GWP-SA has been asked to spearhead an initiative to ensure that researchers get more involved in the implementation of the Zambezi IWRM strategy. Already, GWP-SA has played an important role in developing this strategy through stakeholder consultations. At the 2008 annual symposium for WaterNet (Water and Sustainable Development for Improved Livelihoods), the Water Research Fund for Southern Africa and GWPSA brought together researchers and policy makers from the eight riparian states located in the Zambezi basin. They discussed how research should play a pivotal role in implementing the Zambezi strategy. Participants acknowledged that policy makers should base their decisions on the knowledge provided by research and that a formal strategy should be developed to enhance collaboration between the two groups.