These funding regulations serve to implement the Water Security in Africa (WASA) research programme The funding regulations form part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) “Research for Sustainability” (FONA) strategy, the Federal Government’s “Wasser: N – Research and Innovation for Sustainability” programme and BMBF’s Africa Strategy. The funding measure contributes to the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 as well as the AU’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA 2024) and African Water Strategy 2025. The objectives of the SADC Water Research Agenda will be supported specifically for southern Africa. At a more generic level, the measure is expected to make significant contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, deliver the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and implement national adaptation plans and strategies
The implementation of the WASA programme supplements the national strategies of the participating countries in southern Africa and will be supported by the competent ministries. Applicants from the Republic of South Africa should also contact the Water Research Commission to obtain information about the corresponding instruments.
A special feature of the WASA programme is that it targets an exploitation chain from knowledge generation to demonstration and implementation up to transfer and consolidation. The WASA programme therefore pursues a multiphase approach including an initial phase, the first and second main phases and a transfer phase.
Funding for the initial phase of the WASA programme has already been provided under the “Water security in Africa – WASA, initial phase southern Africa”. The present regulations govern the main phase of the “Water security in Africa” funding measure in southern Africa. The call builds on the findings of the preceding initial phase of WASA but is not exclusively addressed to the collaborations funded in the initial phase. Participation by new applicants is possible.
The first main phase will primarily focus on research and development work, capacity building as well as demonstration and innovation activities. The targeted transfer and subsequent application of research results requires close cooperation with potential users (ministries, companies, local communities, authorities and associations), a fact that must be documented in the project proposals.
Innovative solutions for increasing water security in Africa are to be developed and demonstrated under the WASA funding measure. The aim is to develop new processes, products and services in the following thematic fields:
- Sustainable water resources management;
- Water infrastructure and water technology;
- Hydrological forecasts and management of hydrological extremes.
The projects are expected to contribute to the promotion of young researchers as well as capacity-building and vocational training for the partners in Sub-Saharan Africa; the project proposals should include relevant components. In this context, it will also be possible to earn doctoral degrees in bilateral sandwich programmes. It will be of relevance in all these fields that consideration is given to the water-energyfood nexus as well as to the aspects of monitoring, digitalization and data management
A separate networking and transfer project will provide scientific and organizational support for the funding measure. Its main objectives include the synthesis and processing of the results of individual research projects, coordination across thematic areas and high-profile presentation of the funding measure. The research and development projects funded in accordance with the present funding regulations will be obliged to cooperate with the networking and transfer project. Cooperation with Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is desirable
Applications may be submitted by commercial companies and universities, research institutions, municipal, Länder and federal institutions as well as associations and other societal organizations. Applications by SMEs are expressly welcome. In particular the engineering, planning and counselling offices which are actively engaged in the water sector are invited to participate in the research projects.
The collaboration with partners from industry, science and practice must comprise at least one German partner and at least one partner from one or more of the following countries in southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Partners from other countries in southern Africa may become involved
The BMBF has currently entrusted the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA) with implementing the funding measure: Application is a two-step procedure and consists of the submission of a project outline and subsequent formal application. In the first step, project outlines must be submitted by 15 June 2023 at the latest in electronic form.
