In observance of World Water Day 2013, Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali yesterday said that the occasion is particularly significant for Guyana, as the theme of “water cooperation” reflects on the need for every water user in Guyana to play a role in water resource management.  He noted that the water sector has been transformed tremendously and “we need to be cognizant of this when we discuss water resource management since we cannot afford to waste this resource on which the government has expended tremendous amounts of financial resources.” 

Meanwhile, the minister highlighted that in remote interior communities, they have expended in excess of $600M towards the improvement of access to safe water supply over the past five years and works have commenced on a massive programme to rehabilitate the water system in Linden.

Consequently, residents of Linden will soon enjoy two new state-of-the-art water treatment facilities which form part of the  $2.5B Linden Water Supply Rehabilitation Programme.  
 
Economic upsurge

Ali said further: “Today, more Guyanese have access to potable water. The government has consistently invested in the nation’s water sector with the overarching aim being to eradicate poverty and create the right conditions for economic growth.”
 
The minister also asserted that the current economic upsurge would not have been possible without investment in treated water schemes and state-of-the-art treatment plants which have created the right conditions for businesses to invest and for consumers to feel a sense of security and permanence.
 
And he disclosed that over the past five years in the coastal communities, the percentage of customers with access to potable water has increased from 71% to in excess of 98%. Government’s Strategic Investment Programme, he added, has resulted in the construction of seven new water treatment plants to the value of $5B as well as the drilling of eighteen new wells valued at $1.2B. Countrywide, GWI has rehabilitated distribution networks at a cost of $7B.  
 
Ali underscored also that this is testimony to the strides being made to eliminate poverty by improving access to potable water while paving the way for more commercial investment in underprivileged communities. 

“Access to water lays the foundation for business and opens communities to vast opportunities for growth.  This investment in relieving poverty through improving access to water goes beyond the highly populated coastal areas as government believes every Guyanese must benefit,” the minister maintained. 
 
He added that over the past five years, in excess of 30,000 new households were issued with water service connections for the first time, a clear indication of the expanded coverage and commitment to providing improved access to potable water. 
 
Subsidy for pensioners

In addition, over 20,000 pensioners are benefitting from subsidized water service rates, he said.   
 
The minister observed that this World Water Day finds Guyana’s water sector at a moment in which access to improved water service goes beyond simply providing the basic resource; as it is a time of tremendous development made possible by government’s stern belief that improved access to water will eventually break the shackles of poverty. 
 
Water cooperation
 
Ali also urged every Guyanese “to heed the call for water cooperation as every sector and every user must recognize the importance of managing this vital resource, especially at a time when so much investment has been placed on improving access.” 
“I call on the agricultural sector, the manufacturing enterprises and even the housewife at home using water for domestic purposes, to reflect on the need for a collaborative effort in effectively managing water consumption with the overarching aim being to secure the survival of Guyana’s water sector,” Ali advocated.