Project Summary
Programme overview: The Government of Uganda’s second National Development Plan (NDP-II) (2015-2020) identifies the provision of adequate water supply and improved sanitation as one of the key priority areas for promoting sustainable wealth creation and inclusive growth. The objective of the Water Supply and Sanitation Programme II (WSSP II), aligned to the NDP II, is to contribute to improved health and productivity of the population through provision of safe water and sanitation services to a target population of 1.43m people (51.4 % women). The programme to be implemented across the country over four years, will focus on rural gravity flow schemes and solar mini schemes targeting rural beneficiaries in all regions; and will also provide urban water systems in small towns under the WSDF-central region.
Programme Beneficiaries and Impact: The envisaged direct impacts include; reduction in the average walking distance to the nearest water point; and, reduction in time spent fetching water at congested water points. The water infrastructure designed for the identified small towns is a direct response to Uganda’s rate of urbanization currently at 5.74%. Sanitation interventions in schools, institutions and urban setting and the accompanying faecal sludge plants with desludging units will have tremendous impacts on the existing challenge of emptying toilets and septic tanks in schools and informal settlements. The improved access to water and sanitation services will have positive social and gender payoffs and will enable a more conducive business environment in the towns and rural growth centres. The programme will also provide employment opportunities during construction and economically empower women and youths through support groups and skills development. Catchment and river embankment restoration through tree planting will be integral aspects of the intervention.
Programme Rationale: The WSSP II, aligned to the NDP-II, will contribute to Uganda’s 2040 vision of having “a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years.” It addresses the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) programme of the water sector JWESSP (2013-2018) whose objective is to support the water and environment sector to achieve its targets and improve its efficiency through a consistent, harmonised sector programme that is aligned to government objectives, policies and delivery modalities. The WSSP-II is anchored on the CSP 2011-2016, which focuses on the two main pillars (i)
Infrastructure development and (ii) Human capacity improvement and skills development for poverty reduction. This is in line with the Bank’s TYS (2013-2022), which prioritizes water security as a driver of change in Africa and the need for investments in integrated water development and management as central to sustainable water, food and energy security for green and inclusive growth. The intervention in in line with the Banks high 5s with particular emphasis of improving the quality of life for the African people. It is also consistent with the Bank’s Integrated Water Resources Management Policy (2000) and Gender Strategy (2014–2018).
Programme Need: Access to potable water and improved sanitation is central in Uganda’s development agenda owing to its strong links to all MDGs, the NDP II and the SDGs. The country has made substantial progress in increasing water coverage in 2014 to 64% and sanitation access to 74.6%. The water coverage, however, appears to be stagnating. The WSSP II has been identified as one of the programmes under NDP-II that will contribute to the attainment of Uganda’s national objectives to reach water and sanitation coverage for all, increase access to quality social services to enable a more conducive business environment in the towns and RGC and also make a difference in improved enrolment of the girl child.
Bank Value Addition: The Bank’s experience in Uganda’s water sector dates back to 1968. The Bank is among the largest DPs involved in the sector and the proposed WSSP II is a follow up of the ongoing WSSP I with similar activities, giving the Bank comparative advantage and rationale for continued involvement in the Sector. The new support will further strengthen and consolidate gains achieved from similar previous and on-going support in the sector. The additional investment by the Bank Group comes timely when the country needs to implement the sector strategies agreed upon in the 2014 joint sector review. The Bank is now deemed to be a partner of choice in the water sector in Uganda.
Knowledge Management: Knowledge gathered and generated from implementation of the WSSP-II will be documented for use in improving future interventions financed by the Bank and partners. A comprehensive program monitoring, aligned to the sector M&E framework will be the medium for dissemination and sharing of knowledge generated. The WSDF monitoring will be guided by the Results Based Monitoring Manual with monthly monitoring reports consolidated into JPF quarterly reports and ultimately into the Annual Sector Performance Reports to be discussed at the Joint Sector Reviews (JSR) and disseminated to all stakeholders. The government and development partners will use the generated lessons learnt to update the next Water Atlas and the sector indicators. This will also be captured in the Bank’s bi-annual Implementation Performance Results (IPR) report.