HIV/AIDS Should Be Incorporated in Water Sector Policy Making

HIV/AIDS needs to be incorporated into the water sector policies and programmes in order to be able to deal with the challenges of the pandemic as they occur in the workplace, according to the Commissioner of Water of the Lesotho Lowlands Water Project, Mr. Manong Lesoma. 

Officiating at a seminar on water resource management held for Lesotho and Botswana Youth Water Action Teams at the National Convention Centre on December 15, Mr. Lesoma revealed that the country's Water Resources Act of 1978 was currently being reviewed to embrace issues such as environmental protection of water.

He said however that the water sector, governed by a water resources management policy endorsed in 1999,  is further faced with other challenges including rapid urbanization, increased industrial water use, a market failure in water and wastewater pricing and other institutional constraints that lead to failure by organisations to settle their bills.

National University of Lesotho (NUL) Head of Geography Department, Dr. Lehlohonolo Moeti, also speaking at the seminar, pointed out that the seminar had come at an opportune time, when the country's urban areas are experiencing water shortages. He said he hoped that the establishment of the Youth Water Action teams would further commit the youth to advocating for change and promoting participation, involvement and capacity building in water resource management.

The Botswana Youth Water Action Team are in the country for a five day visit to assessing the extent to which their Basotho counterparts have committed themselves to water resource management activities.

15 December 2003