Awareness and Communication Strategy
3.2.3
Regional Water Programme: Cluster of projects
Communicate that SADC is not just about meetings and summits but is delivering its
commitment to citizens through a number of water programmes and projects.
To who: Policy makers and practitioners
in all sectors, river basin commissions,
the media and the general public.
How: Demonstrations and field visits,
presentations in meetings, project flyers,
documentaries on the work of the projects,
and websites.
SADC Secretariat’s Water Division and its implementing agents are managing a cluster of
projects to deliver on the commitments that SADC has made to the citizens of the region.
Stakeholders and the general public should know specific intentions, progress and
achievements of these projects and programmes but also be encouraged to actively
participate in their implementation. At regional scale awareness could be created on the
overall programme whilst at national level it could also emphasise the benefit to the Member
State of the overall programme or where the Member State could provide support. Key
project clusters are:
a) Regional Water Infrastructure Programme;
b) Water Resource Assessment;
c) Capacity Building;
d) Water Governance.
The specific projects’ listing under each cluster and their relationship to the RSAP 1 projects
is given in the Implementers’ Toolkit for this Strategy.
3.2.4
Regional Water Programme: Achievements
Communicate that SADC water programme and projects are achieving a lot in contributing
to poverty eradication, and fostering regional integration and cooperation in southern
Africa.
To who: Policy makers (Government
Officials, Ministers and
Parliamentarians), river basin
commissions, practitioners from relevant
sectors, the media and the general public.
How: Mass media, workshops,
demonstrations and field visits, public
events (displays, exhibitions and
presentations), publications, documentaries
on the achievements of the projects, and
websites.
The water programme has registered substantial achievements since inception especially in
establishing an enabling environment for cooperation in the Water Sector, nearly real-time
hydrological monitoring, groundwater management, and capacity building in the Water
Sector as well as establishing institutions for cooperation in transboundary water resources
management in various shared basins.
Achievements that need to be communicated are:
a) Promotion of peaceful and development and utilization of shared water resources
arising from the close collaboration of water officials in SADC through the WRTC
and other forums that facilitate consultation and resolutions of key issues amicably;
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