02 Feb 2023

Government is committed to providing a safely managed sanitation service to prevent pollution of water resources, protect environment and promote public health.

Speaking at a sanitation workshop in Maun on Wednesday, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kekgonne Baipoledi said in order to achieve that government provided safe, affordable, inclusive sanitation to citizens.

He highlighted that government was committed to improving sanitation and making the provision of sanitation services a national priority to realise the Vision 2036 aspirations of Sustainable Human Settlements.

Dr Baipoledi indicated that providing sanitation services as a country was in line with Sustainable Development Goal six, which seeks to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation by paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

He said 80 per cent of Botswana’s population had access to at least basic sanitation, while 10 per cent of the total population had no access to either unimproved or limited sanitation services which encompassed unlined pit latrines.

‘’Out of this 10 per cent total, about 31 percent is the population that dwell in rural villages and are without any form of sanitation facilities in their households leading to open defecation, whilst in urban areas it is less than one per cent,’’ he said.

The PS said his ministry had established a division fully dedicated to drive the mandate of sanitation, focusing on sanitation and wastewater planning, wastewater management, bio-solids management, resource recovery and monitoring.

Dr Baipoledi stated that the theme for the workshop, “Safely managed sanitation for sustainable environment” was fitting in that the workshop was held in Maun, a gateway to Okavango Delta which was a pristine large inland delta system that was environmentally sensitive.

‘’In realising the vulnerability of the Okavango delta and low water table in the area, averaging around 30 meters, government is implementing a sanitation project in Maun, covering the whole village at a cost of P1.9 billion so that all customers move away from septic tanks and pit latrines.’’

Dr Baipoledi said two other sanitation projects were ongoing in Kanye and Moshupa, adding that more would be constructed during the NDP 12.

He highlighted that it was important that sanitation was properly managed in Ngamiland for the protection of the pristine environment, water resources and human health to prevent Bovine measles.

Dr Baipoledi said government had invested significant resources in developing sewerage facilities, however noted that those facilities across the country experienced abuse due to dumping of solid waste.

USAID Water, sanitation and hygiene specialist, Ms Robyn Tompkins stated that sanitation was a major challenge in Botswana with 49 per cent of children deprived proper sanitation.

She highlighted that there was a gap between school and household environment, as many children came in contact with a water system toilet for the first time in school, which called for the teachers to teach children how to use them.

Ms Tompkins stated that there was need for collaborations with stakeholders to monitor what was on the ground in villages pertaining to sanitation, which she said could be done by the local government.

‘’Sanitation and water security are linked and critical to address because failure to do so may lead to water pollution and endanger human life, she said.’’ ENDS