Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Energy and Water Sectors Held on May 27
The Joint Meeting of the Committee of Ministers overseeing the Energy and Water Sectors began on May 27, 2024.
Presided over by Minister João Baptista Borges, the session emphasized the need to address key issues and prepare crucial topics for discussion and approval by the relevant Committees for Energy and Water.
Regarding the Energy Sector, the ministers will assess progress since the last ministerial meeting, examine energy supply security, and review advancements in SADC’s focus areas for sustainable development within the regional energy sector. A proposal for establishing a Regional Transport Infrastructure Financing Mechanism (RTIFF) will also be considered.
Key points of discussion will include updates on revising the SADC Protocol on Energy (1996), regional energy regulatory initiatives, and strengthening national energy regulators as well as the Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA), aimed at forming a Regional Regulatory Authority. The ministers will also explore the promotion of renewable and new energy sources, the legal establishment of SACREEE (SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency), and progress on the signing and ratification of SACREEE IGMOA. Additionally, the transition to cleaner fuels, including low-sulfur diesel, will be a topic of discussion, alongside a proposal for a Just Energy Transition within the SADC region.
In the Water Sector, the ministers will review 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 look into the financing and development of regional water infrastructure, including cross-border water systems.
Discussions will include the second phase of the regional groundwater program, supported by the SADC Water Fund and other partners, as well as the implementation of integrated water-energy-food projects in member states.
The ministers will also receive updates on the ongoing revision of regional water policies and strategies for mobilizing resources for the water sector.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), founded in 1980 and currently comprising sixteen (16) member states, was originally called the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference before being renamed in August 1992.
The Joint Meeting of Ministers responsible for Energy and Water will be followed 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 Borges João Baptista Borges
