By Namita Rao
Edmond cited two ongoing projects:
a Conservation International project
in South Africa with its local affiliate,
Conservation South Africa, and one in
Uganda, piloted by the Jane Goodall
Institute. The two groups have also
put together a gender analysis to
identify how men and women use these
services, she adds.
Water, poverty, and environment
are all interconnected; if we design
more projects with integration in mind,
“we are likely to get a better return on
investment,” says Mandima. u
This article is reproduced with permission
from the Wilson Centre and first appeared
online for New Security Beat.
Integrating freshwater conservation and WASH in sub-Saharan Africa.
Fresh water, safe water
Access to fresh water is often a luxury in Africa.
“Many times, conservation
and development
practitioners work in the
same areas, but they don’t
work together.”
The webinar highlighted tools and
approaches that are being used to
develop and implement integrated
freshwater conservation and WASH
programmes in sub-Saharan Africa.
For example, a 2014 workshop in
Nairobi gathered best practices,
guidelines, and recommendations for
an integrated approach from frontline
practitioners from WASH, and health
and conservation communities in Africa.
“Many times, conservation and
development practitioners work in
the same areas, but they don’t work
together. So, this really represents an
opportunity to meet our mutual goals of
human well-being and conservation for
sustainable development,” says Janet
Edmond, senior director for peace
and development partnerships in the
Centre for Environment and Peace at
Conservation International.
Janet Edmond – Centre for Environment
and Peace at Conservation International
About the author
Namita Rao is a Public
Anthropology Master’s student
at American University. Having
worked in India and Nepal,
she has fostered a curiosity
that lies at the intersection
of community-based natural
resource management, water
security, post disaster aid work,
and global health. She continues
to pursue this research through
an anthropological lens.
Water Sewage & Effluent September/October 2017
D
espite sharing a common element
— water — the freshwater
community and the water,
sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)
community have traditionally worked
independently of each other, says
Jimmiel Mandima, director of US
government relations at the African
Wildlife Foundation, during a webinar
organised by USAID-supported Africa
Biodiversity
Collaborative
Group
(ABCG). However, that is starting to
change: “Integration will bring value
addition and synergy,” he assures.
Freshwater experts work to protect
watersheds
from
environmental
degradation, while WASH seeks
to improve people’s access to safe
drinking water and sanitation. “We
are all aware that in most cases, the
landscapes where the water from
watersheds flow, tend to be in very
remote areas that are usually resided
by impoverished communities that can
also benefit from WASH. It is important
to manage those ecosystems keeping
in mind the implication for WASH,”
says Mandima.
By integrating freshwater and
WASH field sites in South Africa and
Uganda, ABCG’s seven members hope
to help reduce watershed degradation
and pollution, and improve the health of
freshwater ecosystems.
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