EA to get Sh141m for water sector skills development

Global Water Center (GWC) has started the launch of a new project aimed at improving access to safely managed water across East Africa. The initial phase is supported by $1.1 million (Sh141.5 million) in grants from the Grundfos Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation.

The project focuses on skills development in the rural water sector in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda while creating a scalable model to address the critical shortage of water professionals worldwide. During the first phase of the project, GWC will use the grants to undertake a gap analysis to identify the most urgent vocational training needs, initiate course design, and launch a government technical assistance program.

"Safe and reliable water access is a cornerstone in securing livelihoods, health, and social progress in rural areas. It takes both knowledge and skill to maintain modern water systems, and we want to assist governments in building capacity in the water sector to bring essential services to their citizens," said Grundfos Foundation chief executive Kim Nohr Skibsted.

The recent Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report noted a severe shortage of skilled professionals needed for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of water and sanitation systems in Africa. Many countries in the region have less than 50 per cent of the necessary workforce, posing a significant risk to sustainable access to safe water and consequently, the health and well-being of communities. This project seeks to fill the human resources gap through sustainable, scalable capacity development.

It will also include climate adaptation strategies to protect water systems against environmental challenges and equipping local governments and professionals with technical skills to enable them to sustain and expand water services in the long term. "The initiatives we support aim to build resilience and improve water security in local communities. This work in East Africa takes a thoughtful, local approach to invest in water innovation and in the skills needed to strengthen the local infrastructure now and for the long term," said President of The Coca-Cola Foundation Carlos Pagoaga.

Completing all three phases of the project will require continued collaboration and additional support. "We are grateful for the launch funds and invite others to collaborate with us to catalyse these systemic changes," said the CEO of GWC Thomas Johnston.