By Bill W. Cooper
Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah has stressed the need for local leaderships to play a more active role in decision-making activities within the country’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
The Lofa County Representative further believes that involving local leaders in the decision-making process will lead to more effective and sustainable solutions to the country’s water and sanitation challenges.
He also emphasized the importance of engaging local leaders in the development and implementation of WASH policies and programs, noting that these leaders have a deep understanding of the needs and priorities of their communities other than the policy makers.
Deputy Speaker Fallah spoke yesterday, when he proxy for House Speaker, Fonati Koffa, during a one-day multi-stakeholders’ engagement aimed at presenting members of the House’s standing Committee on WASH and Environment at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.
The day-long consultative meeting was held with sector stakeholders drawn from the Standing Committee on WASH and Environment, WASH Caucus, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), WASH Consortium, CWSA and partners and WASH MACs.
Others were Liberia CSOs WASH Network, other key traditional WASH Actors and Stakeholders for acquaintance so as to explain the terms of reference of the Committee in order to align expectations, and demystify the roles and responsibilities of the Committee in line with sector challenges, as well as broadening the scope of understanding of Committee members.
The meeting was held under the auspices of the USAID Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA) and its national partner, Compassion for Humanity (C4H)-Liberia, aim to eliminate open defecation in Liberia, focusing on four key result areas: improved sanitation governance, adoption of key sanitation behaviors, strengthening the sanitation market, and increasing sanitation financing.
The project is also managed by a consortium led by Population Services International (PSI) and includes partners (Concern Worldwide, Athena Infonomics, and Gusceman, Inc.).
Deputy Speaker Fallah added, “Local leaders should be prioritized and placed on the frontlines of the WASH sector because they have unique perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that exist in their communities.”
“And by involving them in decision-making activities, we can ensure that our policies and programs are tailored to the specific needs of each community, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes,” he asserted.
However, Fallah call for greater involvement of local leadership in the WASH sector comes at a critical time for Liberia, where access to clean water and sanitation remains a major challenge across Liberia.
According to the World Health Organization, only 25% of the population across Liberia has access to basic sanitation services, and nearly half of the population lacks access to clean drinking water.
The House’s standing Committee on WASH and Environment Chairperson, Representative Anthony F. Williams lamented that the lack of access to clean water and sanitation has serious implications for public health in Liberia.
He said it is something that is contributing to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid, disclosing that the lack of adequate sanitation facilities poses a significant risk to the environment, with untreated sewage contaminating water sources and contributing to pollution.
To address these challenges, the Maryland County District 2 Representative, also buttressed Deputy Speaker Fallah’s call for a more inclusive approach to decision-making in the WASH sector, one that actively involves local leaders in the development and implementation of policies and programs.
He noted that by working closely with these local leaders, the government can better understand the needs of communities and develop targeted interventions that address these needs effectively.
The WASH sector actors, in attendance thanked the USAID and partners including the Legislature for the holding of the stakeholders’ engagement which they described as timely and necessary.
They recommend to the government through the WASH Standing Committee for increased investment in water and sanitation infrastructure which they believes that improving access to clean water and sanitation is essential for the health and well-being of Liberians.
Meanwhile, as Liberia continues to grapple with the challenges of water and sanitation access, it is for the participation of local leaders in the decision-making process of the country WASH sector.
By involving local leaders in decision-making activities, the government can ensure that its policies and programs are responsive to the needs of communities, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes in the WASH sector.
