The SDGs three-year report produces an urgent call for acceleration of efforts by all stakeholders in order to realize the SDGs in all African countries – this urgent call to action was reiterated during the Conference.
The Conference provided a public forum for high-level discussion on SDG progress across Africa and of the priorities and challenges for SDG implementation, including the institutional and financial gaps in implementation. Deliberations included various panels: Head of States Panel (Rwanda, Zambia, Liberia - and AUC Chairman), Development Partners (WB, JICA, AGRA, UNECA – and Rwanda’s Minister of Finance). The panel on green water (FAO, GWPEA, IFAD, GGGI, WaterAid), moderated by Ex Dir SIWI. As well as revitalization of National Development Banks for sustainable development and financing of health, education and green water in Africa. Besides, group discussion and presentations on related issues.
Besides health and education, and more specifically, the focus was placed on financing for: green water irrigation to increase the productivity and resilience of smallholder farmers in the African dryland regions, mainly through scaling-up rainwater harvesting technologies. Among various issues, GWP elaborated on integrated approaches (integrated water resources management, integrated catchments management, integrated farming, nexus, etc.). As well as, GWP action on the ground on climate resilience and enhancing adaptive capacities of communities, such as: strengthening drought resilience for small holder farmers and pastoralists and enhancing resilience of communities to climate change through catchment based integrated management of water and related resources. Including, linkages-with and contributions-to SDGs.
As a way-forward,GWPEA team will follow up with SDG Center Africa in relation to identifying potential areas of partnership. GWP will continue engagement such initiatives to stress, emphasize and call for adoption of integrated approach – effective, efficient and productive. GWPEA will follow on discussion’ initiated with representative of the National Development Bank – to link CWPs and RWP on projects preparation. As, the challenge of preparation of bankable projects – was emerged as one of the key limitations (bankable, robust, pro-poor).