Several partners are working together to ensure the community of Teouma Bush on Efate receive safe and quality drinking water.
Vanuatu Red Cross Society (VRCS) WASH Team has teamed up with the Department of Water Resources (DoWR) and Shefa Provincial Environmental Health to conduct the Drinking Water Security and Safety Planning (DWSSP) with the community.
As part of its auxiliary role to the public authority provided under the Act of Vanuatu Red Cross Society, the National Society will assist 10 rural communities identified in Shefa Province to develop its “Drinking Water Security and Safety Plan” or DWSSP.
This project is in line with the national implementation plan for safe and secure drinking water (NIP) that was approved by the National Water Advisor Council. NIP is a national framework for achieving Vanuatu’s vision of 100% access to safely managed drinking water by 2030. One of the key implementation mechanisms of NIP is “Drinking Water Safety and Security Plans (DWSSP) which is a community level planning tool and data gathering mechanism that enable the DoWR to plan and implement water infrastructure investments.
Four staff of VRCS supported by a Shefa Provincial Water Supervisor and a Shefa Province Environmental Health Officer started their first implementation activity on Teouma Bush this week.
Since Monday, the team and the community are working together to do the community profiling, as well as introduce a community WASH Risk mapping of the area where risks and hazards are identified as danger to quality and security of the water system. As a result, an improvement plan will be developed to ensure continuous operation and maintenance of the water systems enabling the community to have continuous access to safe clean water at all times.
As part of the project, Teouma Bush community set up their DWSSP committee made up of 15 members comprised of 50% male, 50% female, and a PLWD representative, who will be responsible to ensure the operation and maintenance of the water systems in their community.
DWSSP project will target communities in SHEFA province.
Photo supplied Caption: Community awareness in Teouma bush