Zambezi Watercourse Commission Sets Transboundary Perspective
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Zambezi newsletter 12/21/04 4:49 AM Page 1 Zambezi Watercourse Commission sets transboundary perspective by Leonissah Munjoma The process that led to the formation of the Zambezi Wa t e r c o u r s e Commission (ZamCom) has had major impact on southern Africa’s per- s p e c t i v e of transboundary issues. It propelled these issues to the top of the political agenda in SA D C . The importance of resource sharing and Luis de Almeida of the SADC Water the need to integrate management of Division, which has the mandate to shared water resources became a popular implement the action plan, said during the topic for discussion during this negotia- Water Resources, Sanitation and Hygiene tion process. To d a y, integrated water (Warsh) fair held in Harare that the SADC re s o u rces management (IWRM) is Protocol on Shared Watercourses is a result discussed at almost every forum that has a of the ZamCom process. water agenda. He said the ZamCom process has con- It took more than a decade for negotia- tributed to collective learning, networking, tions on the establishment of ZamCom to playing field levelling and confidence be concluded. During these years, many building in southern Africa. developments took place. These include Seven of the Zambezi river basin states the negotiation and signing of the SADC signed the agreement to establish Protocol on Shared Watercourses, initia- ZamCom in mid-2004. However, the nego- tion of a few other river basin organisa- tiations to establish ZamCom date back to tions, and the formulation by SADC of the the late 1980s. These were suspended in Regional Strategic Action Plan for IWRM. the early 1990s to allow for discussions on The process has also won the much the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse needed political commitment within SADC member states. Continued on page 3 Zambezi newsletter 12/21/04 4:49 AM Page 2 The Zambezi E D I T O R I A L Vol 6 No 1 Special Issue The Zambezi river and its dense network of tributaries and ecosystems constitute one of southern Africa’s most important and valuable natural resources. It is, perhaps the best of what the region has in terms of shared natural capital. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) recognises the need for regional cooperation in the management of these shared natural resources using an i n t e g r ated ecosystem approach. Article 5 of the SADC Tr e a t y commits the region to achieving sustainable utilisation of natural resources and effective protection of the e n v i r o n m e n t . The Zambezi river basin has within its large expanse, water resources, land and soils, forests and wildlife which define the region’s economic activities ranging from energy generation, agriculture and forestry, manufacturing and mining to conser- The Zambezi is published three times a year by vation and tourism, and scientific monitoring and research. the Southern African Research and The launch of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZamCom) is therefore a Documentation Centre (SARDC) Musokotwane significant move towards regional integration. Environment Resource Centre for Southern In his foreword to the book State of Environment Zambezi Basin 2000, Africa (IMERCSA) through a partnership with Mozambique’s President Joaquim Chissano, then chairperson of SADC, noted that, SADC, IUCN, ZRA and Sida and National as the most shared resource in the SADC region, the Zambezi provides a “litmus test in terms of meeting one of the objectives of the SADC Treaty”. Collaborating Centres in all basin states. SADC’s Water Division has a mandate to implement the Regional Strategic Action The newsletter is published under the Plan for Integrated Water Resource Development and Management. One element of State of the Environment Zambezi Basin (SOE this plan is the establishment of river basin commissions as defined in the SADC Zambezi) project. The aim is to inform people Protocol on Shared Watercourses. on the state of the environment in the basin With the growing water demand in the basin states, water sharing has become and promote good environmental stewardship a major concern and transboundary issues in land and natural resource use, such in the SADC region. as water and wetland management interventions, make it necessary that planning is done in a coordinated and integrated manner. The SOE Zambezi partners would like to thank The establishment of ZamCom will allow basin states to establish links for dis- the Zambezi Action Programme Phase 6 II cussion and exchange of views, and mutually beneficial cooperation to achieve (ZACPRO 6 II) for supporting this issue. better management of shared water resources. Consensus on the need for coordinated planning in the management of shared Editorial Team water resources has been demonstrated not just in southern Africa but also in the Leonissah Munjoma (Editor) rest of Africa where basin organisations have been established. These include the Clever Mafuta Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), the Orange-Senqu Commission (OraseCom) and the Bayano Valy Limpopo Commission (LimCom). Phyllis Johnson ZamCom needs to look at lessons learned from already established basin organ- isations as well as bilateral institutions such as the Zambezi River Authority and The National Collaborating strive to strengthen shared management of the river and its resources.. Centres (NCCs) There are a number of challenges in the Zambezi basin. These include ensuring Development Workshop, Angola; that all stakeholders buy into the concept of shared management of water Forum for Sustainable Agriculture, Botswana; resources, creating a common understanding regarding Integrated Wa t e r Coordination Unit for the Rehabilitation of the Resources Management (IWRM), and agreeing on priority areas for harmonious Environment, Malawi; policies, integrated strategies and conflict resolution. Gabinete do Plano de Desenvolvimento da The SADC Executive Secretary Dr Prega Ramsamy, said during the ZamCom Região do Zambeze (GPZ), Mozambique; launch in Kasane, Botswana, there is need for cooperation in the management and Integrated Rural Development and Nature development of the watercourse bearing in mind disaster prevention as a result of Conservation, Namibia; “natural extreme occurrences such as droughts and floods”. National Environment Management Council, A well managed water resource will benefit the majority of the SADC population and Tanzania Gender Networking who depend on the basin for their livelihood, thus contributing to the poverty erad- Programme, Tanzania; ication goal. Pove r t y alleviation with the aim of eradication is a global goal that has been included Environment Council of Zambia; and in processes such as the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the African Campfire Association, Zimbabwe. U n i o n ’ s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and SA D C ’s Re g i o n a l I n d i c a t i ve S trategic Development Plan (RISDP). It is not by coincidence that all these Design processes have targeted pove r t y eradication as a priority. It is the realisation that Tonely Ngwenya p o ve r t y can only be eradicated through cooperation, integration and resource sharing. The future scenario for water situation in the region as outlined in the book, Origination and Printing Defining and Mainstreaming Environmental Sustainability in Water Resources DS Print Media Management in Southern Africa, a SADC report, shows a region facing acute water shortages in some countries with the situation ranging from that of absolute water © SARDC, 2004 scarcity to water stress, and quality and availability problems. The launch of ZamCom sets the region on a path of partnership in development. Contributions are welcome from individuals and ZamCom’s success will largely depend on how well partnerships are embraced. organisations in and outside the SADC region in the form of articles, news items and comments. The editor reserves the right to select or reject items and edit for available space. Correspondence, letters to the editor and other materials should be addressed to: H i g h l i g h t s . The Zambezi Email: [email protected] Zambezi river basin states sign agreement 4 IMERCSA, 15 Downie Avenue, Belgravia, P.O. Box 5690, Harare, Zimbabwe Zamcom process to inform other agreements 5 Tel: 263-4- 791141 Fax: 263-4- 791271 Achieving gender equality a challenge in the basin 6 Internet: www.sardc.net/imercsa SADC challenges Country Water Partnerships to make impact 7 2 Zambezi newsletter 12/21/04 4:49 AM Page 3 Shared watercourses Zambezi Watercourse Commission sets transboundary perspective Continued from page 1 Systems signed in 1995. The Protocol was revised in 2000 and came into force in 2003 upon ratification by the required two-thirds majority. The need for such a protocol came about during dis- cussions on ZamCom and it was realised that before the River Based Organisation (RBO) was formed, there was need for a modus operandi for the management of shared watercourses. Almeida said the long time that it took to finalise the ZamCom agreement has resulted in a powerful, compre- hensive and much more complex pact than other agree- ments signed earlier. Unlike other basin organisations, ZamCom will have a secretariat and its functions are pre- determined. B e r n a rd Khupe, a commissioner with both the Okavango Commission and the Orange Senque while the Regional Strategic Commission concurred with Almeida when he talked Action Plan on Integrated Water Res ourc e s about the complexities that the two basin organisations Management was formulated and it facilitated the estab- are experiencing due to the absence of a secretariat. lishment of other river basin institutions in the region. “Both commissions depend on people who are Almeida said some of the key lessons learnt from the already employed and only attend meetings as commis- process include: sioners and when they go back home, they devote their ✦ the fact that there is now political commitment and time to their fulltime jobs in the respective govern- guidance at highest possible SADC level; ments,” he said.