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Mr.
Chairman, I know most of you have been here over the last few days, participating in the various levels of the conference leading to this ministerial segment and therefore would have already been welcomed to Addis Ababa. Let me therefore welcome you to this, the ministerial segment of the Conference. Allow me to thank all those who have a role in making this Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water a reality. This ministerial segment of the conference is organized by the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) which came into formal being in Abuja only last year. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all those who have played an active role in the process leading to the creation of the Council. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of those who took the initiative for the launching of the African Water Forum within which the ideas for taking the initiative for the creation of the Council took shape. Mr.
Chairman, Water is a critical ingredient in Africa's socio-economic development. It is literally impossible for Africa to feed itself when only 4% of its agricultural land is irrigated. Africa has to dramatically increase its irrigated agricultural land and improve the utilization of its water resources along the lines indicated by the NEPAD program for Africa's agricultural development. Most of the diseases that plague the African landscape are associated with lack of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Africa cannot improve the livelihood of its people and achieve the MDG's without providing adequate drinking water and sanitation. Water resources play a critical role also in the organization of electric power and industrial development. It is thus very clear that Africa's socio-economic development critically depends on the proper utilization of its water resources. Indeed, one cannot but note with regret, that such a vital resource has not, in the past, been given adequate attention in the discourse on Africa's development. We can however say it is better late than never. Mr.
Chairman, Despite the sometimes extreme variability in rainfall, and unbalanced spatial distribution, Africa is rich in water resources. The unbalanced spatial and temporal distribution has however posed serious challenges to Africa's utilization of its water resources. Water harvesting and storage facilities have required huge resources to build and manage. Transboundary rivers have posed a serious political challenge to riparian countries. But challenges are there to overcome. Low cost approaches to water harvesting, irrigation and drinking water supply systems are being developed and tried across the continent with great success. The resources, particularly, labour resources of Africa's farmers, the resources of private sector and NGOs are being mobilized for the same purpose. The political will to fully mobilize and utilize Africa's own resources for the development and effective utilization of its water resource is being created and consolidated. The challenges of unbalanced spatial distribution of water resource is being addressed through cooperative ventures by riparian countries to utilize the shared water resources in rational, fair and equitable manner. Arrangements that have been put in place to utilize the water resources of the Zambezi and the Senegal rivers are examples of what we in Africa can and should do to address the challenge of unbalanced spatial distribution of water. The Nile Basin has, up until the last few years, been a laggard in developing cooperative ventures for rational and fair and equitable utilization of water resources. But I am very pleased to note that we are catching up. The Nile basin initiative is breaking the ice and leading to an arrangement that is similar to those developed in other river basins in the African continent. While the political will and commitment to develop our water resources to mobilize our own financial and other resources to cover as much of the cost as possible, to address the challenge of unbalanced spatial water distribution are key to our success in our endeavors in social and economic development, there is no doubt that we need the support of our partners. We need technical support, and we need financial support. At last the international community is beginning to respond to the challenge in a positive manner. In other words the circumstances for launching and effective programme for the development of Africa's water resources have never been better. Mr.
Chairman, I understand, that in your deliberations, you will discuss among other things, the implementation modalities of various water initiatives, the portfolio of water projects jointly prepared by the Secretariat of NEPAD and AMCOW and the necessary institutional arrangements. I wish to encourage you to work diligently to come up with agreements that can be speedily implemented. In
conclusion, I would like to wish you all, and wish all of us, a successful
conference, and an outcome which will be beneficial to all of us.
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