ADDRESS BY, DR. A. IYAMBO, MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA
AT
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FOURTH INTERNATIONAL WATERS CONFERENCE
TUESDAY 31st JULY 2007, CAPETOWN
We are here to talk about water: Life. My gratitude to the organisers of this opportune Conference for the invitation extended to join you. I am delighted to be in the presence of leaders and eminent experts dedicated to a singularly important issue; water. I also want to thank each of you for your time and commitment to a noble cause.
1. WATER: A NECESSITY FOR SURVIVAL
Water is the most valuable natural assets that the world is endowed with. It is central to poverty eradication, the ultimate goal of NEPAD. Human being may survive for several weeks without solid food. However if deprived of water we will only live for a few days. All processes which take place in the body such as digestion, absorption and transport of food do so in water medium. Equally, water is a purifier. What can we do without water? We die! An adult person would need about 1.4 litres of water daily. Providing basic water supply and sanitation support public health. Food security can’t be obtained and sustained without expanding irrigation. Water supports the dynamos of economic development, for instance hydropower generation and manufacturing activities. Without exception, water is necessary in all spheres of life, including the ecosystem, household, health, schools, hospitals, industries, agriculture, building and transport. We use between 20 and 50 litres a day of water for domestic purpose. For countries with bigger economies and industries, this is an underestimation.
Water is under threat and severe stress. I have a suggestion to world leaders. Before going to bed, think of the many without water. There is obvious mismatch between the population growth and water availability. Water is unevenly spread in space and time and often not adequately available where and when human needs and economic activities require it. The International Management Institute estimates that around 450 million people in 31 countries –mainly developing countries already face serious water deficit. The plight of the 800 million world inhabitants feared by FAO to have insufficient food should be uppermost in our thinking. Worst still, is that it is estimated that by the year 2025, about two-thirds of the world’s freshwater would be unsuitable for human consumption. Will the destitute survive on expensively treated water? Do we have a clear answer to the threatened health of dams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and ecosystem?
Some communities live in water, but can not quench their thirst. Water is contaminated. The deficit of capital and infrastructure to ensure that water is safe for human consumption is mind-boggling. At times nature is merciless! Many parts of the world are arid, droughts and low rainfall compound devastating blows on economies. The scarcity of water lead to non-productivity. Hydroelectric plants become dysfunctional and exacerbating the economic turmoil and misery. Survival of animals is not guaranteed. Tourism is dented and revenue dissipates. What is the status of our Wetland and rivers? Are they still a source of livelihood? They are being destroyed at an alarming rate. What a catastrophe! Many of the world’s largest rivers often fail to reach the sea. Many are polluted with chemicals. Man-induced climate change is astonishing and frightening. Evaporation of rainwater has increased. Mighty storms, flooding and persistent drought are vexing challenges for mankind. Humans should pause, think and get solutions! In short there is a global crisis and a mammoth task ahead of us. Survival of earth creatures; human beings and animals is threatened.
2. FRESH WATER IN AFRICAN CONTEXT
2.1 African Water reservoirs: Our rivers.
Does Africa have a shortage of water? Africa boasts some of the most important and gigantic river systems in the world. The intriguing Nile River finds its way to the sea over a distance of 6,500 km, a stream length not equalled anywhere, and its fertile soils have been the cradle of human civilization. The mighty Congo River is second only to the Amazon for its drainage basin of almost 4 million square kilometres and its discharge into the ocean of 42,000 cubic meters per second. The indomitable Niger and Zambezi rivers dominate Western and Southern Africa, and the latter has the majestic Victoria Falls. The rich and versatile Kavango River Delta is the world’s foremost pristine wetland system.
Africa is blessed with 17 river systems with catchments over 100,000 square kilometres and 160 lakes larger than 25 square kilometres. There are immense wetlands and widespread groundwater systems. The establishment of a sizeable hydropower plant is possible. Africa is characterized by an extreme range of climates, from tropical rainforests to dry deserts like the Sahara and the Namib. Central Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands have more than 20,000 cubic meters available per head of population per year. Both North Africa, including the Sudano-Sahel area, and Southern Africa, however, account for less than 7% of the total resources, and water shortages is experienced. From the above synopsis, it seems that Africa has water. The question is how do we make this water available to doorsteps of the needy?
2.2 Partnership with business
We should stay the course and intensify efforts to save the planet’s biodiversity. This is a noble task! We should be married to business and work with them on water issue. We need their human capital and resources. We need them to reinforce us, by combining our collective intuition to save water. Around 20 percent of water resources in the developing countries is used by industries and about 70 percent in agriculture. It is important that business companies invest in water to make a meaningful difference in protecting and preserving freshwater resources. Affordable technologies should be used to ensure clean and safe water
2.3 Integrated Water Resources: Coordination of Shared Water Resources
The Africa Water Vision for 2025 is to have “An Africa where there is an equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources. A double strategy is required to achieve key elements of the Millennium Development Goals. Major investments in water supply infrastructure and water sector reforms are urgently needed. Intra-sectoral and inter-sectoral coordination for management of water is an essentiality.
Most of Africa’s water is in its approximately eighty (80) shared water basins, and virtually every country shares at least one international river system. For downstream countries, most of the total flow originates outside the boundaries, with typical examples being Egypt, or Namibia for that matter. All major transboundary systems are shared by many countries, ten (10) for the Nile Basin, nine (9) for the Congo and Niger basins, eight (8) for the Zambezi and Lake Chad basins and six (6) for the Volta Basin.
The Integrated Water Resources Management is best done at basin levels. This demands intensified cooperation to enhance monitoring and early flood warning. For the less developed countries, basin organisations smoothen access to financial and technical resources. Lack of resources are the main hindrance for some basin organisations to function. Disputes may arise over competing water abstraction quantities if one country acts unilaterally. Cooperation has benefits for a win-win situation. The absence of disputes and potential conflicts makes it easier to solicit investment in the use of water, joint management is better for control of pollution, adequate water quality and management of the ecosystem is improved. In this way improved management of ecosystems is increased.
The first legal or rather policy framework for shared river systems were the “Helsinki Rules on the Use of Water of International Rivers”. These principles are not widely adopted for African situations. They have also been superseded by the “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses”. This document is explicit on the equitable and reasonable utilization of the resource and participation of the concerned states for management purposes. In a situation of competing water uses, the highest priority is for the requirements of vital human needs. This Convention is applied world-wide, as the basis of international agreements and cooperation between countries sharing water bodies.
In the SADC Region, the principles are incorporated in the Revised SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems of 2000, which is underlying the activities of the many international river basin commissions in the region. The Protocol calls for four concurrent actions. One, the development of close cooperation for judicious and coordinated utilization of the resources of shared watercourses. Two, the coordination of environmentally sound development of shared watercourses. Three, the holding of regional conventions on equitable utilization and management of all resources of shared watercourses. Four, the consolidation of other regional agreements regarding the common utilization of watercourses. Within SADC, most shared river systems have basin organizations that actively implement these principles. A good example is the cooperation between Angola and Namibia on the Kunene River, which gives access to safe water to half of Namibia’s population, using water resources originating in Angola.
Thus, there is confidence and evidence that application of integrated water resources management and cooperation within the framework of shared river basins has taken root in Africa.
Like some freshwater systems, the oceans are threatened by a broad range of human activities, with fragile marshlands and coastal systems, particularly vulnerable to pollution, over-fishing and other damage from human activity. In order to combat this, the Governments of Angola, Namibia and South Africa agreed on actions to ensure health of fish stocks, restore degraded habitats, conserve biodiversity and put in place targets to achieve sustainable utilisation of resources and protection of the Benguela environment. A regional fisheries research programme, the Benguela Environmental Fisheries Interaction and Training programme (BENEFIT) to address areas of common concern was launched. This was followed by the birth of a Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Programme (BCLME), a cross-sectoral management orientated programme that addresses not only transboundary fisheries but also the forecasting of extreme events, harmful algal blooms, conservation of marine biodiversity, impacts of diamond mining and offshore oil sectors on the marine environment as well as socio-economic and governance issues. The Benguela Current Commission was inaugurated last year in CapeTown and its first Ministerial Conference meeting was held two weeks ago in Namibia. We are happy to learn that the GEF has recently announced the start of a similar programme (Agulhas –Somali) for the east African region. You will hear more about these cooperative initiatives during the Conference.
A FINAL WORD
The water issue is pregnant with dangers. In concert and with collective wisdom, ability and responsibility, we can’t fail to find lasting solutions. The avalanche of scientific and technological advances attained and being invented should be applied. For life to continue on earth, humankind need safe and adequate water supply. This is the gauntlet we throw down to ourselves over the next few days.