22 Jun 2022

 Improving water security is essential to mitigating the impact of climate change, says University of Botswana (UB Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET), Deputy Dean.

Speaking during a visit to the UB by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Gaborone on Tuesday, Dr Olefile Molwane said water security was under threat globally due to climate change, with roughly half of the world’s population experiencing severe water scarcity for at least some of the year, due to climatic and non-climatic drivers.

He however said many of the most immediate climate adaptation needs, particularly in developing countries, were related to improving water resource management and ensuring access to water and sanitation services.

“As a result, the university decided to collaborate with the US Army Corps of Engineers to create an assistance programme focused on water security and climate change, among other issues,” he said.

Dr Molwane also said UB’s transformation strategy was centred on a multi-disciplinary approach involving establishing strategic partnerships as at the most basic level, it is an inescapable fact of life, that in order to succeed, people or organisations needed to work together.

“As such, other possible areas of collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineering will include exchange programmes for students and staff and submission of proposals for possible funding by the US government,” he said.

For his part, US Army Corps Lieutenant Colonel, Mr Jacob Abrami said the exploratory meetings were aimed at finding and collaborating with partners to influence change for progress amongst nations.

“We are here to learn about the unique solutions that Botswana has on offer that would assist us to solve our problems from different perspectives,” he said.

He said, in turn, they would also lend their expertise and promote resource sharing amongst the two countries on issues of water security and climate change.

“Other areas of collaboration encompass soil and sediment geochemistry, and remote power generation in the Delta,” Mr Abrami said. ENDs