10th SADC River Basin Workshop Aims to Boost Regional Water Security
The event will be conducted in a hybrid format, with a physical gathering hosted in Maputo by the Government of Mozambique through the Ministry of Public Works, Housing, and Water Resources (MOPHRH).
Maputo, Mozambique– The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is gearing up to host the 10th SADC River Basin Organisations / Shared Watercourse Institutions (RBOs/SWIs) Workshop from October 2nd to 4th, 2023, writes Winston Mwale.
The event will be conducted in a hybrid format, with a physical gathering hosted in Maputo by the Government of Mozambique through the Ministry of Public Works, Housing, and Water Resources (MOPHRH).
This prestigious workshop, conducted in collaboration with the Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM) and with technical support from the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), carries the theme "Promoting water security through inclusive transboundary conjunctive management and development of water resources."
The primary goal of this workshop is to foster the exchange of ideas that will facilitate more effective transboundary water resources planning, development, and management in the region while ensuring environmental sustainability and resilience.
These efforts aim to enhance regional water security, reduce poverty, and bolster regional integration, economic productivity, and industrialization.
In addition to these overarching objectives, the event also aims to bolster the establishment, institutional development, and strengthening of RBOs/SWIs, along with other transboundary water resource development and management mechanisms in the SADC region.
Attendees will share diverse experiences and lessons on strategies for the development and implementation of transboundary projects and programs.
They will also discuss best practices in establishing flood forecasting and early warning systems (FFEWS) and decision support systems (DSS) in the SADC region.
The workshop will feature discussions on approaches and lessons learned in the development of RBO information management systems.
Procedures and implementation of planned measures in SADC will be examined, along with strategies to enhance groundwater management governance in RBOs/SWIs.
This biennial SADC RBOs/SWIs Workshop serves as a vital platform for enhancing regional integration and cooperation.
It provides an opportunity for RBOs/SWIs to exchange experiences and knowledge, while also building consensus on the strategic approaches promoted by SADC to increase water security and resilient development in the region.
This year's event will bring together representatives from RBOs/SWIs, SADC Member States, regional institutions, and various funding entities, including development finance institutions, international financiers, climate funds, official development assistance funders, and private financiers.
Key sectors within SADC, such as energy, food security, and trade, will also be well-represented.
The funding for this workshop is provided by several sources, with base funding support from the GIZ through the Transboundary Water Management in the SADC Region (TWM) and Climate Resilience and Natural Resources Management (CNRM) programs.
Additional financial support comes from the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI), the Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA), RBOs/SWIs, and other SADC implementing agencies in the region.
The 10th SADC RBOs/SWIs Workshop promises to be a critical event for advancing the region's water security and transboundary cooperation, as experts and stakeholders converge in Maputo to chart a course towards a more water-secure future for Southern Africa.