEO of African Media Aid (AFRIMA) based in Sunyani. He offcially launched his “Access to Clean Water and Sanitation” campaign on 25 September 2009 at Odumase in the Sunyani West District of the Brong-Ahafo Region. Ay the launch, he announced that from next year AFRIMA and Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) would be presenting Sanitation and Hygiene Awards to recognise outstanding achievements in this area by organisations, individuals and communities in Ghana.

See a short interview with Raphael, speaking just after he received his award from humanitarian and former envoy for the Church of England Terry Waite.

Source: SMK, 17 Sep 2009 ; Michael Boateng, The Chronicle / allAfrica.com, 25 Sep 2009

Three UN agencies, UNESCO, FAO and UN-HABITAT, have been elected on the new Board of Governors of the World Water Council (WWC), organisers of the World Water Forum (WWF). Activists see the election as a reaction to their own lobby to get the United Nations to organise the next World Water Forum instead of the WWC. The activists say that 26 countries’ governments had endorsed their call for a UN-led forum after the 5th WWF in Istanbul in March 2009.

After it became known that the WWC was lobbying to get the UN on board, activist groups started a counter-lobbying offensive with a petition directed at the UN’s Secretary General to prevent UN agencies from joining. The petition, which attracted nearly 700 signatories, was an initiative of the Blue Planet Project of the Council of Canadians.

Reacting to the news of the UN agency sign-on to the WWC, Anil Naidoo of the Blue Plant Project said “it was not unexpected, but is a disappointment. The reality is that these UN agencies have been under severe pressure for some time. I can tell you that there are many good people within the UN who are disturbed by the degree of corporate influence within their agencies”.

The WWC’s new Board of Governors will oversee and guide the Council’s work for the coming three years. The elections took place during the triennial General Assembly for which more than 280 members had gathered in Marseille, France. Through majority rule voting, the members elected the 36 Governors from 74 candidatures and appointed Loic Fauchon to continue to serve as President of the World Water Council.

The rector of UNESCO-IHE Institue for Water Education Andras Szollosi-Nagy was elected as one of the four WWC Bureau Members. UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka and the Service Chief of FAO’s Water Development and Management Unit (NRLW) Pasquale Steduto are the two other UN representatives on WWC’s board.

Several other UN agencies are WWC members. In the June 2009 membership list we find the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank and the World Meterological Organisation (WMO).

Uganda’s Minister of State for Water Jennifer Namuyangu Byakatonda is one of the winners of a Golden Poo Award. The minister was the winner in the Sanitation Champion category.

The award ceremony took place on Thursday 15th October in the Prince Charles Cinema in London. The event was organised by PooP Creative and sponsored by the London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the UK Department for International Development (DfID) as part of the Global Handwashing Day activities in the UK.

The Golden Poo Award for Hygiene Champion went to Mary Swai and Rebecca Budimu from Tanzania.

Golden Poo Award winners Rebecca Budimu (back left) and Mary Swai (back right) with children in Tanzania. Photo: UNICEF

Mary Swa is Head of the Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene section of the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and Rebecca Budimu is WASH Specialist from UNICEF Tanzania’s Young Child Survival and Development Section. The award was collected by the High Commissioner of Tanzania on behalf of the winners.

Ms. Budimu has been working with UNICEF as a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist for the past 14 years, often as the only WASH staff member in the country. As a child, Rebecca’s family did not have a latrine, but instead used the bush. This experience reinforced her commitment and understanding for adoption of good hygiene and sanitation practices – particularly at the household level.

In her work, Ms. Budimu has focused on raising awareness about the benefits of improved hygiene and sanitation issues as well as championed and supported local artisans on latrine construction.

Ms. Swai has spearheaded the development and revision of hygiene promotion tools in Tanzania. She advocates for increased community engagement and innovative approaches as viable solutions.

Golden Poo Award video

The remaining Gold Poo Awards went to the winners of an animated film competition set up by PooP Creative and The London International Animation Festival. The audience in the Prince Charles Cinema gave their votes to:

• Number ONE film Dancing In The Loo by Delphine Mandin
• Number TWO film A Film About Poo by Emily Howells and Anne Wilkins
• Runner-up film Are You Spreading Poo? by Rob and Tom Sears

The final prize, the SUDS! Hygiene Poster Competition Golden Poo Certificate, was jointly awarded to Chloe Izzard and Amy Murphy.

Below are three prize winning animation films.

Number ONE film Dancing In The Loo by Delphine Mandin

Number TWO film A Film About Poo by Emily Howells and Anne Wilkins

Runner-up film Are You Spreading Poo? by Rob and Tom Sears

Source: Golden Poo Awards web site ; UNICEF, 16 Oct 2009

Bartender Doc Hendley, whose nonprofit Wine to Water has brought sustainable water systems to 25,000 people in five countries, has been chosen as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009.

The year 2009 marks CNN’s third annual global search for everyday individuals changing the world. Since February 2009, the network has aired weekly profiles of CNN Heroes, chosen from more than 9,000 nominations submitted by viewers in 100 countries. A panel, including retired four-star Gen. Colin Powell, philanthropist Wallis Annenberg and Sir Elton John, chose this year’s Top 10 CNN Heroes.

Doc Hendley

Since 2004, Hendley has traveled to Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cambodia, working with local communities to build clean water wells and sanitation systems.

The 30-year-old first learned about the world’s water crisis when he took a break from college, and his job as a bar-keep, to travel the world. “I began seeing the figures [of] people that don’t have access to clean water — and it absolutely floored me,” he recalls.

After returning to school, Hendley realized that just by using his ability to bartend and create relationships with people, he might be able to help the problem. At the bars where he worked, he solicited evenings to host wine tastings and provide information about the global crisis. By graduation, Hendley’s “Wine to Water” events had yielded enough funding to implement water projects in the developing world.

He approached a local contact, Kenny Isaacs of Samaritan’s Purse, with the intention of handing over the funds for their international charitable water projects. Instead, Hendley found himself in Sudan in the spring of 2004, training to oversee water projects and developing and installing water systems in zones deemed too dangerous for United Nations aide workers — all in the midst of civil war.

“[I was] seeing these people living in conflicts, bullets whizzing by their ears — yet their biggest concern was the huge loss of life because of the unclean water,” he recalls. “That’s when water changed from being my passion to the burden of my life.”

After a year of service in Darfur, Hendley returned to the States and continued his fundraising events while focusing on ways his group could improve upon other water project models.

“Throughout the desert there were bore holes [for wells] all over the place, they just weren’t working,” says Hendley. “Organizations would put a brand new, $15,000 bore hole in a village that already had one; [they] didn’t stop to think that maybe that one is broken or just needs some parts.”

Wine to Water is dedicated to achieving sustainability through education and empowerment of local community members, training them to install, maintain and repair their own water systems. Hendley has found this approach reduces overhead costs, leaving more for investment in water initiatives and local economies. Because his operation is small, Hendley says he’s less deterred by the instability of areas in dire need and is able to access pockets of the world that larger organizations may have to avoid.

To date, Hendley’s group has worked in five developing countries, including India, bringing safe drinking water to more than 25,000 individuals in refugee camps, orphanages, schools, hospitals and a leper colony, as well as directly into hundreds of homes through the installation of bio-sand filters.

In the face of the overwhelming global crisis, Hendley says his work may be a drop in the bucket, but to him it’s nothing short of a miracle.

In addition to receiving $25,000, Headly and the other Top 10 CNN Heroes will be honored at “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” airing from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on 26 November 2009. In an online poll that is open until 19 November, the public will determine which of the Heroes will receive an additional $100,000.

Vote for Doc Hendley!

Source: CNN, 02 Oct 2009 and CNN profile of Doc Hendley, 01 May 2009