7 0 • S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N Improve the legal and regulatory framework at national and regional levels to ensure harmonised D E V E L O P M E N T C O M M U N I T Y 4.12 SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY policies and legislation and consistency with international water principles; • Promote the development of strategic water 4.12.1 Introduction infrastructure (rehabilitation and expansion of The production of food and cash crops is adversely affected existing facilities, creation of new facilities, regional by periodic droughts and floods, and by morbidity and loss programme for water supply and sanitation, pre- of labour caused by HIV and AIDS. Both of these causes can feasibility studies for strategic regional infrastructure be said to be beyond the control of Member States. projects e.g. water transfer and storage; irrigation; flood control and drought mitigation); • Strengthen the capacity of national and regional water institutions for water resources planning, development and management; • Enhance the knowledge base on water resources through improved information management, research and technology development (to improve the • However, food production can be enhanced through improved access to productive resources, improved market prices for agriculture products, less dependence on rainfed agriculture, good governance and social stability. The level of food insecurity in SADC is high and rising. Between 1990-92 and 1997-99, FAO estimates the number of undernourished people in the region to have increased from 52.7 million to 77.2 million or from 42 percent to 51 percent of the entire population. Although there have availability and quality of water); and been improvements in a small number of countries, Promote awareness and public participation in policy average per capita dietary energy and protein intakes and programme formulation and implementation. remain below the recommended levels at 2,160 kcal per day, against a recommended level of 2,700 kcal per day, TARGETS and at 49g per day compared to 68g per day, respectively. Over and above the problem of chronic food Target 1: Long term regional water policy and strategy developed and approved by March 2004; shortage, periodic food crisis leave many people without Target 2: Increased awareness, broad participation food. The 2001/2002 food crisis, for example, affected and gender mainstreamed in water resources over 15.2 million people across the region. As a result of development and management by 2005; rising food shortages, food imports have almost doubled Target 3:, Centres of excellence for water research and technology development are identified, strengthened by 2005; Target 4: Water sector policies and legislation harmonised by 2006; in the region over the past fifteen years. The pressure exerted by these imports on foreign exchange receipts is likely to rise in the future and this diverts resources from productive investments for most Member States. Ensuring sustainable food security in the region therefore contributes directly to poverty reduction. Target 5: Establish and strengthen at least eight River Basin Organisations by 2006; Target 6: Water data banks and planning networks 4.12.2 Overall Goal are established and fully operational by 2007; The overall goal of co-operation in Food Security is to Target 7: Training and institutional capacity strength- achieve sustainable access to safe and adequate food at all ening programmes developed and implemented by times by all people in SADC for an active and healthy life. 2008; without access to safe drinking water and sanitation 4.12.3 Areas of Focus services; • Target 8: Halve by 2015 the proportion of people Food Availability: In order to enhance long-term Target 9: Develop by 2015 water resources infra- availability of food in SADC, the objective of regional structure needed to double land under irrigation. co-operation in this area is to improve the availability of food;