By Timo Shihepo Windhoek – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is aiming to increase water access levels to at least 75% by 2027 for both safe drinking and sanitation.
SADC also wants to increase the annual renewable water storage resources from the current 14% to about 25% during the same period.
Water in the southern African region is becoming scarce, and aggravated by El Nino drought – the worst in 35 years, which riveted the region in recent years – the escalating situation can no longer be ignored.
Within the region, there are 15 shared river basins but are not fully functional.
In May this year, officials from SADC countries convened in Windhoek, Namibia, where they formulated a strategy meant to secure funding to develop regional water resources.
According to the information emanated from the SADC council of ministers meeting and seen by The Southern Times, over 70% of the 292 million people living in the region rely on the groundwater as the primary source of water.
Agriculture, the main economic activity in the SADC region, draws an estimated 20% of its water resources needs also from underground.
If this abstraction is not properly monitored and adequately managed it can lead to over-abstraction and pollution of the resource, warns the council of ministers.
The Southern Times understands that the region has been struggling to attract private sector financing due to water being a social and economic good.
SADC Director for Infrastructure and Services: Water Division, Phera Ramoeli, said despite being assessed, documented and understood, the benefits of transboundary water cooperation have not been communicated well in the region.