Ethiopia Celebrates 2023 World Water Day with Focus on Accelerating Change to Solve Water and Sanitation Crisis
The 2023 World Water Day was celebrated in the meeting hall of the Ministry of Water and Energy with the theme of "Accelerating Change to Solve Water and Sanitation Crisis" in the presence of COWASH IV and other WASH partners.
His Excellency Ambassador Asfaw Dingamo, the State Minister of Water and Sanitation Sector in the Ministry of Water and Energy, opened the meeting with an official speech stating that when we celebrate World Water Day, we should think about the citizens who are having problems with water and sanitation both in the world and in our country, and focus on strategic issues that can solve our problems and looking for solutions.
His Excellency Ambassador Asfaw added that Ethiopia is conducting encouraging work to solve the problem of water and sanitation for its citizens, but the sector's high investment demand, high population growth, urbanization, climate change, and are obstacles to achieving the desired level.
Governmental and non-governmental organizations including UNICEF, Water Aid, Japan International Cooperation Agency, IRC WASH, Ethiopian Water Technology institute and others involved in the water and sanitation sector participated in the forum. Senior professionals representing a variey of organizations made presentations titled Water Resource Management Implementation in Ethiopia, Accelerating Water Supply and Sanitation in Ethiopia, Filling the Capacity Gap in Water Sector to Accelerate the Change and Accelerating Change through Partnership to meet SDG 6 which were widely discussed by the participants.
World Water Day has been celebrated since 1993 based on the decision of the United Nations to create global awareness on water and sanitation.
COWASH IV and Amhara RSU Collaborate to Train Implementers on Water Safety Plan for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Facilities
The Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) Federal Technical Assistance Team in collaboration with Amara RSU started Training of Trainers on Water Safety Plan (WSP) in Bahir Dar city.
Ato. Abrham Mengesha, Advisor for the Amhara Water and Energy Bureau Head who opened the training, said that the implementation of WSP in the construction and management of any water and sanitation facilities has a significant contribution to the sustainability of the projects.
Ato. Abrham Mengesha added that the main objective of the training is to increase the skills of the region's COWASH IV implementers in WSP implementation in order to make COWASH IV water and sanitation facilities resilient to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. He urged participants to have an appropriate awareness that would enable them to cascade the training and to provide technical support for woredas and the community.
The training will be mainly provided by Mussie Hailegiorgis, FTAT Climate and Environment Risks and Water Safety Specialist together with the Amhara regional support unit.
Participants are from the water & energy and agriculture departments of COWASH IV zones of the region and relevant bodies from the region. The training will continue for three days from 21-23 March 2023.
COWASH IV conducts gender and disability inclusion workshop in Benishangul-gumuz Region
The Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) has commenced a gender equality, women empowerment, and disability inclusion review workshop in Bambassi City, Benishangul-gumuz Region.
The primary objective of the workshop is to evaluate the work done in empowering women, gender equity, and disability inclusion in order to strengthen the best performances and correct the gaps to improve the participation and benefit of women and persons with disability.
The COWASH IV regional support unit members, regional COWASH sector bureaus and partners who are working on women empowerment, gender and disability inclusion are participating in the workshop and it will continue for two days from 14-15 March 2023.
Advancing WASH Implementation and Data Systems: COWASH IV Empowers Stakeholders in South West Ethiopia through Specialized Training
The Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) Federal Technical Assistance Team has started a series of two training sessions in Tarcha City, in the South West Ethiopia People's Regional State, in cooperation with the COWASH IV Regional Support Unit.
The first session will be training of trainers on the Community Managed Project (CMP) approach and the second session will be on the management of the COWASH IV database management.
The main objectives of the training are to increase the implementation capacity of WASHCOs on the CMP approach and to train stakeholders in the use of the COWASH IV database management system.
The participants are technical experts from regional, zonal and woreda levels and training will continue for five consecutive days from 13-17 March 2023.
Empowering Communities: COWASH IV FTAT Trains on WASH Saving and Loan Associations in Benishangul-gumuz
The Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) Federal Technical Assistance Team (FTAT) is currently in Benishangul-gumuz working in cooperation with the Benisahngul-gumuz COWASH regional support unit to provide training of trainers on WASH saving and loan association establishment.
The main objective of the training is to inform COWASH IV stakeholders on all aspects of the establishment of WASH saving and loan associations so that they can contribute to resolving the financial problems encountered in the construction of improved latrines.
The training is primarily provided by Mulatie Yinager, the FTAT’s, WASH Business Development Specialist, together with the Benishangul-gumuz COWASH regional support unit.
The training, which will be given for three days from 7-9 March 2023, has now been provided in most of the COWASH IV regions and practical implementation has been started in a number of cases.
Summary Report on Technical Visits to 10 Woredas
Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV)
Enhancing Collaboration and Financial Efficiency: COWASH IV Regional Support Unit Consultative Meeting Kicks off in Addis Ababa
Today on 22 February 2023, the Community-led Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) commenced a two-day Regional Support Unit (RSU)Consultative Meeting, in the Getfam Hotel, Addis Ababa.
Opening the meeting, Neil Chadder, the COWASH IV Chief Technical Advisor explained that the primary aim is to work closely with the RSUs to improve the COWASH IV fund transfer process, obtain feedback on the COWASH IV database and reporting process and to identify measures to be taken to secure the EFY 2015 Quarter III and IV funds.
RSU Team Leaders and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists from all COWASH IV regions and members of the Federal Technical Assistance Team are participating in the meeting.
Effective Communication for Sustainable WASH Projects: COWASH IV Training in Shashemene City, SNNPR
The SNNPR Community-led Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) is providing training on COWASH communication in Shashemene city Jalo Hotel.
Opened by Engr. Ayele Kerka, Deputy Bureau Head of Water, Mines and Energy Development Bureau aimed to increase the relationship between the program implementers, the media, and communication experts and make the project a better success by doing intensive communication activities.
Members of the COWASH Regional Support Unit, COWASH sectors’ Focal Persons, and Communication Directors, Regional Media and communication experts, are participating.
The training will continue for two days from 2 to 3 February 2023.
Training on COWASH IV Financial Management underway in Sidama National Regional State
The Sidama National Regional State Finance Bureau is conducting training on COWASH IV Financial Management. Held in Yirgalem city at the Furra Institute of Development Studies, the training was opened by the Sidama Finance Bureau Deputy Head, Ato Haile Arsisa, and is aimed at enhancing the efficient utilization of COWASH IV funds and the smooth implementation of the project in the Region.
Participants are from the Regional Finance, Water and Energy Bureaus, together with five COWASH IV Woreda Chief Administrators, Water and Finance Office Heads, Procurement Experts, and Community Managed Supervisors.
The training will continue for three days from 01 to 03 February 2023.