3. Policies and strategies

The National Water and Sanitation (WASH) Policy (2008) and its National WASH implementation strategy (2010) :

This combines elements from the PRSPs of 2005 and 2008, and Sierra Leone Vision 2025, statements on achieving the Millenium Development Goals, and more general commitments to achieving a high quality livelihood for the people of Sierra Leone, attaining good governance through the rule of law, and developing a strong and competitive economy.

It is in an echo to the Sierra Leone‘s Third Generation Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP 2013 – 2018 “Agenda for prosperity”) that includes improvement of water supply in its third pillar “Accelerating Human Development” .

www.sierra-leone.org/Agenda 4 Prosperity.pdf

The PRSP III outlines the lack of public awareness of the need to manage water resources and the lack of participation and capacity in the management of water resources at national, provincial, district and community levels, which take account of gender concerns.

Among the strategies and objectives planned in the PRSP it is proposed to encourage capacity building efforts to make available the knowledge and the skills necessary to manage water resources at various levels.

The National WASH Policy advocates for:

  •  Access to safe and adequate water as a Fundamental Human Right.
  • Provision of education to improve hygiene practices and increased access to adequate sanitation facilities.

=> Promotion and scaling up of community led total sanitation concept and open defecation free communities concept.

  • Management of water as a social economic good and poverty reduction tool.
  • A participatory approach that will help the conservation and protection of water resources in the country.
  • Ensuring stakeholders participation in water resources management and planning, construction, ownership and maintenance of community-based domestic water supply schemes in rural areas,

=> meaning increasing communities’ participation in financing their water supply programmes and communities’ obligations for paying for operations and maintenance costs

  • Promotion of the participation of the private sector in the delivery of water supply related goods and services.

National WASH Policy Final 2010 icon_pdf

N.B. : These descriptions will have to be updated as the WaSH sector is moving in Sierra Leone and Institutions might be re-organised…