Benin - Zagnanado/2nd accountability session: effective management of water resources at the heart of discussions
The commune of Zagnanado held its second accountability session on IWRM and water infrastructure management on Friday, November 22, 2024. The Banamè district hosted the event, chaired by Mayor Justin KANNINKPO in the presence of elected officials, technical executives, CSOs and the local population.
The Mayor took stock of actions carried out within the framework of IWRM since 2021. He reviewed the management of hydraulic structures, identifying the challenges and prospects for the sector, while emphasizing the usefulness of water for development. Indeed, the challenges of water management and its uses in the commune of Zagnanado are multifaceted. They range from galloping demographics to ever-increasing needs and demands, not to mention the uneven distribution (depending on hydrogeological context and geographical position....) that persists. Added to all this is the challenge of climate change (droughts, floods, violent winds...) and the various conflicts linked to water use (transhumance and clashes between farmers and stockbreeders...). Financing remains the main concern. As for the challenges, the Mayor recalled the need to improve the management framework for good water governance; the development of water resources; the seleccurization of water resources, through measures to protect catchment areas/aquatic ecosystems implemented by the communes; limiting conflicts of water usethe adoption of IWRM as a water resource management approach in the PDC and SDAC, the strengthening of the Cadre de Concertation Eau et assainissement (water and sanitation consultation framework) for improved water governance at the communal and inter-communal levels; the absence of a formal legal framework for the establishment of CLEs, followed by dependence on one-off, non-permanent funding.
Update from 2021 to 2024....
Between 2021 and 2024, the commune remained active in the efficient management of available infrastructure and resources. A total of six (06) new facilities were made available, eleven (11) rehabilitated, two (02) studied and thirteen (13) delegated.The status report on access to drinking water in the commune reveals a 41% coverage rate, with 54% delegated and 75% leased. In other words, the various works carried out in all of the commune's districts have improved the commune's coverage rate compared with 2021.Royalties collected amounted to 1,536,466, and efforts are continuing despite the bad faith of some delegates.The mayor's office intends to step up its efforts and succeed in repairing all simple hydraulic structures, thereby achieving 0% breakdowns, maintaining the hygiene and cleanliness of the immediate perimeter of the structures, and revitalizing CEMOS by guaranteeing the availability of a stock of parts.
Make preventive maintenance and repair of major breakdowns operational, achieve an absolute delegation rate of 100% by 2025, a royalty collection rate of 100% by 2025, give formal notice to lessees whose contracts have expired.Finally, to provide the Technical Department with sufficient human, material and financial resources. At the end of the presentation, the civil society organizations present praised the efforts made and encouraged the mayor's office to do more, given that some populations continue to travel long distances to obtain water, or are still struggling to obtain quality water.
Source: lemondelocal.com/
