The website aims tofacilitates collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders in the region. It serves as a SADC gateway to sustainable sanitation information. The website present features such as contacts database/directory. Here any person can register their organisations and businesses. It also has a powerful document management system, links, photo galleries.
Southern African network for sustainable sanitation launched
Despite having the lowest sanitation coverage in the world , sub-Saharan Africa has made notable progress since 1990, Coverage increased by 80% . However, the latest Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report by UNICEF indicates that an additional 1.4 billion people will require such facilities if the 2015 target for universal access to sanitation is to be met.
Recognising the notable progress, UNICEF reports that there is a need to fast track the provision of sustainable sanitation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In South Africa for example, the VIP toilets that have been provided to households as improved sanitation are in many parts of the country filling up and being abandoned by households. This will lead to poor health and hygiene of communities. The challenges to sustain improved sanitation are identified as lack of capacity, insufficient investment, poor maintenance of existing infrastructure and inadequate sanitation policies. These challenges are exacerbated by insufficient information sharing and collaboration between countries.
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The Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Water Information Network (WIN-SA) have initiated, with the support of EcoSanRes Programme of the Stockholm Environment Institute, the establishment of a Southern Africa knowledge node on sustainable sanitation (SAKNSS). The Sanitation Knowledge Node is is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and aims to develop and promote pro-poor sustainable sanitation in the developing world.
The Southern African Node will create a knowledge management hub for sustainable sanitation. The hub will facilitate and coordinate capacity and skills development, knowledge sharing and collaboration. It will furthermore assist individuals and organisations from different disciplines within the SADC to: o Participate in sustainable sanitation activities and innovations; o Document and share experiences on sustainable sanitation as generated by different stakeholders and; o Develop and maintain a sanitation portal that facilitates e-collaboration amongst stakeholders in the region.
For more information, contact Ditshego Kgopotso Magoro, Node Manager at: Tel: 012 330 9062, Fax: 086 658 7221, Email :
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