WCS Constructs and Rehabilitates Boreholes and Sanitation Facilities in Thirty-two Communities in Cross River State
Today, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) handed over a second set of boreholes as well as sanitation facilities rehabilitated under the Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply (WSP) activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to 32 communities in Cross River States.
The intervention includes 43 boreholes (13 solar-powered boreholes, and 30 hand-pump boreholes), bringing the number of boreholes rehabilitated and constructed under the WSP activity and handed over to communities in Cross River State to-date to 47. Together these boreholes serve 33,127 people in the communities including schools and healthcare facilities. Three sanitation facilities rehabilitated in three schools were also handed over, estimated to serve a total of 540 pupils, significantly improving hygiene and sanitation conditions for the pupils.
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation services is essential for the overall health, hygiene, and well-being of human beings. With these rehabilitated boreholes and sanitation facilities, residents of the 32 communities will have reliable access to safe water supply and sanitation facilities, reducing the risk of waterborne diseases and improving their overall quality of life.
The Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply activity works in Cross River and Bauchi states and provides access to clean drinking water - to 200,000 people in 137 communities. The activity achieves this by supporting community-driven watershed management and sanitation initiatives and safeguarding water sources through forest ecosystem conservation.
The Chief of Party of the USAID Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply project and Deputy Country Director WCS, Dr. Inaoyom Imong, said “The WCS and its local partner, Partners for Development (PfD), appreciate the support of USAID to improve the health and well-being of communities in Cross River State through the provision of these Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, which is one of the initiatives USAID is supporting under WSP activity in Cross River and Bauchi States. He noted that “For the WASH facilities handed over today to have a sustainable impact on the health and resilience of the beneficiary communities, the communities must take ownership and responsibility for their maintenance.”
USAID/Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Advisor in the Economic Growth and Environment Office, Latif-ur Rahman said “everyone is entitled to the basic social services that includes the provision of safe drinking water. USAID is partnering with the relevant stakeholders in Cross River state to provide safe and climate resilient drinking water that would not only provide safe drinking water to the community but would also contribute to the climate adaptation efforts.”
According to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (2020), 49 percent of the population in Cross River does not have access to basic water supply services and 65 percent lack access to basic sanitation services. The USAID-supported Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply activity will provide clean water to about 3,600 community members within the three communities and increase water security and resilience for 71 communities in four LGAs in Cross River State that depend on the Cross River Watershed.
About the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS):
WCS preserves wildlife and wild spaces around the world through science, conservation measures, education, and encouraging people to respect nature. To fulfill its mission, WCS leverages its global conservation program in nearly 60 nations, all the world's oceans, and its five New York nature reserves visited each year by 4 million people. The WCS combines its expertise in the field, its zoos, and its aquarium to carry out its preservation mission. From its country office in Calabar, WCS supports the conservation of Cross River National Park, Yankari Game Reserve, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Mbe Mountains.
Visit our website: https://nigeria.wcs.org/
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For more information: 0903 235 3912
Email: wcsnigeria@wcs.org
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