While pollution problems have long been acknowledged in the Okavango Delta, it was the Botswana IWRM-WE Plan project (facilitated by GWP Botswana, led by Botswana's Department of Water Affairs, and funded by UNDP GEF) which brought stakeholders and institutions together to act on the issue. This contrasted with the isolated, ad hoc project and departmental actions that had gone before.
GWP Southern Africa is actively involved with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Water Division and other Partners in preparations for the 5th SADC Multi-stakeholder Water Dialogue which will be held in Swaziland in June 2011.
The Zambian Government mainstreamed adaptation to climate change in the water chapter of the 6th National Development Plan. This is the result of close collaboration between the Ministry of Energy and Water Development, the Water Sector Advisory Group (WSAG) under the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, and other stakeholders fostered by GWP Zambia.
Dedication to consultation and communication paid off in 2010 as policy makers established and consolidated a relationship with researchers in the Challenge Programme on Water and Food (CPWF) in the Limpopo River Basin.
From 2007, the annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogues, organised by GWP Southern Africa on behalf of the SADC Water Division, have informed action plans at regional, river basin, national and local levels. Although the Dialogues encourage cross-sectoral integration, until now they have largely been regarded as meetings for 'water people'.
This documentary series, "Bridging Waters", explains the importance of transboundary water management in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
As part of the PAWD (Partnership for African Water Development) program, the Swaziland Country Water Partnership embarked on an IWRM demonstration project to test how IWRM principles could actually be applied on the ground.
In 2004, with help from the Zambia Water Partnership, the Zambian Government began developing an Integrated Water Resources and Water Efficiency Plan for sustainable management of the country’s water resources.
Zambia is the first country in the GWP Partnership for Africa Water Development programme to successfully integrate an IWRM plan into a National Development Plan (2006-2010).
GWP Southern Africa and the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) organised a workshop to promote dialogue in Eastern and Southern Africa on water, climate change and national development.