UNICEF-backed programme provides Egyptians with cleaner water

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation have joined forces to bolster access to improved water services for Egyptians in rural and urban areas.

Only a handful of 4,500 villages in Egypt have adequate waste water disposal systems or municipal solid waste management.

In many areas, the quality of water is undermined due to the dumping of inadequately treated domestic, agricultural and industrial wastes in waterways. As a result, water availability is reduced, Egyptians’ health is negatively impacted and ultimately the country’s economy suffers.

“The contamination of water supplies from improper disposal of liquid and solid wastes to canals and drains is a serious problem in Egypt that is being aggravated by the rapid growth of the nation’s population as well as the fixed and limited water resources,” said UNICEF’s Deputy Representative for Egypt Hannan Sulieman. “This new alliance focuses on the role of local rural communities in water management and encouraging greater civic responsibility.”

UNICEF – which is providing $90,000 – will initiate community awareness campaigns and training programmes to both educate Egyptians about healthy water resource management and encourage community members to preserve and improve their water facilities.

The project will focus on two of Egypt’s governorates to improve water quality, reduce water health hazards and increase water productivity.

The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation is contributing $250,000 towards the project, while the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Resources Group (IRG) will provide an additional $250,000.

These organizations collectively are working together as the newly-formed Global Development Alliance.