NatuReS Showcases Regional Stewardship at the 11th SADC Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue
This September, the 11th SADC Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue took place in Maseru, Lesotho. It convened decision-makers, technical experts, and development partners from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) under the theme “Water Security, Innovation, and Nexus Action: Watering and Enabling Regional Economic Development Corridors for Transformation in SADC”. The event was jointly organised under the SADC-GIZ Transboundary Water Management (TWM) project, in partnership the SADC Secretariat and the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA). It aimed to strengthen cooperation in addressing shared water security challenges and advancing regional resilience.
The Dialogue was graced by a number of high-level dignitaries whose remarks framed the regional agenda. For instance, the guest of honour, Honourable Mohlomi Moleko, Minister of Natural Resources of the Kingdom of Lesotho, emphasised in his keynote address that water is indispensable to regional value chains and integration. He stressed that Lesotho, despite its small size, commits to playing a pivotal role in regional water and energy security. His remarks called for enhanced cooperation and infrastructure investment to harness water resources as drivers of economic development.
Highlighting the potential of NatuReS’ Stewardship Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for regional water security
Representing the GIZ Natural Resources Stewardship (NatuReS II) Programme, Ms Adjoa Parker, Country Coordinator for Zambia, presented on “Multi-Stakeholder Stewardship for Water Security: From Urban Hubs to Regional Corridors”. She highlighted the role of Stewardship Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (SMSPs) in improving water security and resource governance, with a special focus on private sector engagement and how these approaches could be applied at regional level.
She emphasised that neither government nor business can solve water-related challenges alone. Instead, effective and sustainable solutions only emerge when public, private, and civil society actors take shared responsibility for protecting natural resources: “Stewardship means taking care of something that you do not own…ensuring that future generations inherit resources that are sustainably and equitably managed”.
She pointed out that solving water challenges demands shared ownership of risks and solutions across the public, private, and civil society spheres. Using examples from all four NatuReS II implementation countries, as well as a case study on Zambia’s Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI), she demonstrated how stewardship approaches support WEFE initiatives by enhancing water, energy and food security, as well as supporting healthy ecosystems. She also stressed that economic development can be balanced with ecology and social issues, especially when using the SMSP approach. Furthermore, she discussed how these approaches can be employed and scaled at various levels – including special economic zones, cities, catchments, regions, and corridors, producing sustained impact while aligning with regional objectives.
Since 2013, NatuReS and its predecessor, the International Water Stewardship Programme (IWaSP), have collaborated with over 180 partners to facilitate over 50 partnerships. Overall, they leveraged private-sector investments worth over EUR 300 million and improved the resilience and livelihoods of millions of people across the SADC region and beyond.
By collaborating closely with the SADC Secretariat, national ministries, and cooperating partners, NatuReS II reaffirms its commitment to embedding stewardship as a cornerstone of water security, regional integration, and sustainable development within the context of the WEFE and a Just Transition.