Category: Policy Briefs

Agricultural water and nutrient management solutions to support smallholder irrigation schemes: Lessons from the Ramotswa Transboundary Aquifer Area, Limpopo River Basin

Rural agricultural development has great potential to alleviate poverty, reduce food insecurity, and improve rural livelihoods and climate resilience in Africa. Despite the small area under irrigation, the value of irrigated agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa comprises about 25% of total agricultural output. Due to the significant amount of water used…

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Project Brief: A first step toward integrated management: Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of the shared Tuli Karoo System, Limpopo River Basin

The Tuli Karoo Aquifer Area — as well as the broader surface water system that encompasses the aquifer — is shared among Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and forms part of the Limpopo River Basin. There has been very little investigation into the Tuli Karoo aquifer or the associated surface…

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Project Brief: Joint Strategic Action Plan for the Ramotswa Transboundary Aquifer Area

Cooperative development and management of shared waters is widely recognized for its role in enhancing water security and increasing resilience. Protocols under the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) call for cooperation on transboundary waters. Also, Target 6.5 under Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development…

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Policy Brief: Considering social and gender aspects in transboundary assessments and cooperation

Cooperation is important in transboundary groundwater management. Actions in the utilization of aquifers on one side of the border can have negative impacts upon a neighboring state’s overall access, and consequently their delivery on national social and gender equity goals. In turn, cooperation on shared groundwater can offset conflicts and enhance joint benefits of the aquifers. International instruments increasingly emphasize gender and social factors, but transboundary arrangements and practices regarding shared aquifers continue to fail to address these issues. This may jeopardize water security and livelihood options for small communities in the border regions, enhancing risks to social cohesions, livelihoods and wellbeing.

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