Joint Ministerial Meeting on Energy and Water Sectors Held on May 27
The Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Committee of Ministers responsible for Energy and Water Sectors was officially opened on May 27, 2024.
The event, chaired by Minister João Baptista Borges, aimed to discuss critical issues and prepare key topics for approval by the respective Committees of Ministers for Energy and Water.
In the Energy Sector, the focus will be on reviewing the progress since the last ministerial meeting, ensuring energy supply security, advancing SADC’s priorities for sustainable energy sector development, and discussing the proposal for a Regional Transport Infrastructure Financing Mechanism (RTIFF).
The ministers will also assess the progress on updating the SADC Protocol on Energy (1996), review regional regulatory initiatives in the energy sector, and consider efforts to strengthen national energy regulators and the Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA) in preparation for the establishment of a Regional Regulatory Authority. Additionally, the meeting will cover the promotion of new and renewable energy sources, the operationalization of SACREEE (SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency) as a legal entity, progress on signing and ratifying SACREEE IGMOA, and discuss the transition to cleaner fuels, such as low-sulfur diesel in the region. A proposal for a Just Energy Transition for the SADC region will also be examined.
In the Water Sector, ministers will review the progress of regional initiatives aimed at improving water and sanitation services across SADC member states, as well as evaluate transboundary water projects led by basin organizations. They will also examine the development of regional water infrastructure, including transboundary systems.
Further discussions will include updates on the implementation of the second phase of the regional groundwater program, supported by the SADC Water Fund and other partners, and the progress of the integrated water-energy-food project in member states.
The meeting will also provide updates on ongoing efforts to revise regional water policies and develop a strategy to mobilize resources for the water sector.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), founded in 1980 with 16 member states, was originally called the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference. It became the Southern African Development Community in August 1992.
The Joint Ministerial Meeting on 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 Borges João Baptista Borges
