108 The Future of Water in African Cities
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ment. An analysis of the capacity (financial, human, technical, and material) of local authorities in the sector would be a first step in defining capacity-building activities. Involve stakeholders in the water sector to achieve more sustainable water management. Private sector, civil society organizations, and research/academic organizations do not currently have a voice in the sector. Recommendations to improve participation include undertaking consultations with stakeholders before important decisions are made with regard to design, implementation, and management of water activities. In addition, it is recommended that research carried out by local institutions be incorporated into decision making and planning. Base decisions on the right data. A lack of up-to-date and appropriate data on water resources and demographics make water planning and management difficult. There is a need to establish and maintain a comprehensive water information and knowledge database that is accessible to all relevant stakeholders in the water sector. It is recommended that the Ministry of Water and Energy, in coordination with Douala city authorities, actively promote the use of up-to-date information in decision-making processes. Protect the quality of water supply sources through watershed management activities. To help protect the quality of water sources in the city, a watershed management (river basin) approach is recommended— including providing a platform for information exchange between stakeholders. Improve sanitation, drainage, solid waste management, and hygiene to reduce the risk of water-related diseases. A combination of infrastructure investments in drainage and solid waste management, improved operation and management of this infrastructure, and promotion of sanitation and hygiene are recommended to reduce the risk of waterrelated diseases. This includes targeted hygiene promotion campaigns involving the water, health, and solid waste management sectors.
There has been no request for follow-up in Douala. This may be because the Douala study was a desk study with no face-to-face interaction with city decision makers; the ongoing contact that strengthened information transfer in the other case studies was absent here. It is probable that local interest in IUWM will require local-level understanding. Interaction with professionals and peers with knowledge and experience of IUWM approaches might well stimulate further discussion.