Rural water supply and sanitation initiation: the second water forum

Abstract

The African Development Bank’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) is a response towards the attainment of the goals of the Africa water vision declared at the second world water Forum in The Hague in March 2000. The objectives of the Millennium Development Goals gave additional impetus to the Initiative. The bank group developed a concept paper on the initiative in January 2003. The Initiative is intended to help mobilize as well as facilitate the flow of available and potential resources to accelerate investments in Rural Water supply and Sanitation in Africa. The rationale for the rural water supply and sanitation services in rural areas, rural populations are burdened to a greater extent by preventable water and sanitation related diseases. The implementation of the RWSSI has started in five countries which the Bank considers favorable for immediate investment in view of the existence of strong water and sanitation policies and institutional arrangements in those countries.