36th African Hydro Symposium
Opening remarks
By
Claver Gatete
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3 November 2026
Your Excellency, the State Minister of Water and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,
Representatives of continental, regional and national institutions,
Leaders of the organising and partner institutions,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and to the 36th African Hydro Symposium.
I thank our fellow conveners, the Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre, Ethiopian Electric Power and the International Centre on Small Hydropower, and all our partners for making this symposium possible.
This year’s theme, “Climate-Resilient Hydropower and Water–Energy Security in Africa,” is particularly timely as we work to meet growing energy demands while investing in infrastructure that remains reliable in a changing climate.
Our ambitions for industrialisation, regional trade and job creation depend on energy systems that deliver affordable, dependable electricity.
Hydropower can contribute substantially to these objectives. It can provide electricity at scale and, where facilities and operating conditions allow, offer flexibility to support solar and wind generation.
But its performance depends on water availability. Changing rainfall patterns, droughts and floods affect generation, infrastructure and communities. Households, agriculture, industry and ecosystems also depend on the same water resources.
Our task, therefore, is to ensure that hydropower development is technically sound, economically viable, climate-resilient, environmentally responsible and socially inclusive.
Excellencies,
The African Union’s Continental Energy Security Policy Framework, which will be launched at this symposium, provides a common basis for addressing these challenges.
ECA is proud to have supported its development alongside the African Union Commission, the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD and the African Energy Commission.
Approved by the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Transport and Energy in April this year, the framework supports member States in advancing energy security nationally and regionally.
For the hydropower sector, translating this framework into practical measures requires action on four priorities.
First, we must integrate climate risk and sustainable water management into hydropower planning and operations.
Governments and developers should assess how water availability could change throughout a project’s operating life. Utilities need reliable hydrological information, sustained maintenance and procedures that help them respond to droughts and floods.
Countries sharing river basins should strengthen information exchange and coordination. Environmental and social safeguards must guide decisions, ensuring that affected communities participate meaningfully and share in project benefits.
Second, we must strengthen regional power pools and cross-border electricity trade.
We must recognise that energy security is increasingly a regional undertaking. Stronger regional power pools, electricity interconnections and effective power markets can help member States make better use of their energy resources and improve the resilience of their systems.
Realising these benefits requires coordinated infrastructure planning, appropriate market arrangements and sustained cooperation among governments, utilities, regulators, regional organisations and private investors.
Third, we must improve project preparation and financing.
Hydropower requires substantial long-term investment and careful risk management.
Governments and development partners should strengthen feasibility studies, environmental and social assessments, and estimates of construction, operation and maintenance costs.
Financing arrangements must account for climate risk, allocate risks appropriately and support affordable electricity and sustainable public finances.
Credible policies and transparent institutional arrangements are essential to attracting investment and securing lasting development benefits.
Fourth, investing in African expertise and institutional capacity is a must!
Utilities need skilled engineers and technicians. Public institutions need the expertise to assess projects, negotiate agreements and regulate markets.
Training centres, research institutions and utilities should deepen cooperation, linking skills development to practical challenges.
I welcome the planned signing of the memorandum of understanding between the African Union, through the African Energy Commission, and the Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre to strengthen capacity in the hydropower sector.
Distinguished delegates,
Your deliberations over the next few days should identify practical actions, the institutions responsible and clear arrangements for follow-up.
As requested by the African Union, ECA will work with the African Energy Commission, AUDA-NEPAD and the regional economic communities to support member States in implementing the African Union’s Continental Energy Security Policy Framework.
Our goal is reliable, affordable electricity that enables businesses to grow, sustains essential services and improves people’s lives.
I thank you.
