By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, and his accompanying delegation have returned to Juba after participating in World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden.
Celebrated annually from August 25th to 29th, this year’s conference focused on water cooperation for peace and security, aiming to bridge borders and promote a peaceful and sustainable future. World Water Week seeks to raise awareness about the importance of water.
While in Stockholm, Mr.Mai presented South Sudan’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6.1 and 6.2) on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030.
He noted that the country has already established an open defecation-free (ODF) roadmap and strategic goals to ensure universal access to affordable, clean, and safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene for every community in South Sudan.
On the sidelines of World Water Week, Deng held separate meetings with representatives of the Dutch government and international organizations such as UNICEF and USAID involved in WASH projects in South Sudan.
He added that South Sudan will continue its collaboration with international donors to help the country achieve its sustainable development goals before 2030.