Page 78 - 41st Summit Brochure

ecosystems, natural habitats, industries and part of demonstrating use of groundwater for
growing cities as research indicates that community resilience-building.
groundwater is the primary source of water The demonstration projects were
for 70 percent of the over 280 million people implemented in the 10 countries (Angola,
living in the SADC region’s rural areas. Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi,
The programme has made impacts in Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia,
various areas, and has ensured that a robust and Zimbabwe) that submitted proposals
and regional groundwater institute is in for funding support under the sub-grant
place. The SADC-GMI developed a regional scheme of the Project. The demonstration
groundwater database, information systems projects were implemented under
and modeling tools, and capacitated typologies, namely: Groundwater
Member States and basin institutions in the Monitoring Networks, Groundwater
issue of sustainable groundwater Database Integration, Deep Aquifer
management and development. Exploration and Monitoring, Aquifer
Identification and development for Urban
Youth Empowerment Groundwater Supply, and Solar-powered
76 Since 2018, the SADC-GMI made as one of Groundwater Supply.

its priorities to include Young Professional Member States were guided in the
Internships in some of its projects. So far, implementation of these pilot projects
Young Professionals aged under 35 years through a Sub-grant Manual to facilitate the
were nominated through the Member effective and efficient management of the
States’ National Focal Persons for internship. sub-grant scheme. Over 84,000 direct
The Young Professionals are expected to beneficiaries were reached through the sub-
attend various skills-development grant projects.
programmes including data and The sustainable SADC Groundwater
information management, as well as Management in SADC Member States project
international cooperation and knowledge officially ended on 30 June 2021. Before
management, in workshops where they can project closure, on 28-29 April 2021, SADC-
share information and experiences gained GMI hosted a virtual workshop where the
through assignments and from the project’s achievements and lessons under each
Community of Practice with other component were presented to SADC Member
colleagues in the region. Out of the 65 States, regional/international partners and
Young Professional internships, 35 percent funders of the project.
are women. The SADC Groundwater Management
Institute is working on phase 2 of the project
Livelihoods Water Infrastructure with US$9 million funding from CIWA,
Development Projects which is due to commence in September
As the project comes to an end in June 2021, 2021 and runs until November 2025. In
the SADC groundwater management project collaboration with the World Bank, a further
has been able to deliver 13 pilot projects in 10 grant of US$5 million is expected to come
SADC Member States aimed at infrastructure from GEF by June 2022 to bring the total
development for improved groundwater funding for the phase 2 project to US$14
utilization management and protection, as million until December 2026.