The British High Commission and Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities are delighted to welcome experts from the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF), a UK Government supported programme working to provide long-term solutions to water issues across the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The experts are for a scoping mission working closely with stakeholders within the Mauritius’ water services sector.
The UK Government is proud to support the Mauritian government to address the critical challenges facing the water services on the island. During their visit, CRIDF experts will meet key stakeholders in the water sector including, the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, Water Resources Unit, Central Water Authority, Irrigation authority, the Ministry of Finance, other international partners agencies and researchers. The mission will also assess the progress to date in improving water supply access and identify opportunities to sustainably implement improvement plans. In addition, CRIDF experts will help build capacity within government institutions who manage the water infrastructure.
‘The UK Government has pioneered successful public infrastructure and services development, including with private participation. We are now a world leader in embedding the critical principles in our infrastructure delivery system, including technical excellence, value for money and environmental protection. This visit from CRIDF experts demonstrates our continued support to Mauritius as we implement commitments made at COP26.’ said the British High Commissioner to Mauritius, H.E. Mrs Charlotte Pierre.
‘All life needs water, and as the saying goes, you will never know the value of water until the tap runs dry. Sustainable water management requires efforts from us all, especially against the challenges of climate change and growing populations. The leadership of water authorities is paramount against these challenges’ said Leonard Magara, Director of Engineering Services at CRIDF.
CRIDF is an official SADC program, funded by the UK. The program is demand-driven and focused on water services, water resource management, and water for livelihoods, fostering sustainable development of the region’s water resources and addressing the water, food and energy nexus. CRIDF aims to support SADC member states to deliver climate resilient and sustainable water infrastructure and provides support to improved water infrastructure planning and budgeting. This is especially crucial across SADC’s 13 shared watercourses.
Note:
Over the past 2 decades, the UK has delivered more than 730 privately financed projects worth more than £54 billion in virtually all sectors, from social (e.g. hospitals, schools, housing, public buildings) and economic (e.g. roads, urban transport) infrastructure, through to environmental and water infrastructure. The UK’s breadth and depth of expertise, from both the public and the private sector, is unrivalled, and has enabled the UK to position itself as a PPP leader.
On the private sector side, the UK is home to one of the world’s deepest and most experienced infrastructure markets. Leading engineering and construction companies, facility management operators, technical, legal and financial advisers are active in the UK market, and apply the lessons learned and experience gained in this market to design, build, operate, and maintain infrastructure assets around the world.
(Press Release : Published as received)
