African Water Ministers and AfDB organize First African Water Week

Related Press Releases and Interviews:

• AfDB President's Statement at the Welcome Dinner in Honor of Ministers and Guests of the First African Water Week
• Welcoming Remarks, First African Water Week, by Siswe Mandla V Gantsho, Vice President, Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration
• Statement by Mohamed Habib Haddad, Tunisian Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, opening session
• Statement by the Prince of Orange, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Chair of United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), opening session
• Statement by Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council, opening session
• AfDB President's Opening Statement at the First African Water Week
• AfDB President Pledges to Place Water at the Centre of Africa’s Socio-Economic Development 
• Investments in Agricultural Water Critical to the Achievement of the MDGs African Development Bank, NEPAD and World Bank call for increased investments in agricultural water in Africa
• Closing Remarks, by Mandla Gantsho, Vice President, AfDB
• AMCOW Final Declaration
• Interview with Kordjé Bedoumra, former AfDB's Water and Sanitation Director: Increasing Awareness of the Strategic Importance of Water for Africa’s Development
• Interview with Dr. Kodwo Andah, Scientific Coordinator, Water Resources Research and Documentation Centre (WARREDOC), University for Foreigners of Perugia, Italy

Related Videos:

• Welcoming Remarks, Mandla Gantsho, AfDB Vice-President, Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration
• Opening Statement by Donald Kaberuka, AfDB President
• Opening Statement, by Prince of Orange, Chair of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB)
• Closing statement, by Bernard Itoua, AMCOW Chair
• Closing Statement by A.R. Rakotobe, AfDB Water and Sanitation Director
• Interview with Bernard Itoua, AMCOW Chair  
• Interview with A.R. Rakotobe, AfDB Water and Sanitation Director

The first African Water week (AWW-1) will be held in Tunis from March 26-28 , 2008. The event, to be hosted by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), will be held on the theme “Accelerating Water Security for Socio-Economic Development of Africa”.

The main objective of the First African Water Week (AWW-1) is to create a forum for African water sector professionals, stakeholders and partners to discuss opportunities and challenges of achieving water security for Africa's socio-economic development; and to formulate concrete policies, strategies and actions to accelerate water resources development and provision of services taking into consideration challenges and impact.

AMCOW comprises all African Ministers

This theme is in line with the February 27, 2004,  Sirte Declaration by African heads of state and government which identified the achievement of water security as a priority deserving significant investments in infrastructure such as storage dams, water harvesting, irrigation and hydropower structures.

More specifically, AWW-1 deliberations will focus on:

• Lessons learned from experiences around the world regarding the achievement of water security;
• Water security challenges and the sanitation gap;
• Infrastructure investment requirements at achieving desired water security;
• Investing in water information and knowledge in Africa;
• Challenges of environmental and social impacts for water infrastructure;
• The roles of main stakeholders and the development of appropriate partnerships.

AMCOW comprises all African Water Ministers. It provides political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable socio-economic development and maintenance of ecosystems in Africa.

In its Sixth Ordinary Session held in Congo Brazzaville, from May 28-31, 2007, AMCOW decided to institutionalize the African Water Week, with the first event scheduled to take place in Tunis and hosted by ADB.

Sessions breakdown:

Wednesday  March 26, 2008

1100-1300 - Plenary 1: Infrastructure Platform for Achieving Water Security  – Lessons of Global Experience

1400-1600 - Plenary 2: Infrastructure Platform for Achieving Water Security – Lessons of Regional Experience

1630-1830 - Plenary 3: Meeting the Water & Sanitation Millennium Development Goals

Thursday March 27, 2008

0830-1030 - Plenary 4:  Financing Infrastructure for the Desired Water Security Objectives 

1100-1300 - Plenary 5: Addressing the Environmental and Social Challenges

1400-1600 - Parallel 1:  The Infrastructure Platform and Transboundary Cooperation

1400-1600 - Parallel  2:  Meeting Water & Sanitation MDG: Drivers of Change in Urban and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation

1400-1600 - Parallel  3: Addressing the Environmental and Social Impact Challenges

1630-1830 - Parallel 4: Launching of the Road Map for the African Ground Water Commission

1630-1830 - Parallel 5: Water Security for Agricultural Water Use

1630-1830 - Parallel 6: Investing in Information, Knowledge and Monitoring

Friday March 28, 2008

0830-1030 - Plenary 6: Stakeholders Role and Partnerships

1100-1300 - Parallel 7: Institutional Development and Capacity Building

1100-1300 - Parallel 8: Water Harvesting & Reuse

1100-1300 - Parallel 9: Climate Change and Adaptation

1400-1600 - Plenary 7:  Launching of 5th World Water Forum Regional Process

1630-1800 - Closing Session : Final Report and Adoption of AMCOW Declaration

• Logistical Information
• Information Note
• Concept Note
• Conference Programme
• Thematic Sessions and Convening Institutions
• Tunisia Online