Freetown: The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has conducted a donor coordination meeting, uniting government bodies, international partners, and implementing agencies to accelerate the ambitious Sierra Leone Water Security and WASH Access Improvement Project (WASH). Presiding over Thursday's session in Freetown, Minister Dr. Sao-Kpato Hannah Isatta Macarthy issued a decisive call for enhanced alignment among stakeholders to elevate service delivery nationwide.
According to Sierra Leone News Agency, the Minister articulated the Bio administration's vision for a cohesive, sustainable WASH sector. Reinforcing this stance, Xavier Chauvot de Beauchene, leading the World Bank support mission, emphasized structured collaboration, robust data sharing, and strategic investment models designed to secure enduring impact. Project Coordinator Mustapha Gibril outlined the initiative's core components, setting the stage for partner contributions during the fourth day of the Bank's inaugural implementation support mission.
Development partners, including GOAL Sierra Leone, World Vision, UNICEF, WASHNET, CRS, AfDB, WHO, JICA, and Concern Worldwide detailed ongoing interventions spanning water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Presentations covered the construction of thousands of water points, deployment of climate-resilient systems, and pioneering approaches such as prepaid water schemes, mobile money integration, and community-led governance models.
Representatives from over 46 partner organizations, implementing agencies, and regulatory bodies focused on sustainability. Central themes included capacity building, preventive maintenance, and community ownership. Participants also identified persistent challenges: technical water quality issues, infrastructure deficits in rapidly expanding urban zones, and the imperative for strengthened policy and regulatory frameworks.
Discussions yielded a concrete consensus on coordination mechanisms. Stakeholders agreed to institute quarterly sector meetings, establish a shared information platform, and ensure tighter alignment of interventions with national priorities. The importance of Public-Private Partnerships, gender-sensitive sanitation solutions, and structured management systems for major infrastructure like Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants emerged as critical priorities.
Concluding the proceedings, Minister Macarthy hailed the engagement as both timely and insightful, urging continuous interaction and information exchange as the sector moves toward integrated, efficient, and sustainable service delivery.