July 2011

Southern African Young Water Professionals Conference

 Welcome address - President of WISA on 04 July 2011, Pretoria

 Program Director, WISA YWP President – Dr T Barnard, IWA YWP President – Dr I Jacobs, delegates from African and European countries, representatives from SA Government Departments and Municipalities, WISA YWP Members, distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

 It is indeed a great honor for me to welcome you to this important 2nd Regional Conference of SA Young Water Professionals in our beautiful country, South Africa.  

The South African water sector has its challenges. Some of these have been identified with the Blue and Green Drop reports recently published. One thing promising is that at least we are moving positively towards a correct direction. We do acknowledge the achievements of the water sector and also grateful with the support of the sector partners nationally and internationally, but we still have some challenges to overcome. These include local government support, water security, water conservation, river systems management, etc.

 Water security involves diligent planning, management of the water cycle including the effects of climate change and monitoring. There is a need to maximize and stretch our scarce water resources to maintain its critical role for social and economic development. Water use efficiency and water demand management must be addressed at all levels. We also need to increase our focus on river systems management, integrated catchment management, water re-use including water conservation.

 We need to understand and communicate the different values of water including its role as an economic good, in industrial production, health management, its environmental and social values, its role as a strategic element in energy generation and food security.

This means then that water should be put at the centre of planning and economic development.

 You have come from various background and/or experience with the commitment to take up the water challenges facing the continent. You include in your number specialists, researchers and representatives from environmental protection, water & sanitation services, economic development, public health, and so forth. The discussions over the next two days should be fascinating and rewarding. We owe it to the people of this continent, to bring our best creativity, our best intellect and our most critical facilities to improving service delivery in the water sector.

 I welcome and wish you all the best for this conference.

 I thank you

Anderson Mluleki Mancotywa
WISA President 2011/2012