 | Public-Private Dialogue engages private sector stakeholders in the agri-processing sector
12 June 2023 | Press Releases |
12 June 2023
Climate change impacts will have direct consequences for water security, and to this end Drakenstein Municipality and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member of the World Bank Group – have partnered. The objective of the partnership is to identify, promote and implement policy and cost-effective interventions that support the uptake of water-use efficiency by the private sector.
The IFC and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Swiss Confederation (SECO) launched the Agri-Processing Resource Efficiency (APRE) programme in 2019 to promote the implementation of cost-effective and innovative water and energy efficiency practices and technologies.
The need for interventions is based on research undertaken that found that the volume of water used by irrigated agriculture in South Africa is estimated to be between 51% and 63% of total water available.
Local government has a pivotal role to play in supporting the agri-processing sector, through their mandate to drive and support local economic development within their municipal areas, as well as improve water demand management. The alignment and coordination between municipalities and the agri-processing sector is a key driver to improve water use efficiency in South Africa.
The Public-Private Dialogue hosted in May 2023 at Casidra (the Cape Agency for Sustainable Integrated Development in Rural Areas) in Paarl aimed to engage private sector stakeholders in the agri-processing sector on key issues around enhancing water efficiency and resilience, to identify opportunities for practical regulatory reforms at a local or municipal level.
Through partnerships, the Municipality will work towards creating new opportunities for the agri-processing sector in Drakenstein.
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Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality
