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Dance4WASH – Bringing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) habits to life through dance in Zambia

Written by s.mutafya on . Posted in Countries, Zambia.

“Let’s dance our way to a cleaner world!” This and many other catchy slogans defined the “WATERPROOF PROJECT”. In this project, rhythm meets hygiene in a captivating way, designed to raise awareness about the importance of water sanitation and hygiene across schools in Lusaka.

The “WATERPROOF PROJECT”, also known as “Dance4WASH Zambia”, is an awareness-raising campaign conducted from 5th to 23rd June 2023 as part of the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI). Viva con Agua provided financial support for the campaign, which took place in five selected schools across Lusaka: Chibolya Combined School, Lilayi Secondary School, Fight Poverty Community School, Mtendere Primary School and Chainama Special School. The campaign aims to promote proper WASH practices and facilitates improved access to WASH information, with a particular emphasis on handwashing, using dance as a tool for awareness-raising.

Learners from Chainama Special School learning the "WASHIT" song
Learners from Chainama Special School learning the “WASHIT” song. Copyright: LuWSI

The campaign was launched during a LuWSI Child Focus Session at the 11th Zambia Water Forum and Exhibition held at Mulungunshi Conference Centre on 13th June. The session was attended by Hon. Mike Mposha, the Zambian Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, who urged all stakeholders to engage with communities to promote hygiene messages. Hon. Mposha also emphasised the need to improve water supply and sanitation in schools, as water is the first line of defence against diseases.

The project received support from key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education and the Lusaka District Health Office, as well as LuWSI partners such as CaDev-Capacity Development, Lusaka City Council, WaterAid Zambia, the Centre for Water, Sanitation and Rehabilitation (WASARec) and NatuReS.

Click here to watch Ndine Emma explain the making-off of the song. Copyrigh: Dance4WASH

To drum up support and interest among children, the campaign worked with local singer/songwriter sensation “Ndine Emma” to develop an infectious and lively beat that children could easily grove to. His involvement also made him a significant promoter of the hygiene message through dance. Furthermore, the campaign partnered with the local dance crew, Afro Fusion, to bring the song to life. The dance crew collaborated with students in schools to craft a choreography, which they then performed to their peers during the school assembly. This helped convey the handwashing message of “dancing your way to a healthier future”.

Ndine Emma promoting hygiene with his hit song "WASHIT" Copyright: LuWSI 2023
Ndine Emma promoting hygiene with his hit song “WASHIT”. Copyright: LuWSI

Pupils and teachers enjoyed the innovative campaign, with kids taking up the challenge to interpret the song and dance moves in their own unique way. The campaign’s success and inspiration was based on the collaboration between partners on the LuWSI platform, particularly under the Green Schools partnership programme. LuWSI partners continue to foster multi-stakeholder cooperation to promote water, sanitation and hygiene which will contribute to the water security of the city.

Click here to see a pupil demonstrating his Dance4WASH skills!

Author: Sonile Mutafya, NatuReS Advisor Zambia

Sustainable Industrial Areas Conference group picture

10th International Sustainable Industrial Areas Conference in Cairo

Written by Support on . Posted in Countries, South Africa.

Strengthening Regional Industrial Competitiveness and Economic Resilience

Industrialisation is a priority for many governments in developing and emerging economies. While it comes with strong potential for economic growth, social and environmental consequences of an accelerating industrialisation need to be considered.

Therefore, the 6th to 7th of June 2023 witnessed the convening of the 10th International Sustainable Industrial Areas Conference (SIA Conference) in Cairo, Egypt. Curated under the theme “Strengthening Regional Industrial Competitiveness and Economic Resilience”, the two-day event provided an important platform for lively debates, insightful engagements, and learning exchanges. Prior to the event, pre-conference site visits were conducted with four industrial parks located in Cairo; namely Polaris International Industrial Parks, CPC Industrial Park, ElSewedy 10th Industrial Park and Industrial Development Group (IDG).

“10th International Sustainable Industrial Areas (SIA) Conference”, June 2023.

During the two days, around 250 attendees representing multiple sectors from more than 20 countries converged to cover diverse topics, ranging from just transition towards carbon neutrality through industrial symbiosis and circular economy approaches as well as the role of private sector development. Furthermore, presentations were held on several topics, including financing SIA, SIA concept planning and capacity building, as well as the creation of green jobs. The Natural Resources Stewardship Programme, represented by Ms Amanda Nyingwa, presented at the conference on Methodologies for Supporting Sustainability and Resilience in Economic Zones.

Sustainable Industrial Areas Conference group picture
SIA conference attendees ©SIA Conference

Key takeaways

The rich information emanating from presentations, site visits and more informally during walkthroughs of exhibited booths from industrial developers brought about the following key takeaways for the aim of strengthening regional industrial competitiveness and economic resilience:

  • Mainstream the unconventional – “inclusivity and liveability” – for a competitive industrial park: Ensuring an inclusive and liveable industrial park is still relatively viewed as unconventional.  However, these very aspects make an industrial park competitive in terms of investor location and potential employees, as it allows firms to attract the best talent.  As examples, IDG has integrated a pharmacy, day care centre, hotel and coordinated transport facilities for workers within their park; similarly this is the case for CPC Industrial Park. These unconventional additions which strike a balance between social and economic needs have the potential to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of these industrial areas.
Hotel and co-working space at IDG Industrial Park. ©GIZ/Amanda Nyingwa
  • Capacity building matters for informed uptake of sustainable industrial area concepts: Ensuring integration of sustainable industrial development approaches is a highly engaging process which can often be overwhelming for industrialists and developers. As a result, lesson learning events and capacity building initiatives which help them navigate and map out context-specific measures for sustainable industrial development are vital. Therefore, as more industries and industrial areas are compelled to transition towards cleaner production processes, it is imperative that a broader suit of capacity building initiatives are unveiled – particularly through development organisations like GIZ, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and World Bank.
Mrs Elvira Kanichay from GIZ Egypt providing the opening address ©SIA Conference
  • Private sector is under pressure to ensure green production – what stimulants exists to move things forward? A keyacknowledgement during the conference was that manufactures and private sector understand the urgency for cleaner and more resource efficient production. This acknowledgement was also followed with the question on what resources exists to stimulate, incentivise and recognise efforts for cleaner production? The Eco-Industrial Park Framework, the Net Zero Water Concept and the Access to Finance Tool developed by the National Cleaner Production Centre in South Africa were some of the resources tabled. Additionally, an announcement of steps towards ensuring that the EIP Framework is translated to ISO Standard was mentioned as one of the levers for recognising green production. However, it is clear that more action is required to stimulate efforts for resource efficiency and cleaner production.  
  • Bold action and collective efforts are needed from public, private sector and civil society – Bold action is needed from the public sector on eco-industrial development. This action can take the form of political will or be more institutionalised in the form of national policy or decrees. The latter is the case with Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment. Such bold actions support collective movements towards ensuring that the industrial park landscape of a country embodies eco-industrial development across various levels. In addition, it catalyses action for cross-sectoral collaboration with private sector and civil society within industrial areas. Multistakeholder partnerships facilitated through the NatuReS Natural Risk and Assessment Framework have proven to be critical vehicles for driving localised action while offering potential for wider societal benefits.
Amanda Nyingwa presenting on cross-sectoral action for sustainable industrial areas
NatuReS Advisor Amanda Nyingwa facilitating Session 4: Show cases for SIA Transformation ©GIZ/Amanda Nyingwa

About SIA Conference Concept and Convenors

The International Conferences on Sustainable Industrial Areas (SIA) bring experts from all over the world together to discuss recent trends, best practices, and future development of SIA. The conferences serve as an international platform for exchanging knowledge about sustainable industrial development of industrial areas worldwide. In the past, there have been similar International SIA Conferences in India, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The approach of “Sustainable Industrial Areas (SIA)” promotes sustainable industrial development by balancing environmental, economic, and social aspects.

The SIA Conference was organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) under the “Invest for Jobs” programme and as part of implementing the special initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition” (SI Jobs) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Economic Development (BMZ). The conference is jointly organized with the World Bank Group (WBG) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) – together with the Egyptian Ministry of Trade & Industry (MTI) and the Industrial Development Authority of Egypt (IDA).

founding of plastic recycling organisation in Uganda

Uganda’s Beverage Industry Takes the Lead in Enabling PET Plastic Recycling

Written by Support on . Posted in Countries, Uganda.

In a ground-breaking initiative, leading players in Uganda’s beverages industry have joined forces to establish a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). This is in a joint effort to self-regulate post-consumer  (polyethylene phthalate) PET recycling. Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU), Mukwano Industries, Harris International, Uganda Breweries Limited, and Crown Beverages (Pepsi) signed a letter of intent, demonstrating their commitment to creating a sustainable and circular economy for plastic waste. This collaborative effort was facilitated by the Greater Kampala PET Plastic Recycling Partnership. The partnership’s goal is to foster collaboration among stakeholders to improve the recycling value chain, shift behaviours and attitudes towards recycling, and develop recycling policies.

Plastic pollution lake Victoria
Plastic pollution represents a growing risk for the environment in Uganda, like this example of a plastic bottle at the shores of Lake Victoria shows. Copyright: GIZ

Responsibilities of the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO)

The PRO will be responsible for recruiting recyclers and subsidising recycling through contracts for all PET collected and recycled in the country; developing new high-value end-uses for reusable plastics (rPET); training and empowering collectors; and promoting PET collection and recycling through consumer awareness. Continuous consumer and public education and awareness activities are required to promote environmental responsibility and encourage PET recycling.

partners signing recycling agreement
Members signing the foundation of the Producer Responsibility Organisation. Copyright: GIZ

Transitioning to a Circular Economy

The establishment of a PRO in Uganda marks a significant step towards achieving a circular economy for PET plastic waste. By introducing a non-profit, industry-driven organization, the member firms are demonstrating their dedication to taking responsibility for post-consumer PET plastic after its useful life. The member firms will pay a monthly levy to the PRO which will use the money to support the collection and recycling of plastic waste. This creates a monetary value for post-consumer PET plastic waste which incentivises collection and recycling.

founding of plastic recycling organisation in Uganda
Founding members of Uganda’s first Producer Responsibility Organisation: Coca Cola Beverages Uganda, Mukwano Industries, Crown Beverages and Hariss. Copyright: Coca Cola Beverages Uganda

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

One of the key principles underlying this initiative is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR encourages companies that manufacture, import, or sell PET products and packaging to bear financial and physical responsibility for their products throughout their lifecycle. By incorporating the environmental costs associated with PET products into market costs, the burden of managing used packaging is shifted from the government to private industry. EPR was signed into legislation in Uganda with the National Environment Act, 2019 and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is currently developing the National Environment (Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and related single-use- items) Regulations. These set a collaborative framework for the PRO to operationalize EPR and set annual recycling targets for the PRO.

The PRO’s goal is to collect from the environment and recycle all the post-consumer PET bottles the companies produce. Copyright: Coca Cola Beverages Uganda

Environmental and Economic Benefits of the PRO

Supporting the establishment of a circular economy for plastic waste brings both environmental and economic benefits. Recycling has the potential to create over 50 times as many jobs as landfills and incinerators. By investing in sustainable solutions, the beverage industry partners involved in the PRO are not only contributing to a cleaner environment but also driving economic growth and job creation.

A sustainable future

Through the establishment of the PRO, leading companies are taking responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their PET products, thereby minimizing their impact on the environment. By embracing a circular economy approach and promoting recycling, the partners in this initiative are pioneering sustainable practices and setting an example for the entire industry.

South African National Industrial Parks Summit 2023: Unleashing the Potential of Industrial Parks as Pillars of Economic Growth 

Written by Support on . Posted in Countries, South Africa.

Collective Drive for Industrial Parks Revitalisation 

On 20 – 21 April 2023, a landmark event in the South African industrial scene was held: the National Industrial Parks Summit. A dynamic collaboration involving the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (the dtic), National Treasury, the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH-Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (GIZ-NatuReS) led to the convening of the National Industrial Parks Summit. The two-day summit under the theme “Positioning Industrial Parks as Engines of Growth, Industrialisation and Investments: Through a Reimagined Implementation Framework” served as a vibrant platform for over 150 stakeholders to exchange ideas, expertise and knowledge towards a new approach for the accelerated development of industrial parks in South Africa. 

Deputy Minister, the dtic Ms Nomalungelo Gina giving opening address  ©NCPC-SA

The Impetus for Reimagined Industrial Parks 

In recent years, industrial parks have been beset with challenges ranging from vandalism, lack of basic services like water and electricity, infrastructure issues, to governance problems. This has led to significant job losses and a decline in their performance. Despite these hurdles, industrial parks hold tremendous potential as key nodes for large-scale economic development, employment, and as a catalyst for the country’s reindustrialisation agenda. 

At the event, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, emphasised that “it is crucial for establishing a collective path to retain, sustain and grow investments and jobs through a Reimagined Industrial Implementation Framework while addressing critical outcomes such as social development, sustainability and economic growth.” 

Strategic Plans for Revitalizing Industrial Parks  

The Summit concluded with the adoption of key resolutions, which emerged from six breakaway Commissions. Each Commission focused on different aspects of the industrial park ecosystem. These resolutions include the establishment of a technical task team, comprising of key stakeholders, to develop the New Implementation Framework for the National Programme on Industrial Parks. 

Other key resolutions include the establishment of a rapid response team to urgently resolve bottleneck issues in parks, defining incentives for investors, catalysing partnerships and integrating eco-industrial development, resilience approaches and stewardship to provide a more attractive environment for investment. 

National Organising Partners of National Summit – representatives from, the dtic, National Treasury, CSIR, NCPC-SA, GIZ NatuReS and Swiss Economic Cooperation and Development (SECO) 

Building the Future of Industrial Parks 

Going forward, the dtic also plans to conduct district roadshows to raise awareness and build capacity on the importance of the industrial parks and their ecosystems to communities and other critical stakeholders. As they are instrumental for South Africa’s development pathway, initiatives like the National Summit offer a unique opportunity for sector stakeholders to collaboratively shape industrial parks into effective enablers for economic growth and job creation. 

In essence, the National Industrial Parks Summit marked a significant step in the collective effort to unlock the vast potential of South Africa’s industrial parks. The spirit of collaboration and the shared vision of the event’s contributors have set the stage for a more vibrant, resilient, and sustainable future for South Africa’s industrial landscape. 

For further information on the National Summit Resolutions visit the dtic website: click here