GoAL WaSH mission to Niger

Late last month, Dr Alejandro Jiménez travelled to Niger in West Africa to provide technical advice and support to the implementation of the GoAL WaSH programme in the country.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Water governance

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Lotten Hubendick

Programme Officer,

Private: Water Cooperation and Diplomacy

The GoAL WaSH programme is working to increase the capacity of local government in Niger to effectively manage water service delivery in rural villages and small towns. The programme is also helping the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to develop the National Rural Sanitation Guide – a key document for stakeholders to understand and implement sanitation services in rural areas in the country. In Niger, only 50% of the population has access to safe drinking water in rural areas, and 83% of the rural population practices open defecation daily.

During the mission, Dr Jiménez held discussions with national representatives of the UNDP, UNICEF, WaterAid, and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to agree on the targets of the programme for 2016. He also visited one of the regions outside the capital to see first-hand how operations were developing at the decentralized level.