By Arret Jatta
The Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources, and National Assembly Matters, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Unesco, and key development partners, recently organised a three-day workshop on the UN-Water SDG 6 Capacity Development Initiative (CDI).
The SDG 6 CID workshop hosted at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, aims to strengthen national capacities for sustainable water management and sanitation services throughout the country.
Claes Moldeus, a representative of UN Water noted that the initiative is a sign of The Gambia’s increased ambition to implement SDG 6 and especially water and sanitation.
“Today’s integrated high-level workshop is the first step of the capacity development initiative. We will identify the gaps and develop a plan that we can jointly implement and follow up on.”
He disclosed that Costa Rica was the first country that hosted a similar workshop and The Gambia is the second. “In Costa Rica, we are starting to see the results of this work,” he said.
The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Habibatou Drammeh emphasised the importance of strong systems and capable institutions to sustain progress in water sanitation and hygiene in schools.
She highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure that no school or child is left without water.
The Minister for Health, Dr Amadou Lamin Samateh, said the workshop is timely and serves as a crucial platform to align and harmonise efforts across the UN system and other development partners in support of The Gambia’s Capacity development initiative for sustainable water and sanitation management.
“As custodian of the National Sanitation and Hygiene Policy, my ministry remains committed to accelerating the implementation of water and sanitation related goals in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he added.
The Minister for Fisheries, Water Resources, and National Assembly Matters, Musa Drammeh who officially opened the workshop said the workshop would help identify the main challenges and explore practical solutions to build capacity at all levels.
He emphasised the importance of water resources for the country’s development, adding “fish cannot survive without water”.
