This training course was held in Japan and its aim is the construction of sustainable operation and maintenance systems. In addition to that objective‚ its curriculum also included the water management being implemented by JICA in urban areas‚ and the sanitation measures to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.

Originally‚ JICA Hokkaido was in charge of Participatory Safe Water Management in Rural Areas in African Countries (A) for French-speaking countries‚ and JICA Shikoku was in charge of Participatory Safe Water Management in Rural Areas in African Countries (B) for English-speaking countries. However‚ JICA Kyushu has run Course B since FY2019. Although the course was held once in 2019‚ after that it was provided three times as remote training due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In FY2023‚ we were finally able to hold the second training course in Japan as JICA Kyushu.

All the four participants were engineers and came from four countries (The Gambia‚ Kenya‚ Rwanda and Uganda). The curriculum was divided into two parts: technical aspects involved in operation and maintenance‚ and intangible aspects of water management.
For the technical part of the training‚ the participants visited municipalities and companies to learn about topics such as the operation and maintenance of underground water. They were able to acquire detailed knowledge by observing and handling pump equipment at specific sites and factories. In particular‚ during the training in Tokyo‚ via lectures and field trips ‚ they were able to come into contact with people from a company that has actually drilled in Africa for underground water and carried out operation and maintenance. Apparently both parties were immensely satisfied by the experience.

In the part dealing with intangible aspects‚ there were lectures on topics such as how to build the consensus among residents necessary for sustainable maintenance and management‚ and on educational issues utilizing environmental education‚ after which lively discussions took place. The participants also exchanged opinions with volunteers involved in community-based activities. Time was set aside in the curriculum for discussions amongst the participants‚ and it seems that face-to-face discussion about shared challenges added greater depth to their understanding. The return to training courses in Japan after conducting remote training courses due to the impact of COVID-19 made me keenly aware once again of the importance of face-to-face training‚ and how tremendously effective it is.

According to United Nation population projections‚ although the total population of Africa was slightly below 1.4 billion in 2021‚ which was roughly 18% of the global population‚ it is forecast to exceed 2.4 billion in 2050‚ representing a quarter of the global population. This population growth is seen as a business chance for Japan‚ and proposals are being advanced to initially prioritize opening up markets in countries where many overseas companies are making inroads‚ such as Nigeria‚ Egypt and Kenya‚ and then expanding into neighboring countries.

However‚ for Africa‚ food supply and water-related issues are major threats from population growth. The import of commodities is one possible way to handle food-related issues‚ but it must be said that it will be extremely difficult to solve water-related issues. It is no exaggeration to say that Africa’s growth will be greatly influenced by whether water-related issues can be resolved or not. Goal 6 of the SDGs is “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Japan and the rest of the world need to make all-out efforts to support the future of Africa on a path which will ensure that no one gets left behind.