By Thapelo Molefe
Human Settlements and Acting Minister of Water and Sanitation Thembi Simelane has called for urgent, coordinated investment in groundwater as Southern Africa faces escalating climate shocks, warning that droughts, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather are already undermining development and placing millions at risk.
Opening the 7th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Groundwater Conference in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday, Simelane said the region could no longer afford to treat groundwater as a secondary resource.
Across Southern Africa, the manifestations of climate change are no longer abstract projections but lived realities,” she said, listing prolonged droughts, devastating floods and unpredictable rainfall patterns as growing threats to water security.
Simelane told delegates that groundwater had proven to be one of the most reliable buffers in a climate-stressed world, yet remained “undervalued, under-managed, and under-invested across much of our region.”
She said the conference’s theme, “Investing in Groundwater for Climate Action,” reflected an urgent need to elevate groundwater to the centre of policy, planning and development.
She emphasised that the meeting should serve as a catalyst for policy influence, institutional strengthening, and real implementation across all SADC member states.
“This conference must not be remembered merely for its dialogue, but for its decisions and commitments,” she said.
Simelane highlighted South Africa’s National Water Resource Strategy III, adopted in 2023, which positions groundwater as a central pillar of national and regional water security.
The strategy identifies six priority areas, including stronger groundwater governance, investment in data and monitoring systems, protection of aquifers, integrated planning, capacity building, and climate adaptation.
According to Simelane, these priorities are already shaping South Africa’s interventions.
“South Africa has already begun regulating groundwater use beyond domestic purposes and investing substantially in groundwater schemes, especially in rural and underserved communities,” she said.
She added that these measures had expanded water access and supported progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6, despite the country’s water-scarce conditions.
The Minister commended the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI) for strengthening national capacity through training, hydrogeological mapping, improved data systems, and the establishment of monitoring networks.
“These contributions have strengthened our national capacity,” she said.
She also noted the development of the Groundwater Information Portal and the rollout of sub-grant projects that improved local-level planning.
Simelane also acknowledged the establishment of South Africa’s National Groundwater Focal Group in April 2024, urging stakeholders to “help operationalise this structure, ensuring that it becomes a vibrant and influential mechanism for advancing sustainable groundwater management.”
Simelane said the region’s efforts must align with broader continental initiatives, pointing to the approval of the Strategic Programme on Groundwater for Water Security and Resilience in Africa (2026–2033) at an AMCOW ministerial meeting in Dakar two months ago.
She said the programme sets out a vision of an Africa where groundwater is managed sustainably and equitably to improve water and food security, strengthen resilience and enhance livelihoods.
“It is therefore essential that the SADC Groundwater Programme aligns with this continental vision,” she said.
Simelane urged governments, development partners, scientific institutions, and the private sector to increase investment in data systems, governance frameworks, innovation, human capital, and community participation.
She said modern monitoring systems, strengthened transboundary cooperation, scalable technologies and investment in young professionals were critical to securing the region’s groundwater future.
“Let us turn knowledge into action, research into implementation, and commitments into measurable progress,” she said.
Simelane concluded by expressing confidence in the region’s scientific expertise and institutional capacity.
“With strengthened partnerships and renewed ambition … we can unlock the full potential of groundwater as a cornerstone of climate resilience,” she said, before officially declaring the conference open.
INSIDE METROS