SPEECH BY HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, DELIVERED ON THE 27^TH FEBRUARY,2013 AT MOUNTAIN INN

                               

PROJECT LAUNCH: INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT

DROUGHT MITIGATION PROGRAM (2012-2015)

 

• PROGRAMME DIRECTOR,
• HIS EXCELLENCY, THE USA AMBASSADOR TO SWAZILAND, MRS MAKILA JAMES,
• HOUNORABLE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE,
• REPRESENTATIVE OF USAID/OFDA, MR. ADAM WEIMER,
• REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION FOR LUBOMBO REGION,
• REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION FOR SHISELWENI REGION,
• GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS,
• MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA,
• DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
• LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

 

I FEEL GREATLY HONOURED AND HUMBLED TO BE PART OF THIS AUSPICIOUS OCCASION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OFFICIAL LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT (IRD), DROUGHT MITIGATION PROGRAMME.

I AM RELIABLY INFORMED THAT IRD IS A USAID/OFDA FUNDED PROGRAMME AND IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING A THREE YEAR (2012/2015) DROUGHT MITIGATION PROGRAMME TARGETING 15 TINKHUNDLA IN THE LOWVELD REGION OF THE KINGDOM.

 I AM ALSO INFORMED THAT THE AIM OF THIS LAUNCH IS TO BRING ON BOARD KEY STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH), AND FOOD SECURITY ACTIVITIES AND TO INFORM THEM ON IRD PROGRAMMING IN SWAZILAND. THIS IS TO ENSURE CONTINUED COLLABORATION AND THE PROVISION OF BETTER SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITIES IN THE DROUGHT PRONE AREAS OF THE KINGDOM.

 OVER THE YEARS THE LUBOMBO AND SHISELWENI REGIONS ARE THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY SEVERE DROUGHTS. IT IS IN THIS REGARD THAT WATER AND FOOD INTERVENTIONS DIRECTED TOWARDS THESE AREAS ARE MOSTLY WELCOMED. IT IS GRATIFYING THAT IRD HAS CHOSEN TO MITIGATE DROUGHT MEASURES IN THESE HIGHLY AFFECTED AREAS WHEREIN THESE ARE ACTUALLY COMPLEMENTING THE MINISTRY’S EFFORTS IN AVAILING ADEQUATE WATER FOR SUCH COMMUNITIES SUCCESSFULLY.

IN THE LAST THREE YEARS (2009/2012), IRD WAS WORKING IN 12 TINKHUNDLA IN THE LOWVELD, WHERE UNDER WASH THEY CARRIED OUT THE FOLLOWING REMARKABLE WORK: -

1. REPLACED 73 BROKEN PUMPS WITH BLUE PUMPS
2. REPAIRED 49 BROKEN AFRIDEF PUMPS
3. INSTALLED 28 ROOFTOP RAIN WATER HARVESTING (RWH) SYSTEMS AND CONSTRUCTED LATRINES IN SCHOOLS.
4. DRILLED 41 BOREHOLES FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS
5. CARRIED OUT GIS WATER POINT MAPPING IN THE 12 TINKHUNDLA WHERE 430 WATER POINTS WERE MAPPED.
6. ASSISTED COMMUNITIES IN CONSERVATIVE FARMING, KEYHOLE GARDENS AND LIVESTOCK FARMING.
7. 
    I HAVE IT ON RECORD THAT DUE TO THE SUCCESSES OF THE ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, IRD HAS BEEN AWARDED USAID/ OFDA FUNDING FOR A THREE YEAR PROGRAM TO FURTHER MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE AND WATER SUPPLY FOR COMMUNITIES IN THE LOWVELD OF SWAZILAND. THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE INTERVENTIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO THE COMMUNITIES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.

I AM TOLD THAT DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS (2012-2015), IRD PLANS TO INTERGRATE AGRICULTURAL WITH WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION ACTIVITIES. THESE WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH INCRESING ROOFTOP WATER HARVESTING AND STORAGE AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL AND IN SCHOOLS AND ALSO INCREASING WATER AVAILABILITY IN THE COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE REPLACEMENT OF BROKEN AFRIDEV PUMPS WITH THE MUCH MORE DURABLE BLUE PUMPS.

 I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY SECTOR, IRD IS PLANNING TO STRENGTHEN THE RESILIENCE OF FARMERS TO PROLONGED DROUGHT THROUGH IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND THE PROMOTION OF DROUGHT TOLERENT CROPS. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES ARE 3450 FARMERS, 27600 INDIVIDUALS OF WHICH 80% ARE WOMEN FARMERS. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN 15 TINKHUNDLA IN THE LOWVELD OF SWAZILAND.

 I AM ALSO RELIABLY TOLD THAT UNDER WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) SECTOR, IRD IS PLANNING TO IMPROVE THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS ALL YEAR ROUND TO POTABLE WATER AND GOOD HYGIENE AND SANITATION PRACTICES. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES ARE 3,000 HOUSEHOLDS AND 6,800 CHILDREN. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL ALSO BE CARRIED OUT IN 15 TINKHUNDLA IN THE LOWVELD OF SWAZILAND.

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT APPLAUDS THE EFFORTS OF OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, IN PARTICULAR, OUR HEARTFELT APPRECIATION GOES TO THE USAID/ OFDA FOR FUNDING THIS PROGRAM THROUGH IRD. THE ROLE MANIFESTED BY THESE PARTNERS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGDOM IS CLEAR TO ALL OF US AND I SINCERELY WISH TO COMMEND THEM MOST GRACIOUSLY.

 WATER RESOURCES BY AND LARGE PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE ENTIRE DELELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY. OUR ECONOMY IS AGRO-BASED AND VASTLY DEPENDS ON AVAILABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES. A MAJORITY OF SWAZI FARMERS LIKE THOSE OF THE LOWVELD ARE SUBSISTENCE FARMERS DEPENDING HEAVILY ON THE ERRATIC RAINFALL FOR THEIR FOODS PRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS FACING THE COUNTRY IS CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE. THIS PUTS A HEAVY BURDEN ON THE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES LIKE THOSE OF THE LOWVELD WHO HAVE TO ADAPT TO THIS CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT IS THEREFORE GREATFUL TO IRD FOR ASSISTING THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES TO ADAPT TO THESE NEW CHALLENGES.

 IN CONCLUSION I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE ABOVE MENTIONED INTERVENTIONS BY IRD WILL GREATLY TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THE COMMUNITIES FOR BETTER IN THESE DROUGHT PRONE AREAS. ALL THE INTERVENTIONS WILL ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT MEET, THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS) AND THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (NDS) TARGETS ON POTABLE WATER SUPPLY AND FOOD SECURITY.

IT IS NOW MY SINGULAR HONOUR AND PLEASURE TO DECLARE THE INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT DROUGHT MITIGATION PROGRAMME (2012-2015) OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED.

I THANK YOU ALL.