SPC Geoscience Division

For the first time in the Pacific a coordinated safe drinking water initiative has been introduced that could result in reducing typhoid, cholera, and related water borne diseases.

Eight countries are participating in developing and implementing Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSP), introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “clear, simple risk assessment and risk management process that addresses the many challenges faced in providing safe drinking water,” said Mr. Tasleem Hasan, Water Services Coordinator, SOPAC.

AusAID provided initial funding to introduce DWSP in the Pacific. Those participating are Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau, Vanuatu, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, and Samoa.