MDG-F Program to Improve Water Access for 240,000 Residents of BiH

Mladen Zirojević, BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident Coordinator and representatives of 13 partner municipalities signed Memorandums of Understanding for the implementation of the project called “Securing Access to Water through Institutional Development and Infrastructure”, with approximate value of 4.45 million USD.

Signing of the MoUs announces beginning of the activities with partner municipalities that have more than 240,000 residents together who will directly benefit from this Programme: Bihać, Bosanski Petrovac, Gračanica, Istočna Ilidža, Istočno Novo Sarajevo, Kladanj, Neum, Petrovac/Drinić, Petrovo, Rudo, Stolac, Trnovo RS and Višegrad. The goal of the programme is to increase involvement of the citizens in participatory municipal administration in the water access sector, improvement of the economic governance in water companies and strengthening of administrations’ policy making capacities.

This programme was established to address the weak economic governance and infrastructure in the water access sector in BiH. These issues are preventing duty bearers and service providers to provide access to water with high quality”, said Minister Zirojević.

“Programme will contribute to improvement of water and water access sectors in country through institutional approach in meeting contemporary standards in this sector. UN agencies that are implementing the Programme will provide expertise needed to achieve appropriate EU standards. The water access is closely linked with socio-economic development of the society, since there is no development of agriculture and economy without water and solid infrastructure. All administrative institutions and citizens need to be aware of their rights and obligations, since water access sector needs to become the initiator of development in future”, said Yuri Afanasiev, Resident Coordinator of UN to BiH.

MDG-F Programme Democratic Economic Governance “Securing Access to Water through Institutional Development and Infrastructure” is jointly implemented by UNDP and UNICEF in partnership with the BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs, Entity Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management, Entity and cantonal Ministries of Social Protection, partner municipalities and their associated water utility companies, and civil society organizations. The Programme is supported through the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) funded by the Spanish government.