During the 7th SADC Groundwater Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), IW:LEARN, and partners organised twoSpecial Sessions on Conjunctive Water Management (CWM) of groundwater and surface water. These Special Sessions (dialogues)followed the first one organised in Geneva back in October 2023.
Objectives of the Dialogue:
The overarching goal of the CWM dialogue is to promote sustainable, cooperative, and integratedmanagement of groundwater as a vital component of global water security and environmentalsustainability.
The specific aims of these sessions wereto:
- foster a dialogue between GEF International Water projects, regional organizations,national institutions, academia etc. on the governance and technical aspects of CWM
- strengthen the capacity of projects to implement effective management strategies on local, national, regional and transboundary levels
- facilitate knowledge exchange on sustainable conjunctive management and use, andgroundwater quality protection
- showcase the outcomes and impacts of GEF-funded projects
- collect and share lessons learned and best practices
EVENT DESCRIPTION
The CWM dialoguetookthe form of two Special Sessions (90 mins each in plenary) on 19
and 20 November 2025.
- Day 1 – 19 November 2025: 14.00-15.30 Governance, cooperation and legal matters
- Day 2 – 20 November 2025: 11.30-13.00 Technical aspects of Conjunctive WaterManagement
About the 7th SADC Groundwater Conference
Taking place in Johannesburg on 19-21 November 2025, the event will explore the critical role of groundwater in addressing climate change and ensuring water security. The conference presents a convening mechanism for about 200 participants, ranging from professionals, regional organisations, researchers to representatives of Member States.Under the theme “Investing in groundwater for climate action”,this year’sconferencewillexplore howsustainable groundwater management canenhanceclimate resilience,showcasinginitiatives fromsub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere.In particular, undersub-theme 2 “Adaptation strategies for groundwater management”,the conference will focus on conjunctive water managementasan integrated approachto managing surface waterand groundwater resourcesmoresustainably, recognizing thatsuccessful implementationrequires investment in nature-basedsolutions, data collection, capacity building, andappropriategovernanceframeworks.