Programme description

Title: Integrated water resource management and water supply in urban and rural areas
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Benin
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water
Overall term: 2004 to 2015

Context

Despite major efforts to improve the situation, there is still a long way to go before the supply of clean drinking water in Benin is secured. A mere 47 per cent of the rural population had access to clean drinking water at the end of 2007. In urban areas this figure was around 53 per cent. Drinking water in the large cities is provided by the central pipeline network of the national water authority, ‘Société Nationale de l'Eau du Benin’ (SONEB). In rural areas, water either comes from wells with hand pumps or small water supply networks. The population without access to such water sources often gets their water from open watering holes or from standing water, and these sources are frequently a cause of disease. There is little knowledge of water-borne diseases and how to avoid them.

There is also insufficient sanitation in Benin, as only 17 per cent of the rural population has access to latrines and 83 per cent have no access at all to disposal systems.

There continues to be a need for more investments in order to obtain a comprehensive water supply and sanitation system. One reason is the high population growth rate. Maintenance and operation problems of the water supply facilities impede the sustainable use of the infrastructure.

The water resource management is working on a long-term strategy for water supplies and the management of water resources. In this respect, the municipalities have been given the responsibility for their water and sanitation systems in accordance with the decentralisation legislation. All in all, competences and capacities for an integrated management of water as a resource are not yet adequate.

Objective

The Beninese population has improved access to clean drinking water and sanitation. The percentage of the population with direct access to water supply and sanitation facilities increases substantially by 2015.

Approach

The programme works on three levels:

• Water resource management is supported in decentralising its structure and in establishing regional capacities both organisationally and logistically. In the medium term they should thus be able to fulfil their regulating function.
• The national water authority SONEB is advised on improving the water supply in urban areas. In particular, the regional offices serving the municipalities should work more efficiently.
• The municipalities are supported in fulfilling their new duties in the decentralised water supply system. In this respect, emphasis is placed on needs analyses and safeguarding maintenance and repairs of the water supply facilities in rural areas, in particular by training private supply structures. Village-based water user associations are trained to carry out management tasks and the population is informed through campaigns on hygiene recommendations.

The activities focus on selected secondary cities and rural communities in the regions of Mono, Couffo, Ouèmè, Plateau, Atakora and Donga.

GIZ (until December 2010 GTZ and DED) cooperates with various partners to improve the water supply in both urban and rural areas. The technical cooperation in expanding the water system infrastructure in cities and rural regions is supported by the cooperation with the KfW Entwicklungsbank. At the ministry level, German development cooperation cooperates with international partners in areas of policy advising, planning, monitoring and evaluation.