The Executive Secretary of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), Basilia Nanbigne, has stated the importance of effective planning and budgeting for climate-related issues in the future.

Speaking at the JoyNews national dialogue on WASH and climate change, she stressed that climate challenges cannot be treated as mere projects but need to be integrated into broader strategies.

Madam Nanbigne mentioned that CONIWAS currently has a focal person for the climate within the Sanitation Ministry, working closely with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that sanitation is better embedded within the WASH sector.

She pointed out that the "Tracking Report" on Water and Sanitation expenditure for the previous year revealed that the ministry did not allocate significant funds toward climate initiatives or budget clearly for them.

However, with innovations and the dedicated focal person in place, Madam Nanbigne expressed optimism that the "ministry and relevant policy departments will start planning and budgeting more effectively for climate-related issues in the future."