Water Supply and Sanitation Policy.

This Water Supply and Sanitation Policy (WSASP) replaces the first Water Supply and Sanitation Policy adopted in 1993. The principles of this Policy principles are in line with Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) including a strong focus on Water Demand Management (WDM). Broad sector objectives are formulated on the basis of an overall sectoral policy statement, which includes four components of an overall long term policy: 1. Essential water supply and sanitation services should become available to all Namibians, and should be acceptable and accessible at a cost which is affordable to the country as a whole; 2. Equitable improvement of water and sanitation services should be achieved by the combined efforts of the government and the beneficiaries, based on community involvement and participation, the acceptance of a mutual responsibility and by outsourcing services where necessary and appropriate, under the control and supervision of government; 3. Communities should have the right, with due regard for environmental needs and the resources and information available, to determine which water and sanitation solutions and service levels are acceptable to them within the boundaries of the national guidelines. Beneficiaries should contribute towards the cost of the water and sanitation services; 4. Environmentally sustainable development and efficient utilisation of the water resources must be pursued. This must be strongly supported by information campaigns and continuous educational interventions at all levels.
Based on the policy and objectives, the sector agencies responsible for water supply and sanitation, both rural and urban, will prepare: • the WSS strategies which will set out how the policy should be implemented; and • the WSS action plans which will quantify the strategies in terms of resources, utilisation, manpower, time and costs. Such plans should follow the principles of integrated water resources planning and development. The Policy, among other things, sets out water supply priorities, requires stakeholders to be involved in the provision of WSS services, sets out principles for rural water supply, deals with rural and urban sanitation services, requires irrigation schemes to be developed, and sets out a cost-recovery strategy. A uniform approach towards accountability for water supply and an associated comprehensive water and waste water tariff structure policy including credit control principles is essential. The proposed Water Regulator is required to ensure the implementation of equitable tariffs, improved efficiency and service delivery by service providers for sustainable provision of water and sanitation services. The Water Regulator is a key factor in ensuring debt reduction.
The Policy sets out the basic policy principles regarding the allocation of responsibilities in relation to the establishment, operation, maintenance and replacement of WSS schemes and outlines water supply and sanitation sector decentralisation and coordination. The coordination of sectoral activities for strategic planning purposes will be elaborated in the more detailed implementation strategies and plans provided for by the proposed Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination.