The Pungwe River Basin originates in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe and flows through Mozambique into the Indian Ocean. About 5 % of the basin area is in Zimbabwe, with the remainder in Mozambique. However, about 28% of basin flows are generated on the Zimbabwean side. The basin is rich in plant and animal diversity, which is constantly under threat from anthropogenic activities.
As a long-standing co-sponsor of the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP), the Global Water Partnership (GWP) is proud to have played a central role in organising the Drought Resilience +10 Conference. This conference, marking the 11th anniversary of the launch of IDMP by GWP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), served as a critical milestone in the global conversation on drought and water scarcity. It highlighted the pressing need for unprecedented collaboration to address the escalating threat of drought and water scarcity worldwide.
With technical support from the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), the governments of Mozambique and Zimbabwe have developed a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) for the Buzi, Pungwe, and Save (BUPUSA) River Basins. Upon finalization, the TDA is expected to inform the priorities for unlocking investments for reduction in environmental degradation, reduction in poverty, improved water quality, green and grey infrastructure development, flood control, and improved water governance of the BUPUSA Basins.
In a bid to enhance sustainable water resource management and promote the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus approach to promote the achievement of related SDGs, a high-level regional workshop was convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 4th to 6th March 2025.
Integrating knowledge & practice for drought resilience: Following up on the first High-level meeting on National Drought Policies in 2013, the Drought Resilience +10 Conference aims at scaling up and accelerating drought action on the ground. It will bring together countries, experts and practitioners to review progress and lessons learnt in drought management to explore and define a joint way forward towards a more drought resilient world.
The 11th SADC Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue was held in Maseru, Lesotho, from 29 to 30 September 2025, where delegates discussed the role of water in regional economic corridor development, positioning and aligning the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus for impactful contribution to the regional economic development corridor agenda.
