The workshop themed “Improved Regional Integration through River Health and Nexus Approaches”willfocus on river water quality issues and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus approaches for greater benefits and sustainability of interventions aimed at improving lives of SADC citizens.
A wide range of stakeholders in the region are expected to attend, such as the Water Resources Technical Committee (WRTC) who are mainly Directors of Water, Directors of Energy, Directors of Agriculture, Water Quality and Aquatic weeds sub-committee members, Gender Water Focal Points from the SADC Member States, River Basin Organisations from around the region, regional organisations , Youth representation, and International Cooperating Partners active in the water sector and other water influenced sectors.
This series of workshops, of which this is the seventh as indicated, are meant to build consensus on SADC’s strategic approach to support the efforts of Member States regarding the establishment, institutional development, and strengthening of RBO’s, as well as other trans-boundary water resources development and management mechanisms in the region. This workshop specifically supports the implementation of the SADC Regional Strategic Plan IV’s eighth programme area on “Industrialisation and Nexus Approaches” that aims to contribute to an enabling environment for accelerated industrial growth and pilot the water-energy-food approach to facilitate better understanding of the nexus approach in the SADC region.
The dialogue is expected to enhance cooperation amongst relevant institutions, create awareness and understanding of the water, energy, food nexus experiences of RBOs in the region (including the Island States), enable discussions on tangible projects within the region to foster further collaboration across sectors and facilitate political uptake of the nexus concept; and ensure elevation of the nexus concept to the highest political levels.
GWP is supporting countries and regional RBO’s in developing nexus integrated approaches. Through this initiative, GWP will contribute towards strengthening nexus – related knowledge management, including contributing to strengthening partnerships and allowing the use of neutral platforms for enhanced exchanges between scientific and practitioner communities.