Awareness and Communication Strategy 8.2.3 Existing Development, Opportunities and an Analysis of Competitive Advantages and Impacts Communicate that besides existing water infrastructure, there are water resource development opportunities in various river basins of southern Africa that can help the region achieve water security. To who: Policy makers i.e. politicians and senior government officials, technical experts i.e. engineers, hydrologists, climatologists, economists, sociologists, cooperating partners i.e. donors, advocacy groups i.e. NGOs, and stakeholder representatives. How: Publications, public events, Internet, personalities, multi-stakeholder dialogues, demonstrations, radio advertisements and extension services. Findings of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) indicate that many large dams often fall short of their economic, social and environmental targets. In the SADC region, however, the messages should be clear that water security would only be guaranteed with development of dams and other water resources infrastructure that conserve or convey water to areas of demand. Therefore the increased scrutiny of planned and existing projects is necessary but also implies a growing need for making decisions based on scientific information and not populist information. This calls for an analysis of the priorities for development in each basin in a national, regional and continental context and creating awareness amongst the affected stakeholders who are sometimes ignorant of existing or planned projects that do or would affect their lives. Economic, social and environmental impacts (positive and negative) of the potential and existing developments; and lessons from other projects should be part of the message. 8.2.4 Financing Water Infrastructure Communicate that in order to ensure financial sustainability, the Water Sector must explore all available avenues of financing including existing funds, ICPs, local financers and PublicPrivate Sector-Civil Partnerships; and it must run as a business with financial discipline and accountability. To who: Policy and decision makers, public and private sector, ICPs, local financers and community beneficiaries How: Workshops, donor round-tables, mass media, the internet, breakfasts with financial institutions, and face-to-face briefing. The financial sustainability is about successful financing of capital, operation and maintenance costs of water resources management, which has been lacking most in southern Africa. This appears to be due to low priority being given to financing water resources infrastructure and general management of water resources. There is need to turn this around and increase the financial support for water resources infrastructure development and water resources management as called for by SADC. This requires, among others, good and Page 36