The water and sanitation community has celebrated this Sunday, March 22nd, 2015, the World Water Day on the theme "Water and Sustainable Development". This celebration puts questions in more than one ways, since it raised matter in terms of perspective and the question of the future. In a message issued on this occasion, the UN Secretary-General stressed that to deal with the numerous issues related to water, "we must work with a spirit of cooperation, be open to new ideas and innovation and be ready to share the solutions we all need, to ensure a less precarious future.»

Thus, this World Water Day 2015 highlights the relationship between water and development, and leads us to interrogate ourselves all together on the means to be implemented to achieve water resources conservation, accessibility to the greatest number and the development of innovative technologies to help its production, its quality and its preservation. The spirit of cooperation which today, the Secretary General of the UN is relating to reassures and comforts us on our choices set to meet the growing needs for people for good quality water and better sanitation services. This vision, is our permanent motto. It is even the reason for living of our organization. Indeed, the African Water Association develops capacity building projects and partnership programs, cooperation and knowledge sharing that contributes to the improvement of water and sanitation utilities' performances. We have always believed that the sharing of our experiences could contribute effectively and sustainably, to solve many problems. Today we are more than ever committed to continue our advocacy and to push the community for action.

After the Millennium Development Goals that have not been achieved by many African countries regarding access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, it is imperative that our continent is put in order of battle and sets itself in serried ranks to face the new challenges that will be announced by the international community, at end of year-2015, which will relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To do this, we take the opportunity of this commemoration of World Water Day to invite the scientific community, the water and sanitation sector professionals and all the stakeholders involved in the fight for access for all to water and adequate sanitation services, to further reflect during AfWA’s next CONGRESS scheduled to take place from February 22nd to26th 2016 in Nairobi Kenya, where we will discuss on the major issue related  " SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO WATER AND SANITATION IN AFRICA ".

ExecutiveDirector

Sylvain USHER