AMCOW picks Egypt as host for Africa Water Week

THE African Ministers’ Council on Water ( AMCOW) has announced the Arab Republic of Egypt as host of the 9th edition of the Africa Water Week ( AWW9) holding in October.

Held biennially, the AWW is co- organised by the African Union Commission ( AUC), AMCOW Secretariat, and the African Development Bank ( AFDB) with support from partners. The five- day event will be hosted jointly with the 7th edition of the Cairo Water Week by Egypt under the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. Africa strives to achieve the aspirations of the Agenda 2063: ‘ The Africa We Want,’ ensuring water security and efficient water resource management has never been more critical, with water being the cornerstone of life, health, and development.

The AWW9 offers partners and stakeholders a platform for exchanging information, knowledge and solutions to deliver on water and sanitation goals in Africa. The events will attract participants from end- users, the public service, development financing, the private sector, civil society, the media, and research and academia worldwide.

The week, themed: ‘ Placing Water and Sanitation at the Heart of Achieving Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.’ the overarching goal is to evaluate progress made to actualise the Africa Water Vision 2025 ( AWV 2025), especially given the fast- approaching final milestone in 2025. This will guide the formulation of the post- 2025 Africa Water Vision, drawing on the achievements, lessons learnt, and emerging issues from the pursuit of the AWV 2025.

AMCOW Executive Secretary, Dr Rashid Mbaziira, said the theme aligned with Africa’s Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring ( WASSMO) themes. “The idea is to promote discussions and position the outcomes of the AWW9 to contribute to the post- 2025 Africa Water Vision towards achieving Agenda 2063.”

Mbaziira explained that participants will have the opportunity to learn and share lessons with key sector actors across the globe, as well as network, engage, and build lasting relationships with other attendees, adding that the primary outcome of the event will be a high- level ministerial declaration.