“We’ve done analytics that really showed us the issues, and the Utilities of the Future program really helped us with the solutions and gave us something that we could present to the government of Zambia, to the commercial utilities, as a practical tool …”
—Ruth Kennedy-Walker, Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank
Implementing the Utility of the Future program exposed diverse challenges, from operational disparities across provinces to financial constraints. These obstacles stressed the necessity for adaptive leadership, inclusive engagement strategies, and innovative solutions to surpass traditional barriers. These experiences highlighted the importance of flexibility, strong governance, and continuous learning in driving utility management advancements.
Zambian utilities have demonstrated commitment to addressing internal challenges and setting a precedent for innovation within the region. By August 2024, all of Zambia’s 11 utilities will have undergone a transformational journey through the Utility of the Future program, aiming to mitigate financial losses from non-revenue water and improve billing efficiency. This initiative stands as a strategic framework for redefining utility management and service delivery in Zambia.
The World Bank’s involvement has been instrumental in driving this transformation, focusing on making utilities more efficient and extending their services to reach not just urban but also peri-urban and rural communities. Given the mandate extended to Zambia’s commercial utilities in 2021, there’s a renewed emphasis on ensuring these services are accessible in rural areas as well.
To achieve this goal, the World Bank has built on the work of the Utility of the Future and is attempting to address the technical and governance challenges faced by water utilities through a new Program-for-Results operation. The proposed Water and Sanitation Services in Growth Centers project (P179237) is designed not just to incentivize improvements in selected commercial utilities’ operational capabilities, but also to strengthen their ability to attract private sector investments by demonstrating improved creditworthiness. This will help to decrease dependency on public funding, thereby ensuring that water and sanitation services across Zambia are sustainable and accessible to all, including those in peri-urban and rural locales.
Source link : https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/water/pioneering-a-future-ready-water-and-sanitation-sector-in-zambia
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Publish date : 2024-06-11 03:00:00
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