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| Speeches and statements |
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Capacity-building
for effective water management and basic sanitation, at local levels
Statement
by Dr Olegario Vasquez Rana, High Level Representative of the IFRC
andf President of the Mexican Red Cross, at the Ministerial Conference
Round Table of the Fourth World Water Forum, in Mexico City
16
March 2006 |
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Most
of us here today are fortunate in having access to safe water
and sanitation, but some of you - some of your friends and neighbors
and many millions of people worldwide suffer daily from the
lack of such access, or have to accept that access is inadequate,
threatened or polluted, or provided in an inequitable and unaffordable
manner.
The impact of this intolerable situation cannot be allowed to
continue to cause death, disease, loss of development potential
and undermining of human dignity in the new millennium, primarily
as it is indeed a human right for every member of the human
race to have access to their basic water and sanitation needs.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
its worldwide network of member National Societies and the ICRC
recognize this human right and are pleased to see that the focus
upon water and sanitation is reflected and endorsed within the
United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The International Federation's Water and Sanitation policy lays
out responsibilities in both the disaster response context and
the approach to developmental Water & Sanitation programming.
Our swift intervention in the aftermath of disasters caused
by natural hazards is well known.
I will, therefore, through this Round Table discussion, share
with you our views concerning the latter focusing on capacity
building at the community level in water and sanitation area.
Let me start with situations in disaster aftermath, in which
the International Federation regards water and sanitation, a
vital component for both life-saving and for recovery toward
development.
For the most vulnerable, disasters cut off access to basic services,
including water supply and adequate sanitation, for them to
lead a life in human dignity. As a vicious circle, it causes
diseases linked to water and water contamination, and increases
their vulnerability.
For the International Federation, any humanitarian response
interventions aimed at addressing immediate needs in disaster
aftermath must include the planning to ensure that access to
basic services such as clean water and adequate sanitation,
among other priorities, can be continued and brought into the
recovery phase.
This measure is of particular importance should we, governments
and the international community, wish to address reducing vulnerability
in relation to the risk and impact of natural disasters and
diseases.
Second, capacity building component needs to be embedded in
all water and sanitation programmes at the community level.
For example, in Asian earthquake and Tsunami aftermath, in the
Maldives, the International Federation provides not only safe
drinking water in dry season, but also the knowledge and the
household rain water harvesting kits to help families to collect
an ample supply of clean drinking water during the raining season.
Information is also provided for environment-friendly construction,
for example sewer systems are being designed and built for the
new homes to prevent pollution of the underground water, and
to dispose of waste water in a way that is environmentally safe.
Third, we should not forget that water borne diseases and water
related diseases continue killing and disabling people in developing
countries.
Hygiene education at community level must be tightly connected
with capacity building programmes with water and environmental
sanitation promotion should we wish to reduce further risk factors
and achieve sustainable improvement in health and well-being
for the vulnerable population.
Water and sanitation, together with hygiene promotion, form
an important component and entry point to ensure health for
development.
Taking the water & sanitation programme run by the Sudanese
Red Cross Society as an example. Apart from carrying out hygiene
promotion and education activities linked to water and sanitation,
the Red Cross has also committed to train, follow up and sustain
community capacities in the areas of community management, operation
and maintenance in the area.
At the global level, the International Federation launched in
early 2005 a ten year Global Water & Sanitation Initiative (GWSI).
It was designed to scale-up significantly the Red Cross and
Red Crescent water and sanitation development programming worldwide
in a sustainable and durable fashion.
This initiative, added to our ongoing programming, now sees
Red Cross and Red Crescent water and sanitation programming
at the community level in over 45 countries worldwide.
Finally, I wish to take the opportunity to pay the tribute to
volunteers who make water and sanitation for all possible.
They are the key of the primary delivery mechanism and form
the basic structure of the worldwide network of Red Cross and
Red Crescent National Societies, such as the Mexican Red Cross
to which I have the honor of serving as President.
Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers, recruited from the community,
often from vulnerable groups themselves, who, after suitable
training, provide a sustainable input to not only preparing
and responding to disasters or conflict, but also acting as
a developmental driving force in longer term water and sanitation
programming.
This is seen clearly as our primary added value in the water
and sanitation sector, closely integrated with health interventions.
The 4th World Water Forum is an important and crucial event
for all of us, one which we fully support and take advantage
of as an opportunity to further the Global Water and Sanitation
Agenda from the perspective of the Federation and its members,
one which allows us to continue our advocacy role on behalf
of vulnerable people, and during which we can contribute our
experience and learn from others with similar goals in meeting
the needs of the worlds poor.
To conclude I wish to convey some simple messages to the Forum:
• Let us continue to ensure the Water & sanitation maintains
its position on the global agenda by further contributing the
MDGs.
• Let us continue and scale-up further in resource mobilization,
sharing of resources, coordinating our combined efforts and
increasing our commitment realizing the impact of sustainable
grass roots interventions.
• Let us increase the focus upon delivery of sustainable
water and sanitation to the worlds poorest and most vulnerable.
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