World Water Day: State highlights efforts to ensure clean water access and sustainability

World Water Day, celebrated on March 22 every year, is a day set aside to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.

The theme for this year is 'Leveraging Water for Peace'. 

According to the United Nations, the theme sparks the need for 'transboundary water cooperation'.

World Water Day became a UN observance day in 1993.

It seeks to focus attention on the global water crisis and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water, UN says.

In Kenya

The government under the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Sanitation has taken the day, to highlight strides made in ensuring that Kenyans have access to clean and enough water.

The ministry said that it has established various water projects in the country including the eWater services in Tharaka Nithi County, the North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency(NRVWWDA) and the Tana Water Works Development Agency (TWWDA).

These, according to the ministry, are some of the projects spearheading the government's agenda to provide water for Kenyans.

On his part, the Cabinet Secretary for Water Sanitation and Irrigation Zachariah Njeru notes that his ministry is determined to achieve 40 per cent sewerage coverage and 100 per cent rural sanitation by 2030.

This, he said, will be done by maximising the potential of the groundwater.

"The potential of groundwater in Kenya is underutilised. This is largely attributed to the limited exploration, technological constraints, low groundwater recharge, and capacity constraints for groundwater development and management," the CS explained.

Njeru also highlighted the importance of managing the groundwater in solving the country's recurrent droughts.

He lauded the government for increasing the water coverage in the country over the last few years from 58 per cent to 72 per cent.

The Principal Secretary for Water and Sanitation Julius Korir attributes climate change hazards such as floods and droughts to the scarcity of water in the nation.

"We know that Kenya is a water-scarce country and it continues to experience serious sustainability challenges with regards to water resources availability, utilisation, control and use," Korir said.

Article 43(1)(d) of the constitution stipulates that every person has the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities.

First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto emphasized that the Kenya Kwanza government continues to put in place policies to protect water catchment areas.

This she says, is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Clean Water and Sanitation.

"Lack of clean water and sanitation leads to numerous health issues, such as diarrheal diseases, which claim the lives of children under the age of five. The objective is to substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of fresh water," she said.