Among these included the National Directorate for Water (representatives from the Department of Water Resources and Department of International Rivers), and the Authority for Administration of Water and Sanitation Infrastructure. Non water related government departments and ministries, such as the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Mineral Resources and the National Directorate for Environmental Impact Assessment. Participants from the private sector, academia and international organizations included representatives from the National Confederation of Economic based Associations (National Representative of Private Sector & Mozambique Contractor’s Federation), Eduardo Mondlane University, Faculties of Agronomy and Engineering, Maputo Region Water Supply Company, The World Bank Water and Sanitation Project, and UNDP.
The discussions highlighted key challenges for each priority set on Water Resource Management, WASH, WasteWater & Water Quality. Some cross-cutting issues were identified included:
- Unclear institutional roles and coordination and reporting mechanisms;
- Inadequate communications and information sharing on Integrated Water Resource Management;
- Inadequate cross sector collaboration and integration;
- Inadequate financing for water resources management and the necessary investment in generating knowledge and ensuring effective technology transfer;
- Limited perspective of the top decision makers about the importance of constantly engaging in transboundary cooperation.
Discussions were also held on issues relating to Monitoring and Reporting on water resource management. Stakeholders agreed that investment on high tech water flow monitoring devices is essential for the betterment of early warning. Additionally, it was felt that effective monitoring and reporting could be enhanced through the development of a National Information System on water resource management. The absence of an implementation plan for the Water Resource Management Strategy, including the lack of defined criteria for monitoring and evaluation of policies in the field of water resources were among the key challenges identified that are hindering the effective implementation of water resource management.
The stakeholders also made suggestions for further sustainable development targets for water. There was consensus on the need for future sustainable development targets for water to focus on:
- Water resources planning that would guide future developments such as the upgrading of water supply systems to respond to growing demand of urbanization and industrialization. This target would set indicators to assess whether countries have basin or integrated national development plans on water resources.
- Building the knowledge base on the availability and quality of water at national level. This would be used as a primary process for any water resource planning at national level.
- Encouraging and defining the framework for private sector involvement in all aspects pertaining to water resources management at all levels (policy making, operational, monitoring, fund raising, and framework for investments).
- Promoting the development of hydraulic infrastructure to minimize flood impacts and its long term effects in the national development plans.
Stakeholders further agreed that the SDGs for water should also tackle elements of water related to the protection of water resources (water quality, environmental flows, etc.) and development. Participants acknowledged that Mozambique ranks third amongst African countries for being most exposed to risks from multiple weather-related hazards. Climate change resilience programmes were therefore among the top priority development areas agreed for post 2015.
The protection of communities from water-related diseases through the setting up of decentralised flood early warning systems and institutional capacity building for climate change resilience were the key development areas recognised.
In guiding these discussions, stakeholders took into account existing reference documents such as the MDGs, the African Union Vision for Water 2025, Mozambique’s Vision 2015, PARPA (poverty reduction plans) and national strategies and priorities for each component on WASH, wastewater and water quality, WRM and monitoring and reporting on WRM.