Water Sector

The stock of hydraulic infrastructure in SADC countries vary greatly in comparison with the rest of the world. Africa's water resources are greatly under-utilized - only 3 percent of its renewable water is withdrawn annually for domestic, agricultural and industrial use.

About 40 percent of the population has inadequate access to water and sanitation, only 6 percent of Africa’s cultivated land is irrigated and less than 5 percent of its hydropower potential is developed.

In the SADC region, South Africa has the largest share of existing hydraulic infrastructure development due to its strong and diversified economy.

5.2.1 SADC Water Instruments

The Regional Strategy Action Plan 1 (RSAP-1) developed in 1998 focused on creating an enabling environment for executing hard infrastructure projects. RSAP-1 saw the develop-ment of the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses and subsequently the SADC Water Policy and Strategy for providing policy direction. The action plan was revised in 2004 to become RSAP-2 aimed at providing leadership and water resources development and management, including infrastructure development at both member States and regional levels (SADC Infrastructure Development Status Report 2009).

5.2.2 Southern Africa Regional Water Projects

The main factors influencing regional cooperation on International Watercourses are the following (see 3.2 above):

(a) Type of good, i.e. its subtractability – for example, the expected gains from agree-ment may be greater with non-renewable resources where degradation is irrevers-ible than with renewable resources where regeneration may be possirrevers-ible;

(b) Number of “players” (riparian States) – in general, the larger the number of play-ers, the more difficult it is to achieve cooperation outcomes, holding other things constant;

(c) Heterogeneity or homogeneity of riparian States in terms of:

i. capabilities (relative power – including economic, political and geographic, as well as bargaining strength of the riparian State);

ii. preferences or interests (valuation, in terms of costs and benefits of potential strategies and outcomes); and

iii. beliefs or information.

The factors under (c) above affect the costs of transacting and the ability to communicate and make credible commitments. Changes in any of these variables, therefore, may alter the incentives of players to cooperate.

The River Basin Organizations (RBOs)

The RBOs are provided for under article 2(a), Article 5, 1(b) and 3 of the SADC 2000 Protocol on Shared Watercourses. The main functions of RBOs (SADC Infrastructure Report, 2009) are:

• To facilitate coordinated, judicious and sustainable utilization of shared water courses;

• Act as advisory bodies and joint programme implementation agencies on behalf of member States;

• To develop joint Strategic Action programmes and projects for implementation along shared water courses; and

• To offer a platform for discussions, information sharing and conflict prevention at river basin level.

Out of the fifteen trans-boundary surface water sources identified in the SADC region, six have so far been successfully transformed into RBOs through SADC secretariat facilita-tion. The continuing institutional reforms of the RBOs have facilitated the provision of structure to manage the river basins, including the implementation of economic gain.

However, the process is being held back by the delay in signature, ratification and acces-sion to the instruments.

Zambezi River basin

The Zambezi River is the largest of the more than fifteen shared watercourses in Southern Africa. Although SADC adopted an Action Plan for the Zambezi River Basin (ZAC-PLAN), with nineteen (19) projects, that dates back to 1987, the formation of a basin-wide regulatory institution to enhance cooperation and coordinate development activities within the basin has eluded the region. Zambia withdrew from negotiations of the Zam-bezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) Agreement in 1998 out of fear of entering into an agreement that did not include water allocation to parties. The seven other riparian countries endorsed the agreement in Kasane, Botswana in July 2004. Five countries have ratified paving way for the establishment of a ZAMCOM interim secretariat (IS) on 6 May 2011, with financial support from the Norwegian Government. Ratification instru-ment from a sixth country is still required for the establishinstru-ment of a permanent secretariat.

An Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Bill was presented in Zambia Par-liament in October 2010 and the SADC Portal indicates that Zambia has promised to sign the Agreement.

Priority Strategic Water projects

These projects are implemented within a short time frame (3-5) years and require rela-tively less capital investment¹⁷. The top ranked projects within this package include the rehabilitation of the Nordoewer Irrigation Scheme on the Orange River (a joint project of Namibia and Republic of South Africa), construction of Movene Dam in Mozambique and construction of 29 medium and small dams in Zambia (SADC Infrastructure Report, 2009).

Large Hydraulic Infrastructure Projects

These are strategic projects which are too large, highly complex and costly to implement in one phase. Such projects include programmes with a broad geographical focus within member countries, a number of individual projects at different localities, and contain components not necessarily at infrastructure construction stages, e.g. feasibility studies and management.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Demonstration Projects

5.2.3 Challenges facing the SADC Water Sector

Some of the challenges confronting the development of regional water infrastructure in-clude the following (SADC Infrastructure Report, 2009):

• The existing disparities between available water infrastructure and potential for development;

• Capacity to develop, implement, operate and maintain infrastructure systems;

• Inadequately prepared (studied) projects in terms of bankability and project technical details;

• Funding for both project development and implementation; and

• The need to balance the development drive with adequate environmental, social and economic benefits

Current and impending threats to regional water infrastructure development also include:

• Delays in concluding some of the agreements governing shared water courses;

• Unwillingness of countries to cooperate on joint infrastructure projects;

• Reduction in political will and support;

• High hydro-climatic variability;

• Increasing demand;

• Inadequate storage;

• Lack of trans-boundary cooperation among riparian countries; and

• Global financial crisis.

5.2.4 Achievements and opportunities

In a recent assessment of achievements and opportunities in the subregion the Ministers responsible for water noted that there had been progress in the implementation of the regional action plan that seeks to improve the management of water resources.¹⁸ Achieve-ments had been made in the preparation of regional water policy with assistance from ICPs. The SADC ministers also noted progress in the development of strategic water infrastructure, regional water supply and sanitation programme and in supporting the establishment and strengthening of RBOs.

Some of the achievements as well as opportunities in the regional water infrastructure integration in Southern Africa included the initiation of Kunene trans-boundary water supply and sanitation and the conclusion of community based high impact poverty al-leviation small infrastructure projects as well as the documentation of lessons learnt. The large projects have progressed to design and construction while the institutional capacity of trans-boundary water management institutions was being strengthened.

18 Southern Africa Today Volume 12, (June 2010).

Box 7: Key Policy Challenges for the Water Sector

• Need for a strategy that provides a long -term perspective for the development and management of the region’s water resources as well as give strategic direction to short-term interventions.

• Lack of meaningful investment in research and technology development for the region’s infrastructural projects (RISDP, 2008).