Accelerating Water-Enabled Growth in G77 Countries
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government
Accelerating Water-Enabled Growth in G77 Countries during the World Economic Forum on Africa 2015 held in Cape Town. As a political initiative, it is addressing urban wastewater overall, including all water users
On 3 June 2015, the South African government, represented by Jeff Radebe, Minister in the Presidency and Nomvula Paula Mokonyane, Minister of Water and Sanitation of South Africa, presented an initiative on ‘Accelerating Water-Enabled Growth in G77 Countries’ during the World Economic Forum on Africa 2015 held in Cape Town. (G77 is the intergovernmental group formed by developing countries.) As a political initiative, it is addressing urban wastewater overall, including all water users.
South Africa – as Chair of the G77 in 2015 – wants to mobilise the private sector and other actors in a network of water champions, to partner with G77 country governments and support the practical implementation of the dedicated water goal within the set of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. It particularly wishes to focus on target 6.3, aiming by 2030 to improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials; but also halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and at least doubling recycling and safe reuse globally.
The Alliance will focus on urban wastewater infrastructure development across the next generation of rapidly growing G77 cities. The coalition was initiated by Minister Jeff Radebe, during the meeting of the 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) at the WEF in Davos in January 2015.
The Concept
The Urban Water Alliance would manifest itself as a pre-competitive informal network of key actors from:
- Municipalities and groups of qualified urban planners;
- Development finance institutions (existing and emerging international, national and regional institutions);
- Private sector players (large scale water users from industry, infrastructure developers, water utilities and operators, technology providers, financiers and investors); and
- Other stakeholders (civil society, international organisations, development agencies, and experts) who can actually contribute to practical solutions.
Together, the actors of the Urban Water Alliance would engage to help stimulate and co-develop together with interested G77 cities:
A blueprint for action – identifying top needs and opportunities to deliver economic benefits from improved wastewater management in key G77 cities.
A suite of innovative integrated urban wastewater project design concepts (linking industry and municipal actors together to yield innovations and efficiencies) developed in partnership with interested G77 cities.
A framework of public-private financing solutions to support these new infrastructure development concepts by engaging national and global industrial companies, in conjunction with international finance and development assistance, thereby using all means to help the city close the wastewater investment gap.
2030 WRG as a partner in the initiative
The 2030 Water Resources Group that I am chairing is open to supporting this initiative, in response to an invitation extended already by the Government of South Africa at the Davos Annual Meeting 2015.
Local 2030 WRG multi-stakeholder platforms could be used during 2015 as a starting point, to initiate a small number of pilots in selected municipalities in different countries as the very first step of the alliance.
As always I would appreciate your comments, and in this particular case, your general and, where possible, your more concrete practical support of those who can add value.
Source: Water Challenge
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Taxonomy
- Wastewater Phycoremediation
- Institutional Development & Water Governance
- Water & Wastewater Operations