The UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (IHP) SADC SUB-Region

1. The UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (IHP) SADC SUB-Region 02 Mar 2007

2. Brief • Main recommendations as contribution to IHP VII • Provide details on priorities, actions & activities • Fill gaps as per sub-regional needs • Propose Actions, activities/projects e.g. working groups an various areas • Nominate Rapporteur – to provide input to plennary • Reconvene at 15:00 & rapporteurs

3. THEME II: Water GovernanceSocio-Economics THEME III: Ecohydrology&Environmental Sustainability THEME IV: Water quality, Human Health& Food Security THEME I: Global Change, Watershed& Aquifers IHP-VII: Water Dependencies:Systems under Stress and Societal Responses Education,transfer of knowledge and capacity building Cross Cutting Programmes FRIEND HELP

4. THEME I Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA I-1: Large-scale groundwater dependencies related to global change & quality deterioration. Coastal aquifers management & risk reduction. Also includindg Oil contamination into aquifer systems • Assessment quantity & quality • Understanding of GW intrusion processes in general • Data & information requirements – monitoring • Scoping as an activity

5. THEME I Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA I-2: Hydrological extremes in different hydro-climatic zones (reference also should be made to small experimental basins and short term intense rainfall) • E.g. flash floods, delineation of flood plains, etc • Impact of extreme events • Response to hydrological extremes – flood/drought forecasting & management • Early warning systems

6. THEME I Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA I-3: Global change and feedback mechanisms of hydrological processes in stressed environments (including Hydrology in megacities). • Assessment – utilise modelling, case studies, scenarios • Appropriate Planning • Mitigation processes & approaches

7. THEME I Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA I-4: Changing global dynamics in aquatic environments: degrading ecosystems, especially those susceptible to sea level change, coastal sediment balance and pollutant accumulation. • Seen as cross cutting issue (freshwater vs marine environment) • Sediment issues to be taken elsewhere in Basin/watershed management

8. THEME II Focal Areas Governance • Accepted – note the process of harmonisation of policies in SADC sub-region • Setting up decision support systems at sub-regional level • Inclusion of private sector and civil society as part of stakeholder participation • IHP involvement within the sub-region in relation to existing SADC processes (support at sub-regional level) • Establish sustainable national committees • Activity – Get national governments buy-in support

9. THEME III Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA III-1: Water as a landscape agent: erosive capacity, mobile solvent, habitat for aquatic biota - interdependencies and regulation in biogeochemical cycling. • Integrated catchment/basin management – including national and shared water courses • Sediment issues at basin level covered here • Monitoring, assessment & information sharing (Subregional state of water resources reporting) • Best practices and use of NEPAD review mechanism

10. THEME III Focal Areas FOCAL AREA III-2: Complementing engineering solutions with ecological measures resulting in sustainable carrying capacity of ecosystems (should include reference to the improvement of knowledge on hydrological regime to support restoration of the environment.) • Improve knowledge of engineering solutions to include environmental flows. (e.g. complementary engineering solutions) • Transboundary aquifers & rivers to have operational rules for dam, groundwater and surface water mgt – Multidisciplinary approach

11. THEME III Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA III-3: Urbanisation pressures, sustainable cities • Water resources planning for mega cities (Key is water demand management) • Understanding of cities as ecosystems (changes and pressure – link to waste, sanitation, settlements planning, pollution)

12. THEME III Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA III-4: Risk based environmental management (under uncertainty), especially climate change threats to ecosystem functions. • Accept focal area III-4 as is but noting issues of diminishing of WR in the sub-region • Understanding implication of climate change within the sub-regional perspective • Implications for interbasin transfers

13. THEME III Focal Areas • FOCAL AREA A.III-5 Groundwater dependent ecosystems identification, inventory and assessment, • Supported as is – to ID or confirm specific activities/projects related to IHP

14. THEME IV Focal Areas Focal Area IV-1: Methodologies for safeguards against natural and water-borne biotic and abiotic pollutants • ID of all potential sources of pollution – monitoring and effective incentives & disincentives as part WR management • Research on appropriate water treatment technologies. • Sub-regional facility in relation to analysis and assessment of water quality (specific priority pollutants)

15. THEME IV Focal Areas • Focal Area IV-2: Access to safe water for human health • No further input - Accept

16. THEME IV Focal Areas Focal Area IV- 3: “Access to water for food security” • Household food security • Assessment of current status with respect • Millennium Development Goals, • water use efficiency, micro scale water requirements • Availability of water vs. “virtual” water (economic vs social needs)

17. THEME IV Focal Areas • Focal Area IV-4: “Water resources in emergency situations”. • Address through existing disaster management processes in the sub-region • Water storage like managed aquifer recharge, consider underground storage noting potential pollution problems • Multipurpose use of water (hydropower?)

18. THEME IV Focal Areas • Focal Area IV-5; Methodologies to augment water resources availability • Reuse of water and harvesting (activity experimental)

19. GUIDING PRINCIPLES & INTERVENTIONS • SADC Water policy such as • Regional strategic action plan • SADC protocol on shared water course • MDG’s & • WSSD (Jo’burg plan of action) • Working groups to be along existing SADC structures • Additional hydrologist to SADC to be formalised. • Note the need for UNESCO sub-regional centre of excellence that looks at the unique challenges in the sub-regional level.