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dam-l NGOs Form Regional Network for Improved Water Management in Regi
Press Release
8 October, 1999
Contact:
International Rivers Network-Botswana
T: +267-353-337
F: +267-359-337
NGOs Join Forces for Improved Water Management in Southern Africa
More than twenty organisations from ten countries in Southern Africa
gathered in Johannesburg this week to form the first regional civil
society network aimed at promoting sound water management in the
region. These organisations were drawn together by a shared concern
about the disturbing state of water resources management in the region
- nearly half of the region's residents do not have access to safe and
reliable water supply; despite Southern Africa's aridity, the region
continues to squander more than one-third of its scarce water supply
through wasteful practices; costly dams are being constructed before
water conservation strategies are put in place; and civil society is
excluded from important water planning and management activities.
The mission of the new network is to "work together to promote
meaningful participation of civil society to ensure the sustainable
and equitable management of Southern African water resources." As the
first collective action together, most members of the network endorsed
a letter that was sent to the Global Water Partnership in Zimbabwe,
calling for greater participation in the GWP's effort to develop
"regional vision" for Southern African water resources management.
All but two of the twenty organisations attending felt that
participation in the visioning exercise has been inadequate to develop
a document that purports to speak for "We the people of Southern
Africa." The GWP Southern Africa vision will be fed into the "World
Water Vision" at the 2nd annual World Water Forum at The Hague in
March 2000. The GWP hopes the "World Water Vision" will guide
important water management decisions in the next century. The letter
is attached below.
To the Global Water Partnership:
Our organizations from around Southern Africa call for a more
participatory process to revise the draft document "Southern Africa
Vision for Water, Life and the Environment in the 21st Century". We
have concerns that this vision document has a number of issues that
need further discussion. We also believe there has been too little
time to consult properly on this document. Our organizations believe
that the only way to create a sustainable, equitable vision is to
include people who have previously been marginalised or excluded from
water planning processes in the region. Therefore, we request that we
be sent copies of the revised document when it comes out in November
and be given an opportunity to participate in a process to revise that
document as needed.
Our organizations are part of a newly formed network of Southern
African non-governmental organisations working to promote meaningful
participation of civil society in ensuring management of Southern
African water resources. We came together at the first regional
meeting of water-oriented NGOs to address collaboration in the water
sector. We have experience in a wide range of water issues and the
effect of existing water policies and practices on communities and
other stakeholders.
The following organisations endorse this letter:
Alexandra Community Organisation - Johannesburg, SA
Alternative Information and Development Center - Johannesburg, SA
Angolan Rural Communities Organisation - Luanda, Angola
Earthlife Africa - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, SA
Emanti Esive - Manzini, Swaziland
Empowerment for African Sustainable Development - Cape Town, SA
Endangered Wildlife Trust - Maputo, Mozambique
Environmental Monitoring Group - Cape Town, SA
Freshwater Research Unit - Cape Town, SA
Greater Erendale Environmental Group - Pietermarizburg, SA
Group for Environmental Monitoring - Johannesburg, SA
Highlands Church Action Group - Maseru, Lesotho
International Rivers Network - Botswana
LINK NGO Forum - Maputo, Mozambique
Menonite Central Committee - Maseru, Lesotho
Okavango Liaison Group - Maun, Botswana
Transformation Resource Center - Maseru, Lesotho
WaterNet - Harare, Zimbabwe
Wildlife Society of Malawi - Limbe, Malawi
Yonge Nawe - Manzini, Swaziland
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Steve Rothert
International Rivers Network
Okavango Liaison Group
Plot 253 Moremi Road
Private Box 2723
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267-353-337, Fax: 267-359-337
Email: stever@info.bw
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