Malawi's Long Road to Safe Potable Water

Malawi Human Rights Commission-MHRC, for its part, hopes that the government and all agents mandated to ensure access to water do so as soon as possible.

The swamp where water is fetched at Mulyabweka

Malawi: Authorities continue to look at the long-term effects of contaminated drinking water in communities without taking any action to address the issues.

Whoever established that water is life may be assumed to have investigated all aspects of water usage in daily life.

Before leaving the house, everyone uses water, whether for bathing, household chores, or simply brushing their teeth. That is the beginning of any possible hygiene.

However, for some in the country, this becomes a burden when they wake up every day wondering where they will get water for all domestic purposes. Villages, for example, face far more difficult conditions than urban areas, where residents face only minor water shortages.

According to reports, over 3,500 children in Malawi die each year from diarrhoea caused by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation. Our investigation discovered that most women face water access challenges because they must travel long distances to obtain it just to ensure that all hygienic measures are followed.

Villagers in Mulyabweka, under Traditional Authority Wasambo in northern Malawi's Karonga district, must travel long distances only to fetch water from a swamp, and their minds are at ease.

Ellen Msonda, one of the villagers, says this while peeling cassava to make locally produced flour known as Kondoole.

"The water is too contaminated. When we drink, we experience physical discomfort. It's not at all good," she says.

Ellen claims that because of the unsafe water they are used to, they have become hospital friends due to various diseases that are said to be caused by this unsafe water. Cholera is a hot topic in this village because the water is not treated with anti-germs.

Furthermore, the swamp serves as a source of water for some domestic animals, increasing the risk of the water.

Kalolo Mzuma Ngwira, Chairperson of the Chankholombe Village Development Committee-VDC, which is located in the Kambenene area of Traditional Authority Wasambo in Karonga district, expresses his concern over the failure of other leaders to drill some boreholes within the village, which he believes could be a better solution to this challenge.

"We have been asking the government, even our members of parliament, to provide us with portable water, but all in vain," he says.

This is just one example of how some citizens in the country are struggling to find water, which should help to improve their sanitation.

Malawi Human Rights Commission-MHRC, for its part, hopes that the government and all agents mandated to ensure access to water do so as soon as possible.

MHRC Spokesperson Kate Kujaliwa stated in a written response to our questionnaire, "Lack of access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities has a devastating effect on the health, dignity, and prosperity and has a direct bearing on the realisation of other human rights."

"As a duty bearer, the government has the responsibility to guarantee this right to water to its people without discrimination," she said.

The most notable aspect here is that people's representatives, including members of parliament and councillors, are failing to support their constituents adequately.

Members of parliament have blamed the failure on the constituency development fund-low CDF's funding of K40 million.

This is money that could have gone toward other projects such as bridge construction, road renovation or graving, to name a few.

The government, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders have worked hard to assist people in accessing portable water in areas where piped water does not reach, but the country's population growth continues to create a huge gap in this type of support.

According to statistics, approximately 2.4 million people in the country do not have access to safe drinking water.

Malawi celebrated 58 years of independence this year, but some people were born and are now getting old, just like Malawi, without having access to clean and portable drinking water in their communities.

Women of Mulyabweka village coming from water sources

Leaders have always commented on the lack of potable water in communities, claiming that they are doing everything in their power to address such issues, but mostly in vain.

Abida Mia, Minister of Water and Sanitation, also cites a lack of resources as a major barrier to achieving equal access to portable water among citizens.

"The water and sanitation ministry is investigating constituencies, particularly water boards, to increase capacity so that more people can receive safe portable water," Mia stated.

Malawi's Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Sosten Gwengwe told members of parliament when he presented the 2022/2023 national budget estimates that CDF funding has been revised to K100 million per year in the hope that water challenges will be addressed.

Malawi cannot easily achieve the 2063 agenda if citizens remain ill, rendering them unable to participate in the country's developmental activities.

These unhealthy conditions will continue to put additional strain on our already 'dilapidated' healthcare system.

Dr Thomas Munthali, Director General of the National Planning Commission-NPC, which is championing the Malawi2063 agenda, suggests that working partnerships among all stakeholders on issues affecting people should be encouraged, as government alone cannot address the water access challenges.

"Water issues are talking about livelihoods, and any player working in Malawi cannot run away from the issues that would require a healthy population," Dr Munthali hinted.

“If you read the vision, Malawi 2063, we say we should be moving away from boreholes and toward piped water in all areas across the country over time."

The United Nations General Assembly recognised access to water as a human right in 2010, and the convention agreed that water must be sufficient, safe, and accessible.

If these challenges continue, we will have a long way to go as a country to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 6, which focuses on water and sanitation for our people.

A better Malawi starts with healthy living, so clean and portable water should be prioritised for possible hygiene and sanitation. Water is essential to life.