Ministry says COWASH project vital meeting rural needs

ADDIS ABABA—Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE) said that COWASH phase IV project, a community led accelerated water, sanitation and hygiene scheme targeting at providing the community with Water Safety is pivotal in improving rural sanitation and latrine usage.

Launching the program yesterday, State Minister of Water Supply and Sanitation of MoWIE, Negash Wagesho (Ph.D) said that the project worth 41 million Euros in water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), said that COWASH phase IV will be implemented in 99 woredas and 37 Zones of Amhara, Tigray, SNNP, Oromia and Benishangul Gumuz and Sidama States.

State minister also revealed that the grand total of 41 million Euros, from which 22.6 million Euros solicited from regional governments and 18.4 million Euros from Government of Finland to run the project getting operational from 01 April 2021-31 December 2024.

This COWASH phase IV project is an inclusive packaged plan going to benefit 1.1 million people via providing them with safe water. It is also significantly useful in having climate resilient Water Safety Planning with 96 percent functionality of water supplies in COWASH Woredas and 80 percent households are going to use improved latrines and other demanded aspects.

The total number of rural water supply beneficiaries through Finland government supported projects over the last three decades has hit close to 7 million up to May 2021. The construction and rehabilitation of nearly 27,000 rural community managed small water schemes is attributable to the COWASH community managed approached and the sound achievement.

“It is a bilateral project aiming at improving Public health, social development and climate resilience in the communities in the project areas as well as achieving increased and sustained coverage of safe water supply, sanitation and hygiene in rural areas of selected woredas,” said Outi Holopainen, Ambassador of Finland to Ethiopia.

COWASH has run three consecutive 3-4 years term programs each with cumulative financial outlay of 87 million Euros financed by both Ethiopian and Finland government since its inception, 2011. Moving from single water supply network to sustainable Multi-village network in safe and secure water source location, COWASH has been endeavoring for ensuring water quality at all levels, introducing water source and catchment protection mechanism and empowering WASHCO to fully handle post-construction activities, creating market linkage and value chain to WASH goods and services as well as testing to secure investment and other things as they are critical elements of this project, it was learnt.

BY MULATU BELACHEW

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD MAY  28/2021

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