Advocating and Taking Action for the Human Right to Water in the Climate Change Era
It is difficult to believe that the gold small-scale mining communities especially in Nyarugusu and Lwamgasa wards at Geita, may have a water challenge. Yes! Anyone can disagree with this considering the availability of gold that could help them get clean and safe water because their government collects revenue. Of course, what you think is right.
It is right, because of the results of interviews conducted by MECE with the people of the two wards during the implementation of the social accountability monitoring project for water and sanitation, climate change adaptation, and human rights in Tanzania, especially small-scale mining communities.
“The water we use is not clean and safe and this is due to the wells, most of the wells are located near mining areas and so there is a tendency for the spread of mercury in those wells. There was a time when people were suffering from cancer, and people were afraid that it might be due to drinking water with mercury” said Beatrice Charles, a small gold miner and a citizen of Nyarugusu ward.
Beatrice, who has lived in the ward for more than a decade, says small-scale miners are the biggest victims of the water crisis in Nyarugusu, and they need large quantities of water from their operations. But the water they use is not clean and safe.
On 16th August 2021, TAWASANET, TAWEA, and MECE through support from End Water Poverty, conducted a one-day training for ten selected agents of change who have represented others in amplifying the voices of the people in Nyarugusu and Lwamgasa ward and Geita district, Ms. Beatrice was one them.
“When I was recently trained the trainers said that water is a human right, and I was very happy to know that water is my right. I only knew water is life but I didn’t know if it was my right. Now I know I have the right to water. With this education, I have started spreading it to small miners here in Nyarugusu, and I will continue to spread it every day so that they too will know that water is their right.” Said Ms Beatrice.
The existence of this water challenge in Nyarugusu ward, has caused the people to remember the presence of Lake Victoria which is under the ministry of water, believing it may be their savior in solving the water challenge.
Mr. Makonge Remilija who is also a resident of Nyarugusu ward, says; “It is even more amazing to see us here so close to Lake Victoria but not getting clean and safe water. Our Nzega, Kahama colleagues all use water from Lake Victoria, but those of us who are nearby do not get it. So I urge the government to use Lake Victoria to relieve us of this water challenge here in Nyarugusu.”
In Lwamgasa ward where citizens also interviewed, they said that, water availability is only for some areas, it has been inadequate for their needs due to the increase of population in mining areas.
Small-scale miners have been increasing every day and so the situation is leading to increased human consumption of water. However in the villages of Kilombero, Ilanga and Buziba the water supply situation is even more challenging. They use water from wells that are not clean and safe.
“The small scale miners here in Lwamgasa do not have access to clean and safe water, this is due to the increasing number of miners. If a person wanted drinking water then he or she would buy bottled water, but clean water for their use had to be obtained through taps.” Said Mr. Dausan Kavura, a small gold miner and a citizen of Lwamgasa ward.
Mr Kavura also said that, as a result of the lack of clean and safe water for them is the result of disease, many people in their areas suffer from typhoid to the point of frequent referral for treatment.
In Lwamgasa it is stated that the main development activities of the people are mining, although there are a large number of small-scale miners at present. But the operation has been hit by a water challenge.
“Initially there were many cases of children drowning in wells, women being raped but now we have the challenge of adequate water supply. The water should be used for drinking, cooking, laundry, bathing and even digging mines, in fact the challenge is huge. Ask here, all mines have no water. That is why you will find many people here in Lwamgasa on their hands suffering from rashes, some have fungus.” Said Mr. Isack Joshua, also a small gold miner and a citizen of Lwamgasa ward.
He added that on the street due to the living conditions, people are struggling economically, to get clean and safe water you have to buy it at a high cost. Money that you could have diverted to and made developmental issues, but it all ends up buying water.
“I would also ask the government when planning a budget for water projects, to keep in mind these small-scale miners and if possible even increase the budget. Or talk to water stakeholders, NGOs to dig deep wells for small-scale miners to overcome the water challenge.” He said.
The identification of challenges for access to clean and safe water for small-scale gold miners in Lwamgasa and Nyarugusu wards has prompted TAWASANET, TAWEA and MECE to conducted a national stakeholder meeting in the framework of the social accountability monitoring for improved water and sanitation services, climate change adaptation and human rights among small scale miners and adjacent communities in Geita region.
The meeting was intended to present the findings collected from mining communities in Lwamgasa and Nyarugusu wards to duty bearers and stakeholders for deliberate actions in the near future.
The meeting was attended by a wide range of duty bearers such as Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASA-Geita district), National Environmental Management Council (NEMC), Water Board of Lake Victoria Basin, Energy and Water Regulatory Authority Consumer Consultative Committee, Commission of Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG), Geita District Council, ward executive officers (Lwamgasa and Nyarugusu), International Peace Information Service (IPIS), media representatives and community representatives from mining areas in Geita region.
The challenges which were presented to duty bearers were lack of safe and adequate water in the two wards, contamination of mercury in wells and other water sources in mining areas, weak implementation of the national action plan to reduce the use of mercury in gold processing, lack of decent toilets, deforestation, and presence of many abandoned pits.
Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) as general government body of water supply in rural areas was concerned by lack of water project in Nyarugusu ward and most of wards located in mining areas in Geita district.
Speaking at the meeting, Ruwasa district manager in Geita Engineer Sande Batakamwa said that there is a need of other partners from Tanzania and abroad to join national efforts to reach as many areas with water services.
“Also there is a need for CSOs in Tanzania to join hands with the government to train the Community Based Water Supply Organizations in Geita district so that they can learn about water supply and water resources management as well as designing of small water projects which will extend water infrastructure in miners and local community’s places.” Said Mr Batakwama.
Being the national overseer and regulator of environmental management by means of Environmental Management Act (2004) NEMC, was concerned by contamination of water sources in the two wards as well as other mining areas in Geita region.
The representative from NEMC Mr. Festo Mlego admitted the existence of poor knowledge of mercury in mining areas by miners who are also less educated on mercury effects to the environments as well as irresponsible companies with poor management.
“NEMC promise to educate these community miners in two wards on environmental conservation, inspection of waste products management as well as engaging local CSOs and media in national initiatives to reduce the effects of mercury contamination in mining areas.” Said Mr. Mlego.
Also NEMC welcomed the collaboration of TAWASANET, TAWEA, MECE and other CSOs in Tanzania in a coming project of environmental conservation in mining areas in Geita region.
About the concern of using water from Lake Victoria raised by Mr. Makonge Remilija during the interview and also which presented in the meeting, the representative from Lake Victoria Basin Water Board Engineer Abdallah Malima said they have been working with other government authorities to maintain water quality and quantity in different areas including mining areas in Geita region
“We will continue working with small scale miners and adjacent communities especially in identifying areas with contamination of mercury in order to take actions.” Said Mr. Malima.
Tanzania has 9 water basins which are managed by water board offices (Under the ministry of water) to protect and sustainably use the water resources available in them. The roles of water boards basins is to ensure that water quality and quantity are maintained within the boundaries of water basins, providing water permits, as well as providing educative sessions on integrated water resources management to the people and water users.
Other stakeholder who attended the national meeting in Mwanza was the Tanzania Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG), this is the government body which was established by the government of Tanzania to support monitoring and advise the government and stakeholders on human rights and good governance issues in the country.
A zonal official in charge from CHRAGG Mr. Albert Kakengi, who also attended the meeting said that, the office will ensure rights to water and rights to health are exercised for the wellbeing of small scale miners and adjacent communities.
“You members of the consortium, TAWASANET, TAWEA and MECE I welcome to CHRAGG from the initial stages of future stages so that we can participate in awareness creation and training sessions using our budgets. This will make us be in a good position to address these issues through a complaints mechanism.”
TAWASANET, TAWEA, and MECE are happy to expand the project in the neighboring wards with the purpose of spreading the knowledge to the community because during the project, they observed (mentioning few) that the water which community is using is not safe for human consumption due to cases of mercury and Cyanide used by adjacent gold processing plants as well as the challenge of decent toilets in their areas and they help themselves in the bush (open defecation) something which is detrimental to the environments and causes diseases such as cholera.
The consortium from Tanzania which supported by End Water Poverty have successfully implemented the Claim Your Water Rights in Geita district.
The three-month project focused on the Claim Your Water Rights campaign, where for this phase they focus on advocating for climate justice as well as supporting communities to demand their rights to water and sanitation from duty-bearers.
The Claim Your Water Rights is a global public pressure campaign aimed at mobilizing people to demand their human rights to water and sanitation. Since launching in December 2019, members produced impressive results: from securing legislative change in Pakistan to garnering political commitments in Nigeria’s Enugu State, from influencing governments’ Covid-19 responses to supporting numerous communities to successfully claim their rights.
