By 
The 3rd Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON-3) has opened in Lusaka with a strong call for bold investments, regional cooperation, and innovative financing to ensure clean water and dignified sanitation for all Africans.
Taking place from May 27 to 29, 2025, at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, the event is being held under the theme “Assuring Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sanitation for the Africa We Want.”
PANAFCON-3 brings together African leaders, regional bodies, development partners, and sector stakeholders to shape the post-2025 Africa Water Vision and Policy. It was officially opened by Vice President Mutale Nalumango on behalf of President Hakainde Hichilema.
In his address, President Hichilema reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to water and sanitation as drivers of peace, prosperity, and sustainable development.
He stressed the importance of aligning regional economic communities, river basin organizations, the private sector, and development partners around a climate-resilient and financially viable water agenda.
“We must champion water and sanitation as engines of fiscal stability, job creation, and peace,” said President Hichilema, adding that de-risking projects was key to attracting private capital and fostering innovation in water-smart technologies and sanitation enterprises.
He emphasized that the water and sanitation crisis was not merely a technical challenge, but a test of Africa’s collective resolve.
“We must recognise its role in agriculture, energy, industry, and ecosystems. It creates jobs, improves health, and builds resilience against climate and health crises,” he said.
President Hichilema called for a blend of public and private financing, embedded in national budgets and development plans, to meet the scale of the continent’s needs.
“We owe it to our youth—who demand decent livelihoods, to the women—who bear the burden of water collection, and to our environment—which sustains us all,” he said.
Read More: New report warns Zambia, others against overburdening strategic grain reserves
Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Zambia and COMESA, Karolina Stasiak, said sustainable water resource management in Zambia remained insufficient, especially in rural areas where access to water and sanitation is still a major challenge.
“To address these challenges, we joined hands with the Government of Zambia to design and implement the Nexus Energy and Water Programme for Zambia (NEWZA),” she said.
Stasiak added that the EU was also supporting the revision of key national policy instruments, including the National Water Policy, the Water Resources Management Act, and the National Rainwater Harvesting Strategy.
Earlier, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation Collins Nzovu welcomed the African Union’s choice of “Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems” as the AU theme for 2026.
He said the Implementation Framework to emerge from PANAFCON-3 must be bold, actionable, and grounded in the lived experiences of African communities.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments