Tuesday, March 31 2015 – The wait for an updated version of the State of the Environment, Zambezi River Basin report pubulished in the year 2000 is almost over following the review and adoption of the Zambezi Environment Outlook (ZEO) report, by the Project Steering Committee today.
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The review and adoption of the ZEO took place in Harare and the majority of the basin member states were represented at a meeting that was graced by the presence of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) Executive Secretary, Professor Zebediah Phiri (in the pic).
The meeting paves the way for its publication and distribution to the ZEO to the Zambezi River Basin community and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the river basin as it has taken at least 15 years before they could have an updated on the state of the environment in the river basin. The review and adoption of the ZEO took place in Harare and the majority of the basin member states were represented at a meeting that was graced by the presence of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) Executive Secretary, Professor Zebediah Phiri (in the pic). |
The meeting paves the way for its publication and distribution to the ZEO to the Zambezi River Basin community and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the river basin as it has taken at least 15 years before they could have an updated on the state of the environment in the river basin.
The Committee also provided guidance on the next phase of the ZEO Project to ensure continuity.
The ZEO Project is being implemented by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) with financial support from the GIZ, Australian Aid and the UK Aid.
In his opening remarks, Professor Phiri said the main goal of the ZEO Project is to strengthen access to knowledge about the Zambezi River Basin and provide a well-functioning distribution channel for the promotion of sustainable national and transboundary natural resources management in the Zambezi basin among decision and policy makers at national, regional and sector levels.
“The ZEO report will provide a current update and introduce new and emerging issues following the widely acknowledged State of Environment Zambezi Basin 2000, which was the first environmental assessment of a single ecosystem in Southern Africa,” Professor Phiri said.
He said the report responds to the need to keep the state, trends and outlook of the environment under continuous review.
“As human activity and climate change and variability have brought drastic changes on the state of the environment in the Zambezi River Basin over the decade, impacting on socio-economic development, the ZEO report therefore brings these issues into focus, so as to enable decision makers and the general public to take positive steps in reversing negative environmental change,” he said.
He said the ZEO is in line with the principle objective of the ZAMCOM Agreement which seeks to “promote the equitable and reasonable utilization of the water resources of the Zambezi watercourse as well as the efficient management and sustainable development thereof.”
He added that by fostering greater awareness on equitable utilization of resources, the ZEO assists the ZAMCOM Secretariat which is based in Harare, Zimbabwe, to operationalize the key provisions of the ZAMCOM Agreement.
“Among these is the need for collection and dissemination of information and data in support of improved planning and decision-making for the sustainable management and development of the basin. It therefore fulfils one of ZAMCOM’s key functions of advising Member States on measures necessary for the avoidance of disputes and assisting in conflict resolution,” said Professor Phiri.
He said it is his belief that the ZEO findings will inform the process of developing the Zambezi Strategic Plan, part of ZAMCOM Secretariat’s three-year work plan. The plan will be used as a reliable and accepted basis for decision making on investments.
The Project contributes to strengthening and implementation of other basins and regional objectives, including the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), the third Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management (RSAP III); and the Revised SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses.
The ZEO report was reviewed by the ZEO Technical Committee and other basin stakeholders in 2014.
Countries represented at today’s Steering Committee Meeting were Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It is expected that the ZEO report will be launched in August this year (2015).
For more information, you may call the Secretariat, 128 Samora Machel Avenue, Harare; Tel: +263 4 253361/2/3; Voip: 08677000313 or send an email to zamcom@zambezicommission.org and ask for the Information, Communication and Partnerships Manager Ms. Leonissah Abwino-Munjoma or the Executive Secretary Professor Zebediah Phiri.