The Millennium Development Goals and the Water Sector in South Africa

1. The Millennium Development Goals and the Water Sector in South Africa Reginald Tekateka Specialist Advisor: International Relations Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

2. MDGS& WATER SECTOR In 2000 UN set eight goals for development An agenda for improved human conditions by 2015 • Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger • Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education • Goal 3: Promote gender equality • Goal 4: Reduce child mortality • Goal 5: Improve maternal health • Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases

3. MDGS& WATER SECTOR • Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability • By 2015, reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water • Achieve significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020 • Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

4. MDGS & WATER SECTOR World Summit Sustainable Development 2002 • Recognized sanitation as an important priority for effective management of water resources • Set 2015 target to complement MDG target on water • Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation

5. MDGS& WATER SECTOR World Summit Sustainable Development2002 • Agreed to develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005 • South Africa reached this target one year in advance with the adoption of the National Water Resource Strategy in September 2004

6. MDGS& WATER SECTOR SOUTH AFRICAN TARGETS • All the people of SA to have access to safe drinking water by 2008 • All the people of SA to have access to basic sanitation by 2010

7. MDGS& WATER SECTOR • Some countries in Africa are on track to achieve the MDG & JPoI targets-more? • Most African countries highly unlikely to reach the target for water and sanitation by 2015 • NEPAD provided a framework, through Partnerships for the improvement of water management in Africa • Within this framework AMCOW was established to create the policy framework and support to meet the challenges of water management and development across the continent

8. MDGS& WATER SECTOR • As stated most African countries will not achieve the MDGs and JPoI targets without massive assistance. • At the Third World Water Forum in 2003 it was recognized that such assistance should be mainly in the form of grants.

9. MDGS& WATER SECTOR • National efforts should be complemented through supportive global programmes • A substantial increase in Official Development Assistance to developing countries is required to achieve the MDG’s by 2015 • The special needs of Africa should be highlighted on the international agenda

10. SECTOR CHALLENGES • Preponderance of transboundary Rivers- over 60 shared by 2 or more states. • Extremes variability in climate and looming threat of climate change • Uneven distribution of the resource in time and space • Indicative of need for infrastructure, IWRM, institutional and governance arrangements at national and interstate levels

11. LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE • Per capita storage in North America over 6000 m³ • 746 m³ in South Africa, with the highest storage rate in Africa; • Only 43m³ in Ethiopia, despite its high water resource potential; • Africa has harnessed less than 5% of its Hydropower potential

12. NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT • A strategic framework for Africa’s renewal based on African ownership - 37th OAU Summit, July 2001 • New international Partnership to change the unequal relationship between Africa and the developed world; • Ensures that all partnerships with NEPAD linked to the MDG’s and other agreed development goals and targets

13. A M C O W • Created in April 2002 to spearhead quest for water and sanitation targets • Specialised Technical Committee of AU soon • Brings together all ministers responsible for water • Supported by Executive Committee consisting of 15 Ministers –Sub-regional balance • Technical Advisory Committee (AMCOW-TAC) of 25 officials

14. AFRICAN WATER FACILITY • Mobilise additional funding • Develop appropriate financing mechanisms for the water sector • Support capacity building • Oversee monitoring and evaluation of MDG’s • Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility • Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI)

15. IMPACT OF NEPAD • Elicited response from developed world by way partnership announcements at WSSD; • Especially EU Water Initiative (EUWI), Also: • Water for the Poor Initiative (USA) • UN-Water/ Africa • Individual Partner Country progs.-.FRG

16. IMPACT OF NEPAD • By adopting Monterrey (2002) to Paris Declaration(2005), donor community committed to: • Respect for ownership by Partners • Need for alignment of interventions with national priorities, and • Harmonisation of donor procedures • Managing for results

17. NEPAD INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMME • Energy, ICT, Transport, and Water and Sanitation Broad Water Sector Objectives • To harness available resources to meet the basic needs of water supply and sanitation; • Contribute to food security through better use of water for irrigation • Tap the renewable hydropower potential of the continent

18. EU RESPONSE • EU Water Initiative: • Multi-stakeholder Forum • Joint membership of 5 Working Groups with AMCOW-TAC, namely: • Finance, TbW/IWRM, Water and Sanitation, Research, and Monitoring and Evaluation • EU Water Facility

19. EU RESPONSE • EU Infrastructure Partnership • To double ODA funding by 2010 • To reach 0.7% GDP by 2015 • To Commit significant portion of EDF 10 funds to leverage private Sector Funding

20. OBSERVATIONS IN CONCLUSION • Developed world should be held to their word; • Formations such as Multi-Stakeholder Forums present opportunities for partnerships yet unutilised; • Paris Declaration offers an unprecedented opportunity; • RSA one of few countries able to play advocacy role with effect;