RIGHT in the Shashe River -- one of the major tributaries of the Limpopo River -- I witnessed nature in harmony with itself and realised why the Limpopo River Basin is a lifeline to many.
To my far left, a man from Botswana was taking a cold bath near the banks of the river.
Soon after his bath, he proceeded towards a man-made water well that was in the middle of the river to fetch some drinking water to take home to his family.
To my right, I could see some youths from Zimbabwe herding their cattle to drink water in the river.
As I moved towards the man from Botswana, I stumbled over some huge and fresh elephant dung planted all over the river.
"Please watch your step," said the man from Botswana, "the elephants are always here every day to drink water from the river and they leave their deposits everywhere."
Welcome to the Limpopo River Basin (LRB), a basin in harmony with nature and where all its inhabitants -- whether humans or animals -- enjoy the benefits of belonging to a shared river basin.
Shared by four Southern African countries, namely Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the LRB has a catchment area of about 412 000 square kilometres and a population of over 21 million people.
The basin supports diverse socio-economic activities in the four countries, including agro-industry, large-scale irrigation, mining, eco-tourism. It also hosts some of the world's foremost protected areas and biodiversity hotspots.
However, have you ever wondered how good or bad the water quality or ecosystem health of the LRB is?
This data and information are critical to the millions of people living in the basin, who use the Limpopo for various socio-economic activities. To address this question and improve sustainable management and development of the basin, the Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM) is undertaking its first Limpopo Joint Basin Survey (JBS).
The survey, which commenced on August 7, 2024 and will last two months, seeks to offer some critical water quality and ecosystem health data and insights into the LRB.
The survey involves comprehensive data collection and analysis of the water quality to assess the current state of the river basin's water resources, ecosystems and socio-economic conditions to inform policymaking aimed at preserving and enhancing the basin's ecological, hydrological and socio-economic well-being for present and future generations.
A multidisciplinary team of experts led by Rivers of Life (JBS consultant), representatives of the four LIMCOM member states, who are complemented by the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (FTCA) and the LIMCOM Secretariat is conducting the survey.
Sampling of selected sites in Botswana, Zimbabwe and some parts of South Africa has already been concluded, while sites in Mozambique and the rest of South Africa are planned for September 2024.
Speaking during the first Limpopo JBS, lead consultant Professor Gordon O'Brien said the survey is important as it will help inform policymaking to preserve and enhance the river basin's ecological, hydrological and socioeconomic well-being.
"The joint basin survey has been established to contribute to our understating of what is available from a water resource perspective in the Limpopo basin and what the ecosystem needs.
"So, the aim of the study is to determine the present ecological state of the various sites the river reaches throughout the basin and then to determine the environmental flows requirement so that we can look at where we are and what the environment would need to be sustainable," Prof Gordon said.
LIMCOM member states and stakeholders living in the Limpopo River Basin welcomed the JBS, saying it will foster closer cooperation in transboundary water management in the basin as it will assist countries in identifying areas requiring attention.
"The survey will help us to know what is happening in the basin," a representative from South Africa, Vuledzani Thenga, said, adding that the country is also ready to "input our knowledge to managing the basin".
Her counterparts from Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique concurred, saying as a united front, countries of the Limpopo will achieve a lot by working together.
"The joint basin survey will benefit us in so many ways. For example, we are going to rationalise the way we monitor water quality across the four countries," Alphinos Rugara from Zimbabwe said.
Ogopotse Pule from Botswana weighed in, saying: "the Limpopo basin is very important to Botswana, and we believe that this exercise will help us better plan for the future by ensuring that we have sufficient data to assist our planning."
The Mozambican representative, Marta Zunguza, also said "as a downstream country, Mozambique is keen to learn and cooperate with other member states on how best to manage the Limpopo River Basin."
LIMCOM executive secretary, Sérgio Sitoe said the findings from the JBS will provide a foundation for the development of a comprehensive and updated Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) plan for the basin.
"The IWRM plan for LIMCOM will be critical as it will guide future actions to ensure the sustainable use and protection of the basin's water resources, promote regional cooperation, and enhance the well-being of communities," he said.
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Sitoe added that the survey will also be expected to pave the way for the establishment of a transboundary river health monitoring team in the LRB.
The JBS is being executed under the project "Integrated Transboundary River Basin Management for the Sustainable Development of the Limpopo River Basin."
The project, which is being implemented by LIMCOM in partnership with the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to uplift the living standards of the basin's population and conserve the basin's resources and ecosystem services.
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SANF is produced by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), which has monitored regional developments since 1985. Email: sanf@sardc.net
