“Let’s harness digital intelligence to enhance decision-making”

Summary

In this era of digitalization, it is important for stakeholders to fully harness digital intelligence to drive socio-economic development.

Stakeholders in shared water resource management must harness digital intelligence to enhance decision-making.

LIMCOM Executive Secretary, Mr. Sergio Sitoe made this statement at a Limpopo Digital Twin (DT) workshop held in Maputo, Mozambique on 15-16 April 2026

He emphasized that in this era of digitalization, stakeholders must fully harness digital intelligence to drive socio-economic development.

“The effectiveness of technological innovations such as the Limpopo Management Information System and the Limpopo Digital Twin relies on the active participation of all relevant stakeholders,” he said.

“We must all work together and ensure that the data we generate remains accurate and the insights truly actionable. This shared responsibility will allow us to harness digital intelligence to improve planning, monitor progress and ultimately drive inclusive growth across the basin,” he added.

He applauded the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) for partnering with LIMCOM to develop the Limpopo Digital Twin (DT), which aims to strengthen evidence-based decision-making in the basin.

The Limpopo DT – the first prototype DT in Africa – is an interactive platform that provides real‑time insights into the basin, integrating dynamic hydrological, climatic, irrigation and water‑use data with intuitive maps and analytics.

It complements the Limpopo Management Information System (LIMIS), an interactive, web‑based platform designed to collect, organize and transform relevant data into actionable knowledge products, thereby providing knowledge‑based support to LIMCOM Member States.

IWMI Country Representative for South Africa, Dr. Henry Roman (PhD), said the DT is a game changer in water resource management as “it ensures that decisions are grounded in evidence and science.”

The Limpopo DT workshop that is being attended by LIMCOM Member States also witnessed the official launch and handover of the Water Copilot.

A Water copilot is an AI-powered assistant developed by IWMI in collaboration with Microsoft to support river basin management, starting with the Limpopo River Basin.

It provides real-time, science-based insights for water managers through a mobile app and conversational interface.