Limpopo Basin Overview

Ruth Beukman (GWPSA)

CPWF TWG Resilience meeting, 11 March

ARIZONA, USA

Overview• 412 938 km2 ; 4 riparians – within SADC (REC) region

• 14 million – population (half rural/ 10mil in RSA 22%; 69% Botswana’s pop)

• Major economic activities: agriculture (comm&subsistence – rainfed - rural), mining, forestry & tourism/ major cities near by and within

• )

• ?

Overview contd.• Rainfall ranges 200-1500mm /yr; seasonal – Oct-April

northern & western <500mm/yr

• Land cover & use: 57%grassland; mixed crop/livestock

Main Challenges• Water is scarce

• Up and downstream issues

-pollution (mining) and allocations

(commercial farming and mining)

• Inequity & poverty -bween&w/in

(2 middle income and 2 low income)

• National vs basin perspectives

& mandates

• Ecosystem services & livelihoods

• Strong and growing national economies

(2 riparians) – industrialisation and increasing

water demands

Resilience perspectivenatural resources, national economic development and institutions

SADC – Revised SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses (2000; Revised Protocol) ; REC x14 countries

LIMCOM Agreement 2003

1 SADC region14 member states – IWRM key – towardsResilience.Limpopo – 4 x National dominatesBasin perspective – just water sector!But IWRM cross-sectoral & dev linked‘basin iwrm strategy’ to start – an opportunity with LIMCOM & CPWF?But sensitive process …politics of basin wide trade-offs for the ‘whole’

Thank You