KAMPALA -Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, has called on African governments to consider swamps as water trapping agents which could save the continent from water shortages.

Museveni made the call while opening the 15th International African water and sanitations congress that opened yesterday in Kampala.

The conference is aimed at assessing the critical challenges facing water and sanitation services delivery in Africa and to identify strategies to mitigate these challenges.

"Swamps play a significant role in Africa as far as water availability is concerned, so we should not interfere with them if we are to survive and protect our water,” Museveni said.

He called up on all African countries especially EAC governments to intervene to conserve forests and wetlands for the purpose of preserving the environment.

"Natural forests are unique to this part of world and we should make them forest reserves to protect them from people who normally devastate them for charcoal burning”.

The theme of the congress is ‘Water and sanitation; what perspectives facing energy challenges and climate change’.

The congress has brought together renowned African and international experts and leaders to discuss water and sanitation challenges facing the continent particularly in the field of water management, climate change as well as energy.

The conference’s president, Mamadou Dia appealed to all African countries to amalgamate and work together on water and sanitation issues for the betterment of future generation.

"We need to work together as African continent on how to manage these resources for the good of the future generation” he told The New Times.

The African water and sanitation Association is network of 70 water utilities from over 35 African countries and it holds its congress every two years. 

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