Ministers from Eastern Africa agreed that there was a need to double efforts in financing of water as neither governments nor development partners have come close to meeting the financial levels necessary to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They were attending a Ministerial Conference on Financing Water in the Eastern Africa Region which was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 16-21 April 2007. The Conference examined ways to mainstream financing of the water sector (for energy, irrigation, water supply, sanitation and the environment) in policies for the region and ways to achieve international targets for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and water supply and sanitation.

Despite the financial pledges made by the richest countries, national project proposals were often said to be rejected as 'unbankable' because they were unsustainable and lacked coherence with national economic development objectives and sector priorities. Governments therefore still rely mainly on raising funds through taxation and service charges.

A Ministerial Accord with more than 10 recommendations on increased funding for the sector, which was signed at the Conference, will be presented at 6th Ordinary Session of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) scheduled from 29-31 May 2007 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Related web site: IRC - Financing and Cost Recovery

Contact: Regional Coordinator, GWP Eastern Africa, c/o Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat, Uganda, sthuo@nilebasin.org, gwpena@nilebasin.org

Source: GWP

Tags: policies & legislation