This column is meant to monitor and report on issues that concerns the people of the rural communities in terms of how their development is hindered or facilitated.
Rural development is a process that aims to improve the standard of living of people living in rural communities.
The group includes small scale farmers, tenants and the landless.
Increasing the population’s access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, dramatically reduces their susceptibility to water-borne diseases and increase their likelihood, especially for women and children, from incurring additional expenses related to treatment.
In The Gambia, efforts to ensure access to safe drinking water have been effective over the past years, according to Government records.
Looking at the sub-national level in general, the water supply situation improved in all six regions of the country.
However, water supply depends on available electricity.
Therefore, the issue continues to be a major problem in rural health and education facilities as well as at the household level.
Government plans to improve the operation and maintenance arrangements for water and sanitation facilities and mobilize stakeholders in the water and sanitation sectors so as to improve governance of water resources and address climate change issues.
Special attention should be dedicated to increase equitable access of the entire population of the country and, particularly, in the rural areas, to safe drinking water and sanitation services.