19 Mainstreaming Climate Change into Transboundary …
453
5.3 Water Governance and Management-Related Issues
Over-allocation and scarcity of water and poor infrastructure are some of the waterrelated challenges experienced in this region. Storage is lacking in certain areas and
not fully functional in others, and most vulnerable and resource-poor communities
do not have access to potable water.
5.4 Adaptation Measures and Recommendations
Strengthening of institutional arrangements for better coordination of water management processes at the transboundary level, enhanced institutional capacity and utilization of early warning systems, and preparedness are essential for improved resilience.
Additionally, higher resolution climate change projections and more comprehensive
studies on the changing and variable climate are recommended for the Limpopo
River Basin.
6 The Incomati River Basin
The Incomati-Maputo Agreement was reached among South Africa, Mozambique
and Swaziland in 2002 to resolve a conflict over allocation of Inkomati catchment
water by including Maputo in the negotiations. The agreement seeks to ensure cooperation to protect and sustain water resources among the three states. The states also
agreed to coordinate water security initiatives, monitor and mitigate flood events,
and exchange data and information among them.
However, neither the agreement (adopted in May 2002, signed in August 2009
and ratified in February 2010), nor a technical report by the Tripartite Permanent
Technical Committee on systems operating rules (drafted in 2010) even mention
climate change.
The Incomati is a semi-arid transboundary river basin in southern Africa, which is
water-stressed because of the competing demands of irrigated agriculture, forestry,
energy, environmental flow, and basic human needs (Okello et al. 2015). The total
basin area is approximately 46,750 km
2 , of which 2,560 km
2 (5.5%) is in Swaziland,
15,510 km
2 (33.2%) is in Mozambique, and 28,681 km
2 (61.3%) is in South Africa.
Figure 17 depicts both the Incomati Basin and adjacent Maputo Basin.
The three basins—Incomati, Maputo, and Umbeluzi—are shown in detail in
Fig. 18.
All three rivers flow from east to west, from the inland highland mountains in
South Africa and Swaziland to the Indian Ocean (Hake 2016).
453
5.3 Water Governance and Management-Related Issues
Over-allocation and scarcity of water and poor infrastructure are some of the waterrelated challenges experienced in this region. Storage is lacking in certain areas and
not fully functional in others, and most vulnerable and resource-poor communities
do not have access to potable water.
5.4 Adaptation Measures and Recommendations
Strengthening of institutional arrangements for better coordination of water management processes at the transboundary level, enhanced institutional capacity and utilization of early warning systems, and preparedness are essential for improved resilience.
Additionally, higher resolution climate change projections and more comprehensive
studies on the changing and variable climate are recommended for the Limpopo
River Basin.
6 The Incomati River Basin
The Incomati-Maputo Agreement was reached among South Africa, Mozambique
and Swaziland in 2002 to resolve a conflict over allocation of Inkomati catchment
water by including Maputo in the negotiations. The agreement seeks to ensure cooperation to protect and sustain water resources among the three states. The states also
agreed to coordinate water security initiatives, monitor and mitigate flood events,
and exchange data and information among them.
However, neither the agreement (adopted in May 2002, signed in August 2009
and ratified in February 2010), nor a technical report by the Tripartite Permanent
Technical Committee on systems operating rules (drafted in 2010) even mention
climate change.
The Incomati is a semi-arid transboundary river basin in southern Africa, which is
water-stressed because of the competing demands of irrigated agriculture, forestry,
energy, environmental flow, and basic human needs (Okello et al. 2015). The total
basin area is approximately 46,750 km
2 , of which 2,560 km
2 (5.5%) is in Swaziland,
15,510 km
2 (33.2%) is in Mozambique, and 28,681 km
2 (61.3%) is in South Africa.
Figure 17 depicts both the Incomati Basin and adjacent Maputo Basin.
The three basins—Incomati, Maputo, and Umbeluzi—are shown in detail in
Fig. 18.
All three rivers flow from east to west, from the inland highland mountains in
South Africa and Swaziland to the Indian Ocean (Hake 2016).