THE 1st SADC WATER WEEK
KUNDUCHI BEACH HOTEL March 11, 2015
THEME: FROM VISION TO ACTION-MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE
CHANGE INTO THE WATER SECTOR WITHIN THE SADC REGION
NATIONAL
YOUTH FORUM-DRAFT REPORT
ORGANIZED BY MINISTRY OF WATER IN COLLABORATION WITH
TANZANIA WATER PARTNERSHIP AND GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP SOUTHERN AFRICA.
1.
SESSION I: OPENING SESSION-YOUTH & MEDIA
Invitation
remark made by Dr. Victor Kongo, the chair of the Local Organizing committee (LOC)
and Tanzania Water Partnership.
Dr. Kongo took the opportunity to welcome the
participants to the forum and extend his gratitude to all people who have
contributed for the success of the event, He specifically thanked the LOC for
organizing the forum and shade light on the upcoming events. He inspired the
youth to use the opportunity of attending the forum to learn and brainstorm and
come up with positive ideas that can be implemented in the community, also he
calls for the media to take advantage of the forum to learn on how to write
constructive articles on water resources management.
He calls on
participants who are youth and the tweet generation to share and spread the
information about what is happening in the forum with the outside world.
He completed by
inviting to the podium the next speaker Mr. Phera Ramoeli from the SADC
secretariat.
Mr. Phera walked
in the podium, extended his gratitude to the organization committee, partner
organization and invited the participant in to the event.
Mr. Phera explained the background of national
water week and emphasize on the need of youth empowerment by giving them
information on water issues and call upon communication between stakeholders
and training for youth and media in tackling water issues and challenges.
Mr. Phera finished his presentation by
welcoming and thanking the participants for attending the event.
The chair person
invited the National Youth Focal Person Mr. Alfred Emanoel in to the podium,
Mr. Alfred started
his speech by briefing the participant on the increasing population,
highlighting that out of the world’s 7 billion people, young people under the
age of 30 account for more than half of this number (50.5%). In Africa 65% of
the population are less than 35 and are vulnerable to poverty, unemployment, adolescent health issues, HIV
infection, conflicts and lack of participation in decision making processes. He
continue to say that in Tanzania, for instance, young people are heavily
affected by country‘s urgent development issues with age and gender
hierarchical societies reinforcing young people‘s exclusion in decision making
from community to national level. In fact, the country has the tenth largest
youth population globally. With 68% of the population is made up of young people
aged between 15 to 35 years, and the figure set to rise significantly,
under-standing young people and their situation is critical in Tanzania.
Mr.
Alfred explained that because of the such challenges, the UN High Level Panel report on
the Post-2015 Development Agenda released on 30 May, 2013 calls on the world to
“leave no one behind”, a critical landmark in youth-led campaign to see the
world’s new development framework inclusive of young people’s perspectives and
aspirations. The Report outlines the importance of leaving no one behind, and
in particular calls for creation of decent jobs and improving the livelihood of
young people.
At the continental level, the 11th Meeting of
the Executive Committee (EXCO) of the Africa Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW)
on June 2013 in Cairo, approved the AMCOW Policy and Strategy for Mainstreaming
Youth in the Water and Sanitation Sector in Africa and directed the AMCOW
Secretariat to implement the strategy by developing youth programmes as well as
youth water prizes in collaboration with supporting partners, member countries
and Regional Executive Councils.
He further explained that, at the regional
level, the 2010 SADC Council direct the ministries of youth in the region to
meet and coordinate regional policies and programmes on youth development, in
2011, SADC Ministers responsible for youth directed that their meetings should
be preceded by a SADC Youth Forum. These initiatives resulted in the
development of a draft of SADC Youth Strategy and Business Plan (2015-2020) and
a draft Declaration that places emphasis on youth participation, empowerment
and coordination to contribute to national development and the SADC regional
integration and development agenda.
He continued that in the water sector, the
Regional Strategic Action Plans (RSAP II and III) youth are identified as
stakeholder, and this year, the SADC Water Division working together with
Member States are holding National Water Weeks in all countries of the region.
Among other activities lined up on the programme of these national water weeks
is the National Youth Water Forum, These forums bring together youth as
stakeholders at the national level to work together in mapping the way forward
for youth involvement in the water sector. He also mention the main purpose of
the forum which he said is to develop a national action plan for the
implementation of the AMCOW Policy and Strategy on Mainstreaming Youth in the
Water and Sanitation Sector and SADC Youth Strategy and to solicit input into
the Regional Strategy Action Plan IV.
Mr. Alfred concluded with the quotation from
William fox which says that: “in spite of the devotion of officials towards the
best interests of citizens, no elected or appointed public officials is able to
do much if citizens themselves do not care, are apathetic, cannot be reached or
expected someone else to ensure the quality of their lives”. And call upon the
participant to question themselves on who they are and why they are at the
conference. He said we are in the forum for a reason, to make this planet a
better place of living and youth can bring big changes in this world if we play
our part.
He invited the government, developmental
partners and private sectors to believe on youth and invest heavily on them. He
said changes must come today, tomorrow is too late and together we can make a
family.
After Mr. Alfred, the chair
person invited the regional director inter press service Africa Ms. Kudzai
Makombe in to the podium.
Ms. Makombe
introduced the forum to the engagement of the media in the water management, as
she commended that water is something special and it is everybody story
considering it significant to the livelihood of any community, she urged the
participant to tell water stories often as media or individual, Stories on how
water bodies that we share regionally are managed, she said that stories could
be an environment story but it link with water.
The challenges
can be minimized since through media lots of issues can be addressed by all the
stakeholders as each media has its own audience.
The assistant
director for transboundary section from the ministry of water, Mr. S. Matemu,
took the podium to have members know each other by introducing themselves and
welcoming participant in to the forum which he officially opened the forum.
Mr. Materu
started his speech by expressing his sincere appreciation to the ministry of
water, LOC, SADC secretariat, GWPSA and Tanzania country water partnership for
the success of the event.
He continued by
reminding the youth and member of the media on the role to play in water
resources management by referring Tanzania National water policy of 2002 which
clearly recognize youth and children as key stakeholders, he said youth and the
media all have a role to play in dissemination of information to the public. He
emphasized on training support of youth and media members so that they can
access a variety of information and assure accurate reporting of issues
surrounding water resources and the environmental.
Mr. Matemu also
elaborate the background of SADC Water Week and said, the last event was held
in the year 2000 and resulted in to the development of SADC water vision for
water “Life and the Environment”.
Mr. Matemu
identifies the following as the challenges that are water related at national,
regional and global level;
·
Water resource has direct
impact on the quality of life of the community.
·
Climate change has made water
resource availability unpredictable
·
Global warming has caused
disasters of high intensity
·
Melting glacier raising sea
levels
·
Industrialization and
urbanization has taken a toll on water resources through pollution degrading
water quality
Mr. Matemu in
addition inform the participant that water accessibility and availability
remains the core government priority as government demonstrated the commitment
by establishing legal framework which includes national water policy (2002) and
water resources management act (2009) beside that the government also in its
effort, establish a national water board and nine basin water offices operated
by respective basin water boards.
Despite the
effort done by the government, Mr. Matemu acknowledge that there still gaps
which remains, specifically to strengthen the information base on existing
water resources, improve capacity and tool to use that information to inform
the decision making process in all sectors, hence he called on concerted effort
of all stakeholders to address the identified challenges.
In concluding
his speech, he reminded the participant that they all have a major role to play
in water resources management and he expected that the training to guide the
participant to understand better issues of water resources management. And he
was looking forward toward the outcomes of the training so action can take
place for the benefit of the present and future generation.
After finalizing
his speech, Mr. Matemu declared the youth and media seminar officially opened.
2.
SESSION II: PRESENTATIONS AND GROUP DISCUSSION
First presentation: Findings from the National Scoping
Study
Mr. Alfred (National
Focal Person) presented the findings from the National Scoping Study.
In his
presentation, he pointed that the study was meant to incorporate groups, NGO’S and other stakeholder to have a spectrum of their involvement in
the management of water resources in the country. The objective of the study
was to provide a situational analysis that includes a detailed outline of role
players involved in youth involvement in the environment, water and sanitation
sector at the country level.
The methodology
adopted for the study revolved around literature review, policies,
legislations, reports and telephone interviews and document analysis was
adopted.
Mr. Alfred
identified that the environmental challenges have sky rocketed from what was
described in the National Environmental Action Plan of 2013. The report went
further to assess the policy and legal framework as well as institutional framework
for environment, water and sanitation in the country. The legal framework was
provided from the global perspective that is international treaties and protocols.
At the national
level, he mentioned legal framework such as the national environmental policy,
national water policy, national strategic for growth and poverty reduction of
poverty, national environment action plan, environment management act, water
resources and management act all enacted
in conformity with the Constitution of The Republic of Tanzania. In the report,
some of the youth inclusive interventions include strengthening access to clean
water and sanitation in rural communities and enhancing social innovations by
engaging in reduction of food waste to produce biogas and fertilizer,
behavioral change and quality and affordable healthcare. However the process is
limited by funds and lack of enough knowledge, some problems are also
legislative. Mr. Alfred recommended that a policy review is necessary and
sourcing funds and support for implementation of the ideas and dissemination of
resources to facilitate the initiative.
The regional Water Net IWRM masters programme
The presentation
was made by Eng. Ngwisa Mpembe who is a beneficiary of the program. The
objective of the program was to build regional, institutional and human
capacity in water resource management through education, training, research and
outreach by harnessing complementary strengths of member institutions in the
region. The program which is sponsored by Water Net is run in 6 universities (2
core and 4 specialization) with 6 specializations based on research themes. The
program also offers a link in practice between engineering and management of
water in the society.
The program has
300 graduates to date and Eng. Ngwisa appreciated the privilege of having gone
through the program successfully and urged the qualified youth to consider
acquiring the programs benefits.
The AMCOW
Policy and Strategy on Mainstreaming Youth in the Water and Sanitation Sector
in Africa
The presentation
was done by Mr. Phera Ramoeli from SADC secretariat. Some of the highlights
from the presentation is that it focused on the gaps in AMCOW and the
challenges in mainstreaming the youth in the water and sanitation sector. He
disclosed to the members how the process has taken 6 years in developing
strategies to incorporate youth in water and sanitation management. The
strategy was launched in 31st may 2014, in Cairo, Egypt, whose
strategic objectives are;
- To ensure youth
engagement for the sustainable development and management of the water and
sanitation sector towards social and economic prosperity for Africa.
- Enhancing social and economic development
by investing in the youth
- Promoting innovation through recognising
and supporting the contribution of young people in the sector
- Improving governance and leadership
- Building cross-sectoral linkages and
broadening the sector
During the
discussion session the following concerns were raised
·
It was not clear to members what
has been done to increase pace towards implementation of the water and
sanitation management. This question was not conclusive because since the
strategic plan had an objective to improve on resource management and
sanitation and a challenge was faced in the legal framework, funding, skills
and coordination of the youth in the development.
·
Given the time invested in the
scoping study, has the organization come up with a list of active youth groups
in the sector and their interventions in promoting water and sanitation, this
was responded as a recommendation for the continuity of the study to identify
the said groups.
·
Other members were seeking
clarification on what Tanzania water partnership as an organization is about
and the organizational structure. Being an independent organization, the
chairman responded that the participation can be organizational or individual
and protocol was as stipulated in the brochure.
·
A question was raised on the
procedures for enrolment into the Masters program in IWRM. It unfolded that the
whole procedure is done online and access to information was also available in
the website. One of the core hosting institutions of the program is university
of Dar es salaam which is in Tanzania. It also came to light that there exists
an alumni program for the graduates of IWRM program.
·
A concern was raised on the
data reflecting the current sanitation and water resource statistics and the
standard within the country. It was recommended that it should be updated such
as to encompass newly introduced infrastructure such as improved latrines.
The next session involved group discussions where the 5 groups were
to solicit participants input on the developing action plans. Each group has to
come up with priority issues revolved around water and sanitation and reasons
for its entry into the action plan. The issues are to be identified within the
5 key areas that are the objectives of the AMCOW Policy and Strategy namely:
·
Enhancing social and economic
development by investing in youth;
·
Ensuring sustainability by
empowering youth through knowledge;
·
Promoting innovation through
recognizing and supporting the contribution of young people in the sector;
·
Improving governance and
leadership
·
Building cross-sectoral
linkages as well as broaden the sector
Group discussions were facilitated by Mr. Alfred and each group presented
the results of their discussion.
The discussion however proceeded with members screening out the
priority issues that directly affect the country. With the activities proposed,
the following issues were also identified as priority:
1.
Establishment of a forum, which
will give youth an identity in the sector, in the process of establishing the
forum, participant agreed on development of a Task Force (National Steering
Committee for Engaging Youth in Water Sector) that will lead the effort and the
task force established will be under Tanzania water partnership.
2.
Propositions for the structure
of the National Steering Committee for Engaging Youth in Water Sector which at
the current time will be handling issues concerning the planned youth forum, the following are the members;
NAME PHONE EMAIL
I.
EMANOEL ALFRED (Chairperson) 0767693755 emanuel.richard12@yahoo.com
II.
EZRA MWACHA 0717947817 ezramwacha@gmail.com
III. ELISEKILE MBWILLE 0756272440 ElisekileMbwille@wateraid.org
IV.
EDWARD F. RUHINDA 0757026908 frontruh@yahoo.co.uk
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