Only during the rainy season do this woman and her colleagues enjoy the luxury of water access as the vast river overflows at times right into their verandas. But not so is got her colleagues luike Bamake Eunicy of Kalomo IN Southern Zambia. For Bamake Eunice and her colleagues drawing fresh water is a nightmare as she and her colleagues are times forced to share the same water with the domestic animals such as goats, cows and dogs.

This is a tip of the iceberg of who women and their children go through in most of the rural parts of Zambia.

Water utilities like the Water Aid Zambia had put in their level best to ensure that this difficult is minimized to the lowest level.

It last year, for instance committed K1 billion to improve water and sanitation facilities in the four wards of Samfya district in Luapula province. This came to light during the commemoration of World Water Day 2010 organised by Water Aid Zambia at Chilupula village in Mano ward said its representative Moses Mumba: “ the K1 billion has been spread over three years starting from 2007 to 2010”.

Mr. Mumba, who is Water Aid Zambia Luapula province senior programme officer, said the money will go into the construction of community latrines, installation of hand water pumps and capacity building among communities in promoting hygienic practices.

The year’s World Water Day was commemorated under theme ‘Sanitation Matters’ in line with the United Nations declaration of 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation.

The United Nations General Assembly is announced ‘World Water Day’ on March 22, 1993. World Water Day is celebrated every year on March 22. ‘World Water day’ proposed in 1992 in Agenda 21 of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil.

World Water Day is started in 1993. The United Nations called the member of nations to dedicated World Water Day. UN advices and support real activities with their countries. Every year, one country of UN membership, concerned in water issues get the guide in helping and organizing global activities for World Water Day.

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing the World Water Day 2005. It is called 'United Nations International Decade for Action for Water', and also called to as the ‘Water for Life Decade 2005-2015’.

On the part of the Zambian government, The United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated 22nd March every year as the day when the international community should be commemorating or celebrating the importance of water, starting from 1992. Hence, the World Water Day (WWD). This resolution resulted from the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

The 2010 WWD commemoration is the 17th one and Zambia being a family member of the UN, has always participated in observing this important day- as a constant reminder of the significance of clean water to human beings, animals and the environment. For Zambia, the designation of the WWD came on the eve of the year when the National Water Policy (1994) was being adopted as an overall frame work for the water sector.

The adoption of the water policy in 1994 was a culmination of a series of policy and institutional reforms started by the government in the later 1980s. The Policy has since been revised and the new Policy was adopted by Cabinet in February 2010. Among key issues, the Policy covers water resource management, rural and urban water supply and sanitation, water quality and tariffs.

One of the fundamental sector reforms was the separation of water supply and sanitation from water resources management. This entailed transferring the mandate of all matters pertaining to the water supply and sanitation sub-sector to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH) while the Ministry of Energy and Water Development (MEWD) remains with the mandate of water resources management. Hence, the MLGH is mandated to provide safe and clean water supply and adequate sanitation through Local Authorities (including Water utility companies) and non-state actors.

The government through the MLGH has over the years instituted various legal and institutional reforms and programmes aimed at improving the water supply and sanitation sub-sector. Notable among them is the establishment of commercial utility companies (CUs) to facilitate the provision of clean and safe drinking water and adequate sanitation to communities in urban and peri-urban areas.

The process started with Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company and so far 11 CUs have been established and are operational, the latest being Luapula Water and Sewerage Company. Others are Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company in Central Province, Southern Water and Sewerage Company, North-Western Water and Sewerage Company, Western Water and Sewerage Company, Chambeshi Water and Sewerage Company in Northern Province, Eastern Water and Sewerage Company, Kafubu, Nkana and Mulonga Water and Sewerage Companies on the Copper belt.

Every province has a CU while Copper belt has three because of its economic potential to sustain the operation of more than three CUs as a result of the mining activities. The CUs are owned by the Local Authorities in the respective provinces, who are agents of the Central Government in the provision of municipal services such as water supply and sanitation.

Local Government Early Education and Environmental Protection Minister Nkandu Luo says government will soon review the review the National Housing Policy which not looks at providing decent and affordable housing, but water and sanitation in order to improve the quality of life to majority of the people.

Prof., Luo says that one of the strategies that the her Ministry will undertake is through the public –private partnership (PPP) in order to reduce the national housing deficit of more than 1.5million housing units and K6billion has been provided in the 2012 Budget.

The Minister disclosed this to parliament recently when she presented a policy statement for the Ministry on the 2012 Estimates of expenditure head 20- loans and investments.

She however, noted that government will also continue with the construction of modern retail markets in both urban and rural areas to promote productivity.

Prof Luo said there is need to support local authorities in the provision of Municipal solid waste management services as a priority and K1.9billion has been allocated in next year’s 2012 Budget for this purpose.

The Minister bemoaned that there has been low quality Municipal service in the country adding that her ministry intends to address this by improving the provision of municipal services such as water supply and sanitation, solid waste, roads and street lighting and drainage.

Prof Luo stated that the ministry will embark on guarding of unplanned settlements and urban renewal to facilitate and improve the living environment of unplanned urban settlement with a budget of K17.2billion provided in the 2012budget.

The ruling Patriotic Front party says in its manifesto that energy and water play a frontal role in any country’s development. It says the two sectors are however the most under developed in the country.

Most households in Zambia use and rely on wood fuel for their energy needs which unfortunately has a bearing on the environment.

The ruling Party says in its manifesto that it will promote the management of watersheds in partnership with the private sector and communities as well as promote sustainable water resource management.

The Party also says in its manifesto that it will review management of water rights to ensure equitable access to all competing needs. In addition, the ruling Party says that it will promote the development of the improved water supply and sanitation facilities in urban and rural settlements.

It also explains in the manifesto that it will promote and empower local communities in the management of water points and water sources. Lastly, the party manifesto adds that it will during its tenure rehabilitate and extend sewerage and drainage systems in order to contain environmental and water pollution.