Zambia NGO WASH Forum Raises Concerns Over Inadequate Budget Allocation for WASH in 2025
The Zambia NGO WASH Forum has expressed serious concern over the insufficient budget allocation for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector in the recently presented 2025 National Budget. The Forum noted that the allocation does not adequately address the widespread challenges Zambia faces in water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum, member Chitimbwa Chifunda revealed that an analysis of the 2025 budget, delivered by the Minister of Finance on September 27, 2024, shows a concerning downward trend in WASH allocations over the past five years. The allocation has steadily declined from 2.5% in 2020 to just 1.1% in 2025.
Chifunda emphasized the pressing need for more substantial investment, citing recurring cholera outbreaks and the effects of the 2023/24 drought, which have severely impacted water access and hygiene across the country.
She pointed out that the chronic underfunding of the water sector has left communities increasingly vulnerable and hindered progress towards Zambia’s national development goals.
During the forum’s joint submission to the Committee on Energy, Water Development, and Tourism, another Forum member, Amanda Mallaghan, stressed the critical need for an improved budget to safeguard public health.
In response, Committee Chairperson Binwell Mpundu acknowledged the high failure rate of boreholes in Zambia and called for solutions to address the issue.
The forum’s concerns were outlined in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Bubala Muyovwe Mumba, under the theme “Declining WASH Budgets Amidst a Drought and Cholera Crisis.”
The Forum urged the government to reconsider its budgetary allocation for 2025 to ensure sufficient resources are directed towards addressing the water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges in Zambia.
