Maputo — The seven member countries of SADC (Southern African Development Community) who share the Zambezi basin, have expressed support for the construction of a new dam on the Zambezi at Mepanda Nkua, in the western Mozambican province of Tete.

According to a report in Friday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais", this position was taken during a meeting of SADC ministers of water affairs in Maputo on Thursday. The Mozambican government took the opportunity of this meeting to notify formally the other Zambezi basin countries, under the SADC protocol on shared water courses, of its intention to build Mepanda Nkua.

Mepanda Nkua is about 60 kilometres downstream from the existing dam at Cahora Bassa. The new dam will generate 1,500 megawatts, and will be run by a consortium headed by the Brazilian company Camargo Correia.

Mozambique's National Director of Waters, Juliao Alferes, told reporters that there were no discordant voices. The other SADC members were all in favour of building the dam. The Angolan National Director of Water Resources, Lucrecio Costa, said Mepanda Mkua would increase the supply of power for the region, and could attract new investments, and hence more jobs.

At the opening of the meeting, Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo stressed the importance of cooperation between SADC members in managing water resources, in order to minimize the impact of climate change.

She warned that southern Africa is vulnerable to climate change, and that Mozambique in particular has already been suffering from its effects. It was thus urgent for SADC members to work together on their shared water resources to counter the negative impact of climate change.

"We must continue learning to use our water resources sustainably, so that we can draw greater benefits from them today without compromising future generations", urged Diogo.

The Ministers analysed the project to establish an Interim Secretariat of the Zambezi Basin Management Commission (ZAMCOM), the body that should ensure joint management of the largest river in the region. ZAMCOM is not yet operational because two of the seven countries in the basin, Zambia and Zimbabwe, have not ratified the protocol setting it up.

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