WaterAid East Africa Regional Strategy
The East African region is rapidly changing – economies are growing fast and societies are becoming increasingly urbanised. With this come opportunities to reduce poverty levels and increase access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Currently, access to WASH is still a significant challenge, and, if the region is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030, progress needs to be accelerated. Economic growth has not yet translated into a substantial reduction in poverty levels, and inequality between the richest and poorest communities continues to grow.
We work in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia. The East Africa Regional Strategy outlines how we aims to create an enabling environment across these four programmes, where WASH can become a catalyst for national development. It has four key aims, including:
- Climate change – East Africa is especially vulnerable to the threats of climate change, and is experiencing an increasing number of floods and droughts. We aim to bring climate resilience into WASH national plans, and focus on water security in programmatic work.
- Integrating WASH – WASH is fundamental to improving health, education and nutrition outcomes. WaterAid East Africa will strengthen partnerships with stakeholders in other sectors to promote an integrated WASH approach. A key focus will be on WASH in healthcare facilities, contributing to the aim of Universal Health Coverage.
- Civil society strengthening – civil society organisations (CSOs) can play a significant role in influencing policy and legislation in the region. WaterAid East Africa plans to work with CSOs involved in WASH to improve coordination, empower them and strengthen their voices.
- Institutional development, programme support and capacity building – the regional team will continue to support the four country programmes through fundraising, improving quality programming and capacity building.
