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Water can serve as a good
vehicle for advancing region
al co-operation and economic
integration if the resource is managed
and developed in an equitable and reasonable
manner. Sustainable development
and sound environmental protection
will result; SADC sectoral committee
of ministers of water has reaffirmed.
Participating at the sixth annual meeting
of the SADC Sectoral
Committee of Ministers
of Water held in Harare,
on 15 June, the ministers
noted in particular that
the Revised Protocol on
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The Harare meeting was attended by
all but three SADC member States, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius
and Seychelles.
Opening the meeting, Zimbabwe’s
Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Re-settlement
Joseph Made, noted progress
made on the Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses in the SADC Region, and
on the implementation of the Regional
Strategic Action Plan for Integrated
Water Resources Development and
Management (RSAP).
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supply and sanitation
coverage and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
He also highlighted the extreme
spatial and temporal variations of the region’s
water resources and the cycle of floods and droughts which have been
occurring with increasing frequency and
intensity over the past decade.
The ministers expressed satisfaction
at the progress on the implementation of
the RSAP. In view of the fact that it is
now moving towards implementation,
member states were urged to ensure that
adequate budgetary provisions for the
10 percent counterpart contribution are
made. They approved in principle, 14 projects for implementation
pending
incorporation of
comments from
member States.
The meeting
also noted that the
funding agreement
for the implementation
of the project
concerning the development
of the
Water Resources
Development and
Management Strategy
for the Zambezi
River Basin had
been signed. They
urged the Zambezi
riparian states to
make adequate
preparations for the implementation of this project and
also for the resumption of the negotiations
on the establishment of the Zambezi
River Basin Commission (ZAM-COM).
The ministers also noted that arrangements
for the implementation of the
desk study for the Utilization of the Water
Resources of the Congo River Basin
was at an advanced stage and that consultants
had already been appointed.
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Watercourses in
the SADC region signed
in August 2000 has been
ratified by only two member
states. In view of the
importance of this Protocol
to regional integration
and conflict prevention,
ministers urged member
States that have not ratified
to speed up the process
in order that the Protocol
is ratified by at least
a two-thirds majority by
August 2001.
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Commenting on the restructuring
process currently underway in SADC institutions,
Made commended the Water
Sector Coordinating Unit (WSCU) for the
proactive work done in adjusting to the
new structure.
The chairperson of the committee, M.
Moleleki of Lesotho said the region was
facing serious challenges from globalization,
inadequate water
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Southern
Africa expects a 22 percent decline in maize output from the 2000/01
crop season and might have to import from outside the region to meet
domestic requirements, the regional food security unit said
recently. "Regional
maize production is esti-mated to
have fallen by 22 percent to 16.075
million tonnes from the 1999/2000 harvest of 20.50 million
tonnes," says SADC’S Regional Early Warning Unit. Reflecting
the marked decline |
in
production, maize is assessed as showing a regional
deficit of 1.78 million tonnes…compared
to last year when a regional surplus of 2.11 million tonnes was
assessed. Only South Africa and Mala-wi are expected to have national
surpluses—of 225 000 and 356 000 tonnes respectively—with the aid
of carry-over stocks from the previous season. "Maize import
requirements amounting to 1.78 million tonnes may have to be covered
through extra-regional trade," according to the food security
unit. |
