“Russia is well advanced in wastewater treatment. We will share information on the environment and new waste management technologies. We will also work together for capacity building of public officials”. That is how Sam Cheptoris, Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment, justified his decision to turn to the Russian company Vodokanal to ensure better water and waste management in his country. The company currently manages water and waste in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city with a population of more than 5 million. The agreement provides for cooperation in the management of non-revenue-generating water (which essentially corresponds to leaks on the network and connections, editor’s note). The Ugandan government would also like to benefit from technology transfer for the construction of water and waste treatment infrastructure, the manufacture of materials and equipment, and the establishment of a regulatory framework.
An awareness component
The agreement signed between the Ugandan authorities and Vodokanal also includes a training and awareness component. The first point concerns government officials responsible for water management. “Vodokanal is going to offer training programmes to our Ugandan partner, including full-time and short-term courses, if Uganda decides to send its staff to St. Petersburg,” said Alexander Polyakov, the Russian Ambassador to Uganda.
Vodokanal should be involved in the various awareness-raising campaigns, encouraging Ugandan populations to improve waste and wastewater management. Such cooperation is part of the water and environment component of the Ugandan government’s Vision 2040. It is a National Development Plan, implemented by President Yoweri Museveni.
As part of this plan, a large Ugandan delegation visited St. Petersburg in April 2018. It was composed of representatives from the Ministry of Water and Environment, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), the public company in charge of water and sanitation management; and the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). According to the Ugandan press, these state agents were amazed at the way Vodokanal managed wastewater and waste in the city of St. Petersburg. According to the company, which employs 6,500 people, more than 98% of St. Petersburg’s wastewater is treated.
Jean Marie Takouleu