From May 27-29, 2025, stakeholders from across Africa and beyond gathered in Lusaka, Zambia, for the 3rd African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water – the PANAFCON-3. Convened under the theme “Assuring Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sanitation for the Africa We Want,” they came together to review the draft for the post-2025 Africa Water Vision and Policy. The conference was a call to action – aiming to reignite political and institutional commitment to water and sanitation as a core driver for achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Against this backdrop, the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) and Wiggles Ventures convened a session titled “ESG and Sustainability for the Private Sector” on May 27. LuWSI is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together public institutions, private sector companies, civil society, and academia to safeguard Lusaka’s water resources. Wiggles Ventures, a sustainability-focused enterprise, is committed to promoting green business practices and inclusive development through innovation, technology, and partnerships. The Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS) contributed to the organisation of the session, supporting LuWSI and sharing its expertise in stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships.
ESG and the private sector’s evolving role in achieving sustainability
The session aligned directly with PANAFCON’s broader goal of inclusive and climate-resilient water and sanitation strategies: It explored the growing convergence between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) adoption and climate imperatives. And it discussed how the private sector contributes to sustainable water and sanitation outcomes through ESG implementation, driving both resilience and competitiveness in the private sector.
The session, moderated by NatuReS’ Adjoa Parker, opened with a keynote address by Mr Elvin Nasilele, CEO of the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI). Mr Nasilele unpacked the concept of ESG, explaining how the three pillars help businesses future-proof operations, build stakeholder trust, and demonstrate credibility to investors, regulators, and communities. He emphasized that ESG should be seen not merely as compliance but as a business enabler, especially in navigating the ESG-climate change nexus, which increasingly defines risk and opportunity landscapes for the private sector. Mr Nasilele also called for collective action, underscoring the role of multi-stakeholder platforms in convening diverse stakeholders, facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity building, aligning business action with national sustainability goals, and creating an enabling environment for ESG uptake.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration as implementation framework
A cornerstone of the session was the power of multi-stakeholder collaboration – the idea that when businesses, governments, and civil society work together, they can unlock shared value and co-create a better future – essential to both LuWSI’s work and the PANAFCON-3 ethos. The session featured a multi-stakeholder panel with representatives from the different sectors who shared diverse perspectives on ESG implementation in Zambia. Key challenges mentioned included siloed efforts and lack of coordination among stakeholders, the absence of incentives and diverging priorities across sectors, the perception of ESG as a tick-box exercise rather than a transformative framework, as well as resource constraints.
In this regard, the multi-stakeholder approach came out as an important success factor for ESG implementation. Discussions also included how businesses investing in ESG tend to foster local community development and how civil society as well as auditing firms can support capacity building and governance frameworks. Further, the session underlined how ESG implementation that considers youth engagement, gender equity, and wellbeing can deliver more inclusive long-term outcomes. Integrating ESG into business strategy is also a powerful tool for building climate resilience, particularly in the water and environmental sectors that are vulnerable to climate shocks.
Beyond this session at PANAFCON-3, NatuReS continues to champion the value of transformative multi-stakeholder partnerships such as LuWSI. Through these stewardship partnerships, NatuReS works to identify and mitigate risks collaboratively, promote inclusive development, and co-create solutions that drive environmental health, economic resilience, and social equity.
In Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, stakeholders are facing a similar challenge: How to manage natural resources in areas with extreme resource use pressure, such as zones with water and soil scarcity or very resource-intensive production processes? And how to do this in a collaborative and socially just manner? In such contexts, stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships (SMSPs) are a valuable tool to advance a socio-ecological transformation, balancing environmental protection, economic development, and social equity.
To support inter-country dialogue and learning on the SMSP approach, the Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS), implemented by GIZ, recently convened partners (public, private and civil society) for a two-day practical expert exchange. The “Regional Exchange Workshop on Stewardship Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships” took place on 3-4 June 2025 in Hawassa, Ethiopia, bringing together more than 30 experts from South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia as well as from within Ethiopia. It explored how innovative approaches for sustainable natural resource management can be developed in a collective manner, with a focus on ecohydrology and other nature-based solutions for catchment restoration. Ecohydrology is an interdisciplinary approach that uses the interactions between water and ecosystems to improve water availability and water quality, restore degraded landscapes, and enhance the resilience of water systems.
Read our brochure on landscape restoration through ecohydrology at Lake Hawassa here.
Opening: Emphasising Sustainable Resource Use and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships
Opening the workshop, Mr Shiferaw Negash welcomed the partners on behalf of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and its Director General H.E. Lelise Neme. In light of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, he stressed the importance of sustainable resource use for both economic development and environmental protection and recognised GIZ’s long-standing work in Ethiopia. Mr Shiferaw specifically emphasised the need for collective tangible action through an inclusive whole-of-society approach.
He was followed by Mr Stephan Lidsba, Cluster Coordinator for the Climate Change Cluster at GIZ Ethiopia, who highlighted the value of learning from the diverse expertise present in the room – from the private sector, public institutions, and civil society. He also drew attention to how the technical issues discussed contribute to the wider strategic objectives of the respective national governments and encouraged participants to engage in constructive discussions and forge lasting partnerships.
Spotlight on the NatuReS Programme and the Protecting Lake Hawassa Partnership
Following the opening remarks, Mr James Njeru from GIZ introduced the NatuReS Programme and the Protecting Lake Hawassa Partnership (PLH). Established in 2018, PLH has brought together stakeholders to jointly address environmental, economic, and social risks affecting the sub-basin, including pollution, erosion, water scarcity, and wetland degradation. To do this, the partners from the public and private sector and civil society engage in working groups on afforestation and soil erosion control, waste management, as well as community and stakeholder engagement. Notable achievements include the construction of 1,300 km of terraces, 15 km of check dams, and the rehabilitation of 150 hectares of degraded land. Mr Njeru specifically highlighted the imperative to connect natural resources protection with livelihoods to achieve a socio-ecological transformation, as exemplified by the launch of a local honey-processing cooperative (more on this below).
Understanding the risks of natural resources degradation in Ethiopia
The challenges PLH is addressing are not unique to Hawassa. Ethiopia, known as the “water tower of Africa”, paradoxically faces significant water stress. Dr Simeneh Shiferaw from Wetlands International outlined major challenges such as limited access to safe drinking water, pollution from agriculture, industry, and domestic waste, and growing pressure from population growth and urbanisation. Governance and infrastructure gaps further exacerbate water degradation. To address this, he emphasised the need for a holistic multi-stakeholder approach prioritising stronger policies, investment, technology, community engagement, and capacity building. After all, the call for joint action is clear: Studies estimate up to 8.5% of GDP losses annually in case of continued environmental degradation, including water issues, posing a significant threat to Ethiopia’s economic development.
Showcasing success stories in ecohydrology
Despite these challenges, there are also successful examples of how ecohydrological approaches can be part of the solution for Ethiopia:
Dr Mulugeta Dadi from Hawassa University started the session by presenting the technical aspects of terrestrial ecohydrology and highlighting its role in supporting ecosystem services and promoting community stewardship. Using examples from farmlands, hillsides, and gullies around Hawassa, he emphasised that the interventions can never just be technical and must always consider socio-ecological factors to be successful. Communities seeing and feeling the benefits is key to gain farmers’ support and achieve long-term stewardship. Dr Mulugeta’s presentation featured before-and-after images of ecohydrological interventions, displaying the clear impact of ecohydrological measures.
Mr Wondwosane Abeje from the Ministry of Water and Energy shared a video documentary on ecohydrology efforts for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) made in Ethiopia. It showcased six sites established by the Ministry tackling issues like water pollution, invasive species, flood control, soil restoration, landslide prevention, and coffee waste treatment. Three of these sites are now also recognised as UNESCO ecohydrology demonstration sites. Key success factors include community ownership, system integration, and ongoing monitoring, while challenges remain in remote access, short rainy seasons, and limited funding.
A third case study was presented by Dr Assefa Tessema from Wollo University who shared insights on the sustainable management of Lake Hayik. The lake’s ecosystem faces challenges such as overfishing, pollution, solid waste, eutrophication, siltation and extreme flow variations. To reduce degradation and enhance ecosystem services, the restoration project implemented three types of ecohydrology: terrestrial, urban, and aquatic. Dr Tessema highlighted the key achievements as gully rehabilitation, slope and riverbank stabilisation. Further, Lake Hayik’s registration as a UNESCO ecohydrology demonstration site in October 2024 marked a significant milestone.
Scaling up ecohydrology
After these project examples, Mr Debebe Deferso and Mr Yirgalem Esuneh from the Ministry of Water concluded the presentations with an outlook on scaling up ecohydrology in Ethiopia. As next steps they outlined plans to establish a national technical team to scale up measures to the national level, evaluate the performance of demonstration sites, renew the Africa Center of Ecology in Addis Ababa, facilitate a national IWRM programme, strengthen basin planforms, shift from demonstration sites to implementation units at watershed/basin level and link ecohydrology with green legacy initiatives. The Ministry also wants to engage further in best practice and knowledge transfer. This includes plans to upgrade ecohydrology sites and register with UNESCO for the international learning sites capacity development programme. And secondly, the Ministry plans to organise an international symposium such as this exchange workshop in Hawassa for ecology demonstration sites.
After the presentations, participants engaged in active discussion on stakeholder cooperation and the partnership process with the experts. In breakout groups they discussed challenges as well as best practices related to catchment degradation in their respective countries. They were then invited to compare those approaches with ecohydrology and reflect on the potential to apply ecohydrology through stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships in their own national contexts.
Day 2 of the exchange workshop featured field trips to observe and learn firsthand about project sites in the Lake Hawassa catchment. This offered opportunities for direct engagement with local communities and a close-up view of the benefits achieved by collective action:
At the Boricha gully, efforts focused on restoring the highly degraded land through ecohydrology. Following a project briefing by Dr Mulugeta Dadi, participants engaged in a detailed Q&A session with both Dr Mulugeta and community representatives. The site is also a good example for the socio-ecological aspect highlighted in the presentations on Day 1. After six years, it has seen significant rehabilitation from degraded into once again productive land now starting to be used for cultivation by the local community, with support and training from the University.
The second destination was the Sama Ejersa Honey Producing and Processing Association. Here, community representatives welcomed the group and explained how – equipped with and trained on modern apiculture equipment by the PLH partnership – they have been able to increase their harvest and income. Now in their second harvest, the association successfully links sustainable resource management with livelihood support, reducing the farmer’s dependence on soil-based activities.
Looking ahead: next steps for stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships in the 4 countries
Reflecting on the impressions and learnings from the workshop, participants gathered again in country teams to discuss what next steps they would like to take to support stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships and what resources they would need to do so:
The partners from South Africa stressed the need to increase private sector involvement and funding via strong business cases and documented stories of change. They also highlighted improving community participation, especially among women and youth, to ensure ownership and long-term sustainability.
The partners from Tanzania focused on scaling up the Sustainable Water Management (SUWARMA) approach – suppported by NatuReS in Tanzania – by building community capacity for long-term maintenance. They emphasised leveraging expertise from all relevant actors, including universities, indigenous knowledge and the private sector, when expanding to new catchments.
Team Zambia highlighted the importance of proactive measures, such as early community engagement to prevent degradation in the first place. They also advocated for the promotion of alternative livelihoods and payment for ecosystem services to encourage adoption of restoration measures.
And lastly, the representatives from Ethiopia joint others in calling for increased involvement of local business, e.g. through CSR programs and identification of joint risks. The group also discussed formal recognition of multi-stakeholder platforms as legal entities to strengthen their ability to deliver and ensure sustainability. Regarding community involvement, they argued for building a better understanding for environmental issues e.g. through school programs to lay the foundation for stewardship.
The regional exchange concluded with a shared sense of purpose and renewed commitment to collaborative natural resource stewardship. It also reaffirmed the value of regional learning and collaboration with partners facing similar challenges. This was echoed in the closing remarks by Mr Njeru, GIZ, as he urged participants to make use of the new networks formed. Equipped with new knowledge and practical insights from the field, participants left inspired to apply ecohydrology and other approaches for sustainable natural resource management through multi-stakeholder collaboration in their own countries, paving the way for a Just Transition with fair and sustainable outcomes for all.
In Zambia, like any other place on the planet, water sustains life, livelihoods, and the environment. And commercial utilities (CUs) play a pivotal role in managing it. Zambia’s 11 CUs are responsible for supplying potable water, supporting public health, managing rising urban water demand, and strengthening capacity in communities for effective management of water access and sewerage infrastructure. Their mandate also stretches across complex operational issues like non-revenue water (NRW), water treatment, and network expansion – all while working to ensure service continuity and safety.
Amid these challenges, a quiet transformation is underway. The concept of Water and Environmental Stewardship is helping to shift CUs from being just service providers to becoming active partners in sustainable water governance. This paradigm change encourages a stakeholder-based approach, where utilities not only manage infrastructure but also help protect water resources through innovation, community engagement, and collaboration.
To recognize and promote this critical evolution, the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) launched the Stewardship Awards in 2018. LuWSI is a platform of over 40 partners from the public and private sector and civil society, supported by GIZ’s Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS II). Now, in its Commercial Utility edition, the award is shining a well-deserved spotlight on the efforts made within Zambia’s water sector.
This year’s edition of the award saw seven Commercial Utilities submit entries documenting their sustainability practices, innovations, and community engagement strategies. These submissions were independently verified through site visits and reviews. The evaluation teams comprised the Lusaka Water Security Initiative Secretariat, National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the NatuReS Programme. They assessed key criteria including leadership and institutional commitment, operational practices, innovation and technology as well as community engagement and environmental protection. The evaluations both uncovered shared challenges and opportunities, reinforcing the value of collective learning in the sector.
All utilities demonstrated high levels of commitment, with their initiatives underlining how stewardship is not a one-size-fits-all model but a spectrum of solutions adapted to local contexts – and driven by genuine care for natural resources and the communities served:
Southern Water Supply and Sanitation Company (SWASSCO) invested in intake protection along the Zambezi River in Kazungula. This effort combined engineering upgrades with tree-planting and community sensitisation to protect vulnerable intake points.
Luapula Water reinforced its community engagement by partnering with local watch groups that promote WASH practices and report vandalism. These groups interface directly with the Utility’s senior management – eliminating bureaucratic delays and fostering trust. By embedding community voices into utility operations, it strengthens public accountability and drives improved environmental outcomes. This sets a strong example of inclusive stewardship that can be replicated across the sector.
Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) showcased multiple innovations. At Chongwe intake, improved filtration shall enhance water quality, while at the Lolanda treatment plant, a system has been implemented to repurpose backwash water – reducing waste and increasing efficiency. In Kafue, LWSC partnered with Fresh Life to pilot affordable container based toilets in markets and select residential areas. These sanitation solutions offer a safer, more sustainable alternative to pit latrines by minimizing groundwater contamination and supporting urban hygiene.
The award ceremony was held on April 16 alongside the official launch of the Water Sector Report, presided over by the Zambian Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Hon. Collins Nzovu. The Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) emerged as the winner, with Southern Water Supply and Sanitation Company (SWASSCO) as runner-up.
Ultimately, the Stewardship Award is not just about accolades. It is a call to action, encouraging utilities to go beyond compliance and embrace their role as environmental guardians. It promotes a mindset where collaboration – across regulators, businesses, communities, and development partners – becomes the norm, not the exception. For Zambia to achieve its vision of water security and resilience, especially in the face of climate change and rapid urbanisation, Commercial Utilities are central actors. The award is a step toward further embedding stewardship into the culture of service delivery.
The progress seen across Zambia’s Commercial Utilities is enabled through the support of NatuReS, committed to advancing a Just Transition with fair, sustainable, and inclusive outcomes for all stakeholders. Through these efforts, NatuReS helps to anchor stewardship and resilience principles at the core of water governance in Zambia.
The Lake Hawassa sub-basin is a vital ecosystem and source of livelihood for its growing population. But it is facing increasing pressure on its water resources. Rapid population growth, urbanization, agricultural expansion, and climate change have led to concerns regarding water quality degradation, declining water availability, and potential conflicts over water use. Further, the sub-basin faces challenges related to water resource management, including contamination from agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, and sewage; inefficient water use; and lack of coordination among stakeholders. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Protecting Lake Hawassa (PLH) Multi-Stakeholder Partnership was established in 2018, working to foster collaboration and coordination among actors from the public and private sector and civil society.
To enhance water use efficiency in the Lake Hawassa sub-basin and build capacities among stakeholders, the Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS) implemented by GIZ recently organized trainings on water use efficiency for key stakeholders in the sub-basin. Resource efficiency is defined as a way of using natural resources that is sustainable for all involved stakeholders, fostering economic productivity, ecological sustainability and social justice. This training initiative, as part of the PLH partnership, brought together representatives from various sectors, including industry, irrigated agriculture, hospitality, urban greening, and municipal water supply.
Stakeholder collaboration for more efficient water management
Held from May 7 to 9, 2025 in Hawassa, the three-day training focused on demonstrating and presenting the findings of a gap assessment on water usage efficiency and facilitated discussions to identify practical solutions for the sustainable management of this vital resource. The training attracted a total of 45 participants. These comprised 10 high-level decision-makers from public regulatory bodies and 35 senior professionals from relevant sectors.
Key public stakeholders included officials from the Ministry of Water and Energy, as well as representatives from the Sidama and Oromia regional state bureaus, and Hawassa City Municipalities. The private sector also played a crucial role in the discussions, with representatives from companies such as Moha Soft Drink Factory, Haile Resort, Almeta Farm, ELFORA, and Klaver Flowers.
The active stakeholder participation underscored the importance of mutual understanding and participatory actions in addressing the findings of the gap assessment study, conducted in collaboration with experts from Hawassa University. During the sessions, officials acknowledged the valuable insights gained and committed to fostering further cooperation towards shared solutions. Emphasis was put on the need for balanced and responsible utilization of water resources across all sectors. After the training, participants successfully demonstrated their learning outcomes in an assessment test.
Steps to improve water efficiency in the Lake Hawassa Sub-basin
The training highlighted several critical findings and recommendations for improving water use efficiency in the Lake Hawassa sub-basin:
Reduce Non-Revenue Water: Implement strategies for leak detection and repair, as well as meter maintenance and replacement.
Promote Water-Saving Behaviours: Encourage the adoption of water-saving fixtures and behaviours, particularly in growing middle-class neighbourhoods.
Introduce Tariff Systems: Consider block tariffs and metering for billing households to incentivize conservation among users.
Implement Rainwater Harvesting: Encourage practices to harvest and reuse rainwater for non-potable demands.
Upgrade Infrastructure: Invest in supply infrastructure to alleviate pressure on boreholes and improve water supply continuity.
Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR): Undertake MAR interventions to enhance groundwater recharge and sustainability.
The collective commitment demonstrated during this training marks a substantial step towards more efficient and sustainable water management practices in the region, ensuring the preservation of Lake Hawassa and its vital resources for future generations. Follow-up on these recommendations will take place through the technical committees of the Protecting Lake Hawassa (PLH) partnership. They will offer joint support to the respective stakeholders and institutions to act upon the identified needs and objectives for realizing more efficient use of water resources in the endangered ecosystem of Lake Hawassa.
