LIMCOM Ordinary meeting to review progress in transboundary cooperation

LIMCOM Member States are meeting in Gaborone, Botswana this week to review progress on deepening transboundary water cooperation in the Limpopo River Basin.

Spanning approximately 412,000 km² and home to over 21 million people, the Limpopo River Basin supports vital socio-economic activities including agriculture, trade, irrigation, mining, and eco-tourism in the four LIMCOM Riparian States of Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Member States will discuss ways to strengthen flood forecasting and early warning systems as the basin is prone to various natural disasters such as floods and droughts due to climate change variability.

The meeting will also officially launch the newly revamped Limpopo Management Information System (LIMIS) and the Digital Twin (DT). The LIMIS is an interactive, web-based data and information management tool that is used to monitor the long-term impacts of development and management initiatives on the water resources of the basin. The DT on the other hand, which was jointly developed with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), is an innovative solution that integrates complex data to manage the water resources of a river basin. Both the LIMIS and DT aim to enhance decision-making in water management at all levels with near real-time data.

Another key issue for discussion is how to effectively harness the complementary role of water resources management and environmental conservation in the basin. This follows the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between LIMCOM and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) in December 2024 to promote coordination in transboundary conservation and water management initiatives in the Limpopo River Basin.

On groundwater management, the LIMCOM Ordinary meeting scheduled for 15 April 2025 will seek to address some of the threats affecting groundwater supplies, which is a primary source of drinking water and supporting several socio-economic activities in the basin. These threats include over-extraction, pollution, and climate change.

The LIMCOM Ordinary Meeting is preceded by the meetings of the LIMCOM Technical Tasks Team and the Project Steering Committee (PSC) for the “Integrated Transboundary River Basin Management for the Sustainable Development of the Limpopo River Basin,” project.

LIMCOM is implementing the project 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). Several milestones have been achieved by the project since its inception in January 2023 and these achievements include:

• Identification of Priority Problems in the Basin through a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) undertaken in 2024. A draft TDA Report is being finalized, setting the stage for the formulation of a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the basin;
• Completion of 1st Limpopo Joint Basin Survey to provide some critical river health indicators and insights into the environment of the basin. Findings from the survey help in developing an updated Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) plan for the basin and pave the way for establishing a transboundary river health monitoring team in the basin; and
• Addressing Land Degradation in the basin through implementation of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) activities at four selected pilot sites. The pilot sites are the Mogobane Dam in Botswana; the Massingir Dam in Mozambique; the Mapochs in South Africa; and the Guyu-Chelesa in Zimbabwe

LIMCOM

The Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM) was established through the LIMCOM Agreement signed in November 2003 by the four Member States — Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The main objective of LIMCOM is to advise and “provide recommendations on the uses of the Limpopo, its tributaries and its waters for purposes and measures of protection, preservation and management of the Limpopo.”

Enquiries

Should you require any additional information, kindly contact Mr. Kizito Sikuka – Communications Specialist at ksikuka@limpopocommission.org

Press Release is also available HERE