The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has announced a USD10.57 million grant to the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM).
The announcement was made by the GEF Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez during the launch of the One Water Summit held alongside the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The UNCCD COP16 is being held from 2 – 13 December 2024. The One Water Summit is a high-profile event aimed at elevating water issues to the forefront of global leadership discussions.
“This grant is the result of ZAMCOM's active resource mobilization efforts to secure funding for priority interventions in the Zambezi region,” ZAMCOM Executive Secretary, Felix Ngamlagosi who attended the event and witnessed the grant announcement said.
The summit was attended by distinguished leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
Ngamlagosi explained that the grant will provide direct benefits to the eight Zambezi Watercourse Riparian States of Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. “It is designated to support sustainable and integrated water resource management, promote regional cooperation, and bolster climate resilience across the basin. The grant is expected to deliver transformative outcomes, including enhanced water resource management, progress in agriculture and fisheries, revitalized wetlands, and improved ecosystem health and resilience. By tackling critical challenges in the basin, the GEF grant highlights a pivotal opportunity for advancing regional collaboration and sustainable development in the Zambezi River
Basin,” Ngamlagosi said.