The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the World Bank on Friday 23rd February 2024 conducted a visit to the Guma Dam, to assess its infrastructure and the surrounding environment, focusing on issues such as encroachment and deforestation.
The visit aimed to evaluate the impact of climate change and human activities on the sustainability of the landscape around the dam. Emphasizing the dam’s significance as a crucial national asset, the World Bank Country Team Manager Dr. Abdu Muwonge expressed the Bank’s commitment to providing technical assistance and support to address the challenges identified.
“Notwithstanding the challenges, there are also opportunities. We want to engage and we are committed to providing technical assistance, the diagnostic work has been laid out, what is important is how the investment program will turn out”. The World Bank Country Team Manager highlighted the importance of addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene issues in the Western Area while protecting water resources.
“We will have to deal with the problems and in one way or the other, we will get there with the support of the Government and the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation”.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr Sao Kpato Hannah Isatta Macarthy, expressed gratitude for the visit and affirmed the government’s willingness to collaborate with the World Bank to enhance the water supply. She said the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation will continue to provide strategic leadership for its agencies to address all the threats and challenges faced by the sector and will work with local and international partners to resolve them. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the World Bank in terms of programs, operations, and management of our water resources”.
The World Bank aims to develop a business case to attract funding for climate action and improve water, sanitation, and hygiene in the Western Area while safeguarding the water resources.
