Botswana
"'
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
154 EAST 46TH STREET. NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017 TEL.
(212) 889-2277
REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA
STATEMENT BY
HIS EXCELLENCY MR. ALFRED M. DUBE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OFTHE
REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND HEAD OF DELEGATION
AT THE
HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE TWELFTH SESSION OF THE
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
NEW YORK, 29 APRIL 2004
Please check against delivery
Thank you Mr. Chairman,
Botswana associates itself with statements by Qatar on behalf of the G77 and China,
and Uganda on behalf of the Africa Group.
The deliberations during the 12th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable
Development have revealed disparities between nations and regions in attaining the targets of
the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Sadly, Africa is lagging behind and may not be able
to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
targets.
Mr. Chairman,
The availability of adequate and good quality water or lack of it has a direct impact on
the economic performance of a country, the social wellbeing of the people, as well as
environmental sustainability.
In 1992 Botswana commissioned the National Water Master Plan to assess all water uses
requirements, based on projected water demands for a period of 30 years (1990-2020). The Plan is
currently under review and due for completion 2004/5. .
Botswana has managed to provide adequate and potable water to 90% of the
population living in rural areas, while the urban centers have a 100% coverage. However, the
provision of appropriate infrastructure for safe and adequate water still poses challenges,
which include inter alia:
. The need to rehabilitate some of the existing water supply schemes;
. The need to install adequate and efficient water treatment plants; . The need to develop alternative and appropriate technology for
harnessing rain water and utilizing treated effluent to augment surface and ground
water resources.
We recognize the inter-linkages between different sectors of the economy and are
pursuing the conjunctive developmentof both surface and ground water resources to meet our
industrial, domestic, and environmental needs.
Mr. Chairman,
Botswana also fully subscribes to the vision of the Global Water Partnership,
especially as it regards Integrated Water Resources Management. In this regard, we have
recently launched Botswana Chapter under the Global Partnership.
1
At the regional level Botswana is party to the SADC Protocol on Shared
Water Courses and continues to actively participate in dialogues towards integrated
water resources management with riparian states.
Mr. Chairman,
We view infrastructure for water and sanitation as a pre-requisite for
sustainable and viable settlements. Botswana's population is growing and
increasingly transforming into an urban and industrial society. This has led to
substantial amounts of wastes being generated throughout the country.
Transportation, treatment, and proper disposal of these wastes are inadequate.
Botswana has thus adopted a National Sanitation and Waste Management
Strategy and Legislation. Programmes and projects that translate these strategies
include landfill developments and the provision of appropriate latrines for poor and
average households in both rural and urban communities.
The provision of adequate sanitation facilities countrywide remains a
challenge that can be fully met through establishing innovative and
accountable partnerships between Government, private sector, civil society
organizations, on the one hand, and international cooperating partners, on
the other.
Mr. Chairman,
In the face of rapid urbanization, the issue of human settlements
constitutes one of the major challenges to the achievement of the
Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation, the Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda.
21, Millennium Development Goals and indeed the achievement of
sustainable development.
Mr. Chairman,
Botswana's Rural Development Policy was recently reviewed to take into
consideration land use and natural resources issues as they relate to sustainable
livelihoods.
Issues of sustainable human settlements are therefore paramount in our
development agenda. Botswana has a National Policy on Housing adopted in 1981.
The long term objective of this policy is "to ensure safe and sanitary housing." To
this end, Botswana has instituted a number of programmes to facilitate the process
of shelter delivery. The Self Help Housing Agency Programme (SHHA) was
introduced in 1973, to give secure property rights to low income urban households
and to assist them in developing their own houses.
2
In this regard, the Government provides basic services such as earth engineered roads,
communal water stand pipes, and a pit-latrine to each plot.
Over the years, the service standards of SHHA areas have been upgraded to
include individual plot, water connections, water borne sewage systems, and
provision of electricity.
Mr. Chairman,
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, issues of financing for sustainable development
cannot be overlooked given the imperfections in the global trading systems which
impede development in the low income countries.
Development assistance should aim at enhancing the linkages between
water, sanitation and human settlements and build synergies in the
implementation of programmes and projects aimed at addressing these themes
in a sustainable development context. Equally important is maintaining good
governance and transparency which should form an integral aspect of
sustainable development.
For developing countries, enhanced foreign direct investment,
technology transfer, market access and debt relief are pre-requisites for the
attainment of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the Monterrey
Consensus on Financing for Development and the Further Implementation of
Agenda 21 in order to meet the sustainable development goals.
I thank you.
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
154 EAST 46TH STREET. NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017 TEL.
(212) 889-2277
REPUBLIC OF
BOTSWANA
STATEMENT BY
HIS EXCELLENCY MR. ALFRED M. DUBE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OFTHE
REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND HEAD OF DELEGATION
AT THE
HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE TWELFTH SESSION OF THE
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
NEW YORK, 29 APRIL 2004
Please check against delivery
Thank you Mr. Chairman,
Botswana associates itself with statements by Qatar on behalf of the G77 and China,
and Uganda on behalf of the Africa Group.
The deliberations during the 12th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable
Development have revealed disparities between nations and regions in attaining the targets of
the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Sadly, Africa is lagging behind and may not be able
to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
targets.
Mr. Chairman,
The availability of adequate and good quality water or lack of it has a direct impact on
the economic performance of a country, the social wellbeing of the people, as well as
environmental sustainability.
In 1992 Botswana commissioned the National Water Master Plan to assess all water uses
requirements, based on projected water demands for a period of 30 years (1990-2020). The Plan is
currently under review and due for completion 2004/5. .
Botswana has managed to provide adequate and potable water to 90% of the
population living in rural areas, while the urban centers have a 100% coverage. However, the
provision of appropriate infrastructure for safe and adequate water still poses challenges,
which include inter alia:
. The need to rehabilitate some of the existing water supply schemes;
. The need to install adequate and efficient water treatment plants; . The need to develop alternative and appropriate technology for
harnessing rain water and utilizing treated effluent to augment surface and ground
water resources.
We recognize the inter-linkages between different sectors of the economy and are
pursuing the conjunctive developmentof both surface and ground water resources to meet our
industrial, domestic, and environmental needs.
Mr. Chairman,
Botswana also fully subscribes to the vision of the Global Water Partnership,
especially as it regards Integrated Water Resources Management. In this regard, we have
recently launched Botswana Chapter under the Global Partnership.
1
At the regional level Botswana is party to the SADC Protocol on Shared
Water Courses and continues to actively participate in dialogues towards integrated
water resources management with riparian states.
Mr. Chairman,
We view infrastructure for water and sanitation as a pre-requisite for
sustainable and viable settlements. Botswana's population is growing and
increasingly transforming into an urban and industrial society. This has led to
substantial amounts of wastes being generated throughout the country.
Transportation, treatment, and proper disposal of these wastes are inadequate.
Botswana has thus adopted a National Sanitation and Waste Management
Strategy and Legislation. Programmes and projects that translate these strategies
include landfill developments and the provision of appropriate latrines for poor and
average households in both rural and urban communities.
The provision of adequate sanitation facilities countrywide remains a
challenge that can be fully met through establishing innovative and
accountable partnerships between Government, private sector, civil society
organizations, on the one hand, and international cooperating partners, on
the other.
Mr. Chairman,
In the face of rapid urbanization, the issue of human settlements
constitutes one of the major challenges to the achievement of the
Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation, the Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda.
21, Millennium Development Goals and indeed the achievement of
sustainable development.
Mr. Chairman,
Botswana's Rural Development Policy was recently reviewed to take into
consideration land use and natural resources issues as they relate to sustainable
livelihoods.
Issues of sustainable human settlements are therefore paramount in our
development agenda. Botswana has a National Policy on Housing adopted in 1981.
The long term objective of this policy is "to ensure safe and sanitary housing." To
this end, Botswana has instituted a number of programmes to facilitate the process
of shelter delivery. The Self Help Housing Agency Programme (SHHA) was
introduced in 1973, to give secure property rights to low income urban households
and to assist them in developing their own houses.
2
In this regard, the Government provides basic services such as earth engineered roads,
communal water stand pipes, and a pit-latrine to each plot.
Over the years, the service standards of SHHA areas have been upgraded to
include individual plot, water connections, water borne sewage systems, and
provision of electricity.
Mr. Chairman,
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, issues of financing for sustainable development
cannot be overlooked given the imperfections in the global trading systems which
impede development in the low income countries.
Development assistance should aim at enhancing the linkages between
water, sanitation and human settlements and build synergies in the
implementation of programmes and projects aimed at addressing these themes
in a sustainable development context. Equally important is maintaining good
governance and transparency which should form an integral aspect of
sustainable development.
For developing countries, enhanced foreign direct investment,
technology transfer, market access and debt relief are pre-requisites for the
attainment of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the Monterrey
Consensus on Financing for Development and the Further Implementation of
Agenda 21 in order to meet the sustainable development goals.
I thank you.
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