Awareness and Communication Strategy access to relevant and understandable water resources information impacting on their health, safety and economic interests. Awareness challenges for specific issues are covered in the Implementation Toolkit. It is however important to note that lack of awareness is a constant thread in the Regional Water Policy (RWP), the Regional Water Strategy (RWS) and the Regional Strategic Action Plan (RSAP). Albeit this, there is no regional framework to guide the communication and awareness aspects of water resources management. As a result, it is still not clear how the good awareness creation intentions could be translated into action at regional and Member States levels. Finally, there are a number of affiliate water related programmes and projects of regional nature that are carried out by other organisations which cannot be comprehensively articulated due to poor coordination. It could have been easier if these programmes outside the direct mandate of the Water Division could have been coordinated in some way so that communicating their good intensions is done within the framework of this Strategy. This Awareness and Communication strategy, therefore, provides a framework that guides the SADC Water Sector in translating into action a number of awareness–related statements, commitments and intentions scattered in the SADC strategic documents and instruments mentioned above and those outlined in Chapter 3. 1.3.3 Recommendations from the Mid-term Review of the RSAP The Mid-Term Review of the first RSAP identified a number of information and communication problems within the SADC Water Sector. The SADC Water Division was challenged to embark on proactive and aggressive communication of SADC intentions, the water resources management instruments, and water programmes being implemented in the region. This should include creating awareness on the SADC institutions (its structure, roles and responsibilities), the Treaty, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), the Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses, the Regional Water Policy, the Regional Water Strategy, the RSAP and other projects being implemented. These are articulated in Chapter 3. The review recommended that the main focus areas for the SADC Water Division’s communication strategy should include raising the profile of the RSAP, improving the linkage between the SADC Secretariat and Member States, improving linkages between the SADC National Committees and the respective role-players within each Member State; and disseminating information to the wider public. In doing this, the SADC Water Division would also facilitate the exposure of regional and national water technicians to global developments in water development and management. The Regional Water Strategy identifies the awareness and communication strategy for the SADC Water Sector (this Strategy) as a priority intervention for closing the communication gap. 1.4 Strategy Formulation Process Based on the context above, the SADC Water Division put together the Strategy Working Group to consult SADC Water Division, SADC Member States and relevant stakeholders to define possible pathways for filling the existing awareness gaps. Page 5