The Pan African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON) is the first of its kind in bringing together political leaders and experts from across the continent to establish an action plan aimed at the proper use of water. At present some countries are spending as little as one percent of their budgets on water supply - relying on foreign aid to make up the difference. At the Summit a new fund is about to be launched to provide African governments with grants for water projects: the African Water Facility. It will provide more than US$ 600 million (EUR 485 million) for projects throughout the continent. It will be coordinated primarily by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN/ECA) and the African Development Bank. A UN spokesman, Yinka Adeyemi, says the initiative is meant to help the continent achieve the so-called African Water Vision 2025.

Source: UN IRIN, 8 Dec 2003
Water sustainability page of SAHIMS, the Southern African Humanitarian Information Network for a coordinated disaster response

PANAFCON website, http://www.uneca.org/panafcon/

Tags: water resources management