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The government will establish a new department to manage water systems for Port Vila, Luganville, Lamap, Walarano, Norsup and Lakatoro on Malekula, Port Olry (Santo), Lenakel and Isangel (Tanna), Sola (Vanua Lava) and Saratamata on Ambae. Director of the Department of Water Resources (DoWR), Erickson Sammy, said Port Vila and Luganville are growing rapidly, with around 5,000 people migrating from rural areas every year, putting pressure on water service delivery. “The movement of people into Port Vila and Luganville is considered the highest in the Pacific, with a rate of 4.5% leading to population decline in rural areas. “The new department will address the growing need for water in these urban areas,” he said. “The DoWR lacks sufficient resources to carry out all its tasks, which is why it is being restructured. Creating the new Department of Urban Water Services (DoUWS) will separate regulatory functions from water service delivery. “The DoWR cannot handle regulatory roles and service delivery at the same time-it’s like being both the referee and a player in a football game.” The restructure of the DoWR to accommodate the changes and staff transfers has been approved by the Council of Ministers (COM) several months ago. The DoUWS will manage urban water systems, urban infrastructure, and enhance revenue generation and service delivery, while the DoWR will focus on compliance, rural water access and safety, resource management, disaster response and WASH Cluster lead. According to the Manager of Monitoring and Evaluation at the DoWR, Brooks Rakau, establishing the new department will expand the urban water network to include bigger communities to ensure treated water reaches population and increase coverage. He said the restructure will also explore other management options for better systems like Luganville, and opens the door for future private sector participation. Manager Rakau said this restructure is aimed at addressing the needs of a growing population and achieving the goals of providing safe drinking water for all by 2030. At the present, the DoWR operates water services with limited funds that only allow for basic services, making expansion difficult, he stressed. He added that the new department is expected to be roll out next year. Enhancing coordination and governance through the DoUWS was a topic presented during the session on improving water governance in Vanuatu at the National Water Forum on Thursday.
