GIZ Uganda officially handed over the Bidibidi Zone 1 Water Supply Systems to the Northern Umbrella of Water and Sanitation (NUWS) for Operation and Maintenance.
These 2 productive water supply systems have been technically optimized and interconnected with funding from Germany and Austria. This innovation has allowed lower-yielding systems to be decommissioned and the distribution network to be expanded - significantly improving water availability, operational efficiency, and service reliability. The zone has now fully transitioned to regular utility-based operation and maintenance.
NUWS will now manage the entire zone as one service area. This pilot project will provide invaluable operational experience for the gradual transition of water services in other refugee settlements into Uganda's national service-delivery structures.
The Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), with support from the Governments of Germany, Austria and the European Union, is implementing the Water Supply and Sanitation for Refugee Settlements and Host Communities in Northern Uganda (WaSSUP) project through GIZ Uganda.
The project seeks to improve sustainable access to water and sanitation services for both refugees and host communities in the West Nile sub-region. It also supports the critical transition from humanitarian-led service delivery to sustainable, utility-based management of water supply services in refugee-hosting areas.
Under the new zonal approach, all water supply systems within a defined geographical area are managed as one operational service zone.