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A SADC/ UNESCO Workshop aimed to promote Cooperation and Conflict Prevention in Transboundary Water Resources was held at Phakalane Golf Estate Conference Centre, in Gaborone, Botswana from 25-27 February 2013. The 24 workshop participants included staff from SADC, GWPSA, UNESCO and SADC River Basin Organisation representatives. GWPSA was represented by Regional Programme Officer, Mr. Michael Ramaano. The workshop provided a platform for participants to share and exchange sub-regional experiences on water cooperation as well as learn more about designing and conducting negotiation processes on transboundary water-related issues.

On February 27-28, 2013, Global Water Partnership Southern Africa’s (GWPSA) Executive Secretary, Ms Ruth Beukman participated in the Post- 2015 Development Agenda Consultation on Water: Water Resources Management (WRM) and Wastewater Management & Water Quality (WWMWQ). Ms Beukman was invited by UN Water to be a panellist and was sponsored by UNECE to participate. The meeting was sponsored by the Government of Switzerland as part of the Thematic Consultation on Water, coordinated by UN-Water, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWP SA) partnered with UNDP to follow up with a set of national dialogues on water. The water dialogues form part of the 11 thematic consultations now underway by the United Nations (UN) in preparation for developing Sustainable Development Goals (SD) in 2015. GWPSA engaged stakeholders from three countries to organise consultations during the months of February – April 2013. These are South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique. 

The Tanzania Consultative Meeting on Water in the Post-2015 Agenda convened from 26 – 27 March 2013 at Ubungo Plaza in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was co-led by the Tanzania Country Water Partnership.

Left to right - Mike Ramaano, GWPSA Regional Programme,  Permanent Secretary for Special Affairs Office of the President – Mr. T. Musukutwa,  & Mr. R. Tekateka, GWPSA Advisor during the WACDEP Zimbabwe launch

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources Development and Management (MWRDM), today launches the Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) for Africa in Zimbabwe. The launch, which is in the form of an Inception Workshop is being held on 10 and 11^th April 2013 at the Holiday Inn, Harare, Zimbabwe

The water sector in South Africa is dynamic and facing major challenges such as reduction in capacity of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to engage as extensively with stakeholders. As a result of a weak partnership base, it has been difficult to ensure the implementation of equitable and sustainable IWRM. Although a South African Country Water Partnership (SA CWP) was launched in 2002, and was active in early GWP activities such as the Framework for Action (FFA) over the years the sense of purpose for a partnership among water actors diminished as the water sector changed it’s strategic dimensions. One of the challenges that the SA CWP of the Global Water Partnership faced was defining exactly what its role in South Africa would be and how it would partner with other Water sector stakeholders to ensure that it executes its tasks and achieves success.

Building Linkages for Water Security and Climate Change Resilience in Zimbabwe

Key government institutions such as the Department of Water Affairs, including its parent Ministry, the Ministry of Water Resource Development and Management (MWRDM), played prominent roles at the launch of the Water and Climate Development Programme (WACDEP)in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the 10-11 April 2013, with over 70 stakeholders gathered.

GWP Southern Africa has participated in national and international dialogues focusing on water in the post 2015 development agenda. The dialogues form part of the UN national dialogue (post Rio +20) process which will feed into the development of the UN post 2015 Sustainable Development Goal(s).

Sharing sub-regional experiences on water cooperation and learning about designing and conducting negotiations on transboundary water-related issues were the topics of a SADC/ UNESCO workshop to “Promote Cooperation and Conflict Prevention in Transboundary Water Resources” on 25-27 February, 2013 in Gaborone, Botswana.