NAN-AE-4
Approach
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) has called on member-states to adopt the web-based Pan-Africa water sector monitoring and reporting system to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Canisius Kanangire, AMCOW Executive Secretary, made this call in a statement at the AU Commission and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
NAN reports that AMCOW recently launched a web-based Pan-Africa water sector monitoring and reporting system in Stockholm, Sweden during the 2016 World Water Week.
According to him, this measure is necessary in recognition of the critical role of monitoring and reporting in evidence-based decision-making in the water and sanitation sector at national, basin and regional levels.
“The web-based Pan Africa Monitoring and Reporting System represents AMCOW’s innovative response to addressing the data challenge in Africa.
“We don’t want a situation where member-states use different data management methodologies and standards which do not permit effective comparison of countries’ efforts in achieving regional commitments.”
“The M&E framework aspires to assist member-states, working in collaboration with AMCOW Secretariat and AUC, adopt and perfect a common reporting format that will facilitate annual reports to AU.
“This will, in the long run, result in a continent-wide credible monitoring and reporting system that will regularly provide critical and strategic information on the status of water development and its uses,’’ he said.
The statement quotes the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, as expressing optimism that the web-based monitoring and reporting system will significantly reduce the reporting requirements across Africa.
The AUC commissioner restated the need for Africa to stay on course towards realising the target of the Africa Water Vision 2025 which envisaged an Africa where there was an equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources.
“Translating that vision of the Africa, we want in reality to make it incumbent upon us to consolidate the gains of our achievements to-date by utilising the opportunity presented by this web-based Monitoring and Reporting System.
“Doing this would revitalise our ongoing efforts at developing, managing and utilising our water resources in a way that unleashes Africa’s development potential,” Tumusiime added.
Organised by the AMCOW in collaboration with the AU commission, the series of workshops comprise Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Persons from Water Resources Ministries in Anglophone countries in East, North and West Africa. (NAN)
TAK/MO/AFA
Edited by Morayo.Omolade/Felix Ajide
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