Concerted Municipal Strategies (CMS) for water and sanitation services

n December, during the Africities Summit held in Dakar and attended by 5,000 participants, particular importance was afforded to the issue of exercising responsibility for services, notably those of water and sanitation.

Two trends have recently defined the water sector in Africa: a more profound decentralization of services, including water and sanitation; and the establishment of ambitious national investment programs. 

As a result of this decentralization and this financial “manna” from the states, local authorities now need to consult with their constituents and be able to develop an adapted service offer that is consistent with local resources. This offer cannot rely on local budgets (known for being low-capacity) and resources from the water tariff alone; substantial resources also need to be sought from external donors and central governments through transfer funds or specific projects (such as the HIPC Initiative in Cameroon or the Special Program of the President of Niger).

It is the construction and facilitation of multi-actor regional dialogue, such as that in Tahoua or Dschang upon which the municipal executive has been able to build, that leads to the sustainable mobilization of new resources at national and international level. It is this strategy that will provide weight to local efforts to negotiate external support.

To ensure effective service development, we call upon you - local authorities, national or regional water and sanitation managers, water and sanitation service operators or development partners – to develop and implement municipal strategies in a concerted manner.