The 25th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWPSA Symposium will be held from 30th October to 1st November 2024, at Avani Maseru Hotel, Maseru, the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. The event will be held under the theme, “Enhancing Sustainability: Upscaling Innovations and Best Practices for Integrated Catchment and Water Resources Management (ICWRM) in Eastern and Southern Africa – Leaving No One Behind”
Growing populations and climatic impacts are placing unprecedented pressure on water resources. This is true of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region which comprises 16 Member States, whose population in 2018, was estimated to be at 345.2 million, a rise from 336.9 million as of 2017. Rivers play a pivotal role in the region's socio-economic development, as evidenced by its reliance on these waterways. Southern Africa boasts of 15 major transboundary river basins, shared among neighbouring countries, with 13 basins entirely within the region's borders. However, the equitable distribution of water resources remains a challenge, exacerbated by climatic factors influencing rainfall patterns and the geographical distribution of river basins. While these rivers can spark conflicts, they also serve as conduits for peace and cooperation. Therefore, prioritizing transboundary water cooperation is not merely about economic prosperity but also essential for nurturing stability and harmony throughout the region.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), in collaboration with the Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM), and with the technical support of the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), is scheduled to convene the 10th SADC River Basin Organisations / Shared Watercourse Institutions (RBOs/SWIs) Workshop on 2-4 October 2023.
The governments of Mozambique and Zimbabwe have established a tri-basin institution to manage the Buzi, Pungwe, and Save River Basins’ water resources, which have, over the years, suffered from extreme climate effects such as floods, droughts, and cyclones.
Every rainy season, Malawi grapples with an outbreak of Cholera. This season has not been different. As of 7 May 2022, the country had registered 133 cases, with 6 lives lost.
As Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and other countries in Southern Africa take stock of the ravaging effects of Cyclone Ana, the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and Africa Coordination (GWPSA-Africa) has called for increased financing and better commitment to climate resilience by national governments and development partners.
Stakeholder engagement capacity building and resource mobilisation are key to the successful implementation of Water resources management in the Buzi, Pungwe, and Save (BuPuSA) river basins, shared by Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The Strengthening Drought Resilience for Smallholder Farmers and Pastoralists in the IGAD Region (DRESS-EA) project was launched online on 6 October 2020.
More than one million small-scale farmers and pastoralists are set to benefit from the Strengthening Drought Resilience for Smallholder Farmers and Pastoralists in the IGAD Region Project (DRESS-EA) which was granted USD13,079,540 by the Adaptation Fund.
On 22 March 2020 (World Water Day) GWP and Partners launched the ChangeMakers Award - a global competition that celebrates transformative changes towards a water secure world.