WASH actors in a post-conflict context: the revival of coordination and harmonisation in Lira district, Uganda

One of the key challenges hindering effective delivery of WASH services is the lack of effective coordination of sector actors. This often presents challenges which mainly manifest in form of fragmented policies and implementation, resulting in inefficient use of resources, duplication of roles and lack of alignment with government policies. The situation becomes more complicated in emergency situations where actors focus on meeting the immediate needs of the affected populations. Such was the situation in Lira district, northern Uganda, which until 2009, operated in an emergency situation owing to a protracted armed conflict between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda. Since the return of Peace in 2007, the district has steadily transitioned to the development phase. In terms of WASH, the transition has resulted into the steady return of effective coordination of WASH actors in the district. This paper captures the experience of reviving WASH coordination in Lira district, the benefits accruing and the efforts to continuously improve coordination.