WRC 2012

Reflections on Opening Session SA-EU Dialogue on

Water and the Sector Budget Support Programme

The Paradoxical Conflicts

• Blue planet and the freshwater challenge in a saltwater world.

• The world’s champion in inter-basin plumbing not being sufficiently successful in universal access to safe water.

• SA great research track record in water sciences not being adequately geared to deal with problems of the poor and marginalised

Challenges of the last mile

• Good technology development successes – UJ, U Ven, UWC

• SA along with India, Ghana, India and Guatamala as the finalists in the Patel Prize.

• Green Village concept exploration – off grid solutions for energy and water.

SA-EU partnership

• 15 years of a very strong relationship. Post-honeymoon into the real relationship.

• Strong partnership in the framework and infrastructure programmes

• Sector budget support of Euro 30m• Breathing life into the WSSD European Water

Initiative with Euro 3 Billion.• The Water for Growth Euro 242bn in

Masibambane.

SA-EU

• Modalities of partnership – SA, SADC, Africa, Developing world.

• Learn and build on successes to date• Seek innovative solutions in partnership

Invest in a new paradigm

• DACST and DST experiences in the journey to poverty eradication.

• Need for much stronger community partnership in solution development and sustainable development.

• We need to meet the Knowledge Management challenge.

• Akash Ganga – utility model.

Invest in a new paradigm

• POLICY LEARNING!!!!• The Goal must be Universal Access!!!• WE NEED INGENUITY AND INNOVATION!!!!• WE NEED PARTNERSHIP!!!!

• Actively engage government and decision-makers

8

Multidiscplin

ary work

‘Relevant s

cience

does not

automatica

lly sig

nify

socia

l acce

ptance

’

Very ac

tive, h

ighly

colle

gial re

search

ers

Cart before th

e horse

inventions

Recontam

ination of

treate

d wate

r

Amandla Olwazi Kubantu