REPÚBLICA DE MOÇAMBIQUE MINISTÉRIO DAS OBRAS PUBLICAS E HABITAÇÃO DIRECÇÃO NACIONAL DE ÁGUAS REPÚBLICA DE M I OÇAM UE B Q On behalf of the LIMPOPO BASIN PERMANENT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE - LBPTC JOINT LIMPOPO RIVER BASIN STUDY SCOPING PHASE Final Report Main Report January 2010 Botswana Mozambique South Africa Zimbabwe FINANCED BY Commissioned by: In delegated cooperation with: PREPARED BY BIGCON CONSORTIUM MAIN REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................ii LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................... v 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 1 2 THE LIMPOPO RIVER BASIN............................................................................................ 2 2.1 Geography and catchment division ...........................................................................................2 2.2 Topography and climate.............................................................................................................5 2.3 Socio-economic conditions ..........................................................................................................7 2.4 Water use and developed infrastructure...................................................................................7 2.4.1 Water demand ......................................................................................................................................... 7 2.4.2 Storage dams and water transfers............................................................................................................ 9 2.4.3 Water demand management.................................................................................................................. 11 2.5 Water resources and water balance.........................................................................................12 2.5.1 River flow characteristics...................................................................................................................... 12 2.5.2 Water balance........................................................................................................................................ 14 2.6 Water quality and environmental status.................................................................................16 2.6.1 Water quality......................................................................................................................................... 16 2.6.2 Environmental flow requirements......................................................................................................... 17 2.6.3 Environmental status............................................................................................................................. 19 2.6.4 Protected areas ...................................................................................................................................... 21 2.7 Legal and institutional setting ..................................................................................................22 3 PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS ................................................................................................ 24 3.1 Opportunities and challenges ...................................................................................................24 3.2 Need for transboundary water resources management.........................................................25 3.3 Choice of appropriate level of detail and scale .......................................................................26 3.4 Sub-basin division......................................................................................................................27 4 DATA AVAILABILITY AND CONSTRAINTS .................................................................. 30 4.1 Previous studies .........................................................................................................................30 4.1.1 What studies are relevant for transboundary water resources management? ........................................ 30 4.1.2 Availability of relevant previous studies............................................................................................... 30 4.2 Maps and GIS ............................................................................................................................34 4.2.1 What geographical information is relevant for transboundary water resources management? ............. 34 4.2.2 Availability of maps and GIS data ........................................................................................................ 35 4.2.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 40 4.2.4 Information gaps and need for harmonisation....................................................................................... 41 4.3 Climatic data..............................................................................................................................41 4.3.1 What climatic information is relevant for transboundary water resources management?..................... 41 4.3.2 Availability of climatic data.................................................................................................................. 42 4.3.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 43 4.3.4 Data gaps and need for harmonisation .................................................................................................. 43 4.4 Surface water data and reservoir levels ..................................................................................43 4.4.1 What surface water data is relevant for transboundary water resources management?......................... 43 4.4.2 Availability of runoff data, rating curves and reservoir levels .............................................................. 43 4.4.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 45 4.4.4 Data gaps and need for harmonisation .................................................................................................. 45 4.5 Groundwater data and hydrogeological information ............................................................45 4.5.1 What groundwater data is relevant for transboundary water resources management?.......................... 45 4.5.2 Availability of hydrogeological information......................................................................................... 46 4.5.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 46 4.5.4 Data gaps and need for harmonisation .................................................................................................. 46 4.6 Water quality and sediment transport ....................................................................................47 4.6.1 What water quality data is relevant for transboundary water resources management?......................... 47 4.6.2 Availability of water quality and sediment data.................................................................................... 47 4.6.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 49 4.6.4 Data gaps and need for harmonisation .................................................................................................. 49 4.7 Water demand and use .............................................................................................................50 4.7.1 What water demand data is relevant for transboundary water resources management? ....................... 50 4.7.2 Availability of water demand and use information ............................................................................... 51 4.7.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 51 4.7.4 Data gaps and need for harmonisation .................................................................................................. 51 4.8 Socio-economic information .....................................................................................................52 4.8.1 What socio-economic data is relevant for transboundary water resources management?..................... 52 4.8.2 Availability of socio-economic information ......................................................................................... 52 4.8.3 Compatibility between data in the four countries.................................................................................. 53 4.8.4 Data gaps and need for harmonisation .................................................................................................. 53 4.9 Legal and institutional information.........................................................................................53