During the high-level bilateral meeting with the Finnish Ambassador at the Third Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON 3) held on Wednesday, 28th May 2025, at 14:00 hours, Hon. Eng. Collins Nzovu, MP, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, welcomed the attendees and expressed sincere appreciation to the Government of Finland for its longstanding partnership and continued support to Zambia’s water sector. He remarked that the collaboration had led to significant outcomes, particularly in sustainable water resource management and regional water diplomacy.
The Minister acknowledged Finland’s leadership in international water cooperation, especially under the UNCECE Water Convention. He highlighted Finland’s key role in co-leading work on transboundary water allocation under the UN Water programme (2022–2024), from which Zambia had notably benefited. He cited the successful regional workshop on transboundary water allocation hosted in Livingstone in April 2024 as an example, noting it had strengthened regional capacity and knowledge sharing.
Hon. Nzovu shared with pride that Zambia had officially acceded to the UN Water Convention, becoming the 55th global and 12th African party. He attributed this achievement to Finland’s invaluable support and extended heartfelt gratitude for the assistance provided in enhancing transboundary water governance.
He further expressed gratitude for the technical cooperation on the Zambia–Malawi aquifer, mentioning that a desk review had been conducted. He noted that the airborne geophysical survey conducted in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) was progressing well and would help Zambia sustainably manage its groundwater resources. He emphasized that this collaboration stemmed from the friendly ties and shared interests between Zambia and Finland, reinforced during bilateral discussions in September 2024.
The Minister also appreciated the engagement with the Finnish Water Forum (FWF), stating that their collaborative and dialogue-driven approach aligned with Zambia’s aspirations for water governance and service delivery. He mentioned that the ongoing interactions between Finnish stakeholders and Zambian institutions underscored a shared commitment to strengthening technical cooperation and institutional partnerships.
Hon. Nzovu conveyed Zambia’s full support for co-hosting a joint session at the UN 2026 Water Conference in the UAE, seeing it as an opportunity to showcase joint efforts on transboundary aquifers, groundwater development, and water diplomacy.
He concluded by sincerely thanking the Finnish Government for its generous donation to PANAFCON-3, acknowledging the support as a testament to Finland’s commitment to regional cooperation in the water and sanitation sector. He reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to the partnership and expressed eagerness to expand collaboration in hydro-diplomacy, aquifer development, and knowledge exchange toward a water-secure future.
