Among the funds includes Project Preparation Development Facility (PPDF) which supports SADC member States to undertake feasibility, technical and engineering designs, environmental and social impact assessment studies, as well as preparation of tender documents and transaction advisory services to make projects bankable for financing and implementation.
Speaking during the 9th River Basin organizations shared Watercourse Institutions (RBOs/SWIs) Workshop SADC Senior Programme Officer Dr Patrice Kabeya said the move will promote sustainable industrial development in SADC by fully realizing the benefits of cooperation across shared waters.
“Collaboration is very important in transboundary water management and that one of the key benefits of RBOs is their power to convene,” he said.
The workshop was organized by SADC in collaboration with the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM), and with technical support from the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA).
The workshop was held under the theme “Promoting Inclusive and Collaborative Trans-boundary Water Financing for Sustainable Industrial Development”.
It was aimed at promoting sustainable industrial development in SADC by fully realizing the benefits of cooperation across shared waters.
It provided a platform for stakeholders from water and related sectors to share information and experiences on inclusive transboundary water financing and collaborative development in line with the theme.
During the workshop participants concurred that ground water is a low hanging fruit and that it should be prioritized as it is less polluted and does not need extensive equipment for treatment, and that water is critical factor to support the SADC regional integration and industrialization.
He said water is and will remain a catalyst for sustainable development and that it is important to sustain river basins through financing so that they bring the benefits that the Member States intended.
Member States were encouraged to embrace opportunities offered by new technologies such as Internet of Things, big data analysis and early warning systems.
Workshop participants also heard that there is a need for joint fundraising to avoid duplication and competition and that there is a need for collaboration not only at RBO level but at the national institutional or sector level.
ZAMCOM is a major river basin organization in Africa. It was established in 2014 as an inter-governmental organisation that brings together eight riparian states that share the Zambezi River Basin namely; Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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