National Water and Sewerage Strategic Plan 2020-2025

The National Water and Sewerage Strategic Plan (NWSSP 2020-2025) is a legal requirement under the Clause 14 (a) of Water and Sewerage Act (Act No. 8/2020). These policy goals are for ensuring equitable access to clean drinking water and improved sewerage facilities in all inhabited islands, through financially and environmentally sustainable technologies. It also supports strengthening the legal framework, building capacity in the sector and promoting awareness and research. The key policy goals are: to ensure access to safe water supply and adequate sewerage services; to adopt cost-effective and environment-friendly, water and sewerage infrastructure; to build sector capacity in water resources, water supply and sewerage services ; to strengthen advocacy and awareness programs on water resources, water supply and sewerage; to protect and conserve natural water resources; and to build flood resilient island communities.
In order to build sector capacity in water resources, water supply and sewerage services, the settled targets are: target 3.1: by 2023, at least 60% of technical staff in utility service providers are licensed (/ By 2023, all technical staff operating and maintaining the water and sewerage facilities will have at least certificate level 3 qualification and will be licensed); target 3.2: by 2023, at least 40 engineers will be trained in water and sanitation related field target; 3.3: by 2023, at least 30% of all employees working in water and sewerage facilities in each island shall be women; target 3.4: by 2022, collaborative partnership arrangements will be made with at least 3 local/international educational institutes for capacity building of water and sewerage sector programmes and services; and target 3.5: by 2024, two (2) staff at each island or city council will be trained for overall utility operational services, governance and best practices. In terms of implementing these targets, the document propose several actions and, in particular: undertake a capacity needs assessment of the water and sanitation sector; prioritize trainings required to meet the water and sanitation sector needs in national scholarships and student loan schemes; conduct trainings specific to councils through online learning management system for overall utility operational services, governance and best practices; arrangements with local/ international educational institutes for capacity building of water and sewerage sector programmes and services; and ensure that capacity development programmes designed/ conducted by utilities have gender focus.
On the other hand, the other goals of the Policy are focused to build flood resilience of communities and a sustainable use of water sources. Among other actions the document proposes: develop and implement water resource conservation and management plan in all the islands; conduct national data collection and monitoring of the quality of fresh water resources; conduct climate modelling under different emission scenarios for natural water resources; accurately map and identify flood prone areas in islands; develop design criteria and technical specifications for sustainable flood management systems in the islands; and incorporate flood mitigation and minimization measures in public infrastructure such as roads, reclamation projects, harbors, coastal protections, high rise buildings etc.