Exploit Zambezi’s potential to reduce poverty

from The Herald

From Tsitsi Matope in WINDHOEK, Namibia

WATER resource management experts who attended the second annual Zambezi River Stakeholders’ Meeting here last week said the region should strengthen efforts to tap from the river’s immense potential to help alleviate poverty and enhance development.

About 50 water experts from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, whose countries rely heavily on the Zambezi River for the development of various sectors, focused on how best they could increase and maximise the benefits from the robust water-course without over-exploiting the resource.

The experts indicated that there was a lot the region could benefit from the river if its management and coherence in the development of projects that included hydropower generation were properly co-ordinated.

Although power experts had done all the necessary groundwork and ascertained how much energy the region would benefit from, lack of commitment on the part of some Governments and inadequate resources to further tap the aspect of energy could see numerous projects collapsing.

Zambezi Action Plan Project information officer Ms Leonissa Munjoma said eight countries that rely heavily on the river had realised the importance of acting on the challenges facing the sustainability of the river with a view of maximising the benefits accruing to communities.

"It is true that agricultural sectors of the eight countries are heavily supported by the existence of the Zambezi. It feeds into many dams that include Kariba, amongst many others.

"The experts are very sensitive about issues pertaining to land usage around and along the Zambezi River course. This is why they will continue meeting to discuss past agreements to see whether they are being implemented at various levels," Ms Munjoma said.

The experts said the sustainability of the "River of Life", therefore, was under threat and it was up to all the stakeholders, ranging from the Governments, civic organisations to the local communities, to be more serious and organise themselves to see how best to protect the river.

"At least 42 million people live on the Zambezi basin and managing their activities that affect the flow of the river is a major challenge. We need to set up effective systems to be able to reach all stakeholders and influence them to play their part," World Conservation water engineer Mr Lenka Thamae said.

He added that any more delays to the ratification of the Zambezi Water Course Commission by some countries would further hinder efforts being made to protect the river.

"The ratification of this important commission will go a long way in making countries more responsible and help them to prioritise issues to do with the protection of the river," he added.

The Zambezi River sustains agriculture, the fishing industry, tourism and communication, energy, and industry, and sustains the health sector, mining and infrastructure development, among many other essential socio-economic facets.

The Zambezi River is, however, viewed as the river of life, which miraculously starts from a wonder tree in Zambia before it bulges into a very powerful water source that passes through some of the eight countries.

What came out strongly during a session that looked at the water challenges the eight countries were faced with, was the need to properly manage the usage of water for consumption, industry and agriculture.

An example of how arid countries like Namibia properly use and manage water was cited.

The country receives very little rain and this has compelled local authorities to take drastic measures that include putting stickers at all strategic places reminding people of the need to conserve water.

Experts from Zimbabwe said there was need to solve water problems in the country that were largely a result of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority’s poor distribution.