The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, met with her Cuban Counterpart, Minister Ines Maria Chapman Waugh, on the 9 September 2013 to sign a new agreement between Cuba and South Africa in relation to water resources management and water supply.

South Africa and Cuba have a long-standing relationship that includes water specific agreements dating back to 2001. The first Co-operation Agreement between the Department of Water Affairs and the Republic of Cuba in water resources management, water supply and sanitation was signed in December of 2001 and was valid for five years, expiring in 2006. Under that initial Agreement two groups of Cuban experts were seconded to the Department from April 2002 until August 2007. The secondments were for two respective periods of two years and three years. These experts were spread across the Department at Head office and the nine Regional Offices.

“Post the lapse of the Agreement and at the end of the experts’ secondment a needs analysis was conducted to determine the need for further engagement with and secondment of more Cuban expertise within the Department. This analysis reflected an appreciation of the Cuban expertise and therefore a re-negotiation process of the Agreement was undertaken and concluded in March 2013,” said the statement released by the Department of Water Affairs spokesperson, Mava Scott.

According to Scott, this new Agreement is meant to assist the Department in the areas of geo-hydrology and engineering services particularly for rural and disadvantaged areas, the exploitation of available water resources, infrastructure for water supply, capacity building through training and support of local staff, as well as water management and water supply.

In acknowledging the Cuban expertise that will in the long-term assist the Department deliver on its mandate to the people of South Africa and to the previously disadvantaged in particular, Minister Molewa said: “I am aware Honourable Minister that in your country, there are three modes of access to safe water: family connections to pipelines, public service based on supply by water tankers on trucks, and easy access, i.e. carried from within 300 metres of dwelling places. Significant improvements have also been recorded with respect to all these modes.

“I have also noticed that as a result of a large programme for the construction of dams, including micro dams, the water storage capacity of your country increased tremendously.

This has allowed for a substantial increase in the safe water coverage for the population.

We have a lot to share and exchange in the water sector, thus the need for the discussions that started way back including the first Agreement between us signed in 2001. We are on the right path as a country to correct the imbalances of the past and this is a huge task that requires dedication from the men and women of this country. However we are always mindful of our friends who are willing to lend a hand in our drive towards this ideal.

“Based on the assessment of both our situations in the water sector and what we have done before, we are gathered here today to cement our long standing relations in the water sector and pave the way forward by way of a new agreement which will see us further exchange expertise in the integrated water resources management area. This agreement was developed having in mind that South Africa is fundamentally a semi-arid and water scarce country with a mean annual rainfall of 490mm, which is half the world average, with only 9% of that rainfall being converted to river runoff. Rainfall displays a distinct decreasing trend from east to west and is highly variable within and between years with recurrent droughts. This results in highly variable river levels, dam storage and groundwater storage over time.

“Of great importance to understand in our country is that the close interconnectedness between the climate and the hydrological cycle means that water resources will be impacted upon by climate change. This will place increased pressure on water resources and ultimately threaten the comfort, predictability and sustainability of future water availability.”

Molewa further acknowledged the work that officials from both countries and department did in ensuring that the signed Agreement followed and were within all legal and protocol requirements in both countries.

According to Scott, it is believed that the work of the Cuban experts will “greatly enhance the capacity of the Department as it seeks to carry out its Constitutional mandate as well as deliver on the expectations of the people of South Africa. Water being a catalyst for all socio-economic development is central to the betterment of the lives of all South Africans.”