by Tigere Chagutah – SANF 06 No 27
Southern Africa joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Water Day on 22 March amid efforts by the global water polity to bring water governance issues down to grass-root levels.
This year’s celebrations are being coordinated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) under the theme “Water and Culture” as a way of drawing attention to the fact that there are as many ways of using and protecting water as there are cultural traditions across the world.
The day was set aside by United Nations to allow member states to reflect on progress made towards implementation of water-related recommendations that grew out of the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
Observed since 1993, celebrations in the Southern African Development (SADC) region have been characterised by activities that highlight the vital interdependence between poverty eradication, socio-economic empowerment and water resources.
Among many national initiatives across the region, the day will be marked in Mozambique by celebrations in Mafambisse Dondo, Sofala province, where activities lined up include a local football competition for men and women, a marathon race, exhibitions by school children and the commissioning of a new hand-pump at a local school.
South Africa has designated the period between 21 and 27 March as its National Water Week during which a campaign will be carried out to reiterate the value of water, the need for sustainable water management and the role water plays in eradicating poverty and under-development.
Many countries in southern Africa face the challenge of effectively managing the available water resources to meet the needs of a growing population.
With the regional population projected to rise to more than 327 million by 2025, countries face growing demand for domestic, industrial and agricultural water supply, with serious negative impacts in the provision of clean drinking water and sanitation.
While efforts are being made towards achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include reducing by half the number of people without access to clean water and safe sanitation by 2015 from 1990 levels, progress has been slow in some countries.
According to a survey conducted and published by Mozambique’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) in October 2001, just 37.1 percent of the country’s population had access to safe drinking water while the rest of the population derived its water from sources such as rivers, lakes or unprotected wells.
Sanitation poses an even greater challenge, with 57.5 percent of the population having no latrines in their homes while only 9.7 percent use modern flush toilets, according to the INE survey.
However some countries in the region are on track. Botswana’s population with access to safe drinking water increased from 77 percent in 1996 to almost 98 percent in 2003. Access to safe drinking water in Zambia increased marginally from 48 percent in 1992 to 51 percent in 2002.
Rural communities lag behind urban populations, with 22 percent of Angola’s rural population having access to safe drinking water compared to 46 percent in the urban areas in 1998 while in the same year in Zimbabwe, 32 percent of the rural population had access to sanitation compared to 96 percent in the urban areas.
While creative technological solutions are needed for ensuring that the poorest people have access to clean water and safe sanitation, the process also calls for the involvement of people and communities in developing sustainable measures for managing water resources.
This need is one of the issues that are expected to be raised at the Fourth World Water Forum which takes place in Mexico City from 16-22 March.
The event, convened by the World Water Council and attended by representatives from governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, academia, industry and the media runs under the theme “Local Actions For A Global Challenge.”
Discussions at the forum are aimed at finding ways of empowering local actors in the formulation of solutions to water issues and the removal of barriers obstructing local action.
The discussions are guided by a five-point framework encompassing some of the most important challenges in water resources management today.
The framework is built around issues of the provision of water for growth and development; implementation of integrated water resources management; provision of clean water and sanitation for all; water management for food and the environment, and risk management in water issues.
Among many other activities scheduled for the week to coincide with the international forum is a Water Fair in Mexico designed to improve stakeholder networking. It will feature displays by countries and non-profit organisations as well as cultural and artistic activities.
Also planned is a ministerial conference to take place on 21 – 22 March. The ministerial meeting aims to foster dialogue between ministers and stakeholders participating in the forum, and will come up with a Ministerial Declaration.
The Declaration will look to provide continuity to commitments regarding water and sanitation contained in various international political statements such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the MDGs.
