WINDHOEK: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will next week launch a programme that aims to establish a regional framework for effective water supply and sanitation planning, and management.

The SADC Regional Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (RWSSP) will be launched on Monday in Johannesburg, South Africa, according to a media statement issued by the SADC Secretariat on Friday.

The programme aims to help member states achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) addressing water supply and sanitation.

The RWSSP is a 22 month-long initiative funded by the African Development Bank through the Africa Water Facility.

The launch will take place during a two-day workshop on Monday and Tuesday, and delegates will discuss issues affecting the water and sanitation sector with specific focus on the five thematic areas identified within the RWSSP namely, financing strategies and tools; institutional rationalisation and strengthening; infrastructure development support; monitoring and reporting; and knowledge management and advocacy.

The programme is an integral component of SADC’s current Regional Strategic Action Plan (RSAP) on Integrated Water Resources Development and Management, which runs from the year 2011 to 2015.