National Water Policy of 2014.

This NWP is a nationwide cross-cutting sectoral document adopting an integrated water management approach to achieve their sustainable development and use, identified in the following two main goals (1) 100% access to safe and reliable water supply by 2020; and (2) extension of the public sewerage infrastructure to achieve 75% coverage by 2040, also improving financial soundness of water and sanitation utilities through a better efficiency in their management including the monetary benefits accruing as a result of the reduction in non-revenue water preferably below 20%. The document is based on the following Vision set out for the sector (i) harmonious and balanced coexistence between nature, water and human life; (ii) efficient and equitable use of water while preserving its environmental, social, cultural and economic values; (iii) water conservation in all its form through the education and awareness of water users and decisions-makers; and (iv) involvement of all the stakeholders in partnership within an enabling policy, legal and institutional framework. To achieve the overall goals, the NWP provides the following specific objectives (i) develop water resources for economic and social benefits of the entire population on an equitable and sustainable basis; (ii) ensure the availability of water to all sectors of the economy including the vulnerable groups taking into account the particular needs of women; (iii) allocate water on the basis of national priorities and optimum allocation principles, with special attention given to allocating water for food security; (iv) improve financial and technical performance of water supply services by applying modern management practices under one water agency; (v) protect, conserve and enhance water resources and the overall aquatic environment and assess their status on an annual basis, through appropriate indicators; (vi) develop a legal and regulatory environment, including delineation of water rights and water pricing; and (vii) put in place a conducive legal framework that will give due attention to the qualitative aspect of the water resources base including regulation of wastewater and effluent disposal according to ‘Polluter-Pay Principle’.
To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity, the aim is (i) achieve a national self-sufficiency by developing those areas which have comparative advantage for rain-fed and irrigated agriculture; (ii) promote sustainable irrigated agriculture and aquaculture; and (iii) promote sustainable techniques for small-scale irrigation to increase production of food and cash crops.
In order to make agriculture more productive and sustainable, the NWP proposes (i) increase water use efficiency in agriculture through efficient technologies; (ii) encourage rainwater harvesting, re-use of water and use of treated effluents wherever technically and economically feasible for irrigation; (iii) allocate water for agro-industry and ensure its financial sustainability by revenue collected tthrogh the mechanism of economic pricing of water; and () plan the water resources development for irrigation in commercial agriculture in coordination with other sectors.
Rural poverty will be tackled by the Government by ensuring that (i) the poor have access to safe water and sanitation facilities; and (ii) water supply and sanitation services to all areas are sustainable, taking into account Government’s social responsibilities to the poor.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, proposed interventions are (i) subsidies targeted to the vulnerable groups through public awareness on the full cost of water delivery; and (ii) water resources development and management based on a participatory approach, with effective involvement of all stakeholders including the private sector, NGOs and civil society organizations.
The increasing of livelihoods' resilience to disasters shall be achieved through (i) rehabilitation and maintenance of all existing water and wastewater infrastructure; (ii) integrating surface water and groundwater management in the environment strategies so as to protect and sustain the ecosystem, estuaries and wet lands; (iii) researches on the impact of climate change on the water resources and formulation of strategies for the mitigation of any adverse impact; (iv) protecting population from water-related disasters and creation of adaptation strategies against climate change; () improved national capacity in predicting water-related disasters associated with floods and droughts through strategies for the development of warning systems.
As for the Governance, the NWP establishes the following (i) water rights shall be rationalized to ensure that they are used for a particular purpose, therefore permanent monitoring of water rights shall be exercised; (ii) Government shall develop and implement a human resources development plan based on the needs to be identified to implement the present policy; (iii) a Water Resources Information Management system will be established to enhance water resources management in an effective and efficient manner; (iv) an inter-ministerial High Level Committee will meet regularly to review and take appropriate measures under different water situation scenarios; and (v) Government will ensure that the exploitation of surface water and ground water is based on abstractions compatible with the sustainable yield as determined by competent public authorities, and established regulatory norms.