Data and Monitoring Gaps

Monitoring gaps are currently present within the Limpopo River basin. Various issues have been identified for the basin (LBPTC 2010):

The new river commission (LIMCOM);
Many water resource studies have been completed in the basin, however, they have been very locally or project specific focused in nature;
There are differences in data quality in each basin country due to economic constraints as well capturing data during periods of civil war, in Mozambique and Zimbabwe was not possible;
GIS data and the projection and coordinate systems combatibility is challenging among the countries and data conversion is onerous and time-consuming;
The majority of data and information in Mozambique is generally available in Portuguese requiring translation to allow for the data to be presented in one common language; and
Access to the internet in still challenging in Zimbabwe and parts of Mozambique.

Recommendations to provide a trans-boundary monitoring network include the following:

Ratification by all member countries of the LIMCOM river commission;
Completion of a comprehensive water resource and water quality basin specific study;
Provision of a single integrated data and information system for all water uses in the basin;
Comprehensive surface water and groundwater monitoring program consistent in quality throughout the basin;
Data should be compiled and analyzed in one consistent format and coordinate system; and
Data should be collected and presented in one language;