ICLEI Africa’s Acting Water Programme Manager, Ms Suzan Takalani, attended a workshop focusing on groundwater in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The workshop was held from 18 – 19 November 2008 in Gaborone, Botswana. A total of 45 participants attended with backgrounds in different areas of water resources, from Africa and beyond.
Groundwater in Africa
Groundwater is a hidden and the least understood components of water resources overall, but it has a strategic role to play in poverty alleviation and socio-economic development on the African continent. Over 70% of Africa's population relies on groundwater as a primary source of water. Because of its ubiquitous and local nature, it will require hundreds of local sustainable interventions to achieve its full potential. How to support such a multi-faceted process strategically from the appropriate higher levels (government departments, donors) has become a global issue and a challenge. As with major donors, such as the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, SADC and the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) realise the importance of groundwater and its management.
Purpose of workshop
The “Groundwater in SADC IWRM Initiative” workshop took place in order to initiate a process and create momentum for the development of a framework for the SADC sub-region towards a stakeholder-responsive broad-based programme and approach to capacity-building for the integration of groundwater resources management into the region's Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) initiative. The IWRM initiative builds on the SADC Groundwater Management Programme, a part of the Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management in the SADC Region, and in cooperation with AMCOW and its groundwater-related resolutions of May 2007.
Workshop objectives
- To assess the key groundwater-related issues and problems in the sub-region's development.
- To assess the state of sustainable utilization and management of groundwater resources in the sub-region.
- To initiate actions that will lead towards a broad-based, interlinked local/national/international initiative aimed at building the sub-region’s capacity for sustainable integrated management of groundwater resources.
- To develop a framework for the integration of groundwater into the regional IWRM approach and climate change adaptability planning at a SADC regional level.
- To initiate actions within AMCOW through which the SADC initiative can be appropriately replicated in other regional economic communities, countries and organizations.
Challenges facing groundwater management in the SADC region
- Lack of information and data: surface water resources are generally well characterized in the region; however there is no of basic information for groundwater resources.
- Limited capacity at all technical levels i.e. government, private sector, graduates, technicians and drillers.
- Poor appreciation of the transboundary role of groundwater, and little understanding of the transboundary nature of aquifers amongst managers and communities dependent on the aquifers.
- Poor consideration during water resources planning and IWRM by policy makers.
- At the operational level there are differences between government policies/practices and those that actually exist on the ground; disconnection between groundwater developers (NGOs/consultants) and the government; and lastly a disconnection between groundwater development and protection.
Recommendations from the workshop relevant to Local Governments
The importance of coordination at all levels i.e. regional, national, local and private, is key to ensuring proper implementation of the groundwater initiative, so that water will continue to be available for present and future generations.
Local Governments are encouraged to become involved at an early stage, despite Local Governments not having specific mandates to manage water resources; they depend on the availability of sufficient good quality water to undertake their mandated functions. Mandates such as land-use planning, local economic development and solid waste management do influence the state of water (quality and quantity) in both surface and groundwater.
More information
SADC Groundwater and Drought Management Project
