Botswana developing total water management system in the Limpopo basin

Summary

The Total Water Management System (TWMS) aims to address Botswana’s water challenges by modernizing national water management through integrated hydrometric monitoring, data-driven decision-making and improved climate response systems.

Botswana is developing a detailed design for the Total Water Management System (TWMS) in the Limpopo Basin.

The final report meeting for the detailed design was held on 24 February 2026 in Gaborone, Botswana to review the system’s final design and implementation roadmap.

The TWMS aims to address Botswana’s water challenges by modernizing national water management through integrated hydrometric monitoring, data-driven decision-making and improved climate response systems.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Director in the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Dr. Kobamelo Dikgola said while the current focus of the intervention is the Limpopo, the plan is to expand to other river basins in the country.

“The primary focus of this project is the Limpopo River Basin, given its significant socio-economic importance and the dependency of a large proportion of Botswana’s population on its water resources,” she said.

“The long-term intention is to progressively expand coverage nationwide, encompassing the full hydrological cycle spectrum, in order to effectively operationalize the Integrated Water Resources Management approach for improved planning and evidence-based decision-making.”

Phase 1 of the TWMS project, which is focusing on the Limpopo Basin, is being implemented by the Government of Botswana in partnership with K-Water, with support from the Republic of Korea.

The phase involves the development of a hydrological monitoring network, procurement of monitoring equipment, and establishment of a TWMS Command Centre integrated with national ICT infrastructure to ensure operational reliability and data security.

These interventions will go a long way in complementing Flood Forecasting and Early Warning systems in the Limpopo River Basin (LRB).

The LRB is shared by four countries in southern Africa namely Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.