By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Joe Bongay, executive director for Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE), said part of his-led organisation’s mission as member of Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership is to eliminate inequalities in rights to water and sanitation in the Gambia.
Bongay remarked this during opening of two-day training of journalists and civil society organization on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); held at the National Nutrition Agency on 11th- January 2022, he said: “Our mission as members of the SWA partnership is to eliminate inequalities in realizing the human rights to water and sanitation.”
The environmental activist said this advocacy could only be attained by raising political will, ensuring good governance, and helping to optimize financing.
“Our partnership focuses on the hardest to reach and most vulnerable individuals, communities, countries and regions, and puts women and girls at the center, not just as passive recipients, but as dynamic agents of change,” he noted.
SWA works by harnessing the collective power of its partners, to support government-led, multi-stakeholder action at national, regional, and global levels, he said.
“Water is a key determinant of health, food, education and energy and a condition to an adequate standard of living. It is key to all sustainable development goals and must be now recognised and regarded as such,” he emphasized.
According to the international convention on human rights, the state is now the acknowledged duty-bearer, responsible for ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.
However, Bongay argued that YVE- Gambia Chapter and its working partners, all know that for everyone, everywhere to have water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for good, people must feel empowered to hold leaders to account.
He added governments also must feel responsible for realising their citizens’ human rights.
Kebba K Barrow, majority leader said the climate change has directly impacted water resources and water services for all economic, social and environmental functions that water supports and added the impacts reach into many sectoral interests such as health, tourism, agriculture and industry.
“Water-related climate risks arise from too much water, too little water or polluted water,” he noted.
The lawmaker further said as the global water cycle has been directly affected by climate change, people’s access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene solutions can be significantly affected by extreme events such as floods and droughts, as well as growing water scarcity.
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