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SADC media workshop on water issues

11 Oct 2010

Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa will be hosting a media workshop which aims to improve the knowledge of reporters and provide additional skills on covering water issues in southern Africa. The training will be conducted alongside the SADC Multi-stakeholder Water Dialogue, scheduled from 12-13 October 2010 in Maun, Botswana.

Participants include print and radio journalists from SADC countries.

The SADC Water Dialogue mobilises different stakeholders to share experiences in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The dialogue highlights how IWRM approaches can address key aspects of socio-economic development and poverty eradication in Southern Africa.

Contributing to climate resilient development

Under the theme "Watering development in SADC: Towards climate resilience through benefit sharing", the dialogue will focus on exploring how the water sector, working with other key water-using and influencing sectors, can contribute to climate resilient development or by ensuring regional integration, poverty alleviation and economic growth.

"Water is the most shared natural resource in SADC, and one on which a large part of our population particularly those in the rural areas depend on for their daily livelihoods. However very little is known about its management imperatives, availability and access, that is why it is important that all efforts are made to report through all mediums of media on water and issues surrounding it," says Phera Ramoeli, senior programme officer at SADC Water.

Linking Water to economic development

This capacity development initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in delegated cooperation with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) on behalf of the SADC Secretariat. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) is implementing the partnership programme. IPS will also produce a special print edition of the TerraViva newsletter for delegates at the SADC Dialogue. Additional support will come from OneWorld and DANIDA.

The workshop is part of the IPS 'Southern Africa Water Wire' project, which provides in-depth coverage of water-related issues in Southern Africa, linking water to economic development, social well-being and environmental protection.

Go to www.africawaterwire.org for updates from the region where journalists explore the challenges, difficulties and success stories of managing this strategic natural resource.