Four southern African countries will convene this week to approve a comprehensive water management report for the Limpopo River Basin, marking a key step toward addressing critical transboundary environmental challenges.
The Limpopo Watercourse Commission will host the basin-wide meeting from June 10 to 12, 2025, in Bilene, Gaza Province, for Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe to consider the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Report.
The report identifies seven priority transboundary water-related environmental problems requiring urgent attention: land degradation, sedimentation, deteriorating water quality, loss of biodiversity, weak transboundary water resources management, resilience to climate variability and uncertainty about available water resources.
“The TDA provides a factual basis for the formulation of a SAP that will be negotiated and agreed upon by the four riparian countries and will be aligned with the national and regional policies of member states,” said Dr. Ebenizáo Chonguiça, LIMCOM senior technical advisor.
Each member state validated the draft report at the national level late last year. Basin-wide approval represents collective ownership of the analytical process and outcomes.
Once approved, the commission will begin formulating a strategic action programme for the basin.
The analysis is part of the “Integrated Transboundary River Basin Management for the Sustainable Development of the Limpopo River Basin” project.
LIMCOM implements the initiative in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa, supported by the United Nations Development Programme through funding from the Global Environment Facility.
The project aims to improve living standards for basin populations while conserving resources and ecosystem services.
LIMCOM was established in 2003 through an agreement among the four member states to provide recommendations on Limpopo River usage and protection measures.