Awareness and Communication Strategy effective communication strategies for marketing water resources infrastructure developments projects and other water resources management programmes to the Member States, cooperating partners and investment banks. It also requires necessary project management systems and financial discipline that would win the confidence of the financing institutions, whether from Member States or cooperating partners. The soliciting of investments should also target private sector, either through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or private sector directly investing in water resources infrastructure developments. Cross-border investments by private sector or other governments should also be targeted. The message should therefore concentrate on creating awareness among the private sector on potential PPP project investments as well as other projects that would attract private sector investments. It is also important that the messages include promotion of investments and interventions by NGOs in the infrastructure developments to compliment efforts by Member States. The messages should also promote Member States Governments’ investments in water resources infrastructure developments and water resources management. This can be through demonstration of savings or benefits the region/governments could make by investing in water resources infrastructures. The Governments may also use fund raising techniques such as selling bonds to the public in financing the projects. The “water user pays principle” should be applied taking cognisance of the willingness and ability to pay. 8.2.5 Public Safety Communicate that water developments and operations have risks and hazards that require development and implementation of emergency plans, compliance to precautionary provisions, and welfare provisions for affected communities. To who: National policy makers, cooperating partners, SADC tribunal and international court, national judiciary, all stakeholders, health workers, and NGOs. How: Mass media, publications, public events, internet, personalities, field visits, advertisements, demonstrations, and education. Construction, operation and maintenance of water resources infrastructures such as dams and waterworks can be hazardous to public, the operators and the infrastructures themselves. To minimise the hazards, such activities are carried out by observation of safety standards and guidelines. The operation and maintenance of dams and waterworks use manuals that are intended to safeguard public safety, that of the operators and the infrastructures themselves. The messages in this regard should, therefore, emphasize on the development and use of public safety standards, guides and manual. The messages should also dwell on promoting, development and putting into use of emergency contingency plans that used during infrastructure failures. In addition, there is a need for the SADC secretariat to maintain an effective monitoring and communication centre that is able to release warning messages when danger is pending. 8.2.6 Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) Communicate that environmental impacts assessments are important in ensuring sustainable water resources development and management, sound environmental health and safety, and Page 37