To: Nick Opperman (AgriSA)
In 2006 Pegasys, a water sector strategy and institutional support organisation operating nationally and internationally, was commissioned by the Water Research Commission of South Africa to conduct a “review of the involvement of national water institutions and civil society in international agreements in South Africa”.
The project is designed on the basis of a number of deliverables that are interlinked, and culminate in a document that describes possible best practice and develops an institutional framework for the involvement of South African stakeholders and water institutions in the development and implementation of international agreements in shared watercourses.
The primary aims of the project are to:
· Investigate the extent to which the SADC protocol is applied in South Africa, focusing on the roles and interrelationships of national institutions vis a vis international commissions
· Conceptualise how national development agendas and activities are factored into international agreements
· Review international literature on similar aspects
· Map out a desired future state for interactions between national and international institutions responsible for management and development of water resources and
· Test these recommendations on the Inkomati river basin
As part of the project, Pegasys is hosting a regional conference on stakeholder involvement in transboundary water management. The aim of the conference is to bring together a number of regional and international experts to share their experiences of stakeholder involvement in transboundary basin management. From this sharing of experience, the Pegasys team will distil key learnings to inform the development of an institutional framework for stakeholder involvement in South Africa’s shared river basins.
The preliminary conference programme is attached. The event will take place at the Emperor’s Palace Conference Venue (Kempton Park), starting at 10:00 on 5 August and continuing until 14:00 on 6 August, and will involve a working dinner on the night of 5 August.
Confirmation of attendance
Kindly confirm whether you will attend the conference by forwarding the completed confirmation of attendance form to Robyn Arnold at the contact details below no later than 26 June 2009. Since the conference will involve a working dinner on the evening of 5 August, you may wish to stay over at the venue that night. Kindly indicate on the form whether you would like accommodation to be booked for you (for the account of the conference organisers).
Unfortunately, we will not be able to pay an honorarium for attendance at the conference.
If you are unable to attend, would you please provide the name and contact details of a colleague that we could instead invite to attend and make a contribution.
Kind regards
Dr Guy Pegram
Managing Director: Pegasys Strategy and Development
Click here to download the Agenda.
Click here to download Confirmation of Attendance.