Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Energy and Water Sectors Held on May 27
The Joint Meeting of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for the Energy and Water Sectors was officially opened on May 27, 2024.
Minister João Baptista Borges presided over the event and emphasized that the purpose of the meeting is to address important issues and prepare key topics for discussion and approval by the relevant Committees of Ministers for Energy and Water.
In the Energy Sector, the ministers will focus on the progress made since the previous ministerial meeting, security of energy supply, developments in SADC’s priority areas for sustainable energy sector development, and a proposal to establish a Regional Transport Infrastructure Financing Mechanism (RTIFF).
The ministers will also review the progress on amending the SADC Protocol on Energy (1996), regional regulatory initiatives for the energy sector, and efforts to strengthen national energy regulators and the Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA) as part of the development of a Regional Regulatory Authority. Additionally, the meeting will address the promotion of renewable and new energy sources, the operationalization of SACREEE (SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency) as a legal entity, progress in signing and ratifying SACREEE IGMOA, as well as discussions on the transition to cleaner fuels, including low-sulfur diesel in the region. The ministers will also review a proposal for a Just Energy Transition for the SADC region.
In the Water Sector, the ministers will discuss progress on regional initiatives aimed at improving water and sanitation services in SADC member states and assess ongoing transboundary water projects led by basin organizations. They will also evaluate progress in financing and developing regional water infrastructure, including transboundary water systems.
The ministers will further review the second phase of the regional groundwater program, supported by the SADC Water Fund and other partners, and discuss the implementation of the integrated water-energy-food project in member states.
The meeting will also include updates on efforts to revise regional water policies and formulate a strategy for regional resource mobilization for the water sector.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), established in 1980 with sixteen (16) member states, was initially known as the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference. It transitioned into the Southern African Development Community in August 1992.
The Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Energy and Water will be preceded by a meeting of sector experts from May 27 to 31, 2024.
Information Technology, Institutional Communication, and Press Office of the Ministry of Energy and Water, Luanda, May 28, 2024 João Baptista Borg es João Baptista Borges
