………Regional Integration may solve what remains as challenges in the Zambezi River-Basin.
By Nevison Mpofu
Zimbabwe one of the SADC [Southern Africa Development Community] states faces heavy challenges of water, a crisis which has gone further critical. SADC seems as well not responding amicably to the crisis probably because of the regional challenges at hand. However some other countries are in similar problems in the same region. This was noted by WWF [World Wild Life Foundation].
Despite the continent remaining with vast sources of water in its lakes here named to be most prominent Lake Malawi , Lake Victoria , Lake Edward , Lake Kivu , Lake Tanganyika , Lake Turkana , Lake Mweru and Kariba to mention as well lake Chibero formerly Lake Mclwaine] in Harare , the region faces a critical water resources crisis . There are also long stretching rivers like Congo, Nile, Zambezi, Limpopo and Niger Rivers but still some countries in the continent especially in the savanna region with exception of some parts of the equatorial region remain dry, neglected and agriculturally barren and desolated such that wild-life is at a disadvantage. WWF states that
‘’Southern Africa has 15 trans-boundary rivers. Zambezi River serves 8 [eight ]countries. Africa is blessed with vast water resources. It boasts of lakes and rivers like Lake Victoria the World’s second largest fresh water source. It has also the River Nile which is one of the longest in the World yet it is the second driest continent on earth after Australia’’.
‘’Shortages are often due to problems of un-even distribution. Sometimes there is much water where there are fewer people. One example of water disparity lies in the Congo Basin. There lies 30% of the continent’s water. It is inhabited by 10% of Africa’s population which is 1,2 billion people in total’’.
‘’Fourteen countries in Africa are already experiencing water stress. Eleven countries are expected to join by 2025 in the face of similar challenge. By that time 50% of Africa’s predicted population of 1, 45 billion people will face water scarcity ‘’.
‘’Nearly 51% [300 million people] in Sub-Saharan countries lack access to supply of safe water. At least 41% lack adequate sanitation.’’ The Foundation document states.
According to SADC documented information, the region has 2300km [3] of renewable water resources per / year. Out of this total amount of water, 14% is retained for use in Lake Kariba and Cabora-Bassa. Zimbabwe has water bodies but still water challenges continue to exist. Some high density suburbs have never received water since time immemorial.
Currently 35% of rural house-holds have no access to safe drinking water. It means then it is worse with urban areas. About 45% of rural people travel long distances to fetch water to drink. Current qualitative research reveals that 32% to 40% people live in urban areas. ZELA Deputy Director Shamiso Mtisi expressed concern over the increase of population in urban areas due to housing expansion.
‘’Rapid urbanization is the main reason why there water challenges. People in urban areas do not have access to safe, portable and clean water. Residents end up drilling bore-holes. This reason is because people in urban areas do not have access to safe and clean water. This is one reason why the Government of Zimbabwe launched the Presidential Bore-hole Scheme. This aims to drill 10,000 boreholes country-wide’’
‘’ Big challenges around are when countries in the region wants to develop .They sometimes and at most do not have the same plans. So, what happens is when one country is about to develop for its economy , the other on the boarder to it might not be looking at that particular issue , so co-operation fails for that particular country aiming to work on its plans. At the same time countries have different policies, strategies and frame-works, an issue that makes some programs fail to meet. Countries have different national policies which guides them in their work every particular year. This is one challenge countries in the region face’’, he added in conclusion.
Asked to comment on the issue related to water challenges. Reyna Trust Director, Sydney Chisi an Expert in water and environmental issues talked of challenges faced by programs under Trans-Boundary Water Management. One such program is the Program for Integrated Development and Adaptation for Climate Change [PIDAC-Zambezi]
‘’The fact that some countries are more developed than others mean that each country can- not access same resources equally. This was evidenced when two countries, Zimbabwe and Zambia were up-grading their hydro-electricity generators. Zimbabwe struggled to complete its project in the north bank’. Trans-boundary water management projects have been established across Southern Africa to address these challenges’’
ZAMCOM. Zambezi Water-Course Commission has an initiative to bring together eight countries which are part and parcel of the Zambezi River management. There are eight countries which share the Zambezi River Basin. About 40 million people live in the Zambezi River Basin. They depend on the Zambezi River for drinking water, food, wild-life meats and products like skin, irrigation, crocodile farming, fish farming and power generation at national level.
ZAMCOM Executive Secretary asked to comment asked for a back seat and not to be put across in name by media. He said projects in water development are usually impacted by differing approaches to agreed standards and management practices.
‘’The problem comes when one country wants to expand on social and economic programs yet others or the close neighboring country has its plan at particular times of the year . Once differing plans clash, then there no developmental progress and success of the other country fostering its goals, vision and mission. Probably plans, strategies, frame-works must be planned together by countries in the similar region so that when development plans come, they work and respond together as one ‘’
‘’Water-Course management has helped to harmonize laws and policies regulating utilization, reducing potential conflicts at the same time. For example if there is different coordination and no approach to use and management of resources, the other country might use or block, a river-course. This deprives the other down-stream country. This causes problems’.’
‘’What I can only say is that SADC countries policies must speak to each other in correspondence with what must be done as one group of countries brought together by regional integration ,’’ he concluded
It has emerged that co-operation is vital in the SADC region in-order for all countries to work together for the goal of eradicating water challenges in Africa. It is important to promote co-operation of states because tis promotes sustainable utilization of shared water sources.
Eight countries which are part of ZAMCOM are Angola , Botswana , Malawi , Mozambique , Namibia , Tanzania , Zambia and Zimbabwe.
