Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Kingdom of Eswatini, together with Southern Africa Member States, have begun consolidating a common regional position on water security and sanitation ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, with high-level consultations opening in Harare, Zimbabwe on April 13, 2026.
The meeting, convened under the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), is expected to feed into Africa’s collective priorities under the Africa Water Vision 2063 and strengthen the continent’s voice on global water governance.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Senior Programme Officer for Water, Dr Patrice Kabeya, said the consultations provide an opportunity for the region to align its priorities and influence the continental agenda.
“This consultation provides Southern Africa with an opportunity to contribute practical regional priorities, align continental ambitions with realities facing Member States, and strengthen Africa’s common voice ahead of the UN 2026 Water Conference,” he said.
The 2026 UN Water Conference will take place from 2-4 December, 2026, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the UAE, aims to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), enhance global water governance, and further elevate water-related issues on the international agenda.
Dr Kabeya said the region continues to face growing challenges, including climate-induced shocks, rising demand for water services and infrastructure deficits.
“Increasing droughts, floods and climate shocks, rapid urbanisation and growing demand for water services, infrastructure deficits and ageing systems, groundwater stress and weak monitoring systems, and persistent inequalities in access to WASH services remain key challenges,” he said.
He said cooperation over shared water resources would be critical for regional stability and development.
“Southern Africa includes numerous shared river basins and aquifers whose sustainable management is essential for peace, trade and economic integration,” he said.
Officially opening the meeting, Zimbabwe’s Chief Director for Water Resources, Irrigation Development and National WASH Coordination, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu, said the consultations mark a critical step in shaping Africa’s water future.
“Let me be unequivocal from the outset: this is not a routine gathering. This is a strategic working session that will shape the trajectory of Africa’s water future,” he said.
Mutazu emphasised the need for implementation-focused outcomes.
“We must convert ambition into execution. We must move from vision to verifiable results,” he said.
He said the implementation plan must be technically sound, evidence-based and realistic.
“This plan must be technically rigorous. It must be evidence-based, prioritised, and realistic. We cannot endorse a plan that is aspirational but impractical,” he said.
African Union Director of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy, Harsen Nyambe Nyambe, said collective action would be key to addressing water challenges across the continent.
“No region can act alone, transboundary cooperation will define whether Africa turns water into a source of peace or tension,” he said.
He said the success of the implementation plan would depend on financing, governance and delivery at country level.
“The success of this Implementation Plan will depend on our ability to mobilise financing, strengthen governance and accelerate delivery at country level,” he said.
Zimbabwe is using the platform to showcase efforts to improve water security, including dam construction, irrigation expansion, infrastructure rehabilitation and strengthening water quality systems.
Deliberations are expected to produce regional inputs into the First Implementation Plan (2026–2033), establish priority areas and outline a roadmap for continental action.
The outcomes will feed into Africa’s engagement at the 2026 UN Water Conference, where governments are expected to accelerate progress towards universal access to safe water and sanitation.
With climate change placing increasing pressure on water resources, regional leaders said a coordinated approach would be critical in ensuring Africa presents a unified position on the global stage.
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