By Lincoln G. Peters
The speaker of the World Water Day celebration, Florence Jarvey, has stressed the need for the greatest focus on the availability and management of groundwater throughout the country.
Speaking Tuesday, 22 March 2022 at the program commemorating World Water Day in Paynesville, student Jarvey, on behalf of the participating students, said there are still communities, cities, towns and villages that are without hand pumps and secure wells.
Ms. Jarvey’s deliberation also highlighted the importance of groundwater to the Liberian environment which she said is a high necessity to humanity.
Ms. Jarvey recommended that every clan, village, township, community, and city in the country should have sufficient access to hand pumps and /or secured wells to enable children to have groundwater as safe drinking water.
She recommended further that every marketplace, school, playground and other places of public gathering should have at least a hand pump to ensure that people drink safely.
Additionally, she recommended that there be a vigorous monitoring and maintenance system of the up-keep of these water stations to ensure that they serve the people.
The World Water Day speaker believes that these recommendations, when acted upon, will make the nation have a clearer look and wilder usage, thereby making this visible gift of nature more visible and useful to society.
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To ensure expedient and proper engagement with stakeholders of the water sector and the general public, the Government of Liberia through the National Water Sanitation and Hygiene Commission (NWASHC) and partners organized a one-day symposium befitting the day under the theme “Ground Water, making the incision visible.”
For his part, Salia O. Kamara, Executive Director of (NWASHC), said the observance of the day reaffirms that water and sanitation measures are key to poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental sustainability, adding that the day raises awareness for 2.2 million people worldwide that lack access to safe drinking water.
The Executive Director noted that about 33% of the Liberian population is living without safe drinking water, saying it is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis.
“The focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #6, water and sanitation for all by 2023 with a call to focus more on women and children who are the direct beneficiary,” he noted.
He commended partners including USAID, Breakthrough Action, Water Aid, World Hope International among others, and the inter-governmental agencies for the enormous support to the WASH sector.
