Turning on new taps in Malawi
The Nyika-Vwaza Gravity-fed Piped Water Scheme will bring drinking water to 18,000 Malawians.
Last week Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, the President of Malawi, switched on the taps of the Nyika-Vwaza Gravity-fed Piped Water Scheme, a community development project.
The water scheme will bring safe drinking water for the first time to 18,000 people living close to the Nyika National Park and Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.
A business to benefit communities
When the government of Malawi and non-profit organisation the Peace Parks Foundation signed a co-management agreement for the Nyika and Vwaza protected areas two years ago, the goal was to run the national parks as a business that communities in the surrounding areas would benefit from.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Dr Vera Kamtukule the project has been made possible with the co-operation of private sector entities, the government and communities.
The government is expecting a host of private sector ventures in the hospitality sector in Nyika-Vwaza.
According to Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe it is heartwarming that the scheme will grow from 18,000 to 33,000 beneficiaries over the next few years.
A game-changer for local communities
The water is transported from the Runyina River in Nyika National Park along a 74km transmission line where communities have access to 123 taps placed within 200 metres of villages along the new pipeline.
This new water scheme is a game changer for people’s health, safety and well-being. Ute König, Germany’s Ambassador to Malawi, says that in the past residents had to walk long distances to fetch water, where they faced risks such as wildlife encounters and waterborne diseases.
“In Mzimba district, particularly near Vwaza, many boreholes are too salty for consumption. The project has addressed the urgent needs of these communities,” she says.
The development was announced in April 2023 by the Government of Malawi’s Ministry of Tourism and Department of National Parks and Wildlife in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation.
The project received EUR 4.7-million in funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development through KfW.
The funding falls under the German co-operation with SADC and is part of broader support to promote an integrated approach to biodiversity conservation and local development in and around the two conservation areas.
Image: The Nyika-Vwaza Gravity-fed Piped Water Scheme will bring drinking water to 18,000 Malawians. Image credit: Peace Parks Foundation (www.peaceparks.org).
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Turning on new taps in Malawi
