Water Forum

• Click here to view the agenda.
• Watch the update on the Cholera situation presentation here, the introductory presentation here and Water Aid's presentation here.
• Read the Chatlog here
• Watch video of the meeting here -->

A member-led, interactive Forum explored multiple dimensions of exciting Scotland-Malawi collaboration on the vital, cross-cutting theme of Water and how it impacts and is relevant to members’ work. Opening this event, the Government of Malawi’s Principal Secretary, Ministry of Water & Sanitation, Elias Chimulambe gave an update on the current Cholera situation and the Government’s present and planned response.

This was followed by an overview by Dorcas Pratt (Water Witness) and Prince Mleta (Ministry of Water & Sanitation, Government of Malawi) of key water issues in Malawi, as identified in Malawi’s Fair Water Footprints delivery plan, highlighting ties with Health, Education and Gender.

Malawi is a leading light in the Glasgow Declaration for Fair Water Footprints, signed at COP26. In this online Forum, we heard from the Government of Malawi and practitioners on progress in meeting Malawi’s commitments to the Glasgow Declaration.

Held by Zoom, Specialists in Malawi and Scotland provided insight and stimulus to Forum Participants addressing key questions as to challenges and opportunities, building on their own experience of work associated with water. These were focused around five thematic areas, which together touch upon almost all aspects of good water stewardship:

• Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene
  • Natasha Mwenda, WaterAid (WASH) and
  • Derek Mavesere, Strathclyde University (alternative water supply provision models)

• Water pollution
  • Dr Tracy Morse, Strathclyde University

• Sustainable withdrawal and equitable allocation of water
  • Muthi Nhlema, BASEflow
• Protection of nature and
• Resilience to drought, floods, climate variability, and water conflict
  • Gaia Marini, Water Witness
  • Information gathering for water
    • Donald Robertson, Strathclyde University – citizen science in water

Next steps:

• Opportunities to learn more and link up with others

• Opportunity to learn more about the Glasgow Declaration for Fair water Footprints and Malawi's Delivery Plan

• Contact with WESNET, Malawi's Water and Sanitation Network

This event was alert to the Scottish Government’s three, principal themes in international development from 2023 of: Education, Healthcare and Gender and their crucial thematic relationship with Water.

The SMP is especially grateful to Water Witness International for their leadership in helping create this event, to the University of Strathclyde and to other valued members upon whose expertise the Forum drew.