Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, leading a South African delegation to the Stockholm World Water Week conference in Sweden.
The Minister is set to participate in several panel discussions with his counterparts from across the world to profile South Africa’s measures to ensure water security.
Kicking off on Monday, Stockholm World Water Week is the leading annual conference on global water issues, organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991.
The conference is held under the theme “Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water”, which is centred around global water issues and aims to explore new ways of managing water while tackling the impact of water shortages on food security, health, and agriculture, among others.
Ministry spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, said some of the discussions Mchunu will participate in will focus on the role of private sector finance on wastewater treatment in Africa, water investment in Africa, as well as the value of water cooperation.
Mchunu is joined by department’s Director-General (DG), Dr Sean Phillips and several senior officials from the department and its entities.
Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition
Meanwhile, Mchunu has expressed his confidence in Unam Halam, who is set to present the Drop Saver invention, which is aimed at curbing water leaks as part of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competitions.
Stockholm Junior Water Prize is a competition for students aged 15 to 20 who have developed research projects that can help solve major water challenges.
The 16-year-old Halam is from Heatherlands High School in George.
The Minister and DG will attend the junior competitions in support of Halam, who will be competing with her counterparts from 36 other countries.
“Her invention is much needed, especially with South Africa being a water scarce country. I am looking forward to meeting her and spending some time with her,” Mchunu said.
World Water Week will conclude on 1 September.
