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Mozambican Housing minister underscores importance of water in human activities
2007-05-19 09:14:56
By PST Correspondent
Water is an important resource for sustainable development of the SADC region and it can help the members attain MDGs if governments work in partnership to manage water alongside other resources, it was said.
The statement was made by the Mozambique Minister for Public Works and Housing, Felicio Zacarius, when officially opening the SADC Multi-stakeholder Water Dialogue here on Wednesday.
He said water is important for achieving the socio-economic development of the region but individual countries can achieve very little if they manage it without linking it to other sectors like agriculture, forestry, tourism, energy, finance and economic planning.
`There are two things here; one is that governments must institute IWRM in their own countries. But as a region we must also apply the IWRM approach in partnership not only to realize sustainable development, but also to adapt to the effects arising from the variations in the supply of water,` he explained.
He said that the region faces extreme water situations with some countries experiencing too much water during the rainy season and almost no water during the dry season.
`The application of IWRM would help to deal with this anomaly since management of water would involve other sectors,` he explained.
The Minister also noted lack of water storage systems in the region, which he said could improve with the application of the IWRM approach.
In his welcoming remarks, a SADC official, Remigio Makumbe, explained that the region is facing water scarcity with an uneven distribution of rainfall and water resources and that although agriculture is the largest consumer, competition among water users is big.
`But it is also true that there is a mismatch between the availability of water and demand.
What is worse, the resource is not managed properly and this calls for decision makers to ensure the wise use of water and related resources so that the same can enhance development,` he noted.
The Chairman of Mozambique Water Partnership, Dr Patricio Jose, said that the Water Dialogue should enhance equitable access to resources among member countries in a bid to speed up the development of the region.
`This dialogue should serve as a platform for sharing expertise and enhancing mutual understanding among stakeholders,` he said.
Eight papers were presented on the first day of the Dialogue.
They include `Opportunities and Challenges to the Water Sector contribution to Regional Integration`, `Involving Key Sectors in Water Resources Management Planning`, `Integrated Approach to Water Infrastructural Development` and `Is there a role for IWRM in Human Development?`
Others are `Water for Food- Improving Food Security at Household level`, `Water and Food Security in the SADC Region`, `Role of Water in the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/Aids and IWRM`, and `Can it Contribute to Bettering Livelihoods?`
The Dialogue is being conducted back to back with an exhibition of water related activities conducted by organizations working in the water sector in the region.
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