Though a great deal of progress has been achieved with the establishment and strengthening of RBOs/SWIs in the SADC region, much remains to be done to consolidate their role and strengthen their capacity to carry out that role. In recognition of this evolving situation, the involvement of the SADC water division in RBO/SWI development will diminish as RBOs/SWIs get established and strengthened. At that stage, the support provided by the SADC water division, as detailed in Section 6.1.2, will be limited to the monitoring of the Protocol, providing strategic guidance and the sharing of best practices amongst RBOs/SWIs. 1.5.2 RSAPS ARE THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR THE REGIONAL WATER POLICY AND STRATEGY The SADC Regional Water Policy’s (RWP) objective is to provide a framework for sustainable, integrated and coordinated development, utilisation, protection and control of national and transboundary water resources in the region. This is important for the promotion of socioeconomic development and regional integration as well as improving the quality of life of all people in the region (SADC 2006). The Regional Water Strategy (RWS) is based on the RWP and its objective is to provide a framework for the implementation of the policy. Whilst the RWP deals with the “What” on regional water issues, the RWS deals with the “How”, “Who” and “When” in the implementation of the policy (SADC 2007). The Regional Strategic Action Plans (RSAPs) on the other hand, are the implementing tools/instruments for both the SADC RWP and the RWS. RE AR D 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 management and infrastructure development through the application of integrated water resources management. RSAP III built on the work of RSAP I and II – of ensuring that the enabling environment is sustained – but focusing more on infrastructure development. A review and evaluation of the RSAP III in 2014 revealed that: • significant progress had been achieved in strengthening RBOs with the establishment of new Secretariats such as LIMCOM and ZAMCOM; • the SADC revised protocol on shared watercourses had become well known within the SADC Region and is being institutionalised in Member States; and • good progress had been made in establishing IWRM demonstration projects. The review of the RSAP III in 2014 indicated that Member States preferred that the SADC Secretariat consult them individually through the framework of the SADC Water Weeks, as a way of providing input into the fourth phase of the SADC Water Programme (RSAP IV: 2016 -2020). A further recommendation was for the “Theory of Change” to be applied in the conceptualising and formulation of the RSAP IV, in order to facilitate better monitoring and evaluation of the RSAP IV. These recommendations were followed through and implemented, thus facilitating and resulting in the current RSAP IV. Further to these recommendations, the shift in global discourse towards the water-energy-food nexus and other such nexuses – within the context of climate change, economic growth SADC and other emerging issues – also informed and influenced the process of formulating the RSAP IV. 1.5.3 RSAP I, II, III AND IV: LINKAGES, FORMULATION PROCESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS The first SADC Regional Strategic Action Plan (RSAP I: 1999 – 2004) focused on providing an enabling environment and successfully achieved this objective. RSAP II (2005 – 2010) focused on infrastructure development, while continuing to strengthen the enabling environment and also attained its objective. RSAP III was designed to provide an effective and dependable framework contributing to poverty reduction, regional integration, peace and security and socio-economic development. The goal of the RSAP III was to strengthen the enabling environment for regional water governance, water A Vehicle to implement the Water Component of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 4