Statement by Girish Menon to be read during Opening Plenary of

Africa Water Week, Monday May 26 2014

Excellencies, ministers, distinguished delegates. It is my great honour to
address you today as a representative of international non-Government
organisations.

On behalf of WaterAid, it is a privilege to speak at the Africa Water Week. As
a founding partner of the End Water Poverty campaign and a member of the
global coalition Beyond 2015, WaterAid believes that this week can be a
catalyst for action on water, sanitation and hygiene in the post-2015 debates.
Let me begin by praising AMCOW for its leadership in bringing us to Dakar
this week. The continuing role of AMCOW in coordinating, convening and
driving forward sector action is of great importance. I welcome the active
leadership of ministers in discussions relating to what happens once the era of
Millennium Development Goals draws to a close.
I believe that this Africa Water Week will play a crucial role in moving forward
the debate on not just water, but also sanitation in the post-2015 discussions.
Our discussions this week do not take place in isolation. Across this continent,
across the world, others are working hard to make the argument on a range of
issues. It not just our ambition, but the eloquence of our case which must
meet theirs.
This year marks the 5
th
time we have met for Africa Water Week. We have
come a long way since 2008. This year is particularly historic as it will be the
last before the Millennium Development Goals draw to a close.
Much progress has been made towards meeting the MDG water target not
least here in Senegal since the national water and sanitation programme was
instituted in 2005. In the last four years, the total investments to the water and
sanitation sector in this country have more than doubled
Yet, as a continent progress has been unequal. Latest figures from the JMP
show that only 19 countries have reached the water target and disparities
between rich and poor and rural and urban abound.
Moving beyond water, the situation for sanitation is critical. Across Africa, only
two countries are expected to have reached the MDG targets on sanitation by
next year.
Targets are just that, targets. But missing them means misery and suffering
for our fellow citizens, and denial of their rights. Over 600 million people on
this continent began today without a decent place to go to the toilet. The lack
of these basic services contributes towards diarrhoeal diseases which in turn
claim the lives of nearly half a million African citizens every year. Women and
girls and the poorest bear a disproportionate burden caused due to lack of
access to water and sanitation.
Earlier this month, I was in the Dosso region of Niger. The whole community
was rejoicing because a new water point had been installed and inaugurated.
When I asked the women what impact it had on their lives, the women said,
As you can see, this is a very dry area. We used to walk to fetch water at 6
a.m. and if we were lucky, we would return at 10 a.m., but sometimes at 12
noon. And in some cases, during the dry months, it would be 4 p.m. by the
time we returned, and the water wasnt even safe for drinking. In Sawani
village of Tillaberry region, the local community had also seen the benefits of
sanitation. Mudda, the lady who headed the WASH Committee said, our
children are healthy now. They dont complain of stomach aches, and no
longer suffer due to cholera or diarrhoea. The village headman added that
people from other villages now see the difference and often remark as to how
clean the village is.
As recently as 2011, it was estimated that a lack of water and sanitation was
costing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa more than $55 billion dollars every
year in lost economic productivity. We can have no doubt that dealing with
water and sanitation crisis is at the heart of creating productive economies
We come to Dakar to look at how water can be at the heart of something else
the post-2015 discussions. These discussions are focused on marrying two
aims sustainable development and poverty eradication. If we want to
achieve this, we too must marry two things we must marry together access
to water AND sanitation for all so that can truly take on the crisis that blights
this continent. Without addressing our lagging sanitation, we cannot ensure
that all African sisters and brothers can lead a life of good health and dignity,
free from poverty.
Achieving a water and sanitation goal on universal access by 2030 would be
challenging but it is achievable. Today, WaterAid has released an interactive
map which shows the progress that would be required to reach this
achievement in each African country. I invite you to try this out and see for
yourselves by visiting our stand.
This Africa Water Week offers delegates an opportunity to push for
transformational change, beyond business as usual. What we agree in Dakar,
we must take to the rest of the continent and then to the rest of world. As we
speak, the Open Working Group of UN member states is coming to the final
stages of its drafting process. The document they produce will play a big role
in what will become the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a great
opportunity for us to ensure that the African voice and perspectives is loud
and clear and taken on board !
Excellencies, ministers, distinguished delegates. I thank you for the
opportunity to speak for international NGOs during this segment. I have no
doubt that we can achieve great things by working together this week and
ensuring that all Africans their basic right to water and sanitation, especially
for the poorest, the most marginalised and the excluded, women and girls in
particular.
As the great leader Nelson Mandela said, It almost seems impossible till it is
done! And together, we will succeed in making it happen and ensure that
water is indeed at the heart of global development.
Thank you.