Lilongwe City Council Mayor Esther Sagawa has outlined initiatives meant to improve access to water and sewerage system for the capital city’s growing population.
In her presentation at the African Water and Sanitation Association (Afwasa) International 22nd Congress in Kampala, Uganda, where city councils are sharing experiences and efforts to improve sanitation, she acknowledged that with a population of about 1.2 million, Lilongwe City is facing significant challenges in providing adequate sanitation services to its residents.
Said Sagawa: “We are committed to improving the lives of our citizens and sanitation is a critical aspect of this. Currently, only five percent of our population is served by gravity-fed piped sewerage systems, leaving a significant number of our residents without access to proper sanitation facilities.”
The mayor highlighted the capital city’s rapid growth rate of 4.3 per year, saying it has put a strain on the existing infrastructure.
“Our population density has increased from 1 660 people per square metre in 2008 to 2 453 people per square metre in 2018, making it essential for us to invest in upgrading our sanitation systems,” said Sagawa.
To address the challenges, she said Lilongwe City Council has developed a comprehensive plan to improve
sanitation services by, among other things, investing in new infrastructure such as piped sewerage systems and waste treatment plants.
Said Sagawa: “We are also working to strengthen our regulatory framework and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that all residents have access to safe and hygienic sanitation facilities.
The Afwasa International 22nd Congress started in Kampala on Monday and drew delegates from 40 countries, including 100 utility institutions.
The event provides a platform for participants to share best practices and innovations in accelerating safe water and sanitation for all.
Data shows that two in three people in Malawi have access to clean water and the country loses about 1.1 percent of gross domestic product due to poor health outcomes attributed to low access to safely managed sanitation services.
Government has been working to address the challenges of access to water in Lilongwe City through increasing the number of water kiosks in low-income areas and reduce the price of water in these selling points
