Front page

Introduction

This document is a qualitative assessment of the extent of regional integration in the water resources sector of Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the last two decades. This assessment is made in the context of the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action, that laid the foundation for an African Economic Community (AEC). The Lagos Plan of Action was signed by leaders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) who agreed to implement the “ Monrovia strategy for the economic, social and cultural development of Africa and to adopt, among other measures, those relating to the setting up of regional structures and strengthening of those already existing for an eventual establishment of an African Common Market as a first step towards the creation of an AEC.”

A schedule was set for the implementation of the various programmes between 1980 and 2000.

Under the section on water resources, the Lagos Plan makes recommendations, which are in line with the Mar del Plata Action of the United Nations Conference of March 1977. In addition, the recommendations of the Lagos Plan take into account the follow-up and implementation of the Action Plan for the Integration, Development and Management of Water Resources agreed upon at the African regional meeting in October 1978 the key aspects of these recommendations were on:

• institutional strengthening, through the formulation of national water committees, the strengthening of existing sub-regional organisations, such as river and lake basin commissions and Intergovernmental Committees on Water;

• formulation of national water plans, with focus on water supply and agriculture, in the context of the international water supply and sanitation decade and the regional food self-sufficiency plan respectively. The plans are to be integrated into the broader National Development Plan;

• project identification, preparation and implementation of bankable water supply and irrigation projects, for implementation with domestic resources as well as external financial and technical assistance; and

• sub-regional and regional co-operation through the establishment of joint river/ lake basin organizations to promote intergovernmental co-operation in the development of shared water resources.