Blog #5 Clean Water and Sanitation- Democratic Republic of Congo




     The next country I will be focusing on is the Democratic Republic of Congo, which became a member of the United Nations on September 20, 1960. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world. Congo is endowed with natural resources such as freshwater and mineral deposits; however, water security is low because of political corruption and poor infrastructure. Congo has failed to meet the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation, and access is below sub-Saharan regional averages. As a result, this country has a population of more than 80 million people, but 52% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and 29% of the population has access to safe sanitation (Globalwaters, 2017). The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation puts people at risk of contracting deadly diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. Some of the key challenges associated with the goal of clean water and sanitation include the water sector governance and economy. One of the issues is that Congo’s water and sanitation sector has poor governance. The reasoning is because the sector struggles to absorb funding, have an outdated institutional framework, and lack of qualified technicians and managers (Globalwaters, 2017). Another issue is the DRC economy in which the country does not have the funds to incorporate clean water and sanitation in the communities. Also, climate change has an impact on water because during the dry season people must travel further into the forest to find what little water there is in small ponds.

    The Habitat Technologies Solutions for The Congo has partnered with local governments, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations to plan and implement interventions for clean water and sanitation in Congo. The purpose of this organization is to focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene needs and their approach is to first equip schools and health clinics since they are the centers of the community (HTSCongo). Furthermore, this organization has worked side by side with the community by drilling water wells, building rainwater harvesting systems, and promoting hygiene education. This organization along with other stakeholders is making this issue a priority, so the majority of the country has access to clean water and sanitation.

 

References

The Congo Water Crisis is a Vicious Cycle:. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://htscongo.org/issues.html

Democratic Republic of Congo. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globalwaters.org/WhereWeWork/Africa/DRC


Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 11:48 AM

    Hello Dajah,

    Thank you provided great material detailing the issues that are present in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Given that they are the second largest country in Africa, it pains me to see the cycle of poverty claim more victims. To address politics and policies must be evaluated, this will ensure that basic services are be administered on a public level. Improving infrastructure is as well as important, obtain qualified personal is a barrier that limits this possibility.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 8:34 PM

    Hi Dajah,
    Reading about the water sanitation issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo irritates me because this problem can be fixed with an increase in leadership roles and proper funding. Politics should not interfere with the livelihood of citizens. That political corruption should not take away from providing people with the safest option.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beimnet AlemayehuNovember 1, 2020 at 9:18 PM

    Hi Dajah,
    Reading about water sanitation issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo saddens me because the problem can be fixed with proper funding and clear leadership roles, as Tyler mentioned. In so many countries around the world, political corruption has so many consequences on the citizens of the country, an important one being having access to clean water. I enjoyed reading your post, as it gave more detail to the issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    ReplyDelete

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