The Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission (INMACOM) and Southern African Development Community – Groundwater Management Institute (SADC – GMI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster the promotion of equitable and reasonable utilisation of water resources of the Incomati and Maputo Basin.
The agreement also seeks to ensure efficient management and sustainable development of the resources.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 10th SADC River Basin Organisations (RBO) and Shared Watercourse Institutions (SWI) workshop, held at Joachim Chissano Conference Centre in Maputo on 2 - 4 October 2023.
The workshop aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas that will enhance effective transboundary water resources planning, development, and management in the region, while ensuring environmental sustainability and resilience in order to improve regional water security, and ultimately reduce poverty through regional integration, economic productivity and industrialisation.
Through the signed MoU, the two parties have agreed on the following areas of cooperation, amongst others:
• Engage in academic research on the Incomati and Maputo Basins on items of mutual interest, particularly on groundwater related issues.
• Share any information that improves the knowledge base on transboundary aquifers in the Incomati and Maputo Basins.
• Design and undertake joint excursions and projects within the two basins.
• Explore funding opportunities from various cooperating partners and funders to implement joint activities within the basin.
INMACOM is an entity established by the Kingdom of Eswatini, Republic of Mozambique, and Republic of South Africa through the Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission Establishment Agreement entered into in November 2021.
This is an instrument used to guide the Riparian States in contributing to regional cooperation with regard to the utilisation and development of common water resources.
The main responsibility of the Commission is to, amongst others, encourage cooperation between the parties to ensure the development, protection and sustainable utilisation of the water resources shared by the Member States.
The Department of Water and Sanitation has welcomed the new development, saying the combined effort by the Member States, through South Africa’s Water and Sanitation, Department of Water Resources in Eswatini and Mozambique’s Department of Water and Natural Resources, could also contribute positively towards “peace, stability and prosperity of the Southern African region”.
“SADC-GMI, is established as the regional Centre of Excellence in promoting equitable and sustainable groundwater management and providing solutions to groundwater challenges across the SADC region for improved livelihoods and socio-economic development. This also forms part of SADC agenda of regional integration and poverty eradication.
“Furthermore, SADC-GMI mandate is to create an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment, capacity development, advancing research, supporting groundwater infrastructure development, and create an enabling dialogue and accessibility of groundwater information in the SADC region,” the department said in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za
