Good practices on the management of water in Benin and Mali
The letter N° 79 of pS-Eau (December 2015) devotes two articles to Africa. The first one concerns Benin and addresses how to ensure citizen involvement and control of users on the public service of water. The second leads to Mali to speak of the diaspora and intercommunity United for the water and sanitation initiative.
In Benin, the Belgian NGOs Protos has implemented, in five municipalities, associations of consumers of drinking water (ACEP). Called to recognize local civil society with its place in the governance of water, this initiative aims to strengthen the involvement of the communities. These new associations must ensure to communities their rights of access to drinking water as consumers. Tools of citizen watch on the management of the public service of water, the ACEP have as main missions:
-to ensure the representation of users of the public service of water from the municipal administration;
-to assist the municipality to better keep track of water public service;
-to defend the interests of the users to the Soneb (national company of water of Benin), the commune and its service providers (delegated, farmers, craftsmen, repairers, etc.)
-to facilitate the management of complaints from users to improve the service;
-to develop the capabilities of its members in the management and the consumer.
The advent of the ACEP in Commons aims to foster the access of populations to water of good quality, at an affordable price, nearby and in sufficient quantity. Officials of the monitoring of the management of water at the level of the municipal authorities positively appreciate this boost bring the ACEP. “Since it exists in my commune, this association contributes to the proper functioning of the service of drinking water. It attracts the attention of service providers and helps us not only to report malfunctions of water structures, but also to make suggestions to correct some problems,” says Boukombé Mayor Philippe Gnamou.
Read the full article here in French
In Mali, the Kayes Region enjoys inter-communal mobilization enhanced by the diaspora. Article of solidarity-water Programme (pS-Eau) highlights the partnership between ACDS (Association of municipalities of Diombougou and Sero Diamanou in France) and the Steering Committee of the Commons of Diombougou (CPCD) in Mali.
This partnership aims to ensure the inhabitants of each of the villages members of these communities access to drinking water and satisfactory conditions of hygiene. This mobilization is part of the Malian hydraulic policy that designates as a standard one point of access to drinking water for 400 people and the principle of the responsibility of the municipalities with regard to the management resources and equipment.
The project was implemented in three stages:
– First, instalment of 6 drilling and 2012 social accompanying measures
– Second, instalment 8 drilling and plan of action to promote hygiene and sanitation in 2013,
– Third, installment in 2014-15, including 6 modern made large-diameter wells, another planned as well as two last drilling already funded under preparation. On two villages’ priority, drilling campaign failed lack of water even at great depth. With the agreement of the funder, the excavation of large modern wells attempted early 2015 fully managed.
The ACDS and the CPCD count today 21 points of access to drinking water, carried out in the villages spread over the 6 municipalities.
However, the youth and the weakness of means of rural municipalities, responsible for the management of water and sanitation under Malian law, further complicated the exercise of the tasks of coordination, control, technical support to the village for good management users committees and the maintenance of facilities.
Find the full article here in French
The full letter of the water Solidarity Program is available here in French.
It contains information about the actions in Palestine and in India, without forgetting the editorial of Pierre-Marie Grondin, Director of Ps – Eau that criticizes the fact that the Paris Agreement (COP 21) does not consider enough the issue of Water.