Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Expresso das Ilhas
Published on 2024-03-09 11:08:00
The Minister of Agriculture and Sanitation, Gilberto Silva, stated today that the data indicates a considerable increase in water production in Cape Verde, noting that the country has mobilized 28 thousand cubic meters per day through desalination.
The government official, speaking in Parliament at the conclusion of the Government’s interrogation on Water Supply for Consumption and Irrigation in the country, requested by the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), considered it not serious on the part of the opposition party to take advantage of breakdowns to promote debates and talk about backwardness in terms of water.
“To have a debate during a period of breakdown to show that there is no water, when the indicators show an increase in water production, I think it is simply an attempt to take advantage,” he said, adding that the first breakdown in Cape Verde is the seven years of drought, in other words, a “climatic breakdown.”
“If we look at that whole period, it rained much less and there was no recharge of aquifers. Therefore, it was climatic. The second breakdown is technical breakdowns that have always existed in Cape Verde,” he said, emphasizing that the Government never said that it would definitively solve the water problem in the country.
However, he added that the Government has a program that is being implemented and that foresees an increase in water to at least 90 liters per person daily, and to connect 100% of the population to the water network.
“And we are on the right track. The reports on water and sanitation services speak of 93% and at the moment we have 90 liters of water, not 43 liters, but 38 liters of water per person per day,” he recalled, in response to the criticism from PAICV, which claims that nowadays Cape Verdeans are facing more water scarcity than before 2016.
According to Gilberto Silva, during the current Government’s tenure, supported by the Movement for Democracy (MpD), more water has been mobilized, with the country producing 28 cubic meters of desalinated water per day and the island of Brava about to join the list of eight islands with desalinated water, using solar energy 100%.
He also mentioned the contracts that will be signed to increase water supply on the island of Boa Vista and ongoing negotiations to increase water supply on the island of Santiago, both in the north and south regions.
“This is a path we are taking and, therefore, we believe it is not serious to come here and say that there has been discontinuity, regression, when the concrete numbers and the concrete reality of water connections show that there has indeed been progress and today we have an annual report on water and sanitation services, which is a unique experience in Africa that demonstrates transparency in data production,” he argued.
Regarding water for agriculture, Gilberto Silva explained that the discontinuity with the dam policy is not because this Government does not like dams, but rather a focus on desalination to complement the dams and reduce dependence on rainfall.
The minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to work towards providing more water at a lower cost for consumption and agriculture.
Read the original article(Portuguese) on Expresso das Ilhas
