Johannesburg - Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has called on learners to take up studies in Maths, Science and Technology in order to close the gap in skills and address the challenges facing the water sector.
"Each day, we hear of the critical skills shortage in our country. The water sector is faced with a challenge of dwindling technical skills as many technicians and engineers are aging and will soon be retiring ... We therefore need more of our children to study science and mathematics and go into these areas of work," Molewa said.
Speaking on Friday during the 2012 National Youth Water Summit, Molewa noted that while South Africa was blessed with vast natural resources, it was not blessed when it came to water and was currently ranked amongst the 30 most dry countries in the world.
She said the sustainability of this resource would be achieved only if citizens were educated about water resource management, sanitation, health and hygiene.
"The participation of our communities and our children as stakeholders is crucial to us achieving this goal."
Held under the theme 'Meaningful participation of Africa's youth in water resource management can contribute to sustainable development', the summit gave an opportunity to in-school youth and out-of-school youth to engage in various educational activities.
Through the summit, the department seeks to empower the youth to actively participate in water conservation and to pursue water related careers.
The department is currently driving education and awareness programmes such as the 2020 Vision for Water and Environment Education Programme, which includes the South African Youth Water Prize, aimed at educating society about the importance of water conservation and demand management and sanitation.
The programme also includes the Baswa Le Meetse Awards, which focuses on primary school learners, and through these initiatives, which are both educational and fun, the department is able to create awareness of the limited water resources and the need to protect and conserve them.
"One of the benefits of this programme is that it further enhances the interest of learners in science, and technology as well as mathematics, which are critical skills for our country," Molewa noted.
Giving a message of support, a representative from Basic Education, Paddy Padayachee, acknowledged the Department of Water Affairs' efforts to teach learners about water importance as a resource and its management.
"The information to support learners on how to guard this resource is important and the summit exposed learners to topical issues such as saving water for sustainable development in Africa," Padayachee said.
African Youth Delegates representative, Betty Aliba from Uganda, emphasised that water challenges required the collective support of African governments, development partners and all other key stakeholders.
She urged governments to ensure that mechanisms are put in place for adoption and realisation of the rights to water and sanitation in line with the 2010 UN Resolution on the rights to water and sanitation in Africa.
"Governments and donors should ensure that implementation of high level commitments and declarations made on water and sanitation are accelerated with the participation of the youth, governments and donors ... for sustainable water resources management and services at community level."
