Luanda - Angola is making remarkable progress towards sustainable water management, the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, said on Thursday in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Speaking to the press, after participating in the 3rd Conference on the International Decade of Action 'Water for Sustainable Development' 2018-2028, the leader said that Angola absorbed a great experience at the event.
She said that with everyone's effort it is possible to achieve the sixth point of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
According to Esperança da Costa, Angola, during the conference, found partners, joined synergies, shared experiences and identified constraints with other countries, and hopes to achieve the recommended goals.
'An example of this is Tajikistan, which has a great deal of experience in water management, as it has about 97% availability for the entire population at the national level and for the surrounding countries,' she said.
She added that Angola's participation in the conference allowed it to share with other countries the indicators achieved under the 6th Sustainable Development Goal, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The Vice-President of the Republic said she believes that if there is greater effort and if partnerships are found that have already made great progress around sustainable water management, Angola can also, within the scope of the Decade of Action for Water, achieve the goal of this important resource.
Regarding the conference, she stressed that it was an 'opportunity to share experiences that will allow the identification of obstacles and the establishment of mechanisms that can more quickly lead to the achievement of the objectives by countries that still face difficulties in achieving them before 2030'.
In the face of extreme events linked to climate change and affecting many countries with severe floods and droughts, Esperança da Costa defended the review and reestablishment of the various strategies and programs, directing them towards strengthening food security.
Cooperation
Regarding the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Tajikistan, Esperança da Costa stressed that it is the beginning of a relationship process that can benefit both countries, and that the conditions are now created to develop this mechanism of political consultations.
She said that discussed with the Tajik Prime Minister the possibility of the two countries embarking on the development of cooperation in the field of natural resource management, higher education, science and technology, an area in which Angola already has a tradition of good relations with the countries of that continent.
Another potential sector for future cooperation is the tourism sector, recalling, for example, the fact that the city of Dushanbe combines conservation of natural resources and vegetation with well-designed buildings that are a good attraction for the development of tourism.
'There is the possibility of this cooperation here', Esperança da Costa said, stressing that the area of agriculture is also eligible, if the countries so wish, and that this cooperation can be advanced, always within the framework of strict mutual respect and sovereignty between States.
Regarding the partnership with the World Bank (WB), she confirmed that the Bretton Woods financial institution is witnessing the remarkable progress that the country has made in the field of sustainable water management.
With the support of the World Bank, she said, we will be able to realize and overcome the other challenges we still face.
Botanical garden
On the other hand, the Vice President of the Republic visited the Dushanbe Botanical Garden, which has about 40 hectares of plants representing species from different biomes of the world.
In the space, which preserves the national plant heritage of that Central Asian country, Esperança da Costa suggested the possibility of Angola sharing some seeds of its plant heritage, given the great experience that the Garden has in reproducing species from various parts of the world, including tropical regions.
According to the Angolan leader, the botanical garden works as a true lung of the city, as it contributes to the regulation of the climate, in addition to providing and combining leisure with scientific research, by bringing together native and exotic species brought from various parts of the world.
'Everything constitutes an open field for investigation into the true usefulness of these plants. Whether they are medicinal, ornamental, woody or aromatic. It is a world open to research', she stressed.
Wetland certification
As part of the meeting with the Secretary-General of the Ramsar Convention, the Vice President of the Republic said that the organization joins Angola in order to inventory the wetlands and certify them as 'Sites of Ramsar International Interest' so that there is then the possibility of the country being able to more easily qualify for existing global funds to support the protection of conservation wetlands.
'Angola has this great potential for wetlands, which is currently of great relevance worldwide, as part of the preparation of countries for adaptation and mitigation to the phenomenon of climate change,' said Esperança da Costa. FMA/VIC/DOJ
