Harare, (New Ziana) – The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) Southern Africa Sub-Regional meeting kicked off on Monday in Harare, as part of a series of consultations that the organisation is conducting across Africa.
The three-day meeting aims to align contribution of water to the attainment of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals, ensuring a prosperous continent that is self-governing, as well as to discuss critical water management issues in the region.
“We are looking at an Africa where we have food security and nutritional safety, sufficient energy to run all our industries and ensure electrification for all, and better disaster preparedness and risk management to mitigate the harmful effects of water,” According to Rashid Mbaziira, the Executive Secretary of AMCOW, highlighting the importance of ensuring environmental security and water security.
The main objective of the meeting is to facilitate an exchange of experiences and ideas among stakeholders, including government representatives, technical experts, civil society actors, and international partners.
The discussions will focus on defining strategic priorities for the region in water management, including water and sanitation challenges, sustainable development goals, and ongoing regional and international initiatives.
In essence, AMCOW is seeking to align its vision with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which aims to achieve a prosperous continent that is self-governing.
The organization is also working towards realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, which focuses on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all.
As part of the process, AMCOW is engaging with various stakeholders to gather their views and inputs on the future of water management in Africa, with the outcomes of the meetings contributing to the development of a new vision for the organisation beyond 2025.
Mbaziira emphasized the importance of ensuring environmental security and water security, stating, “Water plays a key role in driving our agenda for socio-economic development, alleviating poverty, promoting regional integration, and assuring the integrity of our environment.”
“We are converging here with the members of Southern Africa to look at how we can do things differently in order to achieve better results going forward.” The meeting will also discuss the challenges that the region faces, including droughts, floods, and water scarcity.
New Ziana
