South Africa attends and participates at the Dubai Expo 2020
The Department of Water and Sanitation is heading a delegation that includes officials from Umgeni Water and Rand Water at the Dubai Expo 2020 in this week which includes World Water Day on 22nd March. World Water Day is a UN Water-driven campaign that intends to prod governments across the globe to raise the level of sustainable water delivery to the billions still un-unserved.
Attending and participating in the Dubai Expo 2020 is important to the country as the Expo resonates very well with the Presidential Investment Mobilisation Drive. The aim of the drive, launched in 2018, is intended to attract and generate $100 billion (equated to R1,2 trillion at the time) in additional fixed investments over five (5) years.
The theme for the Dubai Expo 2020 is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. There are three sub-themes within the theme which are: “Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility”. The Expo is also meant to raise to explore key issues of of global significance. This exploration will include matters of science, innovation, and technology.
The Dubai Expo 2020 has been on-going since October 2021 and will run till March 2022. The interest regarding the participation of DWS and the sector is particularly within the week of 20 – 26 March which includes the date of 22nd March which is World Water Day. The theme for the week includes the focus areas of:
- Water Management
- Oceans and Ocean Economies
- Water-based ecosystems, and
- WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene)
The DWS is central to all socio-economic development as its mandate is to provide sufficient, reliable, and clean water for all South Africans across all sectors. The Department’s mandate further requires that the DWS ensures the country’s water resources are protected, managed, used, developed, conserved, and controlled by regulating and supporting the delivery of effective supply of water and sanitation.
The country’s participation will include highlighting how the National water and Sanitation Plan will contribute to the acceleration of the SDGs, particularly SDG-6, and the SDG implementation architecture. DWS contributions at the Expo focus on those areas to which action holds global relevance and/or comparative advantage SDG implementation and resource directed classification.
The DWS will focus integrated water resource management, infrastructure planning and development, and regulating water services. Other discussions will be on water-based ecosystems and sanitation.
The country is working towards improving the environment for investment. The country is navigating the impact of COVID-19 on the economy; it is also making efforts to accelerate economic recovery, consolidate, review and reform policies to improve the economic environment.
The South African water and sanitation sector as led by DWS will participate in a series of activities as a partnership with key partners in attendance and participating. The entities and stakeholders will be participating at the SA pavilion based on their expertise, best practise, and solutions that will be showcased through pictures, videos, and content messaging.
South Africa’s participation is coordinated by the Department of the Department od Trade, Industry and Competition which has done exceptionally to secure the pavilion for the five days of this week for matters related to Water Week and this is hugely advantageous to the DWS and the sector.
Enquiries:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
