- Water as a Catalyst for Growth: Leaders stress that water security and innovation must become the backbone of economic corridors, powering food security, clean energy, and climate resilience across Southern Africa.
- Game-Changing Projects: Lesotho showcases flagship initiatives like the Highlands Water Project and the US$3 billion Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer scheme, underscoring water’s role in regional integration and economic lifelines.
- From Dialogue to Delivery: International partners and technical experts urge bold action to embed water-smart solutions into SADC’s Vision 2050, RISDP 2020–2030, and AU Agenda 2063.
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Maseru, Lesotho – The 11th SADC Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue opened today with a unified call from regional leaders to place water security and innovation at the heart of Southern Africa’s economic transformation agenda. Hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, the two-day event brings together policymakers, river basin organisations, and international partners to define water’s strategic role in enabling climate-resilient economic development corridors.
The dialogue, themed “Water Security, Innovation, and Nexus Action: Watering and Enabling Regional Economic Development Corridors for Transformation in SADC”, aims to move beyond siloed planning and fully integrate the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach into regional strategies.
In his keynote address, the Honourable Mohlomi Moleko, Lesotho’s Minister of Natural Resources, championed this vision, highlighting Lesotho’s role as the “water tower of the region”. He detailed major transboundary projects that exemplify regional integration, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project supplying South Africa’s economic hub and the planned Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer scheme, a US$3 billion project to construct a dam and a 700-kilometer conveyance system.
“As a small country, we are really doing our part to ensure that there is regional integration to ensure that the economies of the region benefit,” Minister Moleko stated, emphasizing that these multi-purpose infrastructure projects also generate hydropower, support irrigation, and create tourism opportunities. He announced that Lesotho aims to become a net exporter of clean energy within two years, leveraging hydropower, floating solar, and wind farms.
Speakers underscored that economic corridors—such as the North-South, Maputo, and Lobito corridors—are more than just transport routes; they are the “arteries of our regional integration”. For these corridors to become “lifelines of resilience, food security, and climate-smart growth,” water must be treated as a foundational enabler, not a peripheral concern. This vision is central to achieving the goals of SADC Vision 2050, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030, and the AU Agenda 2063.
International partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting this agenda. In a video address, Ms. Simone Goertz, Head of Economic and Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, noted Germany’s pride in supporting transboundary water management in the SADC region for over 20 years. “Our commitment to the nexus reflects our belief that water is not just a resource but a driver of regional integration, resilience and prosperity,” she said. The German government provides base funding for the dialogue through GIZ.
Ms. Anna Renieri, Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation in Lesotho, highlighted the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Transboundary Water Management in Africa, which has implemented 51 actions worth €578 million since 2021, with SADC as a priority region. She emphasized that “lasting water security in Southern Africa can only be achieved through action and coordination at all levels” and pointed to the EU Global Gateway strategy as a vehicle for supporting sustainable investments.
Representing the technical partners, Mr. Andrew Takawira, Interim Executive Secretary of Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), challenged participants to move from dialogue to delivery. “Water is not a backdrop to development. It is the enabler,” he stressed, calling for stronger links between transboundary institutions like River Basin Organisations (RBOs) and the economic corridors.
The dialogue will continue with technical sessions exploring innovative financing, institutional alignment, and cross-sectoral partnerships, aiming to produce a clear roadmap for embedding water-smart solutions into the region’s development trajectory.
