A/HRC/33/49/Add.3 and request assistance, and on the other hand, development partners should continuously offer their support, financially and otherwise, to the people of Botswana. 71. The Government of Botswana should learn from the extreme drought experienced in 2011 and develop a comprehensive strategy for providing uninterrupted access to safe drinking water and sanitation in the foreseen increasing water stress. In order to initiate such a comprehensive strategy, the Special Rapporteur is hopeful that the State will consider the 2012 draft national water policy, which sets forth equality and non-discrimination as principles, and move forward to the implementation stage. 72. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government of Botswana: (a) Adopt the draft national water policy in order to approach water and sanitation issues in a comprehensive manner guided by the principles and normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation. Such a policy should include a long-term strategy for sustainable water resources management, taking into account the foreseen increase in water stress; (b) Immediately adopt measures to improve water treatment, including disinfection of the entire water supply system and revisiting water rationing measures; (c) Set up a systematic water quality monitoring between the Water Utilities Corporation and the Ministry of Health and increase the frequency of the water quality monitoring programme carried out by the Department of Water Affairs, regardless of the creation of an independent regulatory body; (d) Adopt special measures to protect the poor and people living in vulnerable situations from the impacts of water rationing both in normal circumstances and during emergency situations; (e) Review the tariff system, particularly the scheme of applying the same tariff to households and businesses, in order to balance the sustainability and affordability of water and sanitation services particularly for the poor; (f) Establish a safeguard system to protect access to essential water and sanitation for those living in poverty and those with special needs, including health conditions, through the provision of financial assistance, special tariffs, subsidies or other measures; (g) Sign and ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and its Optional Protocol, guarantee the human rights to water and sanitation and prioritize water supply for personal and domestic uses in national legislation; (h) Establish an independent regulatory mechanism with the mandate and adequate financial and human resources to monitor the implementation of the human rights to water and sanitation, including good quality water and affordable services; (i) Revisit the National Settlement Policy in view of providing equal access to water and sanitation for all, regardless of where they live; (j) Continue and strengthen dialogue with communities who are living a nomadic life or who are in transition from a nomadic to a sedentary life to find sustainable solutions for their access to water and sanitation; GE.16-12031 19