(vi) (vii) 4. Lack of effective public participation by all stakeholders particularly women and the poor. Infrastructure is inadequate and unable to meet the growing demands for service. These issues are being addressed through a number of programmes and projects that form part of the Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management in the SADC Countries (RSAP-IWRM) which is now a component of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). The RSAP is implemented by the SADC Secretariat through the Directorate of Infrastructure and Services‟ Water Division (DIS-WD). However, water resources development in the region still faces many challenges including the following: i) Mismatch between water availability and demand. Areas of highest water demand happen to be in the water scarce semi-arid zones of the region. This poses a challenge in terms of the allocation of available water resources to various users, particularly with respect to transboundary water resources. ii) High variability of available water resources, which impacts on reliability. Investments in storage dams, inter-basin transfers and large scale water distribution networks are needed to ensure water security for multi-purpose uses under varying climatic and hydrological conditions. iii) Shared watercourses which cut across political jurisdictions and cover several countries with different socio-economic conditions and complex water rights serve as a potential source of conflict unless managed in a coordinated, integrated and equitable manner. At the same time, shared watercourses serve as potential sources of regional cooperation and economic integration. iv) Widespread poverty in the region. UN and World Bank studies indicate that a number of SADC countries have the lowest human development indices in the world; it is estimated that about 70% of the population in the region lives below the international poverty line of US$2 per day. v) Weak inter-sectoral linkages and coordination, which hampers comprehensive and integrated development. vi) Low access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, primarily as a result of inadequate infrastructure, and poor operation and maintenance of facilities. vii) Weak policy linkages at regional and national levels, particularly weak implementation mechanisms at national level, such that plans at regional level do not have an effective impact at national level. viii) Sharing benefits of water allocation, between Watercourse States, taking account of historically uneven development of water resources requiring joint assessment, planning and understanding of resource availability and utilisation. ix) Poorly developed formal dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly the delay in the establishment of the SADC Tribunal. x) The prevalence of HIV/AIDS, with the associated challenges for the capacity, sensitivity and requirements to water resources management in the region. - vi -