PREFACE Southern Africa is still battling with challenges of water insecurity. These are exacerbated by limited financial capacity in an environment of climate-induced pressures and an ever increasing water demand. Approximately 40% of the region’s people still do not have access to safe drinking water while about 60% have no access to improved sanitation facilities. Water insecurity and such poor sanitation and hygiene levels are a drawback to efforts on poverty reduction, economic growth and regional stability. In line with the recent internationally adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the 6th Goal to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, SADC is gearing herself to change the situation. The Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) and supporting strategies aim at turning around this undesired state of affairs; targeting to increase access levels to at least 75% by 2027 for both safe drinking water and sanitation and to increase land under irrigation from the current 7% of irrigable land to 20%. With water storage still at about 14% of the annual renewable water resources, clearly SADC is still vulnerable to water, energy and food insecurities. The recent drought of 2014/2015 and 2015/16 which affected a sizeable number of SADC countries is an attestation of that weakness. Lessons learnt from this and previous calamities are the need for a stronger collaboration amongst the three sectors (Water, Energy and Food) by adopting joint planning and implementation of programmes through the Nexus Approach. Possible nexuses for consideration include: (a) water and sanitation, (b) water and energy, (c) water and food security, (d) water and industrial development, (e) water and services, (f) water, energy and food security, and (g) water, land and food security. This is a clear demonstration that Investing in Water Development has a multiplying effect on socio-economic development directly and through the water influenced sectors. This fourth phase of the SADC Regional Strategic Action Plan (RSAP IV) of the water sector is a five year programme scheduled to run from 2016 to 2020. The RSAP IV has been developed through a vigorous consultative process where all Member States of SADC held three-day national workshops to provide input to the formulation process. These were consolidated and validated during the regional multi-stakeholder workshop held in Windhoek, Namibia in September 2015. The RSAP IV is the implementation plan for the water component of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), a blue print of SADC programmes. It is also a strategic plan to implement the water chapter of the Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP). Like its predecessor (RSAP III), the RSAP IV focus is on water infrastructure development to enhance water security and increase resilience against Climate Variability and Change. This will put water to play its rightful role of being a catalyst and engine for development while contributing to the four goals of SADC: Regional Integration, Peace and Stability, Industrialisation, and Poverty Eradication. To effectively respond to the region’s challenges, the RSAP IV proposes a suit of participatory and delivery approaches to water and services such a nexus approaches, indigenous knowledge-based solutions, disaster risk management-based systems, climate resilience building, blending both built and ecological infrastructural solutions, ground-surface water integrated planning and development and others. Allow me therefore to invite you to join the SADC Secretariat’s Directorate of Infrastructure and Services in its endeavour to deliver the implementation of this Plan for the enhancement of the lives of all SADC citizens. The time to act is now. Dr. Thembinkosi Mhlongo Deputy Executive Secretary – Regional Integration Southern African Development Community A Vehicle to implement the Water Component of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) RE AR D iii T U W TO REGIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN IV (2016 - 2020) MUNITY SOUTHERN M CO AF T VE N DE LOPM EN CA RI SA C O M MO N FU