The event, held under the theme “Toward Achieving Water Security and Safely Managed Sanitation for Africa”, provides a platform for various stakeholders to meet and discuss and collectively seek solutions to Africa’s water resources, and sanitation challenges.
The Africa Water Week is convened every two years by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), in collaboration with the African Union Commission and organized with other development partners. It represents the highest level of political commitment and is targeted towards participants from governments, regional institutions, international partners, the private sector, the scientific community, civil society, and the media from all over the world, particularly Africa.
All of GWP Africa’s 5 regions are represented and taking part in the convening of nine sub-sessions throughout the duration of the week. These GWP delegations are led by the Chair of the Global Water Partnership network, Mr. Ross Hamilton, whose presence is a demonstration of the importance Africa, and AMCOW to the entire GWP. Mr Ross, who plays a senior advisory role on water and climate change to a number of organisations including the The United Nations Global Compact, possesses more than 18 years of experience in sustainability and environmental fields across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
Mr. Ross Hamilton, Chair of the Global Water Partnership Network
Mr Alex Simalabwi – Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA)’s Executive Secretary, GWP’s Global Lead on Water Climate Development and Head : Africa Coordination Unit, noted that among the objectives of GWP engagement at the Africa Water Week is the promotion of the recently developed Africa Water Investment Program (AIP).
Mr Alex Simalabwi – Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA)’s Executive Secretary, GWP’s Global Lead on Water Climate Development and Head: Africa Coordination Unit
“GWP, together with other partners are convening two sub-sessions for the Africa Water Investment Program (AIP) on 29th October 2018 and 31st of October 2018. The first sub-sessions highlight the opportunities and challenges of the AIP and also present the programme’s mechanisms for strengthening the business case for investments in water, energy and environmental security. The second will be a "High-Level Ministerial Dialogue: Accelerating Investments in water infrastructure through project Preparation in Africa”, which discusses, among others, the AIP’s commitment to support the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Water Project”, said ES Simalabwi.
GWP’s engagement in the Africa Water Week dates back to 1st AWW in Tunis in 2008, and culminated with the establishment of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AMCOW. This formal relationship led to the development and formal launch by AMCOW at the 4th Africa Water Week held in Egypt in 2012, of the Strategic Framework for Water Security and Climate Resilient Development.
The framework served as the backbone of AMCOW owned Water, Climate and Development Program (WACDEP), that is being implemented by GWP and its partners since 2012. The WACDEP supports AMCOW in implementing the Commitments of the Sharm el-Sheikh AU Summit on Water and Sanitation. GWP and its partners are thus focused on supporting AMCOW on how to translate Africa's commitments on water and sanitation into action.
Mr Hycinth Banseka, Global Water Partnership Central Africa (GWP-CAf) ’s Regional Coordinator, who is also GWP Africa Coordinator for the 7th AWW, reiterated that at the top of GWP’s agenda at the 7th AWW is supporting governments and partners in project preparation with the aim of facilitating investments in water infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, and climate change adaptation.
Mr. Hycinth Banseka, Global Water Partnership Central Africa (GWP-CAf) ’s Regional Coordinator
“GWP, together with other key stakeholders, is one of the lead organizers of this event, and in collaboration with IWMI, is lead convenor for Sub Theme 1: “Water Security: Infrastructure, Investments and Innovation”. In the same token of supporting governments in infrastructure, the GWP Africa teams are co-convening sessions on strategies governments and stakeholders can put in place to effectively mobilise financial resources for sustainable development and management of water resources, as well as for the implementation of the sustainable development goals, especially Goal 6" added Mr. Banseka.
The meeting being held in Libreville, Gabon, from 29th October to 2nd November, 2018 forms part of AMCOW’s commitment to building momentum on achieving the SDGs related to water security and sanitation by 2030, and the 2025 Africa Water Vision as well as crystallizing the way to actualizing Africa's Agenda 2063.