Wildlife conservation body launches campaign for sustainable water management in Zambia

One of the world's leading wildlife conservation bodies has launched a campaign aimed at sensitizing people in Zambia on the importance of sustainable management of water, a senior official said on Thursday.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia office has launched the Journey of Water in order to raise awareness and create public demand for sustainable management of water resources in Zambia.

The campaign, launched on May 10, 2017, will focus on one of the country's biggest rivers, the Kafue River, which passes through four of the country's 10 provinces in order to highlight the route water passes.

The campaign will highlight the importance of the river which sustains about nine percent of the country's population through fishing and farming activities and provides about 44 percent of all water in Lusaka, the country's capital as well as 45 percent of the country's electricity generation.

"This campaign is aimed at reconnecting people to the real source of water- nature- reminding us that 'water does not come from a tap'," Eneya Phiri, WWF Head of Communications and Marketing said.

He said it was unfortunate that people take for granted the significance of water, especially the journey it takes from its source to people's homes.

The wildlife conservation body has since urged Zambians to be responsible custodians of water given the fundamental importance of the water in everyday life.

Despite having abundant water resources, Zambia still faces challenges with 4.8 million citizens still without access to clean water. Endit