Pretoria - Ministers in the water and energy sectors have gathered in Botswana to discuss water and energy solutions in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The ministers met on Monday at the SADC Energy and Water Joint Ministerial Workshop, held in Gaborone.
During the meeting, practical and sustainable solutions with a view to map out a strategic direction were forged, said the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Ideas were exchanged and best practices were shared with the objective of addressing water and energy challenges in the region.
The workshop noted the maintenance of infrastructure, poor harnessing of alternative sources of energy and water, and slow implementation of priority energy and water projects are part of the challenges that hinder solutions to the energy and water challenges in the region.
Limited regional connectivity for power trading and poor access to the climate change funds for adaptation and investment are also challenging.
The department said member states and the secretariat were encouraged to work jointly in order to maximise benefits and accelerate delivery.
The workshop also recommended that innovative funding methodologies be found in order to speed up implementation.
Furthermore, the workshop agreed that member states should invest more in alternative sources of energy and water such as rainwater harvesting, recycling, and desalination depending on the circumstances, while also promoting use of ground water and surface water. – SAnews.gov.za
