Speech by H.R.H. the Prince of Orange on the occasion of the WaterNet symposium at Windhoek - Namibia, 2 November 2004
Honourable Minister Augula, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development
Ladies and gentlemen, friends of WaterNet,
Four and a half years ago I witnessed the birth of WaterNet. It was in Victoria Falls where I was present jointly with 17 co-signatories to lay the foundation for the Network. In Vic-Falls we shared the vision of:
"Equitable and sustainable utilisation of water for social, environmental justice, economic integration and economic benefit for present and future generations in Southern Africa."
And we agreed to contribute to realising this vision by:
" Enhancing regional capacity in Integrated Water Resources Management through training, education, research and outreach by sharing the complimentary expertise of its members".
I was there both as Chair of the Second World Water Forum whose programme we were preparing and as a patron of the Global Water Partnership. WaterNet was seen as one of the key instruments for strengthening regional capacity in integrated water resources management and addressing the enormous development challenges facing the peoples of Southern Africa.
At the meeting, it was no more than an embryonic network of 15 initial partners. Although small in number, we were filled with energy and confident of our ability to forge a network that would make a difference. Looking back on almost five years of effort, we see that much has been achieved. This is the fifth WaterNet symposium. It is bringing together more than 100 water specialists from the region: scientists, students, professors, water managers, politicians and international experts. You have had productive meetings in Maputo, Capetown, Dar es Salaam, Gaborone . WaterNet has attracted international attention and gained scientific recognition. It has established an impressive Master's programme in integrated water resources management, offered by 23 universities in the region. WaterNet has awarded a Master of Science degree to 46 water managers from 8 different countries in the region, 15 of them being women. Thirty are still studying or working on their thesis. Many are with us today. And I am delighted to see that the subjects studied and the theses prepared all address the issues laid out in international fora like the Dublin Conference on Water and the Environment in 1992, the Second World Water Forum in The Hague in 2000, the WSSD, Rio+10 conference in Johannesburg in 2002 and the Third World Water Forum in Japan last year.
WaterNet is making a significant contribution to the challenges set out by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in respect of water and sanitation. I am particularly impressed by the work of WaterNet and its members in assisting their own countries to draft integrated water resources management plans.
When I look at WaterNet, I see more than just a network. I see a living organism. One that creates offshoots that in turn create other networks. The mushroom is a fitting image for WaterNet. Because mushrooms not only spread spores but also create an impressive underground network. In my country, which is obviously much wetter than Namibia, mushrooms are excellent networkers. Under wet conditions, they construct a very fine mesh of underground threads. In a wide circle around the original mushroom, new ones pop up the next year, each of which again building its own network. As a patron of the GWP, I am proud to say that WaterNet is a very fruitful shoot of the GWP network. WaterNet is mushrooming and WaterNet is an example of action which has already been successful in addressing one of Africa's bottlenecks to development - the lack of trained staff.
Still, we should never be complacent. The Millennium Development Goals confirmed in Johannesburg present an enormous challenge. We have to raise the living standard of the world's poorest people and address the environmental problems facing our own and future generations. In Southern Africa, these challenges are very much water-related. The lack of adequate water and sanitation services are a core aspect of poverty. A degraded environment creates even greater hardships for the poor. A failing crop is a nightmare for a farmer, but it is a disaster for families without resources. Floods are devastating to a country's economy and generally hit the poor the most. All of this is very much water-related and demands innovative approaches, know-how and knowledge. The capacity to address these issues and to generate new knowledge must be anchored in the minds of a new generation of water managers. WaterNet has made a start here but has still a long road to travel down. A great deal of relevant research has yet to be done - community-based research involving those who are the most affected. Much work is needed on the ground in order to pilot, mainstream and implement sustainable approaches. There is also a need to develop and implement innovative approaches to low-cost sanitation, ecological sanitation and inexpensive water purification technology. In order to improve agricultural production, there must be research into rainwater harvesting, dry spell mitigation, eco-technology, technology to improve crop yields and drought resilience. Communities must have instruments to cope with disasters. These include flood-proofing, flood warning and flood preparedness. There is still so much left to be done and, I am afraid you are the ones who will have to organise the work.
Friends of WaterNet,
Much effort and dedication have gone into its development. It is now time for the network to bear fruit. I have a great deal of confidence in its strength and determination and in the ability of the peoples of Southern Africa to face the enormous challenges. I saw the determination in the eyes of the Mozambicans to reconstruct what was devastated by the floods in 2000. And they succeeded. Using their hands and doing things their way. I know that if you set your minds to solving the problems together, WaterNet will achieve its objectives and make a solid contribution to the Millennium Development Goals. I hope to see you again in the future in five years when the mission although not yet accomplished hopefully be well on its way towards the magical 2015.
Thank you.