The IRC is the organizations dedicated to improve the condition of water and sanitation services across the world. Over the past few decades, the IRC has worked for promotion and use of knowledge to enable governments and organizations help poor communities in developing world in getting better water and sanitation services.
IRC, together with UCLGA, WIN-SA and AusAid, will host a Learning and Sharing Workshop on the topic ‘Sanitation in Rapidly-Growing Towns’ in November 2011. The 2-day session, to be held near Johannesburg will explore proactive, tangible ways to deal with pressing sanitation issues in towns experiencing rapid growth in Southern Africa.
IRC has issued a call for participants and contributors to an in-depth learning and sharing session on sanitation in rapidly-growing towns. SADC participants are hereby invited to apply to participate or contribute to the workshop – which discusses practical and pragmatic ways to seize the current ‘window of opportunity’ that exists in rapidly growing towns.
Context
Africa is the most rapidly urbanising continent. By 2010, four in ten of Africa’s one billion people lived in urban areas. Six in ten of those live in slums, where water supply and sanitation are severely inadequate.
However, the majority of future growth is not forecast to be in the mega-cities – it is expected to take place in the small and medium-sized towns of today. This is both a problem and an opportunity. While smaller towns have less capacity to deliver services and often little sanitation infrastructure, their small size and lower density provides significant opportunity for action.
“Winning the race” will require local governments and their allies to be proactive in preparing for this urban growth. This interactive session will discuss how the challenges ahead and practical and pragmatic ways can be understood to seize the window of opportunity in rapidly growing towns.
Objectives
- Discussion of how SADC local governments and their allies can be proactive in preparing for rapid urban growth and the associated sanitation challenges.
- Sharing of existing knowledge on this topic and tools that are available.
- The identification of practical and pragmatic ways to seize existing windows of opportunity.
Expected Results
- A group of committed local governments and individuals who are keen to continue the work and learning together on this topic.
- Better cross-fertilisation within SADC on an important issue.
- Proactive measures taken to underpin sanitation delivery in rapidly growing towns and cities across Africa.
You are expected to apply early as the session will only be open to a maximum of 25 participants. If you are successful in your application, you will be notified by 15th Oct 2011 at the latest, in order for you to make flight reservations etc.
Travel bursaries exist, but are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Last date for submitting the applications is October 10, 2011. For more information and details, you can visit this link.
I’m Pius NISHIMWE.I come to finish my Bachelor’s degree in National University of Rwanda in department of chemistry.As I have studied chemistry and particularly I have done my memoir on removal of iron from water intended for human consumption using volcanic rocks. my case study was NYABARONGO RIVER located in Kigali city (RWANDA). As we know water is an essential element of the humans life.most pollutants end not only in water but also in humans body.so as I’m strongly interested in all about water, I wish, with depth willingness, to participate in the above mentioned forum.
I look forward to hearing from you.
yours faithfully
With much interest I have come to know about a Learning and Sharing Workshop on Sanitation in Rapidly-Growing Towns due to take place in November 2011.
Kindly allow me to introduce ourselves to you. We are a Ugandan NGO known as Uganda Environmental Protection Forum. Our Mission is to promote improved and affordable sanitation and housing technologies for the poor and marginalized communities in Uganda. We do this through mobilization, training, networking, advocacy and provision of credit.
We are winding up a UNHABITAT funded project that targets establishing a Sanitation Micro credit Revolving Fund in three towns in southern Uganda. The project with an underlying principle of alleviating poverty through improved household sanitation has a number of objectives that include but not limited to mobilization of female-elderly-child headed households, forming them into sanitation solidarity groups, training the groups in micro loan management and lending the individual group members sanitation micro loans with which to build toilets of their own choice. As a way of ensuring local ownership and sustainability, also local artisans were identified and trained in constructing drainable intermediate sanitation technologies and ways of marketing their work among their respective communities and beyond.
The project has enabled us to learn more about socially acceptable, practical and affordable approaches that contribute to the alleviation of sanitation challenges in informal settlements that we are enthusiastic and excited about, and also willing to share with other stakeholders in such learning and sharing fora.
Our only worry is that Uganda is not a member of the SADC countries. This leads me to my question as to whether I can be allowed and even facilitated to actively participate in this important forum. If my attendance is not possible it is my humble request that you furnish us with the outcomes of this forum and keep me posted about the developments.
Anticipating a positive response from your good office regarding the same.
With regards,
Banadda Nswa
Team Leader -UEPF