Africa Water Week starts in Dar es Salaam

The Africa Water Week (aww) is convened by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission and organized with other development partners.

It represents a political commitment at the highest level with over 1000 participants from governments, regional institutions, international partners, the private sector, the scientific community, civil society, and the media from all over the world, and in particular Africa, meeting to discuss and collectively seek solutions to Africa’s water resources, and sanitation challenges.

It is now held biennially in keeping with the decision of the AMCOW to institutionalize AWW in order to build momentum on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to water security and sanitation by 2030, and the 2025 Africa Water Vision as well as crystallizing the way to actualizing Africa’s Agenda 2063.

The first under the SDG era, it has as its theme “Achieving the SDGs on Water Security and Sanitation”. The choice of the theme is driven by the recognition of the importance of laying the building blocks for Africa to achieve the SDG 6 as well as other inter-linking SDGs connected with water resources management and improved sanitation service delivery.

The conference that starts from July 18 to July 22, 2016 will have a number of high level speakers including a keynote address from President John Magufuli, the Vice President, Ms Samia Suluhu, the AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AMCOW President and Senegalese Minister for Hygiene and Sanitation, the former Prime Minister of Korea and UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Disaster Risk Reduction and Water, Han Seung-soo among others.  

It also represents the quest in the continent to place emphasis on matching commitments and plans with concrete actions with impact on the ground. It highlights Africa’s undaunted focus to achieving the Agenda 2063, the continent’s global strategy to optimize use of Africa’s resources for the overall benefit of all.

The main outcome of the 6th Africa Water Week will be a roadmap for developing a comprehensive plan of action for Africa aimed at immediate translation of the high-level commitments including N’gor Declaration on Water Security and Sanitation into implementation at country, sub-regional and continental levels.

This is expected to lead to development of appropriate policies, high quality actions matched with strong motivation to implement them, and increased investment at various levels. The programmes implemented from these plans will contribute to poverty alleviation, health improvements, social development and economic growth in Africa.

The Africa Water Vision 2025 recognizes the pivotal role that sustainable use and management of water can play in poverty alleviation, socioeconomic development and sustenance of ecosystems and biodiversity. The vision also calls for effective and sustainable strategies to address water resources problems due to climate variability and change.