AFRICAN ministers responsible for water have been challenged to come up with co-ordinated action in addressing climate change and its impact on water resources.
The call was made during the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) Southern Africa Sub-Regional Technical Advisory Committee and Technical Committee meeting which started in Harare yesterday. The meeting is focused on enhancing water security and sustainable development across the region.
AMCOW Sothern Africa chairperson Tinayeshe Mutazu said the meeting represented a critical milestone in the collective journey towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.
“This gathering comes at a time when the world faces challenges of climate change, characterised by extreme weather events such as floods and droughts,” he said.
“Water resources are foundational to sustainable development, impacting sectors from agriculture to energy and health. Urgent, co-ordinated action is required to address pollution, inadequate infrastructure and social inequities.”
Cecil Nundwe, representing the African Development Bank (AfDB), echoed the same sentiments, emphasising the bank’s commitment to water resource management and how the bank's investments have improved the lives of many people.
“Over the last decade, AfDB has invested more than US$8 billion in the water sector across 14 African countries. And our investments have improved the lives of approximately 92 million people,” he said.
The workshop aims to consult with regional member States on their priorities for the water and sanitation agenda beyond 2025.
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AMCOW executive secretary Rashid Mbaziira said the dual objectives of the meeting was to gather insights on future water policies and conducting council’s annual statutory meeting.
Mbaziira reflected on the challenges faced since the launch of the Africa Water Vision 2025, stating that while progress has been made, significant hurdles remain.
“Our assessment shows that we have not fully realised the vision we set out, but we have learned valuable lessons that will inform our approach going forward,” he said.
